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Post by stardiamond on May 17, 2023 16:46:27 GMT -5
I sit in a chair on my deck smoking cigars and looking at rocks. Yesterday, I worked on the mess and tossed trash and rocks that I wouldn't give away. I found a bone slab, a crazy lace slab and an opalized Biggs preform that needed a little more grinding. I dopped these with a Dead Camel and a Rainforest that I had trimmed but needed to have the preform ground.  |
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Post by stardiamond on May 18, 2023 17:14:23 GMT -5
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Post by Son Of Beach on May 18, 2023 17:21:45 GMT -5
You're on fire lately!
Always love your displays
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller 
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,496
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Post by realrockhound on May 18, 2023 17:46:56 GMT -5
Better slow down, you’ll end up grinding your fingers off at that rate.
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Post by stardiamond on May 18, 2023 18:19:21 GMT -5
The weather is good. I think I need to straighten out my work area, dump my Covington, set up my new HP 14, and start slabbing.
I had two lessons on cabbing and was taught to dop with wax. I got so tired of cabs coming loose, I went dopless. When I was working I only cabbed on the weekend which gave me 5 days for my fingers to heal. I now dop with superglue and use a combo technique. I only use the dop when my fingers could get ground.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on May 18, 2023 19:52:15 GMT -5
Do you undop with acetone, or freezer method? I’ve been using acetone. It works but I don’t like the goopy mess left from the partially dissolved glue or the white film that can be left on the cab, I think from the dissolved glue in the acetone leaving a really thin layer on the stone. It seems to wipe/wash off but I keep thinking maybe it’s not great for the stones. The freezer though also sounds not great for some stones.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,496
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Post by realrockhound on May 18, 2023 19:57:38 GMT -5
Do you undop with acetone, or freezer method? I’ve been using acetone. It works but I don’t like the goopy mess left from the partially dissolved glue or the white film that can be left on the cab, I think from the dissolved glue in the acetone leaving a really thin layer on the stone. It seems to wipe/wash off but I keep thinking maybe it’s not great for the stones. The freezer though also sounds not great for some stones. Blow torch. Pops right off |
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Post by stardiamond on May 18, 2023 20:13:39 GMT -5
Do you undop with acetone, or freezer method? I’ve been using acetone. It works but I don’t like the goopy mess left from the partially dissolved glue or the white film that can be left on the cab, I think from the dissolved glue in the acetone leaving a really thin layer on the stone. It seems to wipe/wash off but I keep thinking maybe it’s not great for the stones. The freezer though also sounds not great for some stones. I gave up freezing. I gave up on popping them off (occasional divots). I use an x-acto chisel blade and put the flat side against the cab and tap on the x-acto holder with a utility knife until the cab separates from the dop. My dops are made from dowels with a nail on chair glide. When the cab comes off, I use a q-tip and acetone to loosen the glue and then scrape it off with a chisel blade. |
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on May 18, 2023 21:38:22 GMT -5
realrockhound stardiamond Ok, thanks both of you. I’ll try those methods. I also don’t like the soak wait time that I’m currently doing. My dop sticks are mostly wooden dowels with a large headed nail in the end.
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Post by stardiamond on May 18, 2023 22:04:50 GMT -5
The nail works well with the torch. I don't have a torch.
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,368
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Post by rocknewb101 on May 19, 2023 8:39:01 GMT -5
stardiamond I'm curious why you gave up on the freezer method? Are there issues doing it this way? I often only have to have it in there for minutes before it pops right off - could I be damaging the rock? Or is it more the potential for it to crack?
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Post by stardiamond on May 19, 2023 11:26:11 GMT -5
It might be my dop sticks, but it wasn't an effective method for me. Leaving the dops in the freezer for a long time produced cabs that separated themselves, some with almost no force and stubborn ones. Even the ones that required little force occasionally produced divots. I sometimes had to remove glue residue.
What I do now can be done immediately after finishing the cab and doesn't damage the cab.
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Post by stardiamond on May 19, 2023 12:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by stardiamond on May 19, 2023 13:17:19 GMT -5
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on May 19, 2023 22:22:35 GMT -5
It's great to see them as pre-forms and then as finished cabs. Very colourful, eye-catching group!
Adrian
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