Re: Seagate Quench Gap (splitting mica)

To: tesla-at-grendel.objinc-dot-com
Subject: Re: Seagate Quench Gap (splitting mica)
From: adams-at-intranet.ca
Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 20:29:16 -0400

Hi guys,

In a previous post->

>
>>>        you cleave mica with a sharp edged blade. I've been thinking of a
>>>microtone(sp).
>>


C.L Strong in his 1963 book "Procedures in Experimental Physics"
(Prentice-Hall Inc.) describes how to split mica sheets dowm to 0.036 mm
(.0014 inches) or less.
The following is paraphrased from the text on pages 388 and 389.

Trim the starting sheet to the desired size with sharp tin snips.  Fray out
one corner of the starting sheet by rubbing it.  A clean dissecting needle
is introduced to divide the sheet approximately in half. A DROP OF WATER is
introduced into the hole produced.  The mica is then split all the way
around the edges  by working the needle along, point first, at an angle of
30 degrees so that the first cleavage starts inside the boundary of the
sheet. This avoids a terraced cleavage. After going around once, introduce
another drop of water and carefully draw the plates apart.  Apparently the
water makes the plates come apart as easily as the pages of a book.  Repeat
with the two sheets produced, eachtime dividing the sheet in half, until the
desired thickness is reached.

I haven't tried this but it sounds pretty straight forward.  You might need
a little more than a single drop of water if you're doing a large sheet.

Regards

Harry Adams
adams-at-intranet.ca