03-05-2007, 11:41 PM
Romans did the enamel in kilns, like in our days. At 950 º the problem with the brass could be it melts, but without a fundent (borax) or so, its dificult it happens. In the other hand, if you only need 850º you are under the fussion point (950º), so no problem.
Probably the enamel composition of our enamels and the roman ones was not the same, so the room of error was not the same as today.
And a good artisan today could knows very exactly what its the temperature of a metal simply looking the colour. Until 860º you have a dark red (brick) colour. When you get the 850/860 the colour beginns to change to a cherry red, not so dark and more shiny. The roman artisan, who are looking constantly the piece in the kiln, then knows that if the temperature increases he lost the piece, and can do some actions like get out the piece or put less air into the kiln. (the kiln for make such things have a forced aireation)
To make that yourself...Uf, its dificult. Now we have some aid with the propan torchs. You can use it to make enameling instead a kiln. But the heating must be not direct, so you can heat with the torch the back of the piece. I can't say how is the method to avoid a overcooking of the piece, probably it's a matter or looking the colours of the hot enamel (i think a orange colour is fine. Think the hot colour is the same for all the enamels with independence of the final colour) and avoiding the formation of bubbles (when the enamel boils, just before "burning")
The trick is made a lot of experimentation with fake pieces, and then go for the final thing.
Good luck! Think that probably the efort deserves your work. And remember to put some pictures...
Probably the enamel composition of our enamels and the roman ones was not the same, so the room of error was not the same as today.
And a good artisan today could knows very exactly what its the temperature of a metal simply looking the colour. Until 860º you have a dark red (brick) colour. When you get the 850/860 the colour beginns to change to a cherry red, not so dark and more shiny. The roman artisan, who are looking constantly the piece in the kiln, then knows that if the temperature increases he lost the piece, and can do some actions like get out the piece or put less air into the kiln. (the kiln for make such things have a forced aireation)
To make that yourself...Uf, its dificult. Now we have some aid with the propan torchs. You can use it to make enameling instead a kiln. But the heating must be not direct, so you can heat with the torch the back of the piece. I can't say how is the method to avoid a overcooking of the piece, probably it's a matter or looking the colours of the hot enamel (i think a orange colour is fine. Think the hot colour is the same for all the enamels with independence of the final colour) and avoiding the formation of bubbles (when the enamel boils, just before "burning")
The trick is made a lot of experimentation with fake pieces, and then go for the final thing.
Good luck! Think that probably the efort deserves your work. And remember to put some pictures...
Cesar Pocinya
ALA AUGUSTA
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/115550981827499/
OFFICINA AVITIANA
https://www.facebook.com/oficinaavitiana
ALA AUGUSTA
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/115550981827499/
OFFICINA AVITIANA
https://www.facebook.com/oficinaavitiana
