< BASE MAKING : CLEANSING > We usually use a manufactured copper base (01). They spin the copper on a lathe and shape it into the desired form. This process is called " Héra Shibori (02)", which literally means shaping with a spatula and oil. Therefore, the surface of the base is too greasy to apply the enamel.This is why you have to slightly fire the base first. It is called " Abura Yaki (03)". You quickly take it out of the kiln when the color of the base turns purple. If you fire it too long the base gets too soft to polish afterwards. Don't miss the moment of color changing. < BASE MAKING : ACID BATH > After firing, soak it in acid and wash it inside and outside with steel wool & "Migaki Suna (04)". < BASE MAKING : BASE ENAMELING 1 > Dry it very well and dip it (05) in liquid white enamel (06). Then again dry it (07) and remove the excessive enamel on the edge of the cup, and fire it at 900 degree Celsius. < BASE MAKING : BASE ENAMELING 2 > Remove the fire scale on the edge (08) with sandpaper and wash it in water. Then sieve back side enamel onto inside the cup and opaque white onto the surface. Spray "Funori (09)" solution. Dry and fire it (10) at 900 degree Celsius. Don't forget to remove the fire scale. < DESIGN DRAWING > Copy the preliminary design (11) by using tracing paper and carbon paper onto the surface. Next, trace the drawing with thick sumi ink (12). Sumi ink won't be washed away by glue. **   Water proof pens are not recommended because the ink may produce bubbles after firing. **   Washable pen and bottled sumi ink will spread in glue. They are not recommended either unless the design is very simple. < PLACING WIRE > Prepare width 1.2mm / thickness 0.8mm silver wire. Here, we will learn "How to curve the wire". It is a very important process to make your 3-D objects successful. To make it easier, I prepared a design with simple curves and V's. ( 1 ) Squeeze the wire with your fingers to fit to the surface. Try not to obtain the curve you need all at once because the wire would be hurt or broken by too much stress. Glue (13) the curved wire onto the surface. Apply the minimum glue with a fine brush. Too much glue will result in problems (14). Do not glue all the wire at once because the wire will move around when the glue is still wet. What you should do is to repeat folding and gluing the wire. The glued wire on the surface will be dried while you are folding the next wire. Q&A.15 ( 2 ) Dry the base very well. Then spray water and sieve (16) minimum amount of well-washed (18) clear enamel for silver (19). Too much clear enamel will make the wire fall or make the color blackish. ( 3 ) Again dry it well and fire it. Keep the temperature under 800 degree Celsius. ( 4 ) After it's cooled down, remove the fire scale on the edge and wash it in the water. Do not grab the wired part when you do this. **   Do not cool it down by dipping it in water. It will result in chipping or cracking. Waiting patiently should be part of the job. < INLAYING ENAMELS > Colors Used Center Flower 821 semi-opaque yellow Aoki 210 white opalescent Nihon Shippo 638 light purple Aoki 35 purple Aoki 680 lilac Aoki Side Flowers 821 semi-opaque yellow Aoki 210 white opalescent Nihon Shippo 638 light purple Aoki 35 purple Aoki 58 dark brown Aoki Background 210 white opalescent Nihon Shippo NG338 light pink Ninomiya GENERAL TIPS TO INLAY ENAMELS The enamels must be washed thoroughly. Fine particles will make colors muddy and cause pin holes (20) at later polishing. And mix with thin glue (21). Too thick glue will cause various problems. On the other hand, enamel dripping or enamel falling (22) is due to poor handling of water rather than too much glue. At enamel inlaying (23), you should include a lot of water (24), and apply a piece of clean cloth (25) right away to suck excessive water. Learn this process and its timing. Repeat enameling and firing to the level of the wire height. < FIRST INLAY > Start from the center flower. Apply yellow ( Aoki-821 ) to the center, then purple ( Aoki-35 ), light purple ( Aoki-638 ) and white opalescent ( Nihon Shippo-210 ) toward the outside and shade them off. Apply white opalescent ( Nihon Shippo-210 ) to the 2 lower petals. Next, inlay 2 side flowers (26). Start from the center with dark brown ( Aoki-58 ), then yellow ( Aoki-821 ), white opalescent ( Nihon Shippo-210 ), light purple ( Aoki-638 ) and purple ( Aoki-35 ). Shade them off as well. Lastly, apply light pink ( Ninomiya-NG338 ) and white opalescent ( Nihon Shippo-210 ) freely in the background. Q&A.27 **   When the background design is plain like this one, the thickness of enamel tends to be uneven. And uneven enamel will eventually cause the base to warp. So make sure to keep the same thickness. GENERAL TIPS ABOUT FIRING Dry well and fire at 800 degree Celsius. And watch closely when the enamel melts. Take it out of the kiln as soon as you see it. If you fire it too long, the enamel on the vertical side will drip and polishing will very tough. The enamels used in this piece are originally for flat surface and they will easily drip. So be very careful. < SECOND INLAY > Fill each cells with the same enamels and repeat the same process. < LAST INLAY > Apply clear enamel for silver on the entire surface except the wire top. You'll have to polish longer If the wire