Is there an adhesive that will bond to mica sheets
I am using heat formed mica sheets from Asheville Mica to create a cylinder light shade. In order to finish the back I am hoping to use a thin strip of wood with adhesive to bond the gap and finish the joint. I may also use a mechanical fastener to strengthen the area.
Since the mica sheets are formed with mica chips embedded in shellac I am unsure what might give me a reasonable glue joint. Does anyone have experience with this out there, any recommendations? I plan to do some trial and error with different adhesives. Thanks
After some trial and error with adhesives onto a maple strip I decided since it’s at the very back of the light and can not be seen I just 3D printed a strip in wood colored PLA that had a slot that fit the mica and locked it into place. Final product below.
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Best advice is to ask the place you are buying the mica from.
While you're talking to them ask what kind of shellac is used to make the sheets. If it has much (any?) wax in it a good glue bond might be tough. "Heat formed" and "lightshade" feel like antonyms, but I suppose LEDs make such things possible.
Mica sheets have been made for centuries. It's primary function is for heat resistance in things that get really hot and can take very high temperatures, like many hundreds of degrees. You could use a bonfire for a light source! I would doubt that there is any kind of wax involved. Never glued the stuff but I'd bet something like E6000 would work.Its heat resistant and dries clear.
Yeah, but the sheets the OP mentions are mica chips with a shellac binder...
They are all shellac binder, well since the Renaissance anyway. Maybe there is some new NASA type materials involved these days but traditionally it was shellac. Those old woodstoves with with mica windows etc. I once stumbled on a huge stash of blank electronic circuit boards. Foot wide maybe 18 inches long. Copper foil on two sides and mica between. Before I shingled a house with them I decided to find out what I had. Made for a really cool looking very slippery roof. They lasted about 20 years!
Time for me to learn something new I guess! I'm gonna dive into the site for Ashville Mica.
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