Dopping and Cabbing Rocks

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Location
Mornington Peninsula
What to dop with ? So far I've read that I should use wax, epoxy, epoxy mixed with talcum powder, among other things and super glue, so what to use ?
Dop sticks would be wood :)

Where to buy stone/stones/slabs for cabbing, nothing fancy or gem quality of course, just various types and colours to learn on. There are lots on ebay of course, but who is reputable, is there anywhere local ( Aust ) that won't rip me off .
I'm hoping to get to the gem fields in Qld in about 5 or 6 weeks, can you get them there ?
cheers Keith
 
Gem Shows, Local Lapidary club, Gumtree, Local Week-end Markets and sometimes Landscaping Supplies or Ebay (use Paypal to pay and any issues you get a refund) are good places to start or at least some of these people might be able to guide you to someone else who has some... I have quite a few slabs here, but they are too thin for Cabbing as I use them in my tables... If you want, send me a PM with your location and I can tell you if any shows are coming up in your area... Even some of your local creeks have interesting rocks that you can cab with surprising results.... If I get to Gemorama, I will be seeing a mate at Inverell and can get some off him to get you started if you want....

LW....
 
Their Gem show is on 31 August to 1 September 2019... And here is a link to the Frankston Lapidary Club... http://www.frankstonlapidaryclub.com/ a very good place to make friends and learn lots of things about Lapidary....
If I find any more I will let you know as these things are on several different websites.... And the footy's on... Lol...
Maybe here.... https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attr...Cranbourne_Mornington_Peninsula_Victoria.html
Your local markets says that there are stall holders there too that sell rocks and minerals... Just spend a few $(under say, $5) to get you started... some may even give you some small bits if you strike up a friendship with them... :D Most in the 'Trade' are helpful to someone new starting out...

LW...
 
For dopping we use lapidary wax, the green stuff on timber dowel. Buy a variety of diameters from Bunnings and cut them into 100mm long sticks. You'll find wax to be the easiest once you get the knack of using it, prime the stone with shellac for a good bond. Wax is much easier to get off and you don't need the strength of epoxy or superglue unless you're faceting.

Spirit lamp with an upturned, vented can to warm the stone, think our can is from a 440 gram tin of Tomatos, anyway you'll get the drift.

Once you've finished the stone and want to get the dop off, put it in the freezer for 15-20mins and the stone will pretty much fall off and your dop only needs a touch up with wax for the next stone.
 
Dihusky, I have used shellac for woodworking, flake and denatured alcohol to make both a sealer and polish dependent on mix, how do you use it to prime your stones?
 
Stuff I use is the Feast Watson Mastertouch French Polish only because bags of Shellac are so damn large, I decant into a little dropper bottle ($2 shop) couple of drops onto the dopping area and then flame off just before dopping, sticks like hell! Use it for both Cabbing and Faceting, I've never had a stone come off. The 250ml bottle lasts an eternity :zzz:
 
Dihusky said:
Stuff I use is the Feast Watson Mastertouch French Polish only because bags of Shellac are so damn large, I decant into a little dropper bottle ($2 shop) couple of drops onto the dopping area and then flame off just before dopping, sticks like hell! Use it for both Cabbing and Faceting, I've never had a stone come off. The 250ml bottle lasts an eternity :zzz:

Thanks for that :Y:
 
Hi

I have finally gotten most of my gear together to do a little carving and polishing. I had read the green wax is the best for my purpose but had trouble getting some. I even paid for some and then they rang me and told me they only had the red :/ so red it is.

I have also posted a pic of my dop sticks my partner has made me. They have screws in the end as we thought that may be better for cabbing but I am now thinking to go for just the plain dowel.

Anyway, my question is, how easy is the red wax to use.....any tips I should know before I start or should I just keep on trying to buy some green wax?,

cheers, K

1572670990_red_wax_and_doppers.jpg
 
Red wax is a general purpose wax so may work, slightly higher melting temp than green cabbing wax, not sure where we bought our last lot of green wax, but Aussie Sapphires in Glen Innes stocks green, brown, red and black wax, online shop.

You don't want screws in your dops, pushes the stone too far away from the dop and more likely to fracture the wax bond. Simply build a good coating of wax on the end of the dop, rolling it on stone slab or steel plate to get the bubbles out and consolidate the wax mass, then flatten the end before attaching it to the warmed stone, of the stone is cool the wax will cool to fast and the bond will break. Then work the wax into a flare from the dop to the back of the stone.

With green wax, once you finished and want to remove the stone, 30 mins in the freezer and the stone will virtually fall off, don't know if this will happen with the red stuff.
 
Go to Bunnings and buy Loctite Super Glue "Precision" and a two part Loctite epoxy. Glue the stone(s) to the dop(s) by applying the superglue to the stone and the dop, join together evenly on the dop and allow to set;
make up even parts of epoxy glue, mix well and coat around the glue between the stone and the dop by allowing the mix to slide down the dop onto the stone in a circular movement. Allow to set overnight.
Removal of stone from dop is by heating slowly in water over a flame or on the stove until near boiling. Leave in water until bond is soft and will peel apart or separate from the stone and dop.
 
Thanks Dihusky and Pat

I just read the red melts at 71C and the green at 65C so not a lot of difference unless you are using heat sensitive stone. I am hoping it will just come away in the freezer the same as the green. Sounds like there is a bit of a knack to learn to get the stone to stick.

If not I know my partner has some loctite I can try :)

Thank you both for giving me some great advice and I will remove the screws from the dops, cheers K.
 
For what it's worth. I never used screws and just stuck the wax on the end of a stick. Checked my old lapidary box (oh dear!! unfinished projects) I obviously just used green or red, I noticed some sticks had a mixture of both.
1572730830_dscf8910_2.jpg


Always had a few of various sizes ready to use

1572730852_dscf8912_2.jpg
 
The Loctite is mentioned for the purpose of 'as an' alternative, not as a replacement for the use of wax. Having said that though, I never use wax anymore, just Loctite "Precision" Superglue and Tite-On 2 part factor's bonding filler.
 
Pat Hogen said:
The Loctite is mentioned for the purpose of 'as an' alternative, not as a replacement for the use of wax. Having said that though, I never use wax anymore, just Loctite "Precision" Superglue and Tite-On 2 part factor's bonding filler.
Thanks , if I ever get back to doing some I'll have a look at that. it seems a bit more straightforward.
 
Blocker said:
For what it's worth. I never used screws and just stuck the wax on the end of a stick. Checked my old lapidary box (oh dear!! unfinished projects) I obviously just used green or red, I noticed some sticks had a mixture of both.

Interesting to see how your stones are cut and attached ready for cabbing blocker :Y:
 
Only used Loctite superglue once when a stone fell off and had to glue back to the wax impression. worked well.

Normally I use this: https://www.aussiesapphire.com.au/dopping-wax-select-from-brown-green-red-or-black green for cabbing with a dopping station and brown with a spirit lamp for faceting . Green is real easy to remove, jus place in a freezer and the stone falls off, superglue might be harder to remove? :(
 
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