I've used 24 gauge round wire for cloisonne and it works (sort of). You can only get one or two layers of enamel on because the wire is so small. One advantage is that it doesn't fall over when you make a narrow curve or straight line. Larger gauge wire might work better. 

Hello Rosemary,

i also use 0,5 mm (~24 Gauge) fine silver or copper wire Cloisonné enamel to make. I make with this both, jewelery as small pictures. It works very well. I like to grind all my Cloisonné, because I love the silk-like surface. If all cells are very good filled and fired, I fire as a last shift a thin shift of a very clear flux over the whole surface. For this reason I have an a bit thicker enamel-shift. I grind the surface only so long, that just the wires come out. This reduces the risk of looping through the enamel area. The Byzantine cross, about 10 x 15 cm in dimension, was made in this manner.

The cross is very striking. How many layers of color can you apply before the cells are filled? And it also sounds as if you cover the entire piece, including the wires, before grinding? Is that the case?

I'm definitely going to try this technique again

Thank you Jeanne for your input,

Mary Rose

Thanks for your input,

Mary Rose

hello Jeanne,

Yes, that is right.

here my complete modus operandi:

1) Enameling the back side.

2) Cleaning and polishing the front side

3) Spraying a thin layer of glue onto the front side.

(I prefer to make this glue by myself from 1/4 spoon of wall-paper-glue and about 100 ml distilled water. In a flower-spraying device I give about 200 ml distilled water and 5-10 drops of the glue concentrate).

4) Sieving on a thin layer of a universal Flux. (medium flux) and firing to a clear golden shine. (on Copper)

5) Grinding the front side careful, only to get an a bit rawer surface. Thereby the cloisonne-wire don't slip, if I lay it onto the surface.

6) Bending and applying of the cloisonne-wire. As the Glue I use the wallpaper glue concentrate.

7) If all wires are placed, drying well and firing careful. Watch the firing careful, so that the wires not sink into the flux-layer.

8) If using copper-wire, one must remove the fire scale from the wires. I use 15/85 brass-wire or fine silver wires, so that I must not remove any oxide-scale.

9) Filling the cells with wet enamel. I add 1 drop glue-concentrate to the wet enamel. It is possible 2 thin layers to make.

10) Firing careful. If one fire to long and/or too hot, there is the danger, that the wires "drowned" into the enamel.

11) After cooling spraying on a bit glue and sieve on a very even and thin shift of a very clear flux.

Fire careful. I fire all my enamel only by "sight". I remove the workpiece immediately, if the enamel surface is smooth and glossy. That prevents over firing . (Be careful if you have opaque reds in your workpiece. Some opaque reds change over in a ugly brown if they get overlayed with flux).

12 Now follows the grinding. Because I have builded a grinding machine, I start grinding with 400 grit diamond wheel. Thereby is no danger, that I grind off the surface too quick. If you grind by hand it could be better, to start with an a bit coarser grinding tool.

Grind only, untill the wire-surface is straight to see.

If the flux was realy smooth fired, the whole surface should be mat grinded. If not, you must a new coat of flux make. Otherwise you can to finer diamond-tools change over. Also here, grind careful and with feeling only so, that scratches from the previous grinding are just invisible!

13) It follows waxing with a white a candle-rest, followed by a kitchen paper towel in order excess wax remove, polishing with the ball of the thump and at last with a soft wool cloth.  

Edmund

Hello,
The following important tip I have forgotten. . It is very important, that, if you glueing on the wires to the mat grinded enamel surface, all wires in her full extension must have contact to the enamel surface. All wires must absolute on the same level be. If some wires are only a bit higher than the others, the becomes grinded-away during the grinding process.

Edmund

Me encanto su comentario.Ha sido muy instructivo

Has anyone used round cloisonne' wire for enameling, and what is your opinion of it?

Thank you,

Rosemary Holusha

[blockquote]Edmund J. Massow said:

1) Enameling the back side.

......................

13) It follows waxing with a white a candle-rest, followed by a kitchen paper towel in order excess wax remove, polishing with the ball of the thump and at last with a soft wool cloth.  

Edmund

[/blockquote]

Edmund thank you for the tutorial cloisonne. :-)

Leszek

[blockquote] Edmund Massow powiedział: [/ b]