silver leaf question

[jammie]

Just thought I would put this in here. I made a lentil with blue frit and rolled in silver leaf, and my silver leaf disappeared.  I am hoping someone can tell me what I did wrong.
I made a tube shape, rolled in frit heated, rolled in silver leaf, burnished it on, heated gently, rolled in frit , heated again, pressed it (twas a lentil) heated some more, put it in the kiln.
It's a nice bead but no silver?

[Kaz]

You need to do it the other way round - silver first and then frit. Also, you would be better off with silver foil as it gives a cleaner effect. Sometimes leaf can look a bit mucky. Also silver often shows off better on transparents than opaques.
Kazx

[turnedlight]

If you were to reduce the bead, the silvery shine comes back (so long as the silver hasn't totally been covered up by frit) but it's not quite the same as just having silver leaf on the outside - it's so delicate that once you have put it on the outside of a bead you need to melt it on very carefully and then get it out of the flame.

[jammie]

Ah, so I have overheated it then. So plain bead then shape then leaf, then frit then gently heat yes?

[Kaz]

You need to burnish the leaf onto a warm bead and then melt in slowly before heating to add the frit. Then when all is done you can reduce slightly if you want to enhance the silver look. But be careful which frit as some frits don't take too kindly to any reduction and will go metallic or mucky.
Kazx

[turnedlight]

You put it much better than me Kaz

[jammie]

Thanks folks that helps.