fusemaster vs Ferro Enamels

[Kara]

Has anyone tried these two enamels, where they could compare which they prefer?

[bert weiss]

Has anyone tried these two enamels, where they could compare which they prefer?

I use mostly two different series by Ferro, Versicolor bending colors, and Sunshine series. I like them very much. Ferro costs me less than Fusemaster, so I have't done much with Fusemaster. They are comparable.

You can buy a Sunshine series sample set for $200, directly from Ferro-1-800-245-4951. It contains 19 colors and clear flux. Most come in 100 gram bags, the expensive ones in 50 gram bags. I wouldn't be surprised if the price goes up because several of the colors are gold bearing. Brad Walker also sells Sunshine series colors in small quantities with no minimum order at warmglass.com

[Kara]

Is Ferro a china paint or is it something you would use for painting things like kenneth leap would paint. Portrait, airbrush on glass? can you show me how you use the ferro paints, pics?

[bert weiss]

Is Ferro a china paint or is it something you would use for painting things like kenneth leap would paint. Portrait, airbrush on glass? can you show me how you use the ferro paints, pics?

All the above.

http://customartglass.com/images/donor-wall.web.jpg
Painting by Fay Grajower, 51" x 126"
http://customartglass.com/images/monoprint2.web.jpg
monoprint technique by Bert Weiss

They can be used in a wide variety of techniques, hand painting, spraying, screening, the essential differences between these colors and others are the temperature zone at which they mature and they are hard and glassy. These are produced for decorating china dinner plates. so they can hold up to steak knives. The hotter you fire a vitreous enamel, the more glassy it looks. Low fire colors that are only fired to 1050ºF look like paint more than like glass.

Both of these images are reverse paintings done behind 10mm float glass.

[bert weiss]

Kara

To elaborate, in the package, the black powder in the Ferro series, 14 1231, looks identical to say, stencil black from Reusche. Stencil Black is likely the one used by Kenneth Leap. They can both be mixed with any medium and application is identical. The essential difference is that Stencil Black is fired to @1250ºF and Ferro 14 1231 is fired to between 1380 and 1520ºF.

Kenneth Leap and Peter McGrain both teach traditional glass stainers techniques similar to those that were taught by Albinus Elskus and are still taught by Richard Millard.

The Ferro colors came from the china painting world, but are made with a very similar approach of mixing clear glass frit with metallic oxides to get colors that will go opaque if applied densely enough.

I began my studies with the traditional techniques and colors, but I have developed different ways of working with them. However everything I do is informed by the teaching I got from Albin Elskus.

I once saw an exhibition of Picasso's personal pieces. In the collection was a large china pasta bowl that he had painted. I can't remember the imagery, it might have been a bull. He broke every rule of china painting. You could see every variation of pigment in his brush strokes. It didn't matter to me an iota. The strokes were wonderful. It showed me that the artistry of the stroke is far more important than the technique used to make it.

[Kara]

thank you so much for your help on this. Do you know what kenneth leap uses for his enamels? Also have you worked with any of the transparent paints vs the opaque. I think that I would like the transparent more but when I was looking through Kenneth leaps website this image caught my eye and it looks very opaque. choose the residential link and then choose the two apples. the image is of plants and rabbits.
http://www.jkennethleap.com/navigation/frameset-projects.htm

I know that it may be a combination of colored glass with stainers, but the white and red leaves and the rabbits leave me thinking and wondering what approach he has taken. I generallay like the color or glow from window when it is colored transparent glass, but in this situation would this art be better with light shining onto it, not so much through it. What is your guess?

[bert weiss]

I didn't catch the pictures with red and white leaves or rabbits. All of the work I did see was done with Lamberts, hand blown, flashed, glass and opaque black glass stainers colors. I never met Kenneth, so I don't know exactly what he is using.

I have seldom worked with transparent colors. Ferro does not export the ones they make in Germany to the USA. They don't look much like colored glass.

[Filmore Frit]

There is a lot of confusion about the Fuse Master Enamels. First of all, there are three very distinct lines of Fuse Master Enamels. All of them are a very fine grind (300 mesh) and fit the soft glass 82 – 96 COE range.

The FM series contains 42 different transparent colors. These are low fire – 1175 - 1250F. and they contain lead. Compared to other transparent enamels, the FM colors, as a general rule, seem to be richer in color and are more vibrant. They are used by a lot of glass painter because their intensity rivals stained glass. These are not acid resistant and can be removed with patina and some fluxes. Be sure to protect them if they are used in stained glass applications.
http://www.fusionheadquarters.com/Pages/96_supplies/transparent_enamels.html


The LF or Lead Free line has 31 different colors that are designed for fused work. These colors are intermixable, so you can create just about any color under the sun. They are opaque and naturally lead free. They have a working range of 1350 – 1500F although many glass blowers are now using them as a replacement for the discontinued Paradise Paints. These also have a very high color density and a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) quality in that they look very similar in the wet, unfired state to how they look fired.
http://www.fusionheadquarters.com/Pages/96_supplies/opaque_enamels.html


The LO enamels are opaque, lead free, low fire. There are 24 intermixable colors and they are ideal for glass painting, silk screening and slumping. They are also a WYSIWYG style of pigment.
http://www.fusionheadquarters.com/Pages/96_supplies/lo_fire_enamels.html

When deciding what enamels are best, I look at several different qualities:

Compatibility – even though most China paints will work on glass, they tend to be designed to fit clay and ceramic glazes which are often 30 or more points lower than soft glass COES. In very thin applications, you may be able to get away with the difference, but when cased and/or thick, there can be compatibility issues.

Color Density – This is an area of great confusion. Why is blue powder so much cheaper than blue enamels? One of the main reasons is color density or percentage of colorant. Most powder is made from ground up stained glass sheets which have a very low color density, some as low as 1% colorant. Most enamels have an extremely high color density, some as high as 80%. As a general rule, the more colorant, the more expensive the enamels. One way to compare two transparent enamels is to do a side by side test. How many layers of the each companies transparent color does it take to create black? Some of the FM transparents can create black in 3 or 4 thin applications. Some of the popular lines we have tried require 8 -10 application to get the same density. You can do the same with opaques by counting the layers needed to prevent light from coming through the pigments.

Color Richness – Not all enamels have the same richness or intensity. This is also a by product of the chemistry of the glass enamel. Compare two identical applications of competing products for vibrancy and richness of color. If the enamels look washed out, it may not be your best choice. Remember, most al brands of enamels lose about 10% of their color during firing. So, very thin washes of any enamels, may disappear completely during the firing. Especially if over fired.

Cost, availability, particle size, lead or lead free, transparent or opaque, maturing temperature and acid resistance are just a few of the other consideration. The trick in my book is to try small quantities from different companies, keep well marked samples of each firing as a reference and then use the best product for any given situation. I find that all of the products out there have strengths and weaknesses, but they also all have situation where they are the best choice. Trust you eyes, not that others think.

[Kara]

Thanks for the very useful information. :teacher: