LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 15, 2011 11:53:19 GMT -5
The Inland dop pot has a lip going around the top of the pot where you can sit all your cabs and heat them up. Takes 30-60 seconds, depending on the size & thickness. I found out if the cab isn't hot, the wax won't stick. When I say "hot" I mean too hot to handle. Ouch!
I start out using 20 penny nails & green Hotshot super glue. 20p is a little larger than your 16p and easier to handle. Plus I use a tip I learned from the other board to place paper in between the nail head and cab. It works! I use index card paper, which is thicker and cut them into 1/4" squares. Glue this to the nail head and then glue to the cab. Doesn't take much and a "drop" of glue is too much. Just don't get the paper too wet with water. Then when done, the paper will tear in half and just grind it off. No acetone needed. Then I use dop wax on the nails to attach to the dome side of the cab so I can polish the back side. 5 minutes in the freezer and the cabs pop loose. Use denatured alcohol for final clean up which removes the wax residue.
LarryS
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Post by mohs on Dec 17, 2011 21:28:50 GMT -5
good stuff Larry any general rules about re-using dop wax ? ed
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 17, 2011 22:49:04 GMT -5
You can re-use it with no problem. Wash the rock snot off before you put it back in the pot. Add a little fresh wax from time to time just to keep the pot full. Don
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Dec 18, 2011 10:05:09 GMT -5
When we pull the dop sticks out of the freezer, we put them in a zip lock plastic bag (heavier thickness), take it outside and pound them with a hammer on the concrete. Wax shatters into tiny pieces and we dump it back into the pot. We've been using the first green dop wax stick since we started dopping. Haven't added any fresh wax yet in 9 months and have done probably 100+ cabs. Like Don said, make sure the wax is clean. Use your spouses tooth brush! I've damaged cabs by using super glue straight with no paper. A chunk of rock has come loose behind the cab or the cab cracks when trying to pry the nail loose. That tiny piece of thick paper makes all the difference in the world. Then we only use dop wax on the finished dome side of the cab so we can polish the back side. I dip the nail head with 1/2 of paper still attached right into the dop wax pot. For larger cabs, like 2" or 3" in size, I like using wood sticks & wax because the nails are too small to hang onto. Hurts your fingers.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 18, 2011 11:29:00 GMT -5
I've always used wooden dop sticks. Don't like nails. They get too slippery to hold. When my eyesight was good enough to do tiny cabs, I either used those round toothpics or match sticks. After a few uses, the wooden sticks get a rough surface from exposure to water. Makes them easy to handle.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 18, 2011 14:13:03 GMT -5
I understand Don, it's an age thing. I'm not far behind you! I "choke" my dop stick where I hold it like a pencil and have my thumb & fore finger on the back of the cab. Really not holding on to the stick. I cab with a Ameritool lap so it may be different than a wheel. I mostly use the super glue & nails because I get impatient and don't want to bother with dop wax. Last batch I did was 40 cabs and wanted to speed things up. Problem is super glue scares me. Only thing it sticks good to is skin! You have to pay attention.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 18, 2011 14:30:05 GMT -5
LOL !! I've glued my fingers together with that stuff a few times. I keep a little bottle of acetone handy whenever I use super glue.
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Post by mohs on Dec 18, 2011 14:31:28 GMT -5
I’ll have to try that frozen dop hammer removal process! Remember to take the cab off first ! I’ve been chunking/scraping the wax off the dowel stick with a knife Been getting some wood chip contamination
Do I understand you correctly Larry? Your dipping a nail head into the dop wax then adhering the stone ? The nail head is screwd into a wooden dowel? Dop on! Ed
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Dec 18, 2011 14:39:50 GMT -5
Ed, the cabs should pop right off the dop sticks after leaving them in the freezer for 5 minutes or so. Most separate without even touching them.
I've ruined a few wood sticks by hammering the wax off. Not a problem when using nails. Maybe I'll try attaching the nails to wood sticks. Sounds like a good idea.
I use bare 20p nails not attached to anything. I only use dop wax on the nails when I attached to the finished dome side of the cab so I can polish the back side.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 18, 2011 14:58:16 GMT -5
Why bother knocking the wax off your sticks ? I just wash the rock snot off the wax, let them dry and put them in a zip lock baggie to keep then clean. The wax on your dops will melt when you put them in the pot to pre-heat them.
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Post by mohs on Dec 18, 2011 17:12:17 GMT -5
Why bother knocking the wax off your sticks ? I just wash the rock snot off the wax, let them dry and put them in a zip lock baggie to keep then clean. The wax on your dops will melt when you put them in the pot to pre-heat them. Don, I've been saying it for years you are a genius ! Geesh ! hit me over the head with a dop stick Why didn't I think of that! dopply mostly
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Dec 19, 2011 3:56:00 GMT -5
I was thinking of trying automotive fuel line or vacuum hose to slip over the nails. 20p nails are a tad over 3/16" in diameter so a 3/16" hose would fit snuggly. Would be easy on our old arthritic fingers. We've had our share of digging wood splinters out of the wax.
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Post by docone31 on Jan 3, 2012 13:20:01 GMT -5
I use 5 minute epoxy.
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Post by mohs on Jan 3, 2012 15:43:57 GMT -5
how do you remove the dop stick with epoxy? Heat?
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Post by mohs on Jan 4, 2012 15:42:42 GMT -5
my opinion of dopping especially if your just starting to cab is to get into the dop habit early! I've done lots of grinding and pretty good with my hands but wish I had started with a dop habit Obviously there are masters who don't dop they amaze me I can't duplicate and I can't duplicate lots of people who do dop Yet, dopping is really an easy thing to do doesn't cost squat so start a dop habit doppEdMostly
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Post by BAZ on Feb 5, 2012 20:53:25 GMT -5
A dop habit? Ed, if you don't talk to your kids about dopping, then who will?
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Post by BAZ on Feb 5, 2012 20:56:50 GMT -5
The little amount of dopping techniques that I did, I liked the super glue on the head of a 16p nail the best.
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minkers
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 25
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Post by minkers on Feb 15, 2012 22:43:01 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip about the index card! I'll have to remember that, esp. for the soft stones like banded onyx. Had one get a pit in the back on me using superglue. Mostly do agates so I hadn't had a problem before, it sure surprised me! I usually use superglue, but not with nails -- I use brass flat head machine screws (hardware store or home depot has them). They're a bit more expensive than nails, but the screw threads provide a really good handle for rotating the stone. Plus they come in different widths, so I have big and small ones. for reference: ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61y3mJKP%2BuL._AA1084_.jpg
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Feb 16, 2012 0:22:11 GMT -5
My wife dops and I like super glue with index card paper and 20p nails. I do dop when I have to polish the backside of the cab. That wax sure sticks good to skin when the conditions are just right. Burns like heck and doesn't come off. Ready to stick my hand into the freezer for it to release! OUCH! I slipped some automotive vacuum hose over the 20p nails and they're easy to hold onto.
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Post by mohs on Feb 16, 2012 15:14:41 GMT -5
A dop habit? Ed, if you don't talk to your kids about dopping, then who will? Hi BAZ ! Ha Ha !!! My parent never had that birds, bees and dopping conversation with me I'm afraid I passed that bad trait on to my later little doppers :blush:
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