I work in a bit different way. All my fine silver/enamel-jewelry has a rim to protect the enamel against sidewise shocks. The rims are 0,7 - 0,8 mm in height. The cloisonné wire I use are 0,15 - 0,2 mm thick and 0,8 - 0,9 mm high, so that the wires always are a bit higher than the frame.
After conter-enamelling and polishing the front-side, I apply an only 1 grain (80 meshes) high layer of silver-flux on to the front-side and fire it. After cooling down I roughen the flux very careful with a diamond-cutter. Instead of the commercial glue (Klyfire, Blue-stick etc.), or glues from plants ( Lotus-root, rice-slime, ) I use a solution of wall-paper-glue, which works for me best. With this glue I glue the cloisonné-wires onto the roughen flux-surface.
Here, I make sure that the wires everywhere satisfied to rest on the Flux shift.
Then I sift on an also only one grain thick shift of very well dedusted flux and firing again.
I had never the problem, which the flux raised up on the cloisonné wire.
So as I wrote, I use this method on fine silver. Whether it also works well on copper, you must, if you want, try out.
Edmund
I've used the clear flux as an indicator but had not thought of the alundum stone method. A good idea!
When you say it's easier to see (the wires fusing) with torch firing than with a kiln I assume that would only apply if the kiln door had no window. If one had to open the kiln door periodically to check on the wires I can certainly see the advantage (in terms of visibility) of torch firing but with a window in the kiln door I'm not sure I can see an advantage. Perhaps I've missed something here; can you elaborate a bit?
Thanks Chris.
