Thank you Trish:)

Dear Rudolf,

You can use also CRCA (Cold Rolled Cold Annealed) steel for enamelling process. But ASTM A424 is standard  enamelling grade steel.

Regards.

Meghan

Thank you Meghan.Is it true you need use liquid enamels and the first layer must be thin?

Yes..for steel you have to use ground coat first & then use  liquid enamels..

In Germany in some enamel-factories you can buy pre-enameled steel tiles, flat or domed, and in different ground colors and in sizes you wish. . On these tiles I work with normal 8o mesh enamel-colors. I use stencils, or paint in free-hand technique wet and dry or in the scraffito-technique
An other possibility: I ask at a scrap dealer for old kitchen appliances such as refrigerators or stoves. Very often this coverings are made ​​of enameled steel. I screw this plates off, and cut them with a Flex to the size I want. This tiles one can also enameling very good.
Here some examples.

"Outback", Enamel on steel, wet and dry painting, 10 x 10 inch

 "Grafik", sgraffitto on black pre-enameled steel, ca 4 x 6 inch

Stencil technique on pre enammeled white steel tile, about 10 x 10 inch

Thank you very much Edmund,your pictures are fantastic.Also the idea to use old kitchen applianches.But I want to make belt buckle with etched design-champleve.So I will try to find something good for etching and also for enameling.

Best regrads

Rudolf

In addition to appliances many public spaces have enameled steel surfaces.  For example bathroom stall partitions.  The trick is how to cut and or redo the edges.  

Cheers M

I cut enamelled-sheets with an angle grinder armed with Nylon-silicon carbid wheels. You must try whether it is better to cut from the frontside or from the backside of the sheet. I found out, that it is sometimes better to cut from the front, sometimes better from the back. The uneven edges I grind also with the angle grinder.
If you are not familiar with an angle grinder, let the sheets cut from an expert. Cutting with the angle grinder is not hazard-free.

You can also use a similar but smaller cutting disc in your Jacobs chuck flexshaft.  Use the larger 3mm/1/8th mandril.  Much less hazard.  The thinner the disc, the less heat generated.

M

I use 22 gage cold rolled steel.  Any thing smaller and it will deform to much. Heaver is for wall mounting because it's hard to form. This is what you might want to use for belt buckles. The temp. for stainless is to high and the enamel will evaporate long before the enamel will adhere to it. I use Thompson crackle enamel. It won't crackle unless you add the crackle base. The fussing temperature is 1310-1350 degrees.  be sure to use GC-16 ground coat. The steel has to be clean prier to firing. Read Glass on metal Volume 8 No 3 June 1989 under John Killmaster for the steps and procedures on applying and preparation of steel and  enamel.  I hope to have an article out some time in Glass on metal on a new procedure I have invented on how to clean and apply the ground coat. If you interested I'll try to write a condensed version this procedure.

You don't need a carbide steel blade, this is over kill. All you need is a cut off wheel and a steady hand. The edges will have a feather edged. You can clean this off with a file. There is no front or back side to the steel. Sit on a chair with the grinder resting on you leg, and work slowly. It will take some time to learn how to cut with a grinder, but it will be well worth the trouble. Projects that took a couple of days to cut can now be cut in an hour or two. Don't make it harder than it is. Carbide blades will just tear up the steel.  

Thank you very much Charles.I have experience with angle grinder so I am not affraid to using itI tried the stainless steel sheet that I have and the results are that some enamels (aprox 150mesh) are better than regular vitreous enamels grinded to 80mesh.Also opaques looks good but transparent are not.

If you could please post the condensed version in to the Notebook that will be very helpfull.

Rudolf

I have only used 80 mesh. My projects are large, approximately 2' X 2' up to 9" out. I use a detail mini gun spray my enamel onto my project. If the steel is cleaned correctly you will not have problems with the ground coat. Stainless has such a high melting point, the enamel will have a hard time becoming part of the steel. You don't want the enamel just to lay on top. It has to become a part of the steel. First sand the steel with an 80 grit sand paper, no annealing or acid. Wash with a good cleaner and comet as an abrasive. Don't ever touch the steel with you bare hands beyond that point. Don't use stainless. This process of cleaning is a short version of what I do to prep my steel.  Stainless is great for trivets, but terrible for enameling. The ground coat is the most important step in enameling, it has to be done right. If you can find awesome cleaner, use that for cleaning the steel. I use the grinder almost exclusively for cutting out my projects. I buy cutoff blades from Harbor freight. I hope this helps.  

Thank you Charles.

Will try your advice and post some photos of my work later.

Rudolf

Beautiful. How creative to re-use old appliances.

For cutting up recycled enameled sheets.  If you have a waterjet nearby that would cut out any shapes without tearing up the enamel on the edges.

Most waterjet machines can use any vector file to create the tool path.  They charge by machine time.  The cutting is very fast and in many cases they can stack thin sheets to get multiple pieces from the same pass of the cutting head.

M

Hi Charles, I would like to know your experience with GC-16 as ground coat on cold rolled steel. does it work well and stay well after 7-8 fireing? I was using ground coat from India but I won't able to ship it to USA. if you have more suggestion about enamel on steel please let me know.

Thank you.

Sameer

Hi Charles,  Is the GC-16 ground coat only blue?  Thanks

Melissa Cameron has posted interesting details about enameling on steel on her blog.  http://www.melissacameron.net/blog/?page_id=4245  She is a member here, but may not be seeing your post.

I keep reading of people using stainless steel or some other exotic steel. Just follow my instructions in Glass on Metal magazine June 2013 Volume 32 No 3. I explain how to clean cold rolled steel and how to apply the ground coat. All my work is on 22 gage cold rolled steel. Ever sense I come up with process I have had a 99% success rate with my ground coat. All the problems like pealing, burn back, scaling, bubbles, pits, fire scale, and what I call sloughing. When the ground coat pulls into piles, slides off the project, and hangs like stalagmites. Both sides of the project will come out of the kiln perfect. I spent five years working on this procedure, and it works, it really works. Read my article, follow my steps, and you will have great success with cold rolled steel. The ground coat has to adhere to the steel, not just sit on top. My process does just that. The ground is part of the steel. The only way to get to the steel is grind it off, even then you will have trouble separating the ground from the steel. Don't waste your money and time on stainless or on exotic metals. You will have better success with 22 gage cold rolled steel.

Charles Winkel

HI Charles, can you please post the article here? thank you for reply and thank you vera as well.

There is a description of Charles' technique of preparing steel in Notebook 1 Liquid Enamels.  Look at the bottom of the middle column where it says Steel Preparation & Firing - Charles Winkel.

Thank you Vera.

And here is a source to purchase cold rolled steel in US.  If you phone in your order, the cost is much less than shown on the website.  Buy more than you might need because shipping will be more than the cost of the steel...it is very inexpensive.  A 12" x 24" sheet of 24 gauge was $2.35 last time I ordered.

https://www.speedymetals.com/pc-2687-8244-00239-cold-rolled-steel-sheet.aspx