Mica cutting?

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have just ordered a sheet of mica, to attempt to make a window in the 'gas bottle' stove. Now I know this stuff is very brittle, so can it be cut and if so is there a technique?

[Gio]

says it can be cut with scissors.

Gio

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 25/01/2010, Gio supposed :

Thanks, Google failed me this time.

[Gio]

an old paraffin heater wick window

Gio

[Andy Dingley]

Big shears (ideally a big guillotine) and do it under water to damp vibration. A lot depends on the quality of your mica. Where did you find it BTW, and how big do they have it?

Heatproof glass windows are available easily from the suppliers for enclosed coal stoves, Expect to pay about 40 quid though, and you'll need some glass fibre webbing to put it in with too.

[Graham.]

Large sheets of Mica are available from suppliers of microwave oven spares (CPC?)

Shame to cut it up though, they make great Rolf Harris wobble.

[Andy Dingley]

That's not mica though, it's some ersatz synthetic "mica" and not transparent for window use. Easy to cut without breaking though, as it's much softer in bulk.

have the real stuff, but even their's isn't big enough for windows.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Andy Dingley brought next idea :

Ebay I ordered 4x4, but they list 5x5. The price rises rapidly with size.

I don't think they do it with a gas bottle curve :-)

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry Bloomfield laid this down on his screen :

The 4x4 (ordered Tuesday evening) sheet of mica turned up today, not at all what I was expecting - It was very flexible, very clear and with a slightly brown tint. It looked and felt like a sheet of thin plastic, so I tested it on the gas hob. Got it glowing red hot and no problem.

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