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KERAMIC STUDIO 
L. G. F. — Can you tell me how the cake tins, sweet tins or work of that kind 
that is being done so much now in the oil enamels is finished? I have been doing 
some of that work but have trouble in finishing, as it chips. Is there a lacquer 
used? 
No there is no lacquer used for a finish. An ordinary white painter's 
enamel is added to oil colors and this acts as a lacquer and makes it adhere 
to the tin. Possibly you applied your color too heavily and that caused it 
to chip. 
S. C. S. — -What combination of color and in what -pro-portion will make the 
Cameo used by Kathryn E. Cherry in directions for Dresser set on page 76 of 
November issue 1916 of Keramic Studio? 
2. / have trouble with outlines chipping off when I use the sugar and water 
mixture. What is the trouble? 
3. Can Satsuma ware be placed in the kiln with other china and fired at 
a rose heat or must it have a softer fire? 
1. 2 Palma Rosa Salmon, 1-2 Yellow Red, 1 Ivory Glaze will make a 
color that will answer instead of the Cameo, I do not know Mrs. Cherry's 
formula. 
2. You probably use too much sugar or apply the color too heavy. 
3. Yes, it can be fired with other china and requires almost as hot a 
fire as the hard china, the amount of heat would of course depend on what 
colors you used just as it does with the china. 
H. H. W. — Please tell me what kind of paint is used to mark the Ivory 
dresser sets. I can't make water colors, gold paint or oil colors stick. 
When marked in the stores the design is cut in and a specially prepared 
crayon used. 
The formula given to L. G. F. in this column will probably answer your 
problem also. 
M . J . V. — Dusting medium has gotten very thick, how will I thin it 
enough for use? 
2. Of all Black which do you consider the best for outlining and how to thin? 
3. When lustres become too thick how and with what will I thin them? 
4. Can you recommend enamels that will work equally well on all ki?ids of 
china. 
1. We do not know of any thing to thin them satisfactorily except to 
take a fresh bottle of the oil and put some of it with the old. 
2. Muller & Hennings Outlining Black is the most satisfactory. Thin 
it with Garden Lavender Oil. 
3. Thin lusters with Garden Lavender Oil. 
4. No enamels are very satisfactory on china unless used very thin, 
there is always a risk of chipping in the 2d fire. 
M. S. J. — I would like to understand more of the proportion of colors in 
a given composition, that is, why you would use one-tenth of a color and one- 
fortieth of another? 
2. What is the degree of heat for soft enamels? In the correspondence 
column I find between cones 017 and 018 and I use Reusche's Cone 013, yet a 
Seji boivl fired on the shelf of this kiln comes out of the fire with Us reliable soft 
enamel decoration peeling off. I would hesitate to fire another such piece again. 
In the same fire I had on the floor of the kiln, two pieces, one a Favorite and the 
other a Haviland each decorated with hard enamels. The Favorite was a 
success and the Haviland a failure, all enamels chipping off and yet I have 
fired the hard enamels very successfully on Haviland. Can anyone tell us a 
little more particularly of the degrees of heat in firing? 
1. The reason you use different proportions is to obtain a certain shade 
just as you would mix several colors together on your palette when painting 
to obtain a certain shade that you wished. 
2. Between cone 017 and 018 is the correct heat for soft enamels just 
a little hotter than 018. Your cone 013 is very much hotter and that's 
probably the cause of your trouble. One's trouble with enamels cannot always 
be laid to the firing however. The enamel medium may be too old and thick 
causing the enamels to be too fatty which will cause them to chip off, or if 
too much of the medium is used it will have the same effect. Were the two 
pieces of china in the bottom of the kiln both for first fire? Enamels on 
china are not always very satisfactory, they are apt to chip off if fired twice; 
it is safe to use enamels on the softer wares. 
[Additional answers are carried over till next issue on account of space. — Ed.] 
BORDERS FOR ETCHED CHINA OR GLASS 
Vanda U. Newitt 
PAINT the resist for the acid on all dark parts of designs. 
After it is etched and the resist removed paint a flat 
wash of Gold over the entire border both the etched part and 
the raised. The etched part will be rough and prevent the 
Gold from burnishing which will give it a different tone from 
the raised part. 
BORDERS, TO BE CARRIED OUT IN GOLD— MRS. F. H. HANNEMAN 
