Stabilizing or Hardening Stone, How to Guide.
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- Опубликовано: 12 апр 2020
- I go through step by step how I harden and stabilize stones and rock slabs for lapidary. Works for turquoise and most any other material to repair fractures or to harden soft material so you can cut and polish it for jewelry. Link for hardener cost no extra and helps with the education, growth and preservation of rockhounding and lapidary.
Opticon 224 amzn.to/2Rcqq37
Any questions ? Join our Facebook group Radical Rocks free. All links at any blog radicalrocksusa.blogspot.com near the bottom of any article.
Thank you from Shane & the Radical Rocks Team, and remember rockhounds don't die they petrify.
You’re like the only guy in youtube teaching this so that k you
Thank you. I have a lot going on the next month, yet we are planning more content this year. Our pod cast is posted usually one or More times a week, anchor.FM/radicalrocks thank you
Get up get out,for this video is 2 yr. Old . A person like you is talented at what they do ..more...😊😊😊
Thanks for the kind words. Funds have been tight. I’m hoping for a trip or two this summer.
I'm so excited to see someone else still using a Hotpoint oven like me ha It's the best ;)
Great video - I've watched this several times and am getting ready to try it on my own. Also, loooove that botryoidal azurite slab - that is killer.
Thank you for your comment I appreciate it.
Thank you I can use all the education and wholeheartedly appreciate the content.
Thank you, up coming I plan to test a Vacuum technique and put that in the video very soon. Hopefully the next few weeks
Great video thanks for sharing ! I'm getting ready to stabilize my first pieces
Thanks Tim. I have been planing to due another one on another hardening technique for over 6 months, but have not made the time, it’s always some other priority, that’s life I guess. Thanks again best wishes!
Thanks for the help, my friend.
Beverly you are welcome, thanks for the comments
Thanks for showing the opticon way.
No problem thanks for stopping by and checking out our videos. It’s much appreciated
Heavy duty aluminum foil like for roasting turkeys separates well.
Good tip thank you Sue
ive done opiticon in oven...but never cleaned it with acetone first...i also only coated one side....great video
Thank you for your kind comments. Best wishes Vickie!
May I ask how your stones turned out? I was thinking about treating only one side of my stone as I am planning on using backing on my turquoise. Thanks for any recommendations 😊
Wow love that azurite with the bubbles
Thanks Kevin
I'm new to this and Your video is very helpful. Thanks.
Thank you for you comment, welcome aboard
We just came across your UTube Channel and found that it is very informative and interesting, so we subscribe to your channel. We are disabled seniors, and our 47-year-old son is a Paraplegic We recently became rockhounds and Lapidary newbies. Thank you for sharing your experience and look forward to watching your previous videos,
Thank you for sharing. How are you are involved in rockhounding.
@@RadicalRocks I first watched a YOU THE TUBE video on Gems and Minerals Show 2023 Tucson. Then started watching videos on Lapidary, Faceting and Rockhounding. I brought this Topic up with my Family and when I saw their eyes lit up, I KNEW / SAW THEIR SPIRITS LIFTED UP. I said alright within myself. At present we just ride around our neighborhood scouting for rocks and ___. We would drive to locations where it is possible for us to Hound. Just to GET READY IS AN ADVENTURE IN ITSELF=hehehe
@@ROCKINWHEELERS i’m glad to hear you’re so excited about rockhounding and lapidary. It’s been a wonderful family hobby for us and we really enjoy it gets us outside in the nature and away from all the chaos of watching TV and the news, and just enjoying what God gave us
Nice. I got me a nice size chunk of wildfire opal that needs a little help. It’s beautiful but brittle, as most bubble opal is. Thank you for the tips and help! Off to work I go!
You do not want to heat up or you will make it crack you’ll have to use a cold process
Great video very informative
Thank you
Excellent video by radical rocks! Very helpful and I will use this method on Opal. Dan Toney
Thanks Dan best wishes
Acetone on opal? Uhm.. .
@@gonorrheadischarges3021 I have never tried it on opal I would test it on a small piece first
I have never used it on Opal I would test it on a small piece that you could afford to ruin
The problem with Opal is heating up the water getting heated up could make it crack I would try to use a cold method with Opal
nice stone
Thank you
If you are not in a hurry after the stabilized stones are completely dry, put the pan in the freezer for a while and watch those stones pop right off.
Good tip, the freezer works great for Removing cabochons from the dopping stick.
What do you recommend to stabilize turquoise to get the epoxy seal/shine when cabbing? I have used Cactus Juice to pull a vacuum stabilization but when I slab and cab the rough I don't have the high polish shine. Thanks for sharing.
When I stabilize I do slabs,. I had a slab that I cabbed that did not harden well, so I just did the hardening process to the cab again and then a polish. Also if you like you can try regular supper glue, not the he’ll type. Would also be wise to have some of the glue remover on hand case things go wrong, A lot easier to get your fingers good together than you would think
Is there any reason you can't use a silicone mat under them? Epoxy peels off easily. I do epoxy work and molds are silicone too, and silicone mats will handle heat to 400+ degrees.
