Is it possible to position the transparent enamel on stainless steel?

I tried to put a blue enamel on steel.
I did on steel 304L.
Unfortunately, the sides of the enamel does not want to fall into place.
After the third firing in the oven enamel falls off.

Regards Leszek

I treat stainless the same way I treat cold rolled steel, The difference is that stainless takes a higher temprature to get the ground coat to adhere to the steel. For that reason I don't like stainless. You should follow my cleaning procedure to prep. the steel prier to applying the ground coat. I beleave it's under liquid enamels, search, steel preperation. them enter. You have to remember to wear gloves at all times when working with the metal when the firing begins. This will keep finger oil off the metal. But it looks to me that the kiln isn't hot enough to melt the enamel into the metal. Remember, the metal heats the enamel from the bottom up. If the metal doesn't heat to the proper temprature, the enamel won't adhere to the metal, or the enamel that has already been fired. I don't like using stainless. If the steel, like 22 gage cold rolled steel, and is completly enameled on all sides, you will never have a problem. If you plan on leaving a section clean of enamel and show some steel, you will have to use stainless. Just rember it takes a higher temprature to adhere the enamel to the steel, but at the same time, the higher teprrature will also cause the enamel to evaporate. The steel will still have to be cleaned properly prier to enameling. Remember that the thicker the enamel, the temprature, and the time will have to incress to make up for the extra enamel that has been applied, especially on stainless. All you trivits are made of stainless, that should give you an idea of what it takes to heat stainless to an ecceptable temprature for enamel.

Charles

Hello

Thank you Charles for the advice.

Regards

Dear Leszek,

I remember an article in Glass on Metal, written by Woodrow Carpenter, the owner of Thompson enamel. Here is a copy of a part of this article. The whole script about: “Metals Suitable for Enameling” you can find here: 
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/gom-metals_for_enameling.htm

Many years ago, I tried  enameling on stainless steel, but with nearly no success. The transparent colors I had, looks always very cloudy and ugly!

Edmund

STAINLESS STEELS

300 SERIES (Non-magnetic) This series contains 16-25% chromium, 6-22% nickel, small amounts of special metals, and the remainder iron. Their expansions range from 340 for type 330 S.S. to 520 for type 304 S.S. Their moduli of elasticity are 28,000,000 P.S.I. or slightly higher. These high moduli of elasticity limits the permissible difference in the expansions of the enamel and the alloy being coated. Enamels from the lower end of the expansion range of Medium Temperature - Medium Expansion enamels are suitable for 330 S.S. and those from the higher expansion range are suitable for 310 S.S. The rest of the 300 series requires enamels with higher expansions. Low Temperature - High Expansion enamels are excellent on these higher expansion stainless steels. This series of stainless produces very little oxide at enameling temperatures. Best results are obtained by prefiring the uncoated metal to develop some oxide. Then apply the enamel directly over the oxidized surface.

400 SERIES (Magnetic) This series contains 12-25% chromium, 0-2.5% nickel, and the remainder is iron. Their expansions range from 297 to 350 and their moduli of elasticity are 29,000,000. Enamels with an expansion of about 310 or less can be used on type 431 S.S. The other types of 400 series requires enamels with 270 or less in expansion. Medium Temperature - Low Expansion enamels work well on these other types of 400 series.

SUPER ALLOYS

Inconel contains approximately 77% nickel, 15% chromium, and 7% iron. It has an expansion of 350 and a modulus of elasticity of 31,000,000. Enamels used on copper works well on inconel, however their expansion should be less than about 320. Hastelloy contains 45-80% nickel with miscellaneous metals added for certain properties. They have expansions ranging from 305 to 440 and moduli of elasticity are 24,000,000 to 31,000,000. Hastelloys A, B, C, & D are compatible with enamels from the lower end of the expansion range of normal enamels used on copper, while Hastelloy F & X are compatible with enamels from the higher end. All of the alloys in this stainless steel section require no preparation other than the removal of grease, oil, and ordinary dirt. Grease and oil can be burned off at a low temperature. When cold, loose material can be brushed away. Other methods are washing with soap and water, or scrubbing with liquid enamel such as Liquid Form - Water Base enamel.

Sandblasting is used in production shops. Remember it is advisable to prefire the 300 series to develop an oxide layer. Color enamels go directly on the metal surface without a ground coat as used for cold rolled steel. Some transparents look surprisingly good.

Hello Edmund. How are you feeling ?

Thank you for the link to the information. A lot of information. Cool.
It is a pity that you can not put transparent enamel :-(
I guilloche steel discs and do as silver.
Edmund and if you can put silver foil on the backing stalowymm?

Best wishes :-)

I have used 301L and 303L stainless steels with some success.  In these cases I use a base coat of G16 and then followed with other enamels.  I have used some transparents successfully also.  Almost everything I have done has been with 1/4 inch thick stainless steel and 100 grit surface prep.  Usually the pieces have been 1/4 x 1.5 diameter oval in shape.  The quarter inch thickness allowed me to file 1/16 deep by 3/16 wide groove around the oval ring.  I then enameled the inside of the groove.  I have done this with about a dozen pieces.  Imagine a ring where the circumference is set with enamel.  I have also stamped and cut a surface pattern on to a 1/4 x 1" by 3" oval after milling out a 1/16th over all but a border on the 1x3 oval. I used a hammer, high speed grinder, and set of chisels to incise a pattern in the milled surface.  I then use a transparent enamel on this.  The reflection off the heavily incised surface was nice. Lots of faces on the stainless to reflect the light.