herchenx
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
|
Post by herchenx on Sept 17, 2012 10:04:09 GMT -5
hand2mouthmining pointed over to this thread, and it bears a bump. Can we make this sticky? I am inclined to try Frog and Bear's opticon+acetone method. I have some agatized conglomerate that is just unstable enough I'd like to harden it up a bit. Anyone have any before+after pics?
|
|
herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
|
Post by herchenx on Sept 17, 2012 10:06:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 7, 2013 14:36:37 GMT -5
My solution to crumbly lapidary rough is to let it solidify into a nice hard agate over a few million years buried in the local landfill. The circular file? |
|
bruceb
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2013
Posts: 20 
|
Post by bruceb on May 26, 2014 22:54:08 GMT -5
Resurrecting this old post with a question. I was wondering if this stuff would be a good and maybe an easier fix. I think it would take longer then the video shows for a stone, but the vacuum sounds like it could help speed up the process and the product they use according to the manufactures site sound like it might be right for stones. Resin and acetone.
Ideas?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 27, 2014 13:12:54 GMT -5
Resurrecting this old post with a question. I was wondering if this stuff would be a good and maybe an easier fix. I think it would take longer then the video shows for a stone, but the vacuum sounds like it could help speed up the process and the product they use according to the manufactures site sound like it might be right for stones. Resin and acetone. Ideas? There is a dude that does the same thing with canning jars and CA glue. He uses the very same method for pulling the vacuum and feels he gets the best penetration after three cycles of draw vacuum/release |
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on May 28, 2014 14:52:42 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by phil on Jan 27, 2015 14:20:20 GMT -5
Quick update:
I've played with stabilizing and finally settled on a vacuum/resin soak and heat method. Only took me years to figure out. Point is, if you have small amounts of stone that you want stabilized, I can now offer that service. email me off list for prices and details.
Phil
Another update: I no longer stabilize. Thank you.
|
|
rocksteady
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2016
Posts: 3
|
Post by rocksteady on Sept 12, 2016 15:25:27 GMT -5
Hi. I had thought about what you are doing with the sodium silicate for some time. Just recently retired and thought I would try it. When all is through the silicate isn't polymerizing, it is forming a lot of silica-gel on the bottom. I bought the Na-silicate on Amazon it is 122gm/mol (quite syrupy.) I would like to know any ideas you may have. Thanks (PS This is the first and only form I have ever joined)
|
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Sept 12, 2016 16:33:04 GMT -5
Hi. I had thought about what you are doing with the sodium silicate for some time. Just recently retired and thought I would try it. When all is through the silicate isn't polymerizing, it is forming a lot of silica-gel on the bottom. I bought the Na-silicate on Amazon it is 122gm/mol (quite syrupy.) I would like to know any ideas you may have. Thanks (PS This is the first and only form I have ever joined) I am still trying to perfect the process so that it hardens clear. Getting really close. My last experiment it is clear but formed bubbles. One piece of advice I can give right now though is to thin out the sodium silicate with water so that it penetrates better. Best to use a a purified water, but add some calcium oxide (lime) to the water to alkalize it first. Purified waters absorb gases rapidly making them acidic, and the acids will harden the sodium silicate too fast to allow it to penetrate deeply. Calcium oxide in water forms calcium hydroxide, which will neutralize the acids in the water and make the solution more alkaline to prevent polymerization. Once in the rock thoroughly then the sodium silicate can be acidified as one means of hardening it. |
|
1jst4fun
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2016
Posts: 4 
|
Post by 1jst4fun on Sept 22, 2016 19:16:31 GMT -5
The only Emergen-c lite I can find is labled as MSM suppliment. Will it work the same?
|
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Sept 22, 2016 19:25:31 GMT -5
The only Emergen-c lite I can find is labled as MSM suppliment. Will it work the same? If you are using this for sodium silicate polymerization why not just use pure citric acid? Next to fructose this is the main ingredient in the Emergen-C. And you will not have all the other stuff like sugar in your final product. Citric acid is easy to obtain and is only about $3 a pound. |
|
1jst4fun
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2016
Posts: 4
|
Post by 1jst4fun on Sept 22, 2016 19:41:47 GMT -5
I am new to all of this. What is the ratio if I use citric acid? Someone else asked, but I didn't see an answer.
|
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Sept 22, 2016 19:47:01 GMT -5
I am new to all of this. What is the ratio if I use citric acid? Someone else asked, but I didn't see an answer. I have never used the citric acid with sodium silicate. Keep in mind though that you need to make sure the sodium silicate remains alkaline until it has time to penetrate thoroughly. And if the acid polymerizes the sodium silicate too fast it will create a hard shell on the outer surface preventing the acid from reaching deeper in to the stone. |
|
1jst4fun
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2016
Posts: 4
|
Post by 1jst4fun on Sept 22, 2016 20:39:25 GMT -5
What method do you use for stabilizing?
|
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Sept 23, 2016 0:34:46 GMT -5
What method do you use for stabilizing? I use sodium silicate but I am experimenting with different polymerization methods. Trying to get the sodium silicate to polymerize clear instead of white. May have figured it out, at least in test samples not with rocks yet. |
|
|
|
Post by victor1941 on Sept 23, 2016 20:00:20 GMT -5
The material that I work with has soft areas that undercut and must be stabilized for a nicer finished product. I use preformed cabs that are immersed in the acetone/epoxy mixture in a mason jar and placed under a vacuum several times. I remove the vacuum apparatus and seal the top with the a canning lid and make sure the the liquid does melt the rubber for a good seal. This prevents the acetone from evaporating. I shake the bottles daily for 10 days and then remove the contents. I recover the liquid in a larger container and collect the cabs in a strainer. Sometimes the jar must be broker because of the tight seal. Set the cabs on the aluminum trays in the sun until dry and the dop and finish the cab. Larger pieces/slabs can be placed in a gallon paint can for the same procedure.
|
|
1jst4fun
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2016
Posts: 4
|
Post by 1jst4fun on Oct 6, 2016 8:01:19 GMT -5
The material that I work with has soft areas that undercut and must be stabilized for a nicer finished product. I use preformed cabs that are immersed in the acetone/epoxy mixture in a mason jar and placed under a vacuum several times. I remove the vacuum apparatus and seal the top with the a canning lid and make sure the the liquid does melt the rubber for a good seal. This prevents the acetone from evaporating. I shake the bottles daily for 10 days and then remove the contents. I recover the liquid in a larger container and collect the cabs in a strainer. Sometimes the jar must be broker because of the tight seal. Set the cabs on the aluminum trays in the sun until dry and the dop and finish the cab. Larger pieces/slabs can be placed in a gallon paint can for the same procedure. I will try this. Thank you! |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Mar 30, 2017 16:36:53 GMT -5
Bump
|
|
USMC15
Cave Dweller
I feel like I just came out of the tumbler ...
Member since March 2021
Posts: 273
|
Post by USMC15 on Mar 25, 2021 19:16:07 GMT -5
I posted a new thread about this, but I read threw this entire thread and it is mostly fails and discouragement. All of this revolves around epoxy. I guess those that have succeeded in this method do not truly share the recipe. So reading this has been no help other than using epoxy is not the best idea.
|
|
standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
|
Post by standles on Mar 25, 2021 20:32:30 GMT -5
|
|