surface is buried. **   When you find obvious color patches (28) in the background, use the light pink ( Ninomiya-NG338 ) instead of clear enamel for silver. < POLISHING > File off (29) the "Yudomé" (enamel stopper). Next, flatten the cup bottom (30) with a piece of sandpaper (31) glued to an iron plate. After the cup bottom is stabilized, grind the entire surface (32) with the #200, then #400 whetstone. This process should be done not only to grind off the spots where the enamel is applied thicker or to reveal the wire, but mainly to form the cup. Next, grind it with #1000 whetstone and erase all the fine scratches from the #400. If you finish here the cup should be "Mat Finish (33)". And if you polish more, use #1500, and then #3000 whetstone. Wash the piece and bucket thoroughly every time you change the whetstone to avoid more scratches by the particles from larger gauge. After grinding, trim the edge with a piece of water-resistant sandpaper (34) of #1000, then polish entire cup with baking soda (35). Wash it well in the water. < WAXING (36) > Dry and warm it up slowly on the heated kiln. Spread beeswax onto entire cup, then the piece is finished (37). If you want to plate or oxidize the edge, it must be done before waxing. Q&A.27 < Q&A > Q.00 What are the measurements of the cup? A.00 Diameter of the top is 5cm, the bottom is 2.5cm, and 5cm in height. Q.01 Can I order an original copper base from suppliers? A.01 The spinning process is not a kind of job we can do at home. When you want larger or more complicated base, you'll have to bring the measurements to a metal-carving manufacturer. I would recommend ready-made bases like this one just to improve your skill. The supplier is :       Matiére Ltd., 6-5-5 Hon-Komagome Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0021       TEL 03-3947-6631, FAX 03-5319-1775 You can find everything you need for this cup there. Q.02 What's "Héra Shibori"? A.02 They make a wooden model first and attach it to a lathe. Then they apply an annealed sheet of copper on the model, spin it and shape a copper piece. This process is called "Spinning". Q.03 What's the temperature of "Abura Yaki"? A.03 It's 600 degree Celsius or over. You don't have to be too nervous about the temperature because it just takes longer if the temperature is low. Q.04 Is "Migaki Suna" different from baking soda? If so, what kind of powder is it? A.04 That's a good question. Maybe you can't get it outside Japan. In this case, you can substitute left over particles from enamel washing. Q.05 Where should I hold it when I do this? A.05 Usually, 3-D objects have a part sticking out from the edge called "Yudomé" (enamel stopper). You hold that part because you don't apply enamel there. Q.05-2 Do I dip it inside and outside? A.05-2 Yes, you do. Q.06 Can I buy the liquid white enamel? Or do I have to make it? A.06 You can buy it at a store. I used manufactured liquid. Q.07 How should I place the piece when I dry or fire it? A.07 You always place it upside down because "Yudomé" is enamel-free as I mentioned earlier. Q.08 Why do you not apply enamel on "Yudomé"? A.08 Because this part of 3-Ds may be decorated, plated or oxidized later on. Q.09 Why can't I use CMC (Klyr-fire) for this? A.09 Because CMC makes the color dull when it's not fired at high temperature. Q.10 What kind of trivet should I use for 3-Ds? A.10 Firing meshes are used instead of trivets. Just place it upside down on the mesh. This is because the edge (Yudomé) doesn't have enamel on it. Q.11 Where on the cup should I draw the preliminary design? Q.11-2 Should I draw it on entire surface? A.11 I drew only once this time on rather close to the edge. But it is up to you. Q.12 Can I use calligraphy liquid ink or a washable pen instead of sumi ink? A.12 I suppose so. In that case, a washable marker should be more suitable. Q.13 Which glue should I use, CMC or Funori? A.13 To glue the wire, "Byakkyu" (Lily Root Powder) is used. This is made of roots of a flower called "Shiran" (Purple Orchid). But Funori is OK, too. Q.14 What kind of problems can I expect if I use too much glue? A.14 The enamel color touching the wire turns yellow or dull. Q.15 What is it that I see on the bottom of the cup? A.15 That is my signature. I signed with the wire in the center. The smaller the signature, the more preferable it gets. Q.16 I've never used a sifter before. Do I have to change sifters according to the enamels? A.16 Guess what I use? A sifter made from a paper roll of a bathroom tissue and worn out panty hose!! So they are almost disposable. Also a photo film case is usable. Any tube like things will do. Make as many as you want for various colors, and throw them away when they get dirty. Don't pay for what you can make yourself! My studio is filled with those tools like a pedestal made from a piece of wood (17) or a spatula made of wire hanger. Q.17 Where should I hold when I apply the enamel? A.17 I use a pedestal called "Uma" (Horse). Here is a photo of "Uma" below. It is made from a piece of wood and a wire hanger and a kitchen sponge. Q.17-2 Can I use a "Uma" over and over again? A.17-2 Yes. But it might be a good idea to make different sized or shaped "Uma" for your need. I use it for both wiring and enameling. The good news is that you can use both your hands. Q.18 Does "well-washed" mean