to grind glass

  • Member
    June 2, 2013 12:06 AM EDT

    i wish to do a big enamel sculpture, for which ill need many enamel colours powdered. i usually do it manually with mortar and pestle. but since i do small enamels, its works for me. there is no source for me to get my crystal colours in powdered form, we get colours in lump form only.

    can i make use of a mixer grinder, for grinding my enamel colours ?

    iv heard that there is some different type of blade that can grind glass. if i get something like this, it will defenaitly save my time and efforts. 

  • Member
    June 2, 2013 3:02 AM EDT

    I did try and use my old grinder for grinding the colour. It was very easy and labour saving. The only problem was I got a lot of fine powder and the white  ground powder looked gray probably because of the steel....????. I eventually used it but had to really wash  the colour in acid......never tried it again.

  • Leader
    June 2, 2013 10:29 AM EDT

    I would suggest, that after all your enamel is ground - to then sift it to remove all the dust and fine powder - go from 80 - to 200 mesh sifters - 

  • Member
    June 8, 2013 11:59 PM EDT

    thank u so much ritu ji and trish mam...i will keep this in mind.

  • June 15, 2013 7:49 AM EDT

    Hello,

    can you tell me what acid have you used? and if you think it may give results, on an over fired white enamel, which is kind of gray now ... 

    best regards,

    Alex.B.

  • Member
    June 15, 2013 9:37 AM EDT

    Hallo Alex,

    Some folks reduce big enamel lumps at first with an iron mortar and pestle. In doing so, little iron chips can spall. After that follows the fine-grinding of the enamel-granulates in a porcelain or agate-mortar. In order to solve any possibly existing metal chips from the iron-mortar or pestle, one uses Nitric-acid. The acid get washed out at first with fresh, then with destilled Water. Nitric acid can attack  enamel surfaces, especially opaque reds, but it don't dissolve it.

    Nitric acid is a very dangerous acid. The fumes are very poisonous. The acid is very acidly and dangerous for eyes and skin. Nearly all metals and organic material become solved. Don't use it outside of a professional laboratory.

    Edmund