Lapidaryforum.net
Rock Art => Tutorials for the Rock Art Area => Topic started by: jalapeno333 on November 14, 2019, 01:42:13 AM
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Hello all - I ordered a brand new dop Station from Inland Craft last week. It came with brand new dop wax in a circular puck shape.. I unwrapped it and heated it up.. I used it maybe twice (and i DIDNT leave the wax on heat mode for more than a couple hours MAX), and now all of sudden the dop wax is super crumbly, after having the dopstation on for 30+ minutes, nothings changing.. and it's not ''gooey'' like it was before. Therefore, the dop sticks are basically worthless. I have included a video and pic showing the current state.
Do I need a new dopwax already? I've barely used it for 2 days max..
https://vimeo.com/373083526
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I never leave dop wax in the heater. Heat it up enough to work, use it and turn it off. Two hours will kill any wax.
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The volatiles are gone in it. Never leave wax for long on any stove or device as it is bad for the wax and wax on a heat source is a bomb waiting to go off if the device overheats. I have had it happen with casting wax and the fire was incredible but fortunately outdoors.
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A small amount of Bees wax will help with long heating.
The Salem Oregon Seniors club share that with me. It Works. Though a small amount.
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forgot this one, I'd use wood clothes pins on fuel line to pull heat off.
Same action for wood sticks cooling in room temp.
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I gave up on dop wax. I got tire of the wax getting cold ( cold water) and releasing. And than hunting for the can that sailed across the shop. I use hot glue.
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When you say you use hot glue, is this from a glue gun that that melts the wax? Is it easy to release the stone after. I have a nightmare with dopping wax as it can get quite cold in my little shed.
Thanks
Karen
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Yes, a hot glue gun. I pre heat the stone or the glue will not stick well. And the stone needs to be clean.
I have a little electric hot plate and an old small cast iron frying pan in the shop. You have to be careful and don’t over heat the stone. It takes a little while for the stone to cool for the glue to harden so you have to watch it or the stick falls over. To remove I heat a cup of water in the microwave. Hot like you would make tea. And dip the dopped stone in the water until the glue is soft and than scrap it off with a knife. Some stones like opal may crack when heated. But 99 percent works fine.
You can get it pretty clean but a little residual it left that can be cleaned with goof off. You have to experiment and figure out how hot you want the glue. Too hot and it gets runny not hot enough and it won’t slice off. Peal the glue off the stick while it is still warm and your stick is ready to go the next time.
Give it a try or they the super glue. Sometimes I polish both sides. It will peal off the polished side pretty easy if you get it just soft but nut sticky.
Some people prefer super glue but I didn’t care for using a metal dop or a screw that you screwed into I wood dowel. That you had to use a lighter or a torch to heat it enough to get it to release. There are other methods but I prefer the hot glue. The colder it gets the harder it becomes. It can still release if I didn’t get the stone warm enough or there was something on the stone. If it starts to release I turn the hot plate Back on and heat it up untill it sticks. My hot wax dop pot has been setting under the workbench for years. I didn’t come up with this on my own. A fried showed me how to do it.
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Thank you for the advice I will certainly be giving this a go once I get back into my shed.
Karen