Beginning to make the Enamel Plaques

The shapes for the plaques known as blanks are cut out of recycled copper.

1. Unlike new copper sheet, recycled copper needs to be cleaned before it is enamelled otherwise the enamels might not adhere properly.
2. The first step is to heat the blank in the enamelling kiln until it glows a dull red. This process is called annealing and softens the copper. During  heating a film of black oxide known as fire scale forms over the blank. This and any other discolouration can partly be removed by plunging the copper shape into cold water. 
3. To completely clean the copper it is placed in a warm acid solution.
4. Once it is clean, it is rinsed and dried then gently hammered flat between two steel plates.