White Shimmer Mica

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This is what she’s talking about. I ordered this silver mica from New Directions, and it looks more white than silver. Looking at the pictures on TKB, they look more gray-silver than white-silver. There is one white-silver looking mica on their website, but it’s not lip safe. If I were ordering from TBK, I would choose the Polished Silver, Diamond Cluster, or Zirconium Cluster mica. All are lip, eye, and face safe, but reading the descriptions, it sounds like they could be very different levels of “sparkly”. So, I’d look at them all and decide which one you like best. There is a Metallic White, but it is not lip safe, so I would not go with that one. There is one called Silver White too, but that one says to use caution around the eyes. It is lip, eye, and face safe.

Post by Bert Weiss » Sun Apr 14, 2013 1:30 pm

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit CHIDA.

haleybach wrote:Thanks Bert, that clears some things up. I may start a new thread to ask more questions, I don't want to keep hijacking this thread.

When you use a flux with mica, what do you use?
The dry ferro type or something like "Spray A"?

I believe either would do the trick. I am used to working with the dry powders, and I have a few in my collection. I take some powder (colored or clear), add some mica, these days I add some gum arabic to that, and then some propylene glycol and glycerine to complete my painting medium. If I am going to spray it, I mix it as a paste, put it in a jar, and add isopropyl alcohol, then shake. I would also leave out the glycerine, as it's job is to slow drying, and I want it to dry quickly when spraying.

Spraying is a way to get both a light coating or a very heavy coating. Brush painting has a much narrower range, somewhere in the middle.

There are all sorts of media that can work. A good one is Seven Up. Best if you let it go flat. The sugar is a burn off binder.

I have found that mixing micas in allows me to fire paint side down. I do have to dry it first. I can make a bowl in one firing this way, and the interior of the bowl is clear glass. The outer surface is made matte by the mica. You have to learn how much to use by eye, and trial and error. The float glass I use is stiff enough at 1400ºF, to keep a good shape in a slump mold.

I believe either would do the trick. I am used to working with the dry powders, and I have a few in my collection. I take some powder (colored or clear), add some mica, these days I add some gum arabic to that, and then some propylene glycol and glycerine to complete my painting medium. If I am going to spray it, I mix it as a paste, put it in a jar, and add isopropyl alcohol, then shake. I would also leave out the glycerine, as it's job is to slow drying, and I want it to dry quickly when spraying.Spraying is a way to get both a light coating or a very heavy coating. Brush painting has a much narrower range, somewhere in the middle.There are all sorts of media that can work. A good one is Seven Up. Best if you let it go flat. The sugar is a burn off binder.I have found that mixing micas in allows me to fire paint side down. I do have to dry it first. I can make a bowl in one firing this way, and the interior of the bowl is clear glass. The outer surface is made matte by the mica. You have to learn how much to use by eye, and trial and error. The float glass I use is stiff enough at 1400ºF, to keep a good shape in a slump mold.

For more information, please visit Mica Powder for Building.