First, someone went and changed the board on me while I was reading and playing around. I like it!

I have discovered that micas make great pigments to both 1 and 2 part rod finish. You've got to keep it stirred up or it will settle, but WOW, it gives it a shimmer. Works best on grey or dark colored blanks instead of light colored ones but I'm going to try again on a piece of white blank I have laying around. In regular room light it looks almost clear but once sunlight or a bright light hits it, it's almost like those "rainbow" titanium guides. I used mica designed for both stamp art and some FDA grade for soaps, lotions and such. The FDA grade seemed to mix smoother and didn't take as much. (Please, Santa, bring me a new camera, I've GOT to post a pic of this).

I have also learned that I can get some really weird looks from both my husband and my children when I come skipping back from the mailbox singing "My book is here, my book is here." Tom, I've read that book from cover to cover once already and now I'm going back through it again. There is so much information in there. If anyone is just starting out, get Tom Kirkman's book. It's a must for any rod building workshop.

The other really important thing I've learned, this is more addicting than cheesecake. And I really like cheesecake :)

Now off to bed. I've got a rod to rebuild in the morning.



Cindy Harlow
Resident Threadaholic

Oh, Oh,,,,, Cindy you have it bad!!!!!!

Good fortune with your rod building and have enjoyable times doing it.

Capt Neil

Now comes the hard part . give the credit cards to your husband , and find a good shrink .........you will need it .NO chevrons on top of birthday cakes , and leave all of your kitchen utensiles alone, exspecialy things like mixing spoons , and measureing sets. Buy extra ones for rodbuilding, you don't know how many times I've got the look 'cuz somthing was missing in the kitchen drawrs.
Have fun , and I hope you get your camera , I'ld like to see the pics of the mica rod. John

John is right. But I can see it now - all your wine glasses, any thing that is round in shape will have a thread pattern on it. Nice thing for guists to talk about over dinner. How about Marbleized dinner plates???

Cindy ---
What is your source for mica - FDA grade? I assume that is the finer of those that you mentioned? Something else for me to play with.

Ken
Your going to get your new ( clean ) work area all messed up LOL

HA ha ha ha ---- Too late! You've only seen two of the three sides in
the photos. The third side of the work area is now under "destruction" in preparation for a rebuild. Besides I use click-lock flooring (Pergo-type) for the countertop surfaces. I've tested epoxy on it - wipes up easily & pops off after hardened. Heck I was so happy with the look of it I covered the new roll-arounds with it too. The roll-arounds are one of the major improvements in work flow. I mounted a wood lathe and a rod/cork turning lathe and spine finder on one of them back to back and a drill press, bandsaw, dremel belt/disc sander, vise on the other. Very nice to be able to move them out of the way - not take up counter surface space... Now I have room for the coffee machine & small tv/dvd. And I suspended a camera overhead.. and all new lighting (overhead flouresecents plus incandescent/halogen task lights. There are no dark corners anywhere! Now I'm moving on to a re-deisgn of side #3 (the original bench space). This time I can extend it out to 12'... It's crying for a Renzetti!

Ken,

The place I got the FDA mica was [www.soapwerks.com] They also have a polyester fine glitter that has no silcone coating on it like standard craft glitter. Tried that in some Perma Gloss and it distributes well, but you have to put on at least 2 coats without glitter to cover up the "bumps" it causes.

I decided on the FDA mica for use mainly because it's a "purer" form, doesn't have any oddball additives in it since it's, well, for the skin. Polymer Clay Express has some pigment mica that is just as fine, and that's where I get my rubber stamp mica. But I suspect they put an anti-clumping agent in it since it took it twice as long to dry. You can find them at [www.polymerclayexpress.com]

Now, who in the world can survive without having at least 4 sets of measuring spoons and a gazillion different mixing bowls (those little mini muffin pans work great for this)? As for everything having thread patterns on it, I'm gonna have to hit the local store for more stuff. I got hooked on stain glass painting and wire bead work about 3 years ago and all my wine glasses became the beneficiary of that. Which is okay, we perfer highball glasses here :)

But the marbleized dinner plates? Hmmmm, now that you have me thinking....

Cindy Harlow
Resident Threadaholic

Thanks, Cindy
Yeah, the folks at the local Safeway are beginning to wonder what anyone could possibly do with all those measuring spoons! I gave up on mixing bowls - there's a local supplier for caterers that has disposable "condiment" cups in a couple of different sizes. When I'm finished mixing epoxy and such I just toss them out along with the brushes.

... digging up my Sam's card for my trip on Wednesday. Think they have those condiment cups too.

Cindy Harlow
Resident Threadaholic