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[irockhound]

Hi everyone.  I have lots of Basenite for Black backing but with the Black Plumes and Red plume like Walker Ranch I often want a White background.  I sort of solved it (SORT OF being the key) with Howlite.  I live near one of the old US Borax mines that has large Howlite all thru the dumps.  That was the easy part, the hard part is that Howlite HATES oil and if you cut it with oil over time the Howlite with turn tan in areas oil impregnated.  I have soaked Howlite in water for weeks prior to cutting, Immediately immerse in kitty litter after cutting each slice and then put it in a bucket with Tide detergent for a while (up to a week) to clear oil residue.  I have even tried acetone after cutting before the tide.  Works okay but still I end up with some that changes.  I have thought about next time I clean my 12" to change to water only for a day, cut a bunch and then dry it and wd40 it before going back to oil so I don't rust everything in the saw.  I don't know of a good bright white agate and have considered White Quartz but when cut very thin for Doublets it might be okay but if cut for triplets it would probably lose a lot of it's bright whiteness because of it's translucent nature.
I recently bought a industrial tile saw to try it for the Howlite but it isn't set up  for making precise cuts so getting triplet thickness on a tile saw is a challenge.

Cutting Howlite works okay right now if it is for small cabs because I can go thru old Howlite slices and only take bright White areas, but for larger cabs or behind belt buckles it is harder to get clean white.

Anyone out there who knows of a good White backing material?

[rocks2dust]

White nephrite jade comes in slabs (forget where I saw them, though). If you have a tile/granite shop nearby, you might also check with them to see if they'll sell you any leftover pieces of the manufactured white quartz countertops. There are also some marble tiles that are very white, though they also are subject to staining (probably less so than howlite). Solid white glass tiles or sheets might also work (I seem to recall a guy who ground down mirrored glass to back dark plume agate).

If you want a bit of shimmer, then perhaps the labradorite moonstone from India, or mother of pearl?

[Slabbercabber]

Depending on the setting, automotive paints can be extremely tough.

[irockhound]

 I know some of the manufactured products could work like White PolyStyrene sheet or even a plexiglass but if possible I would like to keep it stone.  Although it would work and the top stone is really what someone is looking at I feel it makes it un-natural  or cheap (even though by making it a doublet it isn't truly natural either).  It is just a personal opinion and I don't judge anyone else by that, just me.  I think I could live with a man made White Quartz or similar material.

I should have been more specific that I am looking for a natural backing.  Great ideas though.

Has anyone switched a saw over to water with no additives just for a short time?  I could also add some anti rust additive to water and see if that stains Howlite but any test like that could take 6 months to a year since the discoloration doesn't show up right away when Howlite is contaminated.

[gemfeller]

Has anyone switched a saw over to water with no additives just for a short time?  I could also add some anti rust additive to water and see if that stains Howlite but any test like that could take 6 months to a year since the discoloration doesn't show up right away when Howlite is contaminated.

This is one of those times when procrastination may pay off, Steve.  I slabbed the Howlite you so generously gave me months ago in oil but have yet to follow through with making the doublets I had in mind at the time.  So far no brown spots or indications of oil contamination but I may wait to see how this thread develops before I go ahead with using the Howlite.

I've wondered about white marble.  Maybe a company that specializes in grave monuments might have some stone scraps worth investigating.  I'll also check out counter-top stone when I can locate a supplier locally. 

One thought about Howlite occurs to me.  I've been using a product called Lube Cool with water in my trim saw.  It appears to be oil-based but the slabs wash off easily with no obvious oil contamination.  The product by that name was originally supplied by Diamond Pacific and it was brownish in color but they apparently no longer supply it.  I ran across a container of it I'd purchased long ago and forgotten about.It's about used up so I ordered another quart of material by the same name from Johnson Bros.  It's  clear white but I haven't as yet used any.  It's about time to do a saw clean-up, and when I do it I'll test the new product to see if it might help with Howlite.  Thanks for bringing this topic up -- I'm interested in answers too.

[Barclay]

if you are in the SoCal area there is white marble to be collected by Wrightwood.

[Steve Ramsdell]

I would go to the local granite counter supplier.  Ask if you can look through their off cuts.   You'll be surprised at some of the goodies you can find.
Steve

[irockhound]

A good White Marble might do it.  I drive out the 58 past Wrightwood every time I go to the Cady's or Calico.  I will look into the deposit there.

[rocks2dust]

Just another thought: if you have any Spencer opal scrap or nodules laying around, that is another possibility for a very bright white. The layers with no color play are often quite thick, and even enough to avoid cutting through to layers of a different shade (as can happen with most agate). Glossy stuff that wouldn't absorb saw oil.

[ToTheSummit]

Out in the Wileys Well area I have collected pastelite.  I am always trying to find pieces with inclusions and color for cabbing, but I have tossed aside large chunks that were pure white.

[bobby1]

A few years back I went to the polka dot mine and got a large piece of that material that had a significant portion that is pure white. I use it for backing.
Bob

[Greg Hiller]

>There are also some marble tiles that are very white<

Agreed, as many have said.  If you are not working with a perfectly translucent stone, a backing stone that's not perfectly white generally works quite well.  I drive by a place that makes countertops out of all kinds of stone.  They regularly toss huge chunks of white marble in their giant dumpster.  Steve, I'll see if I cannot scare some of this material up for you. 

[Jhon P]

I have some white chalcedony that I picked up that I was thinking about using. It is more like a jasper where no light transmits through it.   I should cut a piece and see if it will work. I will take a picture of it and see how much I have.

[irockhound]

Awesome, thanks for that Greg!

[Jhon P]

Here is one piece I have. It is from the snake skin agate area outside of Austin Nevada. I have a few more pieces that I picked up from a different area somewhere.
It is about fist size I will cut off a piece and see what it looks like when polished. You are welcome to it if it will work for you