JEC said you're doing a new video in January about their studio kiln w/o the temp controller? Is there a way you can tell us before January? I'm buying equipment and don't want to wait until January. Thanks! PS love your vids! Very good instruction.
Everything I do in this video you can do without a controller. It just happens a bit faster. At a higher temp the gold bonds faster. Truthfully, I never used a controller until John gave me one. I'm perfectly happy going to back to doing all this without a controller.
Hi Pam, I’ve been watching a lot of your wonderful videos and have a couple of questions. I am trying to decide whether to buy an Ultralite or Prometheus kiln. I am veering towards the Prometheus because I want to be able to fire clays that require charcoal and stack shelves in it to fire a lot of silver and accent gold pieces at once. The thing is I also want to do some Keum Boo. I saw someone mention using a larger kiln for Keum boo and was wondering how that works. Would I heat the piece on a brass plate in the kiln and then remove it for the burnishing process? Alternatively would it be better to just get a little hot plate for the Keum Boo but I note some ppl say they have a problem getting it to fuse that way. Anyway, I have no idea if you will see this so long after you made this video but if you do I would love to know your thoughts.
I would definitely go for the Prometheus! It's much more versatile than the ultralite. To do Keumboo in the kiln you don't need a brass plate. Just heat the piece with the foil on it in the kiln, then bring it out with tweezers and burnish it on a heat safe surface like a tile. You only need to heat to about 1000F for this to work.
What if i want gold on both sides of the charm? Will it be problematic to the applied gold when i turn it around to do the other side, as it will directly touch the hot plate?
Yes and no. The longer the gold is exposed to heat, the more it absorbs into the silver. So if you flip it, it won't hurt it per se, but it may lighten in tone due to being exposed to heat longer. If you use a heavy gold foil though you should have enough time to do both sides. It's mostly an issue with the thinner foils. Doubling up the layers can also helps.
it all depends on where you are putting the gold. In general, foil is less expensive than gold paste so I prefer it for that reason. However, it's not great for precision application. If I want to highlight very specific spots or details a tiny brush and the paste are better.
No, do not pickle metal clay if you can avoid it! If it's already been polished and you want to add keumboo you can hit it briefly with a torch to burn off any surface stuff. Should be able to add the gold foil easily after that.
You don't need the temperature controller. I did it without for years. the keumboo is just going to bond a lot faster. You can't slow it down to give yourself more time. But it's not a huge problem in my experience. Have fun!
Yes, I think Keumboo is easier than working with gold clay, but mostly it's about the expense. Gold clay is ridiculously expensive.. gold foil is easy to come by and easy to work with. It's a much better use of your time and money.
can you do silver foil onto silver? May sound weird but I'm wanting to add little silver touches to an oxidized background for mimicing a starlight affect.
While you can add silver foil to silver, it's not going to have the effect you expect. Mainly, if you heat a piece to apply foil after you oxidize it, the oxidation will disappear. and if you oxidize after applying the foil, the foil will get just as oxidized as the background. So it's ineffective. Other methods might be masking areas during oxidation to keep them from getting discolored. Maybe cut shapes out of masking tape? I'm not sure how this would work since I haven't tried it. Or, clean off areas with a very fine tip silicone polisher after oxidation. Good luck!
I have, but it's dicey. I've used a very watered down glue. You have to let it dry completely. If there's any moisture it will boil and flip the gold off your piece. I prefer to just place the pieces dry myself, but it's something you could try
@@PamEast Thank you. I actually just watched another video where she merely moistened with water. I will try that the next time. I need to get the temperature adjuster for my beehive.
Hi Pam I really love your videos and find them really helpful. One question do I need to clean with a brass brush could I use wire wool or similar. Thank you Alyson
I am not a huge fan of steel wool. It can be a mess to use. I much prefer a wire brush. You can use either a brass wire brush or a steel wire brush. When using a brass brush, be sure to use soap and water with it so you don't transfer brass to your piece. Use steel brushes dry so they don't rust. Have fun!
The Ultralite is absolutely my favorite method for Keumboo. Hot plates tend not to hold heat as steadily, and are a larger more unwieldy surface to work on. I like how compact the ultra lite is, and the keumboo covers are made to fit so everything is stable. I make jewelry, so it's plenty big enough for anything I want to do. I can see how a hotplate might be better for larger pieces.
I usually do the keum-boo before shaping. It's easier to apply the gold to a flat surface. But I have never made a cuff bracelet before, just pendants and earrings. Let me know how it goes!
I don't recommend attempting to enamel over Keum-boo. Each time the piece is placed in the kiln more of the gold absorbs into the silver. After a few firings the gold will just be gone.
ok, so that was great! Question: You didn't mention that it was ONLY metal clay...so, Can this be done on fabricated pieces with sheet and wire? It is amazing to me that no one has done any of these tutorials with anything but metal clay (I am so frightfully bored with metal clay....)...as if that were the only way anyone wants gold on silver... please elucidate if you can, soooo grateful, so happy to see ANYTHING new-ish at last!!!! Thank you so much. Subscribed, totally supporting your channel, yay! Your other videos are for PAY, are they about more than metal clay? I tried to find out but there was no more info. Thanks.