that I should grind it in a mortar? A.18 No. You should not grind the enamel because powdery enamel will cause pin holes at polishing. Q.19 Should I sieve the clear enamel for silver only on the wired part? A.19 That's right. Q.20 Why do the pin holes appear? A.20 Because the air bubbles among the enamel particles will be exposed when the surface is ground. The smaller the particles are, the more air bubbles get locked in. Q.21 Is the glue thickness same as with flat pieces? A.21 Yes, it is. You don't have to thicken the glue. Q.22 Does it happen at firing? A.22 Yes. The enamel will fall in the kiln when it is not applied firmly. Q.23 Where should I start inlaying, design, background or bottom? A.23 Start from the design, then background, and bottom is last. Q.24 Doesn't it drip if I use a lot of water? A.24 You have to use a lot of water and flatten the surface and take the water away before it happens. It may sound impossible, but you'll get use to it. Q.24-2 I still don't know how I can do that. Especially on the plain part with no wire like background. A.24-2 The trick is that you have to flatten the new part more quickly than the speed the other part sucks up the water that you add. This means that you apply small amount of enamel at a time. You will probably know it when you actually do it. Q.25 What kind of cloth should I use? A.25 Something like an old cotton handkerchief will do. Q.25-2 Should I press down the enamel when I use the cloth? A.25-2 Yes, you have to do it. Press and wait a little longer. The enamel will come off with the cloth if you don't wait long enough. This trick works on any pieces. Q.26 What color should I use for the 2 lower pedals of the 2 side flowers? A.26 Use purple and light purple and shade them. Q.27 I can see the finished piece has one more color. Please tell me more about this color. A.27 That is Aoki's lilac (NO.680). I added it because the color test seemed a little plain. I think the pink on the 5 tips of the center flower makes the design look more gorgeous. Q.28 Do you mean the color patches are a result of a break through? A.28 No. The wire is 1.2mm wide and this means that entire surface has to be enameled 1.2mm thick. So if you failed to apply enamel evenly, the unleveled part appears as color patches. Q.29 Which direction should I move a file? A.28 Please refer to my site about this. Q.29-2 Don't I hurt or break the enameled part when I file off "Yudomé"? I took a good look at your site, and I thought the "Yudomé" in your site was too big to file off. Is the "Yudomé" of this cup supposed to be smaller? A.29-2 Don't worry about it because all the scratches will be eliminated at polishing if you make any. And yes, the example in my site is a much larger piece. Large pieces like that one need larger "Yudomé" to prevent the piece from warping also. So I need a grinder to do it. Q.30 Do I do this when it's dry? A.30 Yes. Q.30-2 Should I move the piece or sand paper? A.30-2 Yes. Move the piece horizontally. Use your whole body, not just your arms. Q.30-3 Is the bottom finished by this process? A.30-3 No. You'll have to polish it along with the other part. Stay focused on keeping it flat. Q.31 What is the gauge of the sand paper? A.31 It's about #400. Q.32 Should it be wet polishing? A.32 Yes. Prepare a bucket or bowl with water in it and do all the polishing in the water. Q.32-2 What about the inside the cup? A.32-2 You don't have to polish inside. Q.33 Wow, waxing gave the design a much calmer look. A.33 I think so, too. This cup is polished up to #1000, so it's not really a polished finish but a mat finish. Q.34 Is this water-resistant sandpaper same one as bottom flattening? A.34 Yes, it is. Q.34-2 Should I trim only the edge? A.34-2 Yes, only the copper part. Q.35 What effect does the baking soda have? A.35 Originally, baking soda is used to polish metal. So it has effects to polish the wire and to get rid of the whetstone particles out of tiny pin holes. Q.35-2 Should I use a piece of cloth to do it? A.35-2 No, you use your palm. You should rub repeatedly around the pin holes by using your fingers. Q.36 How should I proceed with waxing? What I was taught was to put melting semi-opaque candle wax on the warmed up surface and spread it with a piece of tissue paper. A.36 First, you warm up the piece on the kiln and rub the beeswax on, then spread it and wipe it off with a soft piece of cloth (worn out T-shirt will be OK). Wipe it well until the surface feels smooth and not sticky. Q.36-2 Do I wax the edge, too? A.36-2 Yes. Waxing will protect the copper edge from oxidization. Q.36-3 Doesn't wax melt when you put hot water in the cup? A.36-3 It is possible only when you didn't wipe the wax well enough. Very thin coating is desirable. Q.36-4 What about the baking soda polishing and the waxing of inside the cup? A.36-4 You have to do it only when you wired inside, too. Q.37 Is it OK to put boiling water in the cup? A.37 Boiling water won't crack the enamel. Q.37-2 Is this cup for ornamental use or practical use? Shouldn't I use led free enamels when I want to actually use this cup? A.37-2 I have to say that this cup wouldn't be permitted from the food hygiene point of view. But the led in cloisonné enamels is very stable and will not melt out unless you soak the cup in strong acid. BACK TO THE TOP