I believe someone in the comments said they did that , someone else said they use saran wrap for the last cooling of your stones. Thanks for your comments
👍
with only 240 resolution i cant see what your doing or the beauty of the rocks it is just kinda blurry! other than that great vid
Please, somebody, donate a table and a toaster oven to this man.
Thanks, I am doing ok. Sorry I’m such a hillbilly
You should try using parchment paper (not wax paper). I bet they won’t stick at all.
Thanks for sharing
Hi there! I absolutely LOVE your videos -- thank you SO much for sharing your wealth of knowledge with the world! Quick question, I noticed that you're using a plastic container for the acetone you're pre-soaking your slabs in. Have you ever had a plastic container "melt"/break down while you're soaking them? I seem to always have that problem so I usually use a glass container for all my acetone needs. I'm wondering if I've just been using the wrong plastic? Any ideas?
You're awesome! Keep being RADICAL!
Thanks Julie. You are too kind. I just use a old salsa or cottage cheese container, I have not had them melt.
@@RadicalRocks Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I'll try it with our current cottage cheese container when it's no longer containing cottage cheese! Thanks again!
@@juliecalhoun9279 maybe if your going to store the acetone for a longer time glass would be better, however I never had any issues using to clean a batch of materials for hardening
thank you .Is there a way to find the secret Of Zachery treatment?
It’s a closely guarded trade secret. There is speculation,, but I don’t have specifics
So cool how you do that
Thank you Debra
thanks for this tutorial! is this an oven solely in use for this purpose? or is it oven used for food too? also does it release chemical smell while being heated in oven?
Personally I don’t believe it gets hot enough to be a big concern you have to use your own personal judgment on that.I do it in a cooking pan so none of it’s dripping in the oven I don’t want that to happen
It’s just my home oven. It would be a good idea to have a fan on or a window open, but I did not have any issues or bad smells doing it. Always read the label is the best way to proceed. Also you can always clean the oven out but I didn’t have any issues at all with mine after doing the treatment a couple times.
If you use a silicone tray it wont stick at all.
How would you stabilize a piece of turquoise from the Mona Lisa mine not Aslan piece ? Please help me.
Susan Finken Shop is in storage right now. But eventually want to do some more videos on some other techniques. You can use a crockpot or pressure cooker some people even use a vacuum when they add the Hardner,The way I show doing it doesn’t soak in super deep so if you grind a lot off the stones you may have to re-harden them you will have to experiment with yours and find out what works best if you have a lot of it you could get it professionally done but it’s expensive
Thankyou, great video. You said you don't use dyes but do you know a brand name of any dyes used?
Peterk I do not, but the old-timers used to use tidy bowl but that will fade
What about using nonstick foil on the pan? Would that help?
Sounds good. Mix luck with aluminum foil sometime is it sticks sometimes it doesn’t
Thanks for the video. I wish I could see things better though.
Would heavy tin foil or a silicone baking sheet work to place them on, rather than a pie tin or lid?
The batch in this video foil would have been pretty sticky. However in a newer video I did using the vacuum technique I used foil and some was sticky and some came of fairly easy.
Non stick foil
Thank you for stopping by and if you like this content you will love our podcast. No one else is doing this that I know of.anchor.fm/radicalrocks/episodes/Whiskey-Creek-Jasper-and-so-much-more-e1amcs9
If you're in Arizona, no need for an oven....just keep outside in the sun!
No doubt
What is the 2nd product you used (hardener)?
I have used the Opticon a two part epoxy,or supper glue,
Can you explaine Zachary treatment?
Here is the GIA link. www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-1999-identification-zachery-treated-turquoise-fritsch
Basically it’s a secret possibly using heat pressure and a chemical mix of some sort the ends up increasing the potassium levels
Please read the instructions on your opticon.
Please watch the video all the way through I talk about the instructions
Would cactus juice and vacuum chamber work to stabilize?
Vacuum chamber works I know that cactus juice that’s a new one for me
I used your method but i got a white spots how I can avoid this
You need to make sure the rocks are thoroughly cleaned with acetone and that they are thoroughly dry. Moisture or air bubbles will cause the white spots. If you put it on really thick you might be able to just polish it off if it didn’t get into the stone you’ll have to retreat it.
Can you get a larger table?
Thanks I will work on it
Can anyone tell me if thay have used backing on stones that have been stabilized? I have some old stock turquoise that really needs backing, and I want to be sure I won't damage any of the turquoise, hence the opticon. Thanks for any advice 😊
If you have a very thin turquoise you may want to add backing you can use any hard stone as a backing since turquoise is not a opaque or transparent, sometimes I just use a thicker silver on the base of the bezel. The old-timers would use even wood as a backing for turquoise I found tobacco used in the back of turquoise to to give it a cushion in the bezel ti fill in the uneven parts
@Radical Rocks thanks, I am familiar with some of the old timer techniques, not something I would do. Your idea of adding silver to make the stone fit is normally what I do myself, usually just use a piece of silver wire placed around the inside of the bezel cup.
