If you are doing a 3D piece or a bowl, paint the fired flux all over with strong gum tragacanth solution*, neat Klyr Fire, or diluted wallpaper paste.Do not mix gum with the enamel. If you paint it on the surface then every section gets the same amount at the same strength. As long as you sift the next coat of enamel on immediately it will wick up through the enamel.

* To make gum tragacanth solution, put 2 pinches of gum tragacanth powder plus on teaspoon distilled water into a mortar or bowl. Mix well and wait until it swells, then add another teaspoon of water. Keep adding water like this until it has stopped swelling and feels slippery. Do this the day before you want to use it.

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To tidy up a sifted edge, or a wet laid one that has strayed, use a rubber ended tool, such as a silicon ended clay sculpting tool (available on line) to push the enamel into place. This is much better than a brush as it does not drag along the edge and make things worse.

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