[Rockhounds] Stone Consolidation

[Dean Welder]

One suggestion: contact John at JS Gems: http://www.jsgemslapidary.com/ and ask about both his "Hot Stuff" and Starbond. The latter was recommended to me for crack fill in agates and jaspers by a person who makes large-slab-display type specimens. My wife has been using both the hot stuff and starbond in a couple of different pieces of pet wood, agates, and jaspers all with fairly good luck. Both products are CA-based with different consistencies (hmm, wrong word but brain is stuck) for different levels of penetration.

On the rock tumbling hobby forum (from http://www.rocktumblinghobby.com ) I also read somebody used two-part clear epoxy in an acetone bath to stabilize chrysocolla (glass jar, half filled with acetone, inject both tubes of epoxy, stir, place rock in jar, let sit for several days, take out of acetone and let it dry for several weeks).

Good luck and please report back what you find works (or fails).

Dean



--- On Tue, 12/2/08, Neal Hazen <batsondebelfry at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Neal Hazen <batsondebelfry at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Rockhounds] Stone Consolidation
> To: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
> Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 7:39 AM
> I have some Peruvian chrysocolla. As a 5 lb mass, it is
> stable enough. However, it won't slab without crumbling.
> I am looking for specific advice on methods of stabilizing
> this material before I put it in the slab saw. I have washed
> the rock in detergent, then soaked it in acetone to prepare
> it. It's beautiful enough to be worth the cost of
> cyanoacrylate, if that is the best way to go. I am seeking a
> stabilizer that will give a minimum of 15mm penetration. The
> folks who stabilize turquoise seem to have the procedure and
> stabilizer locked down pretty well, but I have been unable
> to find a discussion of their technique. I dislike
> stabilizing any rock intended for making into cabochons, but
> that is the only way this material will ever be anything
> other than a paperweight.
> 
> Neal Hazen
> 
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