It's my understanding that mica pots are made of a material quite close in
composition to that of modern automobile bumpers, so perhaps a substance
more like Armorall or other hard plastic protectant would work as well.

David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com
email:


-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ]On Behalf
Of Jim Lewis
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 9:13 AM
To:
Subject: [IBC] oiling mica pots


I tried something on a mica pot a few days ago, thinking of
getting
trees ready for the wedding (horrors--one or two will be in
mica
pots!). I sanded the pot with 150 grit sandpaper, then 300,
making sure
to sand with the length of the pot in mind so there wouldn't be
any
wayward scratches. I didn't really bear down, just sanded
enough to
even out the surface. I then tried rubbing on mineral oil,
which I use
on unglazed ceramic pots for displays. The mineral oil
evaporated
fairly quickly, so I tried vegetable oil instead. Works great.
The
sanding evens out the marks from the molds and gives the pot
more of a
matte surface as opposed to one that is rather glossy. The
oiling gives
it a nice low lustre. Has anyone else tried this?

Sounds like a good idea, but most of my mica pots have squirrel
tooth on their rims by the end of their first year of use. It
would take more than a "light" sanding to get rid of them.

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