Hallo Alicia,

I use since more than 40 years wallpaper paste very successful. Mix about a half teaspoon wallpaper powder with about 100-150 ml distilled water. If the glue is too thick, dilute it with a bit more water. Only 8-10 drops of this glue in 250 ml distilled water in a sprayer for flowers are a good holding agent if you want sieving on enamel on steep surfaces or so. In the refrigerator the mixed glue is durable for many weeks.

Edmund

What a great idea...I am glad to know that the mixture will keep! How quickly does it dry once applied?

Alicia

I think I like the idea of dipping better than brushing. Sounds less messy!

While on the subject of cloisonne, I recently tried a simple design in black and white on copper. My wires are fine silver (I cut my own from wide bezel wire, so I can determine the height), and I laid down two layers of enamel before applying the wires. I pushed the wires into a third layer of white, wet-packed enamel and fired (torch) When I applied a fourth layer of white enamel, areas in contact with the wires turned brown (the third layer looked fine).

The fourth layer of white is a softer enamel than the base layers, if that matters.

I have read about this discoloration happening with sterling silver, but not fine silver. Do I need to do a better job of cleaning my wires, or is there something else at work?

Thank you Edmund,

Alicia

Hallo Alicia,

You can add 5-10 % alcohol to the glue to accelerate the drying. I myself prefer the glue without alcohol,because I give a few drops onto a flat dish and dip the wires into the glue. If the glue contain alcohol, it dries on the dish for me too quick.
If you apply the glue with a brush on the wires and have a bigger glue container it may be of benefit, to use the glue with alcohol. The best is to try both solutions.

WARNING: 

Be careful if you handle with alcohol. Alcohol is very, very easily flammable and poisonous. Don't work with alcohol near open flames or other hot items.  Fluids with more than 40 parts alcohol to 100 parts fluid can burn the mucosa. Hold it far away from children. 

Edmund

Hallo Alicia,

That white opak gets yellow if it comes in contact with silver occur often, especially near the contact areas. And firing a bit too high it happens, that the silver melts. I think it is a chemical reaction. Whether it is advisable, I do not know. The best is you ask the experts by Thompson enamel.
If you work on copper, brass wire 85/15 = 85% copper/15% zinc is a very good alternative. It is gold-colored. During the firing it oxidize only a little bit. You must not remove this so as it is if you are working with copper wire. After grinding and polishing,the wire look like like gold. The gold color stays for a long time, at minimum so long as the color of silver wire.

Edmund

I will try your suggestion of using brass wire, and also try firing with a smaller flame with the silver. Thanks also for the warning about alcohol....I knew it was flammable, but did not think about the fumes being toxic.

I appreciate all of your help, this week!

Alicia

I am wondering about using lily root powder in a holding agent for cloisonne wires on 3-d objects...I have only read a little about holding agents, and am not sure if you mix the powder into an existing binder or make your own by just mixing the powder with water?

Also, is the lily root powder you can get at health food stores the same stuff as you would use in a holding agent?

I would be interested to know what other options work well.