You absolutely can use sterling silver but you must first depletion silver it to bring the fine layer of pure silver to the surface for the gold to bond to. This usually means heating and pickling your metal 3-6 times.
Yes! This method DOES work on sheet metal! Fine silver sheet metal is best. If using sterling, you will need to depletion gild it first to raise the fine and then do the keum-boo. I understand you can keum-boo steel too, although I don't know how. It's not something I have tried.
I just checked the site where I buy the gold, but they don't list the thickness. Here's a link to the site. www.allcraftkeumboo.com/product-page/gold-leaf
Hi Pam! I'm looking into buying a small table top kiln for kuem-boo. Do you recommend the Amaco Trinkit Enameling Kiln or the UltaLite? The Amaco seems to be larger, 8" in diameter, but I'm not sure if it comes with the brass discs. Thank you for your helpful video!
Hi Kim, I really like the ultralite for KeumBoo. I can see some advantages of the larger work surface for enameling in the Amaco,but you'd need to make a brass cover for it to use it for keumboo.
UA-cam will automatically add and translate subtitles for you. It's a built in feature. Here are instructions to turn it on. ua-cam.com/video/LZz03myFuWA/v-deo.html
I miss you Pam! :) Love your tutorials
Miss you too Jenn! Good to hear from you!
Great intro to this technique
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello.
Thank you for the wonderful masterclass!
I never understood what material the basis for the earrings was made of.
Health and prosperity to you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Aha jetzt geht das auch❤
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much.
Always welcome
JEC said you're doing a new video in January about their studio kiln w/o the temp controller? Is there a way you can tell us before January? I'm buying equipment and don't want to wait until January. Thanks! PS love your vids! Very good instruction.
Everything I do in this video you can do without a controller. It just happens a bit faster. At a higher temp the gold bonds faster. Truthfully, I never used a controller until John gave me one. I'm perfectly happy going to back to doing all this without a controller.
Awesome tutorial! Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for shering look so beautiful.
Thank you!
Hi Pam,
I’ve been watching a lot of your wonderful videos and have a couple of questions.
I am trying to decide whether to buy an Ultralite or Prometheus kiln.
I am veering towards the Prometheus because I want to be able to fire clays that require charcoal and stack shelves in it to fire a lot of silver and accent gold pieces at once. The thing is I also want to do some Keum Boo.
I saw someone mention using a larger kiln for Keum boo and was wondering how that works. Would I heat the piece on a brass plate in the kiln and then remove it for the burnishing process?
Alternatively would it be better to just get a little hot plate for the Keum Boo but I note some ppl say they have a problem getting it to fuse that way.
Anyway, I have no idea if you will see this so long after you made this video but if you do I would love to know your thoughts.
I would definitely go for the Prometheus! It's much more versatile than the ultralite. To do Keumboo in the kiln you don't need a brass plate. Just heat the piece with the foil on it in the kiln, then bring it out with tweezers and burnish it on a heat safe surface like a tile. You only need to heat to about 1000F for this to work.
Wow is nice.
Thank you! Cheers!
What if i want gold on both sides of the charm? Will it be problematic to the applied gold when i turn it around to do the other side, as it will directly touch the hot plate?
Yes and no. The longer the gold is exposed to heat, the more it absorbs into the silver. So if you flip it, it won't hurt it per se, but it may lighten in tone due to being exposed to heat longer. If you use a heavy gold foil though you should have enough time to do both sides. It's mostly an issue with the thinner foils. Doubling up the layers can also helps.
Do you profit from the mini kilns you promote.
No, I do not. I'm independent and only make videos for tools and supplies I actually use in my studio. I receive no kickback from ultralight.
What are the pros and cons between this and using the gold paste/clay?
it all depends on where you are putting the gold. In general, foil is less expensive than gold paste so I prefer it for that reason. However, it's not great for precision application. If I want to highlight very specific spots or details a tiny brush and the paste are better.
If MC piece has been polished, should one pickle it , then Keum -boo???
No, do not pickle metal clay if you can avoid it! If it's already been polished and you want to add keumboo you can hit it briefly with a torch to burn off any surface stuff. Should be able to add the gold foil easily after that.
Thank you so much Pam! Is the temperature control a must for the keum boo work or can I avoid it somehow? thank you :)
You don't need the temperature controller. I did it without for years. the keumboo is just going to bond a lot faster. You can't slow it down to give yourself more time. But it's not a huge problem in my experience. Have fun!
Do we have to have a kiln?
Keum-boo can also be done on a hotplate
Hey Pam! Do you feel working with gold foil, is easier than working with gold clay?
Yes, I think Keumboo is easier than working with gold clay, but mostly it's about the expense. Gold clay is ridiculously expensive.. gold foil is easy to come by and easy to work with. It's a much better use of your time and money.
can you do silver foil onto silver? May sound weird but I'm wanting to add little silver touches to an oxidized background for mimicing a starlight affect.
