Enamel Tools for Cloisonné and Champlevé. Part 1

Visit www.geraldinem... to view and purchase my work or visit / sabajewelleryireland to see more process photos.
This short video shows some of the tools I use for creating Cloisonné and Champlevé enamel jewellery.
They can be purchased from HS Walsh, Cookson Gold, WG Ball and Milton Bridge Enamel in the UK or from Enamel Art Supply, Thomspon Enamels and Rio Grande in the USA.
Visit www.geraldinemurphyenamels.com to view and purchase my work.

[@jeannettesalazar6442]

Thanks to you 😢❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊

[@adrischutz6253]

Hi there, thanks for all your informative videos. What type of solder do you use to solder the bezel and the bale onto your piece?

[@GeraldineMurphyEnamel]

Hi Adri, thanks for commenting. I use fuse the fine silver pieces to each other - so no solder at all. That is the "frame" and the back piece fused together which is somewhat tricky the you are starting out so don't expect to get it right first time.
As for the bail I use medium solder because it will be the last piece soldered on so the piece doesn't need to be heated up to the same degree as the bezel.
Bezels are best soldered with hard solder.

[@mellorgray]

Geraldine. I love your videos so clear and concise. Could you do a video on soldering a brooch pin on pls xxx

[@GeraldineMurphyEnamel]

Sorry for such a late reply! Brooch pins are nuisance to solder and I'm not very good at it...but I do have another technique I use which I will do a video on in a couple of weeks and I'll make sure to let you know when it is live. I'm just finishing a night-course over the next few weeks so am very busy at the moment so can't get to it any sooner. I'll be in touch!

[@kink_]

Can you help me, what is the cloisonné copper wire glue, and can the adhesive be made at home? Thank you

[@GeraldineMurphyEnamel]

Hi Ahmed, thanks for emailing...hmm, I don't know what you could use that is home made as a glue. The glue I use is Blue Stick from Rio Grande. People sometimes also use A3 Klyrfire (from Thompson Enamels in the USA). I'm pretty sure Rio Grande would sell the A3 too.

[@alopli]

Hi Geraldine
Thanks a lot for the video.
Is there any special place to buy all this? I can see a lot of things in riogrande, but I can’t find the sanding pads there
Thanks
Ana

[@GeraldineMurphyEnamel]

Hi Ana, thanks for contacting me. I bought all of this in the UK at HS Walsh - I'm sure they send to the USA - get hard, medium and fine.
www.hswalsh.com/product/3m-diamond-file-td104
The only things similar I can find on Rio Grande are here:
www.riogrande.com/searchresults#q=polishing%20paper&t=products&sort=relevancy&layout=card&numberOfResults=144&f:categoryfilter=[Tools%20%26%20Equipment,Polishing%20%26%20Finishing]
From that page I would try the variety of papers first (I haven't bought these myself but I would try the 400 and the 1200 after that). Those sanding sticks they have, again, I haven't tried them but a regular sanding stick will do - you don't need something fancy like this. A tongue depressor might even work (the flat wooden things that doctors use and you can buy in craft shops as well).
Rio Grande would definitely have the pliers and cutters (get flush cutters). The pliers and cutters can be expensive for the really good ones...so buy the best you can afford. The Cloisonne wires are so thin that some people simply cut them with beading scissors so you could try that - if that works it would be a LOT cheaper. The loop/eye glass things that sit on my spectacles I'm sure can be bought in Rio as well. I wear glasses all the time so I can't use the headband loop ones. Alternatively, you could get a good magnifiers on a stand.
But if you look up Sandra McEwen on Etsy she has loads of kits for sanding etc. They are quite expensive but worth having a look at. If you are a beginner though, try not to spend too much money. You don't need sanding kits that are motor operated - you can use the hand tools very well until such time that you need to use machines (if you get tonnes of orders for example).
I hope this helps !