Cloisonné technique

Prepare the wire ready to use.

Most of the time the wire will be delivered on a coil.
Sometimes there will be some wrinkles in the wire.
After sanding and cleaning there will be even more wrinkles in the wire.
A way to sanding the wire and to get it straight without any wrinkles is on the following way.
Connect one end into a vice and hold the other end firmly with the pliers.
Now sand the wire with a sanding block.
In this way you able to get the wire straight and without any wrinkles.
As last, pull ones or twice firmly at the wire and the result is a nice straight wire.

Sand and pull the cloisonné wire

Bolo waterman

There is a manual available how to make this.
So I put here a short description.
You can find the manual at the downloads TAB at the Customer Service page.
I have used here 2 different sizes of thickness cloisonné wire, round 1 mm and round 1,5 mm.
For the inlay I have used here an anchor.
We are here at the "Waterman" site !!!!.

The Drawing.

• Take a shape and draw the outline on a paper.
• Draw the outline of the anchor in the middle of the your chosen shape.
• Draw the contour of the waves and decide where the white will be of the waves.

The burning.

• Apply at the backside counter enamel and burn it.
• Sift some opal blue at the front and place the copper waves.
• After the burning you can cover everything with wet pack.
• Remove the access of the waves at the sides.
• Sift white enamel for the waves and draw with the wipe out stick some lines through the waves.
• Place the anchor.
• Burn it for the last time.

Finishing.

• Clean everything.
• Brush the copper with brass polish.
• Mount the bolo clip on the backside.
• Insert the bolo cord into the bolo clip.
• Mount the bolo tips to the end of the bolo cord.

Drawing and parts

Bolo Waterman

Bolo Ladies-Stetson

Below the description of a ladies bolo.
You can download the  manual for this at the Customer service page at the TAB downloads.

The drawing.

• Make first a drawing with your design.
• With art pieces exciting out several parts it is almost required to have a design drawing.
• The following materials are used.
• Cloisonné wire copper flat 1 x 0,1 mm
• Cloisonné wire copper round 1 mm
• A big round of 5,5 cm wide
• And of course the bolo parts.

The burning.

• Start to apply the backside with counter enamel.
• Apply 3 layers of cherry red with the sifting technique to the front.
• Sift another layer of cherry red and place the outside parts of the Stetson on the front.
• Burn the art piece in the kiln for 1 minute so the copper is glued to the glass.
• Fill in the Stetson, with the wet pack technique, with turquoise enamel.
• Let it dry.
• Arrange the round wire on place.
• Lay down on randomly place some piles with cherry red to get an uneven surface.
• Arrange on the edge some wafers.
• Burn the bolo in the kiln

Finishing.

• Clean everything.
• Brush the copper with brass polish.
• Apply silver plater to the outside of the round.
• Mount the bolo clip to the backside.
• Insert the bolo cord.
• Mount the bolo tips on the ends of the bolo cord.

Bolo Ladies stetson

SILVER FLAT CLOISONNE WIRE 

Construction

• The way to handle silver cloisonné wire is the same as it is with copper wire.
• Bend the wire on your design.
• Bend the wire as level as you can.
• For the Kokopelli as shown on the left I made a drawing first.
• Then I folded the wire against the lines of the drawing.

Er is een uitgebreide handleiding met foto's van de Bolo kokopelli in de download sectie van deze site.

Bolo Kokopelli with flat silver cloisonné wire