[KwartzLab] Paper Marbling Workshop: Sun Jan 29 1-4pm

[Robert Gissing]

Borax is a flux used in blacksmith forge welding.  that should make this
even more confusing .  ;-)
Gus
On Jan 18, 2012 5:27 PM, "Kevin Martin" <kpmartin at thinkage.ca> wrote:

> I just found a page that states
> "Borax is used as an agent that breaks the waters surface tension and lets
> the paint spread out over the surface" which would imply that it *reduces*
> the surface tension...
> The article I found implies that oil-based paints are being used in their
> process (to "swirl" guitar bodies). The article James found was referring
> to marbling using powdercoat paints in the form of a water-based slurry and
> again, the borax seems to be there to encourage the paint to spread.
>
> I think the effect is that the borax reduces the surface tension between
> the water and the paint/particles rather than having any effect on the open
> surface tension (between the water and air). This makes it energetically
> advantageous for the paint or particles to spread out on the water.
>
> So perhaps the Magic Dip kit uses oil-based paints (which would also
> explain how they can claim to marble non-absorbant surfaces). Perhaps any
> alkali such as soda ash or TSP would work as well as borax does by
> (slightly) saponifying some of the oily materials in the paint.
>
> Then again I've also found a reference to using borax to preserve the
> thickener used in the water (to prevent fermentation), and also to "soften"
> the water (i.e. reduce the effects of dissolved mineral content). Perhaps
> the borax also interacts with the resins in the paint (as one sees in the
> "flubber" recipes that combine white PVA glue and borax).
>
> In the case of marbling with water-based paints (acrylics or watercolours)
> there is almost zero surface energy between the paint and the water, and
> the paint spreads because it contains surfactants so the paint/air surface
> has less energy per area (and thus less surface tension) than the water/air
> surface it is displacing. As a result nothing is needed in the water to
> adjust the spreading. There is however, stuff in the water to increase its
> viscosity to make it easier to control the patterns formed.
>
> Having said all this, though, I might try adding borax to my tray water
> someday to see what effect it actually has on the paint.
>
> -Kevin Martin
>  the Papertrail Handmade Paper & Book Arts
>  New Dundee, Ontario
>  519-884-7123
>  www.papertrail.ca
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at kwartzlab.ca [mailto:discuss-bounces at kwartzlab.ca]
> On Behalf Of James Bastow
>
> "The Borax will increase the surface tension of the water to the point
> that it becomes almost like a film, yet it will not contaminate your
> substrate."
> MARBLING: The How To Guide <
> http://www.powdercoatingboard.com/forum/showthread.php?29-MARBLING-The-How-To-Guide&s=a636fcf15ef9540bc17f8dec5d2567e3
> >
>
> (http://www.google.ca/search?q=borax+marbling)
>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at kwartzlab.ca
> http://kwartzlab.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss_kwartzlab.ca
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kwartzlab.ca/pipermail/discuss_kwartzlab.ca/attachments/20120118/70381614/attachment.html>