sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by sheltie on Oct 16, 2012 7:28:45 GMT -5
Not sure if this is the right place for this, but...
What can be done to fill in the smallish imperfections or holes in slabs? I've cut several recently that are really quite pretty but there is no way to make a cab of them because of some minor flaws (cracks, pits, holes, etc). Rather than just use them for display, I'd like to use some kind of "filler" that would fill the gaps and look natural, if possible. What should I do/use?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2012 8:17:12 GMT -5
Hxtal epoxy. Never yellows and takes a polish. A bit expensive but well worth it. Jim
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sheltie
freely admits to licking rocks
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Member since January 2012
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Post by sheltie on Oct 16, 2012 8:24:15 GMT -5
Hmmm, I was thinking about getting 10 lbs, but at $1,100 or more, I think I'll pass! ;D I found one site that had 1/4 lb for $50 but since I have no idea how much I'd need or how it is used, I think I better find more about it or another alternative.
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Post by deb193redux on Oct 16, 2012 8:40:37 GMT -5
Opticon is a little cheaper, but not much cheaper.
Honestly small pinholes can be filled with superglue. Larger voids require something that is thicker and will polish w/o undercutting.
So the right resin does depend on the flaw.
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Oct 16, 2012 8:44:16 GMT -5
one product I use is just plain counter/table top resin that comes in a two part A/B mix
its very durable and can be sanded/polished after you fill the voids
I got mine at home depot
mixes well with Pearl-Ex colorants too, been playing with it to back clear moss and agate cabs.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2012 8:53:07 GMT -5
With the Hxtal you only need a tiny bit because it goes a long way. Frogs idea sounds good also. The granite and marble counter top installers use a lot of filler and I doubt that they use something that will eventually turn yellow. Jim
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
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Post by rykk on Oct 19, 2012 23:26:15 GMT -5
I've tried using glue to fill pocks, cracks and in soft parts like moss of t-eggs. The CA glue polished really well... too well. One Priday egg I did ended up very shiny but with a network of SUPER shiny veins where the glue had filled the cracks. It really stuck out and I ended up grinding it off. Bear in mind as I say all this that it might/could be that I'm just not very good at this stuff and one of the more experienced folks might know how to do things better.
If you do try it, make sure to hand sand the overspill of the glue back down flat with the slab surface. What happens if you don't when using a vibe lap is that the glue undercuts and you end up with gaps where it pulls the whole bit up. And, unless you are covering a large spot and it's a thick layer, probably best not to go under 600 grit. The up/down hopping of the "spin-a-weight" designs like Lortone ends up undercutting chips out of the layer of glue. Small pits work ok - just sand the glue down after it sets up.
I've tried coating whole slabs of soft stuff like Aussie Print Stone but it always ends up with the glue wearing down to the rock in some spots. Though, it might be that I ought to use a flat sanding block rather than bare hands. I did have a great success with this huge Wave Hill agate that had a lot of solid but cracky "macro-crystal" or druse in the center that I didn't want grit to get into. But on that one, I used a spinning lap and probably worked on it for months. Redid the glue at least 6 times before I got a good flat coat and final polished it in the vibe lap, which I didn't have when I first was working on the rock. Turned it into a stunner in 6 hours flat!
I've been using Zap a Gap and Starbond glues. I don't expect that they are any different than other Cyano-acrylic glues like Hot Stuff. No experience with the pricey, fiddly glues like Hxtal or Opticon. C-ya, Rick
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Post by phil on Oct 20, 2012 14:55:20 GMT -5
one product I use is just plain counter/table top resin that comes in a two part A/B mix its very durable and can be sanded/polished after you fill the voids I got mine at home depot mixes well with Pearl-Ex colorants too, been playing with it to back clear moss and agate cabs. Hey frog..... can you provide brand names of the resin and colorants? The folks at local home depot need more info for me to find it. Thanks! Phil
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Oct 20, 2012 16:25:37 GMT -5
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dshalldms
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Post by dshalldms on Nov 12, 2012 9:25:55 GMT -5
Hi Sheltie,
The very first post in the Lapidary Tips Section is:-
STABILIZING PROCEDURE FOR CRUMBLY LAPIDARY ROUGH
I am sure this might be the perfect solution for your problem.
Derek
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Post by jakesrocks on Nov 14, 2012 1:04:52 GMT -5
Rick, for those super shiny spots, no need to grind them out. Just give them a couple light wipes with OOO steel wool. It will kill the bright shine, but won't effect the solid polished rock around them. OOO steel wool is available in any paint store.
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
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Post by rykk on Nov 18, 2012 1:24:52 GMT -5
Ahh! Yeah, Don that does sound like a good idea. I once coated a small slab of Indian Paint Stone with Zap-a-Gap CA epoxy and scrubbed it with some fine steel wool and got a pretty darn nice shine on it. Rick
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