Third Fire Colors

hobby COLOROBBIA’s Third Fire colors are manufactured for use on fired glazed surfaces, either glazed earthenware or china. These colors are LEAD FREE and DINNERWARE SAFE. All colors in this series can be intermixed for additional shades and hues. Third Fire colors are quick drying and water-soluble. PREPARATION: Third Fire colors have a thick creamy consistency in the jar and should be conditioned with a few drops of HC-700 Medium and/or water; mix thoroughly before use. Remove product from jar with a palette knife and place on a glazed tile, add the Medium and mix. Water can be added according to the technique being used. Make sure the surface to be worked on is entirely free of dust and oil before handling. Methods of Application and Use For brushstrokes and delicate designs, condition Third Fire colors to a thin creamy consistency. Fully load brush and apply design. Always refer to individual techniques for different brushstrokes application. If the design being worked on is not suitable, simply wipe off with a damp sponge or cloth and start over. If cracking should occur during the drying process, the decoration is too heavy. Do not apply colors too thick or too rapidly since this can trap moisture and cause separation during Fire. STENCILING: Third Fire colors are ideal for stencil work. Condition colors on a palette. Use a moistened sponge or soft stencil brush and pounce color through the opening in the stencil. Make sure the colors has not been thinned too much as this can cause bleeding under the stencil. The quick drying of the Third Fire colors makes it easy to shade and blend the colors using the stencil technique. STAMPING: Condition the Third Fire colors on a glazed tile and then use a soft fan brush to smooth color to a thin coating over the surface of the tile. While color is still very wet, but evenly dispersed, set stamp into color, then place on the glazed surface and touch lightly. The designs should transfer immediately to the glaze surface. To prevent color from drying in stamp in between stamping of designs place stamp on a damp piece of felt. SPONGING: For sponging the Third Fire colors condition color the same as for brush work, then pick the color up on a damp sponge and lightly pounce sponge onto a clean section of the palette to remove some of the color, which will open the pours of the sponge. Then lightly pounce the sponge to the surface of the ware leaving a veiling of color, only one application is used for veiling unless a two-tone effect is desired, allow to dry. ANTIQUING: Apply conditioned color to the glazed surface using a large a brush as possible. Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe the piece down, leaving the color in the crevices. Keep the sponge clean at all times to insure clean highlights. When piece is dry, fire to maturing temperature. Fire: Fire is always important. Third Fire colors have a Fire range from cone 018-016 for ceramic earthenware, while glazed china is fired at cone 016 to cone 014. NOTE: It is always wise to test, application and Fire when working on different glazed surfaces. The general rule is if the glaze surface is a hard finish, like china, the Fire for the Third Fire colors will be hotter. If working on commercially glazed tiles always test fire to insure proper results.