[LVAS] Mirror Making - Part 3

[Gary Ahlers]

Hi Fred,

Excellent articles. I may actually give it a try. Definately not a way to
save money though. Blanks seem to run about 70% of a good finished mirror so
when you add all the materials and coatings - forget about the time and
energy. Mirror making requires true dedication to the art of DO-It-Yourself.

As a long time Lapidary hobbiest I have several comments and questions. The
only good way to store grits and polish, aside from being in seperate sealed
rooms, is vertically  - coursest on the bottom and polish on top. This
minimizes possibility of contamination. Also, no fans in the room.

I am a little surprised  at the preferance for Cerium Oxide as a polish. It
is very aggressive and I reserve it for gems 8 or above hardness. Linde A
would seem like a better choice at .3 micron size. Linde B might be a bit of
overkill at .05 micron.

I never heard of Barnesite. Turns out it is a mineral associated with
uranium ore and, as such,
is moderately radioactive - sort of like wearing 25 radium dial watches for
twenty years.

Any comment on the preformed blanks which seem to have become popular?

Regards,
Gary
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