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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 16, 2023 9:01:02 GMT -5
The weirdest thing happened... I was going through my slabs and I found a nice piece of pulsite. When I put it away it was fine, but it seems to have been crushed. It looks like a crushed soft cookie. Not broken through, but like bent and then straightened. Never seen anything like it. I have cabbed it twice and it was fine.
Since cactus juice is for porous material and this is more like crushed or cracked, I was thinking to use art resin in the vacuum chamber. Has anyone used art resin in a vacuum chamber? Should I thin it and with what? Would cactus juice even work? (I need to buy both still. I'm looking for input. I haven't used the pot, yet. Looking for some guidance first. But, that's another post.)
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 16, 2023 9:27:36 GMT -5
That's weird. It almost looks like it's been through freeze/thaw cycles. I've never used Art Resin or Cactus Juice, so I'll be interested in seeing what type of input you get.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 16, 2023 9:33:15 GMT -5
That's weird. It almost looks like it's been through freeze/thaw cycles. I've never used Art Resin or Cactus Juice, so I'll be interested in seeing what type of input you get. That's possible. It was on my unheated porch. I never thought of it as particularly soft, but I guess it must be. |
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Jan 16, 2023 11:26:34 GMT -5
Cabs up beautifully. Nice wrap work as well. I already checked online. That material is nowhere to be found! Will be interested to see what you are able to do with it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 16, 2023 12:01:38 GMT -5
Cabs up beautifully. Nice wrap work as well. I already checked online. That material is nowhere to be found! Will be interested to see what you are able to do with it. It was never very plentiful. When I bought it, I was told one guy knew where it was and he slowly brought some out to market. Apparently, it was pretty rough terrain, so he didn't get much out. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 16, 2023 12:04:54 GMT -5
Curious what you find out. If possible, moderate preheating before using resins can help with the cure from what I hear. A heat gun after applying a resin is also supposed to pull out air bubbles, is that necessary when also using vacuum? My stabilizing so far has been opticon, which was disappointing, and cyanacrilite starbond, which I was pretty happy with so far.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 16, 2023 12:18:21 GMT -5
Curious what you find out. If possible, moderate preheating before using resins can help with the cure from what I hear. A heat gun after applying a resin is also supposed to pull out air bubbles, is that necessary when also using vacuum? My stabilizing so far has been opticon, which was disappointing, and cyanacrilite starbond, which I was pretty happy with so far. I don't think you have to chase bubbles with a pot since the act of pulling the air out of the rocks creates bubbles. I'm sure they pop when you release the vacuum.
I have used opticon and hxtal. Not crazy about either. Starbond, for me, is good for very small cosmetic hairlines (not through). But, then, I can't tumble it.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 16, 2023 12:19:05 GMT -5
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Post by chris1956 on Jan 16, 2023 13:01:44 GMT -5
You might do a search of the forum for "cactus juice". Looks like there is a lot of previous discussion about it and you might get an answer there. I have used the cactus juice myself about a half dozen times over the last 6 months. I think it has helped some with small cracks. Not sure what it will do with large cracks. It appears to me it doesn't do well with pits or larger cracks on the surface because I suspect the resin runs out before it gets cured in the oven. You might also search the internet for a video made by Hilmers Fine Minerals about cactus juice. I can't remember the women's name that does the videos. In there, they describe how to do it and also compare it to Opticon. In the video, they talk about putting some extra cactus juice on porous areas before heat treatment. From the video, it might be better to use Opticon. It looked thicker and if I recall, they applied it with a brush into cracks and holes in slabs. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 16, 2023 13:13:46 GMT -5
You might do a search of the forum for "cactus juice". Looks like there is a lot of previous discussion about it and you might get an answer there. I have used the cactus juice myself about a half dozen times over the last 6 months. I think it has helped some with small cracks. Not sure what it will do with large cracks. It appears to me it doesn't do well with pits or larger cracks on the surface because I suspect the resin runs out before it gets cured in the oven. You might also search the internet for a video made by Hilmers Fine Minerals about cactus juice. I can't remember the women's name that does the videos. In there, they describe how to do it and also compare it to Opticon. In the video, they talk about putting some extra cactus juice on porous areas before heat treatment. From the video, it might be better to use Opticon. It looked thicker and if I recall, they applied it with a brush into cracks and holes in slabs. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Thanks.  I have many stabilization threads bookmarked. None of them discuss art resin in the chamber. I would rather go with with art resin for something like what is pictured- which is, admittedly, a bad case. My understanding is that Cactus Juice is better for porous material, not cracks.
I think I have seen the video you;'re taking about.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Jan 16, 2023 13:22:03 GMT -5
That is totally a rock I would've unceremoniously stepped on and walked away without a second thought many times in the past. I'll have to be more careful about what I pass up.
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fencejumper
Cave Dweller 
Member since May 2021
Posts: 441
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Post by fencejumper on Jan 20, 2023 21:34:01 GMT -5
heat the rock up in a toaster oven
Before you apply the art resin.
the resin will hit the hot rock and thin out
Quick
So put a couple coats
On it and soak it..
The resin will start to firm up quick
As it cools
After 15 minutes or so?
Put the rock in the oven for 2 hours at 170 degrees.
Take it out and wait a day or so.
After you rough out your preforms?
You can do the same thing again if any hairlines sppear
I typically make buff tops( flat) with my sealed pieces
Its easier for the resin to harden on a flat surface.
You dont want to cut the resin with acetone…
Its hit and miss
But mostly( all the time?) miss
Pm me when you get the resin tela
I can walk you through it.
Mind you it takes a little doing…
But it does work if you stay focused
And you keep your eye on the dud
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 20, 2023 22:26:25 GMT -5
heat the rock up in a toaster oven Before you apply the art resin. the resin will hit the hot rock and thin out Quick So put a couple coats On it and soak it.. The resin will start to firm up quick As it cools After 15 minutes or so? Put the rock in the oven for 2 hours at 170 degrees. Take it out and wait a day or so. After you rough out your preforms? You can do the same thing again if any hairlines sppear I typically make buff tops( flat) with my sealed pieces Its easier for the resin to harden on a flat surface. You dont want to cut the resin with acetone… Its hit and miss But mostly( all the time?) miss Pm me when you get the resin tela I can walk you through it. Mind you it takes a little doing… But it does work if you stay focused And you keep your eye on the dud Paul, thanks for putting this out there again. I have some Azurite/Malachite I've been wanting to do this with, but I just haven't yet... |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 22, 2023 11:45:07 GMT -5
heat the rock up in a toaster oven Before you apply the art resin. the resin will hit the hot rock and thin out Quick So put a couple coats On it and soak it.. The resin will start to firm up quick As it cools After 15 minutes or so? Put the rock in the oven for 2 hours at 170 degrees. Take it out and wait a day or so. After you rough out your preforms? You can do the same thing again if any hairlines sppear I typically make buff tops( flat) with my sealed pieces Its easier for the resin to harden on a flat surface. You dont want to cut the resin with acetone… Its hit and miss But mostly( all the time?) miss Pm me when you get the resin tela I can walk you through it. Mind you it takes a little doing… But it does work if you stay focused And you keep your eye on the dud Thanks, Paul. I'm looking for a toaster oven now. I'll probably replace the one we have and use the old one. |
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I have many stabilization threads bookmarked. None of them discuss art resin in the chamber. I would rather go with with art resin for something like what is pictured- which is, admittedly, a bad case. My understanding is that Cactus Juice is better for porous material, not cracks. 