While you can add silver foil to silver, it's not going to have the effect you expect. Mainly, if you heat a piece to apply foil after you oxidize it, the oxidation will disappear. and if you oxidize after applying the foil, the foil will get just as oxidized as the background. So it's ineffective. Other methods might be masking areas during oxidation to keep them from getting discolored. Maybe cut shapes out of masking tape? I'm not sure how this would work since I haven't tried it. Or, clean off areas with a very fine tip silicone polisher after oxidation. Good luck!
@@PamEast yeah i'm actually looking to make a start or sparkle affect with bits of foil so that's kind of the affect I'm going for.
Have you ever used a liquid to keep the gold from moving before you got it fused?
I have, but it's dicey. I've used a very watered down glue. You have to let it dry completely. If there's any moisture it will boil and flip the gold off your piece. I prefer to just place the pieces dry myself, but it's something you could try
@@PamEast Thank you. I actually just watched another video where she merely moistened with water. I will try that the next time. I need to get the temperature adjuster for my beehive.
Water works just fine...just not too much of it...
Wolfgang Hir meine Sprache ist deutsch
Sprache übersetzer
UA-cam offers subtitles in many languages, including German. Here is a video on how to turn that feature on. ua-cam.com/video/LZz03myFuWA/v-deo.html
Hi Pam I really love your videos and find them really helpful. One question do I need to clean with a brass brush could I use wire wool or similar.
Thank you Alyson
I am not a huge fan of steel wool. It can be a mess to use. I much prefer a wire brush. You can use either a brass wire brush or a steel wire brush. When using a brass brush, be sure to use soap and water with it so you don't transfer brass to your piece. Use steel brushes dry so they don't rust. Have fun!
@@PamEast thank you so much . I bought a brass brush what a difference.
Hello Pam! Thank you for your tutorial! Do you prefer using an Ultralite Kiln to apply Keum Boo over using a hot plate? If so, why?
The Ultralite is absolutely my favorite method for Keumboo. Hot plates tend not to hold heat as steadily, and are a larger more unwieldy surface to work on. I like how compact the ultra lite is, and the keumboo covers are made to fit so everything is stable. I make jewelry, so it's plenty big enough for anything I want to do. I can see how a hotplate might be better for larger pieces.
Thank you so much for your reply Pam! Your input is very helpful. I'm new to this & just in the exploration stage for this medium. 🙂
👍👏
If I want to do this to an Anticlastic cuff - do you form after the Keum Boo - or before???
I usually do the keum-boo before shaping. It's easier to apply the gold to a flat surface. But I have never made a cuff bracelet before, just pendants and earrings. Let me know how it goes!
@@PamEast I shall do - Thank you for responding!!!!
Hi! How does a person do enamel on these? I thought it was either flame or kiln? Thanks!
I don't recommend attempting to enamel over Keum-boo. Each time the piece is placed in the kiln more of the gold absorbs into the silver. After a few firings the gold will just be gone.
ok, so that was great! Question: You didn't mention that it was ONLY metal clay...so, Can this be done on fabricated pieces with sheet and wire? It is amazing to me that no one has done any of these tutorials with anything but metal clay (I am so frightfully bored with metal clay....)...as if that were the only way anyone wants gold on silver... please elucidate if you can, soooo grateful, so happy to see ANYTHING new-ish at last!!!! Thank you so much. Subscribed, totally supporting your channel, yay! Your other videos are for PAY, are they about more than metal clay? I tried to find out but there was no more info. Thanks.
You absolutely can use sterling silver but you must first depletion silver it to bring the fine layer of pure silver to the surface for the gold to bond to. This usually means heating and pickling your metal 3-6 times.
Yes! This method DOES work on sheet metal! Fine silver sheet metal is best. If using sterling, you will need to depletion gild it first to raise the fine and then do the keum-boo. I understand you can keum-boo steel too, although I don't know how. It's not something I have tried.
Hello,
Thank's a lot for this video !
Can you give us the gold foil thikness please ?
Thank's again !
I just checked the site where I buy the gold, but they don't list the thickness. Here's a link to the site. www.allcraftkeumboo.com/product-page/gold-leaf
Hi Pam! I'm looking into buying a small table top kiln for kuem-boo. Do you recommend the Amaco Trinkit Enameling Kiln or the UltaLite? The Amaco seems to be larger, 8" in diameter, but I'm not sure if it comes with the brass discs. Thank you for your helpful video!
Hi Kim, I really like the ultralite for KeumBoo. I can see some advantages of the larger work surface for enameling in the Amaco,but you'd need to make a brass cover for it to use it for keumboo.
Kan UA-cam langwith in deutsch hochgeladen
UA-cam will automatically add and translate subtitles for you. It's a built in feature. Here are instructions to turn it on. ua-cam.com/video/LZz03myFuWA/v-deo.html
Try argentium silver.
I do need to try this eventually! I've not played with Agentium yet.
When you do, please make another video of it. I'm really interested in seeing how well it works.