Mica Globe - Brass Thickness

I’m intending to have a go at making a mica globe. I saw the nice one @Darryl Durdin made and he used steel shim at 0.008” thickness, if my memory serves me. If I am using brass, what thickness might be best? I’m wondering if 0.5 mm (0.020”) would be Okay for brass?

Thanks

Iain

 

Think it may be a big too thick and brittle to bend the Z to hold the panels.
I used the tin from a old gallon solvent tin that I cut up and I still found it difficult and fiddly.

 

I suspect brass may need annealing before such a drastic bending. It also might crack later on as it will harden on the bends. It would be interesting to hear if others have used brass for this?

 

@Sedgman
@Darryl Durdin has also made mica globes out of brass .. in a thread he gives what thickness it was.. sorry but I don’t know how to do the ‘link’ thing
I searched for ‘mica’ by member name and trawled through for 2 mins
He made a brass one for an Austramax

the thread was called .. Mica globe for my D D AUSTRAMAX

 

Darryl’s steel shim for mica globes:

Mica globe for my AL15 Tilley

Tony

 

Thanks @podbros and @Tony Press for the links. I must have missed @Darryl Durdin earlier post with dimensions for his brass Austramax mica globe. It is here Mica globe for my D D AUSTRAMAX 2/300

Thanks too @pete sav and @Fireexit1 for the thoughts on working with brass. I actually have a fair bit of very thin shim brass sheet but it seemed so thin.

I now have good info going forward. Just awaiting my mica in the mail!

Iain

 

@Sedgman

Where did you find the mica sheet?

Tony

 

@Tony Press
stovemica.com
As I needed 5" length to avoid joins midway to make it easier. Most places I found online seemed to only offer 4" pieces.

 

Thank you.

Cheers

Tony

 

Hi Sedgman,

Here on my post for the Aladdin Model A you can find guidelines for the thicknesses.
I experimented with thicker sheet metal the work is not good.
I wish you great success with your project.
New handmade mica-globe for 1934 Aladdin model A.

Regards,
Titoo.

 

Thanks @Titoo, your images and presentation will assist me greatly.

 

The globe on the lantern on the left is made from brass sheet and brass mesh. It appears to have been on the lantern for a long, long time, so I think brass would work for a mica globe.

 

Thanks @Reese Williams for pointing this one out.
I'm, not sure the brass mesh is a great look compared with the other two but it certainly shows brass joining strips are viable assuming the lantern was lit.
Regards

 

@Sedgman I agree it's not as pretty as the original mica globes, but to me it has it's own charm. It also put out a very nice somewhat subdued light. It's perfect for lighting an are where you don't want the glare of a full out lantern in your eyes.