Dopping with epoxy

I use 5min epoxy, it comes off really easy if you soak it in hot water for a minute. A little hot on the fingers but it softens right up.

Tony, I use superglue (a thick one), and rarely have one come off. I occasionaly have to saw one off even when using the release stuff. Are you degreasing the back before you glue? I wipe the back with acetone before gluing. If you are having superglue fail, it could be saw oil residue, and in that case, the epoxy will also fail.
Woody

I use wax and it rarely comes off. I don't use a dop pot, instead I use an alcohol lamp to heat the stones and dop stick. Getting the stone quite hot is the secret to making wax work. Don't dip the heated stone/dop in cold water. The shock might crack the stone. When you have finished polishing put the stone/dop stick in the freezer. It falls right off.
Just my preferred method.
Bob

I use superglue on the small cabs with a 16 penny nail. I do all of the larger ones by hand. Superglue works great, and pops right off after 20 minutes in the freezer.

I guess I will jump in on this one, too. Yep, the freezer is the easiest trick to remove anything from a dop. I have never had a problem with thick super glue (as someone mentioned, you can't have any oil residue), and never had one let go. I use the spritz type accelerator to make the glue dry quicker. Super Glue is my number one choice, but if you want to try something different and kinda weird, try the super adhesive type of Liquid Nails, the stuff that holds paneling in place. Once it dries overnight, it absolutely will not let go. When you are done cabbing, put the dop stick and cab on a paper towel in a microwave for about 20 seconds. The liquid nails turns to a soft putty and you can remove the cab easily (let it cool for a minute before removing it from the dop stick). A paper towel dampened with MEK, paint thinner, or acetone will wipe any residue off the cab instantly. This also works great for adhering an end cut of agate to a block of wood so you can get the last few cuts from an agate in a slab saw. I told you this would sound weird, but believe me, it really works well.

Vance

Thanks all. I've never had a problem getting any cabs off of the sticks, its keeping them on that is the problem. Now I have to admit I wasn't wiping the backs with acetone, never thought of that, but that doesn't explain why it releases from the stick. I'm assuming that the wood dowel is absorbing water, expanding and popping the stone off. I prefer to go free hand for the most part but I have a woman who wants to give cabbing a try but her long nails would be an issue with my method. I'll try cleaning the stones first and give the epoxy a try.

I have only been cabbing a short time, but I have tried the epoxy, glue and such. They work, but I still prefer the wax. Couple things I learned, and I echo what bobby1 says. The trick is to get the stone hot, then let it cool natural. One thing I did that was a Duhhhh on my part, is are you covering the end of your stick with enough wax and not just around the edges. At first I only used a thin layer. Now when I prep a stick, I dip it in wax, let it hang upside down, and cool that way. After it has set, I then warm it and the stone over an alcohol lamp, then shape it to the stone. Once I started doing it this way, I have not had it pop off.