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Post by 1dave on Jan 1, 2014 14:29:39 GMT -5
Soak porous stones in water BEFORE putting them in the saw. I like jamesp 's ideas! An old mechanics trick is to put a waterless hand cleaner on the hands and forearms before starting a particularly dirty job. The soap fills the pores and makes cleanup much easier. I also rub bar soap into drusy pockets and pits before polishing to prevent powdered polish from getting into hard to clean places. I wonder if water with a soap w/o additives would do the same for oil cutting problematic rocks?? What a time to be out of dead cats and lye Lee #2 If you are really serious with porous rocks or crystals in geodes, use hot paraffin. hot water will float it out.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 1, 2014 14:36:27 GMT -5
If you are really serious with porous rocks or crystals in geodes, use hot paraffin. hot wate4r will float it out. 1daveThink wax would be ok on a leather/felt/muslin.phenolic buff? Lee#2
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Post by 1dave on Jan 1, 2014 15:00:29 GMT -5
Lee, thanks for pointing out my fat fingers typing. "wate4r" Way to go Dave! Some have used paraffin to protect cavities from crud, but I wouldn't like getting wax on my grinders or buffers.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,560
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Post by jamesp on Jan 1, 2014 15:19:13 GMT -5
This is a little off topic. My old timer lapidary (mentor) friend would set a 'hard to saw' rock in a wax milk carton bottom and fill it with Elmer's Glue. Therefore giving a block to clamp to.
To get rid of it he would soak it in water and the Elmer's Glue would dissolve away. He taught me too much crazy stuff. But he made a good living owning a rock shop for 40 years....
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Misplaced Aussie
starting to shine!
Shoulda left it there
Member since February 2012
Posts: 40
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Post by Misplaced Aussie on Feb 9, 2014 12:25:23 GMT -5
Anybody ever try MEK to remove the oil?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2014 12:44:57 GMT -5
Tony (catmandewe) has been letting me use his saws here in Q and he uses Totally Awesome and it is totally awesome. He drops the slabs in a bucket with a water and Totally Awesome mix then later sprays them down with the same mix and rubs it all over the slab. A quick spray with the water hose and they are pretty much oil free. Jim
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rocpup
spending too much on rocks
Pink Limb Iris
Member since March 2011
Posts: 465
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Post by rocpup on Feb 10, 2014 9:49:44 GMT -5
Many times soaking porous rocks in water will not soak deep enough to help much with the oil soak into the slab as it is cut. A water soluble saw coolant or if you must plain water is best used. I know anti freeze is frowned on hear but it works well. I go to the dollar store and get a bottle of dish soap, bring it home and dump the whole bottle in a gallon of water. As the slabs come off the saw they are tossed in the bucket. Most of my slabs will stay there for weeks before they are removed and rinsed in clean water. Stubborn oil soaked slabs I have sometimes soaked in acetone to get the smell out. Over the years I have destroyed some nice nice rock by cutting them in oil. Don
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