Flake white . . . mull your own?

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Carlos Ygoa

Allan,

If I can procure some, would there be a problem for it coming into customs of Denmark?

Carlos,
thank you for being so helpful, but I am afraid that there would be a problem with customs.
I asked my Artist Materials Shop if they could get some Flake White from W& N in England, they ordered it, but got the measage that W& N was not allowed to send it into Denmark.

I am not optimistic about the costums.

A few years ago I bought some Litharge (Yellow Lead powder) at the local pharmacy. I have used it to cook Black Oil.
Maybe I should ask them about White Lead Powder, it won't hurt.

Othervice I think that I have found out how to make my own Lead Powder in an uncomplicated way, I even got some pieces of ordinary lead foil/plates, so that should not be a problem.

[Richard Bingham]

Allan, I'm really wishing there was a way to send you white lead pigment. I'm sure before long, it will become unavailable in the USA too, so looking ahead, I bought a sizeable quantity, and I feel like some kind of miser. I'd gladly share with you, if I could just send it without red-tape. With all the concerns of terrorism and drug trafficking, it surely wouldn't do to tempt the authorities with contraband pigments!! (Honest, officer . . . it's not cocaine . . . too heavy! See? - Hey! Put down that gun!)

It just occurred to me that depending on what you're using for a source of lead to make your own might not be pure lead ? For example, automobile wheel weights and fishing sinkers are usually alloyed with some zinc, sometimes tin and antimony too. I don't know how that would affect the reaction.

Do you happen to know the wherefore of the reaction that results in lead carbonate? Reaction with the acetic acid in vinegar will make lead acetate, I'm sure . . . yet this is how the "old masters" did it . . .

[Allan Rahbek]

Richard, thanks, I'm afraid of guns too

The lead that I have is a roll of plumbers lead, it's soft. I am not very knowledgeable about chemistry, so I have no way of knowing the contend of the lead but I suspect that it is fairly clean lead.

The vinegar is not a very strong acid and I guess that it erodes the lead because the lead is basic. It will take 4 - 6 weeks before the sufficient ammount of powder is formed.

I found the recipy in an old Danish encyclopedia and figured out how it should be made with the possibility's that we have now a day's.

My plan is to get a large plastic bucket + a smaller one to place inside it. This small one I will place the lead and vinegar into. I will make holes in small squares of lead and hang them on a stainless steel string resting on the top of the small bucket, so that the lead is hanging over the vinegar.
I will place a lid on the large bucket and conduct the carbon acid, from the fermentation, into it.

And cross my fingers

[Ant Carlos]

Hi Alan.

Please, after you start the process let us know what's going on, will you? I am always curious about chemistry. Especially when it comes to pigments.

Good luck.

Ant

[Allan Rahbek]

Sure Ant,
I will take pictures and tell about my experiences. I hope that it is that simple as I think it is.

[Allan Rahbek]

It is now 2 - 3 weeks ago that I started this test.
I had no experience with the process so I wanted to see how fast it works. I filled

[Richard Bingham]

Allan, you probably have more info than this link provides:
http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_lead
I thought this reference provided a link to another article that described the process, and noted that spent tanbark was used to bury the jars of lead buckles and acetic acid . . . dunno where that went.

The article stated that lead carbonate would efflorsece from the buckles with such abundance that sometimes it burst the clay vessels! All references seem to indicate that Carbon dioxide is a necessary atmosphere for the chemical reaction, rather than the introduction of carbonic acid (?)

Looks like a promising start!