What I am trying to find out is if it's possible to use the jb weld on a stone that's been stabilized on both sides? Had considered only stabbing one side and using the jb weld on the other. Guess I will need to do some experimenting on my own
I have use JB Weld. On one side of the turquoise with no issue
@Radical Rocks my question is, did you use the opticon before the jb weld?
I used it on the raw turquoise, I would think if you rough up the backside with some sandpaper as JB Weld sticks to almost anything
So you basically just coat rocks with epoxy resin?
I believe if you watch the video you will see that the acetone is what helps the epoxy draw into the stone also the heat as it cools draws in the epoxy into the stone so it’s not just a coating. Thank you for stopping by
does opticon change the color of stones?
Not much more than water. I have seen light blue turquoise get darker blue a shade
Susan 'Tipsy' Healy I have not noticed it change the color except to make it a little brighter if it’s a chalky type of a turquoise it will actually make the color better
Just getting into cabbing, does anyone have any slabs that they can donate or sell very cheap? Thank you in advance.
I recommend joining a rock & mineral club. Also you can go to local mineral clubs shows they often have silent auctions or bucket sales, club that have workshops often have practice material
What about opals for option?
Opticon
You have to be careful with opal if you overheated you can crack it even worse. So at your own risk no results guaranteed. I have fixed cracks in opal and moon stone But I would stick with using says 75 to 100 W lightbulb old-school incandescent make sure it’s fire resistant materials like on a steel table and it’s like a metal lamp just above the few inches from the stone also I’ve heard if you can use a vacuum chamber for a few seconds first that’ll help dry it in similar to the way they repair windshields. There are also some clear epoxy that you don’t have to use any heat, I’ve heard people have had success, I’ve never tried them. It’s a gamble but you might be able to save the stone it might not work you just have to try it and see
What if you baked the rocks/gems on Silicone bake wear? I work in resin art and my best friend's are silicone molds 😉 great video RR 👍
Ruby Tat I don’t know, it could be great? I always use an old pan and it does stick to the pan often so if you try it let me know how it works out sounds like a good idea I wish you the best.
@@RadicalRocks yes I'll try ..and let you know...I am %100 sure it will work 😉
I was going to write this too. Silicone is the right material for the tray. Resin will not stick to it and it's flexible.
Hey i know this video is old, but would you mind if I shot ya a question or two?
Any time
@@RadicalRocks Would stabilizing be applicable for making jewelry? Im from detroit and we have no rock clubs or lapidary groups so a lot of what im doing is trial and error. I was thinking about stabilizing quartz and other hard stones to make them easier\less prone to cracking when i hit them with my rotary tool. Im making solid stone bands and its a very tricky process to get them to not fracture.
@@nathanielhartsuff2336 the Epoxy I use is sold as a repair for fractures. The heating of you stone is key, as it cools the epoxy should draw into the fracture. Also clean the heck out of it first with acetone. I’m planning a video using the vacuum technique. I think I should just do a video on fracture repairs.
@@nathanielhartsuff2336 also use more water heat will make your stones crack or fracture
Sub'd
im guessing the temperature is fahrenheit,
MrCervixtickler Yes you are correct. Thanks for tuning in
Yes Fahrenheit it’s all in the instructions that come with the Opticon
Mountain Crypto Shane Ripley ah I see. I haven’t got the opticon yet. It seems to be an American thing. So I ordered some despite the postage more than doubling the price. Just waiting now for it to arrive then back to this video for the instructions
MrCervixtickler I’m sorry to hear you’re getting gouged by shipping cost
@@RadicalRocks I also got screwed on import duties so a £20.00 item ended up as £60.00. Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype
Sir I confused of process, first you taken resin without hardner mix and apply the rock surface without hardner mix, and after applied resin you put the stone in oven for 150 degree feranite temperature for 1 hour, then you again apply resin with mixture of hardner and apply by brush, but after applied second time resin with mixture of hardner, required 15 minutes time give up stone, or after applied second time resin direct put in oven for 30 minute ,or after 15 minutes resin set ,you put in oven, and for 30 minute how much tempreture required.please guide 🙏
I just followed the instructions on the material
Believe temperatures 170 or less you can do this with a lightbulb to if you’re just doing a small amount of material
@@RadicalRocks sir I using small stone emerald,but when I apply resin and hardner mixed material,after baked stone together with resin, and give up stone 15 minutes after applied mixture of resin and hardner,on stone apply by brush it's showing holes on surface after dry , mixture of hardner and resin, I put the stone beneath the table lamp stone.so I am not understanding why holes on surface after dry resin and hardner mixture dry.
@@sonuverma2796 Yeah if you’re going to heal a cracked stone you don’t want to use just resin you just want to clean it really well and go straight to the Hardner in the heat
I guess I should do a video on healing stone with a crack