Kari Laurent wrote:
>
> Does anyone have a source for eisenglass?  I'm told it's a type of plastic
> used in the "windows" of old cast iron woodstoves.
>
> Kari Laurent, Collections Manager
> Cave Creek Museum, Cave Creek, AZ


Kari,
It is spelled "isinglass."  It is a translucent or transparent form of
mica, a group of mineral silicates.  "Isinglass" crystals are
characterized by particularly large flakes that can be separated into
varying thicknesses.  I believe that it had a higher resistance to heat
than the old glass (which was not crystalline in structure) and was
desireous in old ovens and stoves for use as a window.  It is not rare,
and should be available from geological materials sources including
universities or other museums.  You might pursue the issue on a rock
collectors web site.