Riveting an enamelled plate to a back plate

 

Three things that are very important in my opinion when riveting an enamelled plate to a mounting-plate.

 

1) Build the rivet from fine silver wire or fine gold wire

2) The holes for the rivets must have the same diameter as the rivet wire.

3) Both, the enamelled plate and the mounting plate must fit perfectly together. Whether you dome the plates or you make flat plates there must not be any gap between the enamel plate and the mounting plate.

1) To make the rivet, form a ball from fine silver-wire as usual. Attention! The wire must have the exact same diameter as the holes in the enamelled workpiece and the mounting-plate.

2) Milling with a ball-bur a concave hole into an iron-bar or an other about 10 to 15 mm0,4 to 0,6 inch) metal bar. The depression should not be deeper than the halfdiameter of the rivet-heads. That prevent, that the bar touch the enamelledsurface during riveting. Because I didn't found an iron bar in my workshop, Imake the concave hole into a 15 mm (0,6 inch) iron screw.

 3) Drill
the holes into the metal-plate for enamelling. Apply an enamel layer. Before firing make the holes free from enamel with a pointed tool.

4) Fire the work piece. Make the same steps for counter-enamelling.

  5) With a diamond ball-bur erase a bit enamel from the front-site of the enamelled plate
around the hole.

Only a small rim from the metal should be seen.

 

 6) Consign the holes of the enamelled piece to the mounting-plate and drill the holes. Broaden the holes from the back with a ball-bur. The riveted ends receive more support.

 

    Drop the
wires through the enamel plate and the mounting plate. Trim the wire about 1 to 1.5 mm (0,04 to 0,06 inch) above the back of the mounting-plate. More is really not necessary. If the rivet end is longer, the wire bends and it is nearly impossible  to flatten the wire into the depression.

 

Place the rivet-head exactly in the concave cut-out of the iron rod (screw). Press the both plates  with your fingers together.Hold the plates during riveting exactly horizontal. Otherwise the enamelled
surface could  touch the iron bar and the enamel gets  damage .

 With a very "light hand" and with the hammer-fin, hammers the rivet flat. Change the direction of the “Sandwhich” during riveting.


 

Back and

 

 face of the riveted workpiece.

 The “heads” of the rivets are nearly round!

 

And here a it more gentle method which don't stress the enamel so much. The wire looks on the pictures a bit coarse. The reason is, that the pictures are very much enlarged. The wire I used is only 0,7 mm (0,03 inch) thick.

Make the ball at the wire as usual.

 
Insert the wire through the enamel and the ground plate. Trim the wire on the backsite to
a length of 5 to 10 mm.
 

 

 With a round nosed pliers turn the wire to a loop.

 

 

Press with your fingers the both plates together. One finger should lay at the enamelledsite over the ball .Press the loop with a hand-burnisher or similar tool flat to the backsheet. 

It is not really necessary but if you want, give a bit glue to the loop.

Trish  was so friendly to  draw my attention at some linguistic  inaccuracies. I corrected it and hope, that it now o. k is. Thank you Trish.

Edmund

Thank you for sharing Edmund, this is one of the things I've wanted to be able to do for a long time.
I can't wait to try it.

Bev

WOW, Edmund, this is a great tutorial - I love the photos - I am much more a visual person than reading directions. Thanks again.

Edmund is a dear. He always comes through with his wonderful tips! Thank you Edmund!

Edmund, thank you so much for posting this tutorial. I found it very helpful!