Experimenting With Gold (Powder)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Does the dollar store sell cheap mortar & pestles? That'd sure make the particles finer, though probably more work than I'd be willing to do.

Me, too, lol. And I just KNOW I'd end up inhaling some.

[LindaM]

In the case of eye shadow, the only micas that are rated as safe to use are of very small particle size, to avoid larger particles flaking off and falling into the eyes and causing injury. Generally, micas that sparkle are larger, while those that shimmer are smaller.

 

As to grinding them, people who work with larger quantities of micas use things like Magic Bullet blenders or equivalents to grind them smaller, although if the mica is ground too much you'll lose the shimmer from them. Definitely wear a face mask/dust mask if you do so.

 

As to luster dust, I've never used it so I looked up to see what it is. Apparently the various manufacturers don't always label it with the ingredients, therefore you can't know what is in them. Of those that do label ingredients, they commonly use titanium dioxide, iron oxide, carmine, and mica. There were also mentions of things like gum arabic and chromium green. Some luster dusts are edible, some aren't. So luster dust as a category is going to have a great deal of variation from one type to another.

[Sinistral1]

Where I grew up there is a lot of granite with mica in it. Never thought cake decorations would be made from that stuff.

[LindaM]

It's better than carmine, which is ground up cochineal bugs.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal

[amberleadavis]

blech..

[inkstainedruth]

Klundtastaur, thanks for the link. The idea of LusterDust in 2 oz bulk containers is kind of mind boggling, though....

Starting to think I may try playing around with this a bit myself. A year or so ago I was trying to find a dark purple that would have a red sheen instead of a gold one (I was trying to match some writing with what was probably -- sadly -- a gel pen). I tried a bunch of samples, and found some really nice inks in the process, but didn't get what I had been looking for in any of them. Maybe some red Luster Dust is what I need....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[klundtasaur]

I'm seriously considering trying this glitter out - http://www.lusterdust.com/ludubycsa.html - in one of my TWSBIs. TWSBIs are easy to take completely apart and clean out, so I'm feeling like it's safe to use.

 

Does the glitter tend to rub out of the ink once it's dry on the page? Or does it stick to the ink once the ink is dry?

 

And is it okay to use something in pens that is edible? I seriously worry about SITB. Though I suppose if I clean the pen well and only mix a vial full at a time, maybe i'll be okay?

 

Is there a consensus yet on what dust is best to use?

 

Saskia, the mica's on that page are named identically to the ones I used. As I mentioned on reddit (and amber helpfully copied over to here), all but one of the "luster dusts" worked flawlessly in my Lamy w/1.9mm stub. The "cranberry" luster dust didn't clog the pen, but it didn't sheen/shimmer, either.

 

From what I've seen other people do both here and on /r/fountainpens, I think that Luster Dust has been the most consistently successful. Another poster used micas from TKB trading (specifically, these:http://www.tkbtrading.com/item.php?item_id=529) and had some good results, too.

 

In my experience, the mica sticks to the page fairly well. If I rub my finger across it when it's dry, I only see a little sparkle residue on my fingers; the majority stays. And it has stayed adhered to the paper for like a month now, so it seems fairly resilient.

 

And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to add some anti-fungal to the mixture, too.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

It's better than carmine, which is ground up cochineal bugs.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal

 

That's what Starbucks used to color one of their drinks years ago til people freaked out. I think some just don't realize that the Starbucks frappucino they had for lunch was the Strangest Thing You Ever Eaten.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

 

Saskia, the mica's on that page are named identically to the ones I used. As I mentioned on reddit (and amber helpfully copied over to here), all but one of the "luster dusts" worked flawlessly in my Lamy w/1.9mm stub. The "cranberry" luster dust didn't clog the pen, but it didn't sheen/shimmer, either.

 

From what I've seen other people do both here and on /r/fountainpens, I think that Luster Dust has been the most consistently successful. Another poster used micas from TKB trading (specifically, these:http://www.tkbtrading.com/item.php?item_id=529) and had some good results, too.

 

In my experience, the mica sticks to the page fairly well. If I rub my finger across it when it's dry, I only see a little sparkle residue on my fingers; the majority stays. And it has stayed adhered to the paper for like a month now, so it seems fairly resilient.

 

And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to add some anti-fungal to the mixture, too.

 

No issues with my luster dust, either. Someone here had issues with another brand of luster dust, though.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I shoulda stuck with my dollar-store eye shadow.

[Chemist]

Well, I just bought 5 luster powders and a hybrid sparkle powder to see if it works. I've decided to add phenol into the vial to avoid any potential SITB incidents. And I'm going to get a TWSBI mini with a B nib to use only for sparkle ink.

 

Where on earth did you get phenol from? That stuff's -nasty-.

[Medsen Fey]

I had a small plastic vial - the ones used for ink samples by Goulet's - filled with ink with luster dust which dried out. It left a layer on the plastic that was very difficult to remove. After soaking and rinsing and soap, I still had to physically wipe it out with a paper towel. I had some great difficulty in cleaning one of my pens after it dried. I am much less enthusiastic about using luster dust in anything but a cheap pen, and there is no way it goes in a piston filler or anything with a sack.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Medsen Fey

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I wouldn't object to putting it into a piston filler, but it'd need to be one that can be disassembled like TWSBI or Noodler's. I found the easiest way to clean was to let the feed soak in water. Shake a bit and change water as the ink/dust comes off.

[Intellidepth]

I had a small plastic vial - the ones used for ink samples by Goulet's - filled with ink with luster dust which dried out. It left a layer on the plastic that was very difficult to remove. After soaking and rinsing and soap, I still had to physically wipe it out with a paper towel. I had some great difficulty in cleaning one of my pens after it dried. I am much less enthusiastic about using luster dust in anything but a cheap pen, and there is no way it goes in a piston filler or anything with a sack.

Hi Medsen, what was the specific ink please? Interested as I'm reading articles about ink formulation at present with luster dust in mind. Also, was it titanium dioxide luster dust? Thanks.

[Medsen Fey]

It was Noodler's Manhattan Blue.

I'm not sure of the chemical components, but it was the pearl luster dust I ordered in the 6-pack from EBay.

[Sailor Kenshin]

The experiment continues. More glitter-scribble.

 

As suspected...I used waaay too much glitter. That lump you see in the middle of the chroma? Yup, glitter.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I used too much my first go-round, too. I just added more ink and it was fine.

[klundtasaur]

As suspected...I used waaay too much glitter. That lump you see in the middle of the chroma? Yup, glitter.

 

That was my first thought, too--and I'm glad to see it confirmed.

 

I wish I had a digital scale accurate to a milligram so I could figure out a more consistent way of mixing it. I mean, my current system of "2 medium scoops from the back of a #6 nib per ml" isn't an exact science

[TheRealScubaSteve]

 

That was my first thought, too--and I'm glad to see it confirmed.

 

I wish I had a digital scale accurate to a milligram so I could figure out a more consistent way of mixing it. I mean, my current system of "2 medium scoops from the back of a #6 nib per ml" isn't an exact science

 

I measured with a #6 nib with all of mine! The problem with using a measuring device is that the powder likes to stick to everything. The smaller the spoon (or nib) the better to avoid waste.

[klundtasaur]

 

I measured with a #6 nib with all of mine! The problem with using a measuring device is that the powder likes to stick to everything. The smaller the spoon (or nib) the better to avoid waste.

Definitely--I accidentally dropped the lid of the luster dust on my desk, and there's *still* glitter visible. They don't call it "the herpes of craft supplies" for nothin.