Fluxes for Enameling, Firing Temperatures, and Color Charts

Fluxes for transparent and medium firing enameling. And firing time varies on the size of your jewel. I work small and like to start around a min and go up in seconds. Just a quick peak in the kiln at eye level you can see if the enamel has fused.

Copper

Fire at 1450 and up to 1500 degrees

Thompson’s Unleaded 2030 Flux. Here is a link to Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Copper

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Copper

Ninomiya’s   Leaded L11  Flux   Here is a link to  Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Copper

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Copper

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Copper

Bovano’s   Leaded #1 Flux   You can down load their color chart here,

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Copper

Fine Silver

I make enamel and cloisonne jewelry. And Fine Silver is my choice of metals. The weight of the jewel as well as the strength is a factor and in choosing the gauge of the fine silver. For pendants I prefer 20 gauge and for earrings 22 gauge.

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2020 medium firing or 2040 for a hard firing fluxes. In my work I like a hard firing flux on my bases.   Here is a link to Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques For Fine Silver

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Fine Silver

Ninomiya’s Leaded  N1 Flux                         Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Fine Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Fine Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Fine Silver

N3 = Leaded pre – washed flux

G 110    Leaded hard flux

Bovano’s     Leaded  #3 this is a hard flux with a blue base, this is my favorite flux on fine silver.

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Fine Silver

Sterling Silver

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2040 flux.    Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques For Silver

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Silver

Ninomiya Leaded N1 or N3 Flux      Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Silver

Bovano’s #3   Leaded Flux, both of these are hard enamels and I think it is helpful in keeping the surface contamination down of the sterling silver away from the layers of enamels.

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents Silver

Gold

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Bovano Leaded #2 Flux and a kink to, Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Gold

Stainless Steel

Fire at 1250 Degrees – 4-8 min.

Low to Medium expansion Enamels     Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Stainless Steel

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Stainless Steel

Finishing Fluxes

Ninomiya’s Leaded N4

Bovano’s  Leaded 619

Brass  Today is Gilded Metal

Today many are asking about enameling on brass. It needs to be gilded meatl, which means it has 5% zinc and no more to be successful, with 95% bronze. You can obtain this from Thompson’s Enamel and use their unleaded enamels used for copper as long as you have no more than three firings.