DONT USE HOT GLUE!!! If you use the high heat glue you might get a strong enough hold on a stone but it may also be hot enough to SHATTER an opal. They dont like temperatures that high (that glue is well over 210 Celsius or 410 Fahrenheit).
Need a better glue gun, and the better glue. Watched a video about this not so long ago. Dude needed the better quality glue. Still not the optimal way to Dop
Oh I agree ten THOUSAND percent. I hot glued opals to a ceramic goblet when I was a kid and cracked all of them trying to get them off. Since the backs were polished, I figured the glue would pop off rather easily but this was sooooo not the case.
Let me clarify, they didn't crack when I put glue on them. It was just impossible to get the glue off of the stones without cracking them. They were either Aussie or more likely, Idaho opals. Dad and his partner owned a gem and jewelry company when I was little sooo... keep your stones locked up and away from your kids. If they grow up with dad using diamonds for a magic trick, they don't really comprehend the value of what they are playing with. That said, the stones my dad gave me when I was young, even the faceted piece of glass, I have carefully kept and cherished all my life. The only thing I think might be good for hydrophane and hot glue (low temp and maybe let cool a second before application), is that it won't soak into the stone. Anything soaking into hydrophane could potentially oxidize (like oil will). I've also got triplets that have had the epoxy yellow and they were stored out of the sunlight...I inherited these, so I don't know what was used, but you can tell that the yellow hue isn't the stone color.
Haha there is one viewer that had a dog swallow a stone or two so very good lesson to not let kids or animals mess with the gems! On the point of yellowing triplets this is quite common with older ones as the resins were not so well developed to resist discolouration. Its why I stick to epoxy 330 for triplets and doublets, though many modern epoxies are quite good I just trust the 330. I've been thinking about doing an accelerated aging test at uni on a dozen or more glues but its a tad unrelated to opal.
You just need to use a bit more than what you used in the video. The amount of glue wasn't enough to stick to the wood well enough. No need for high heat.
Just got here to check what I am doing wrong using hot glue gun for dopping. I tried wax, epoxy, PVA but glue gun is my best method and using it for ages without cracking any stone. It requires some preparation of the stone that's why didn't work for you. Fastest method if you want to cut straight away. Done more than ten thousand opal without any issue.
You must have different hot glue because the stuff I have is rubbish. What preparation are you doing? Epoxy doesnt require special handling and will never be beaten by hot glue (just slow), PVA doesn't work and wax is pretty much the best if you know how to use it and can get a good supply. If you want instant simple superglue requires no prep and no heat. 10,000 opals is great but what kind? Done anything less stable like ethiopian/indonesian? Both would start popping for sure.
@@RoysRocks I'm just using the same cheap stuff from Lincraft. I'm in Queensland, Gold Coast. Australian opals keep me busy enough, also have principals, I don't touch Ethiopian opal. I do Boulder, Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Pipe.. Whatever dug out from this amazing red soil. Maybe you are right and hydrophane opal would crack but I had success with Tintenbar material too. Hot glue sticks on shiny surface so after I pre shaped stone by hand I touch the back a little bit on 600 then 1200 Nova to get it roughly polished, If you go 3000 will hold even better but no need. Next thing (I have a feeling I will be stoned to do this) it needs to heat the opal. If you do with cold stone the glue will freeze straight when it touches the opal and won't hold. That is what happened in your video. Also the glue needs to be more hot and fluid, it is better to plug the gun in 3-5 minutes before use. Only unplug for a little time when the glue gets very hot and start to form bubbles inside. I place the opals under 40W light bulb from 8-10 cm will heat them up to 50-80 C slowly and touching the glue won't shock them. When everything hot put some glue on wood stick and quickly place on opal. I spread the excess with finger quickly so it won't get burned. It's like touching hot candle wax. It will allow you couple of seconds to position the stone on stick before it cools. Put it aside to cool down together with the stone. Another minute and it is ready to cut. Advantage: Fast and easy. Disadvantage: In wet condition it won't hold the stone for long. If water finds the way to go between glue and stone it will peel off in time. Need to finish cutting within 10-20 min which should be plenty enough. Another disadvantage is when i cut boulder dry (matrix mostly) and the stone gets hot by polishing it obviously will soften the glue so while doing it I have to cool down the stone by put in water for a short time before continue polishing. To remove from stick I peel off side of the glue with fingernail a little bit and one drop of methylated spirit, it will release the stone and comes off easy. Both epoxy and PVA worked for me in the past but found them too slow, I only can cut next day. I never liked wax, when someone showed it to me nearly the whole back of the stone was covered with it. It was even holding it on the side which I don't like as I need access to the side of the stone especially if I have to cut it smaller than originally planned due to some sand, crack or any imperfection. Also some old bloke told me to put it in the freezer to remove. I never knew which would break first the wax or the opal if I do that.
@@phenomhu Its interesting enough to maybe make a follow up video on but sounds like a MASSIVE pain. If you have to get the back to a pre-polished stage just to get it to stick not many are going to go with that. Pre-heating the stone and prepping the glue like that is essentially the same as wax. Wax shouldn't be all over the back and sides of the stone. Thats just people being lazy and not selecting the right sized dop stick and using too much wax. The freezer trick works well but it can also just be the fridge, freezer is just faster. Never had a stone break in the freezer but its only taken a few minutes to pop off the stick. Getting an opal carving done in 10-20 mins aint going to happen either so another reason its not going to work out for me. Quick cabbing it wont matter but thats a deal breaker for carving.
Dude you gotta try 2 part epoxy as a dopping material. It holds so incredibly well. Only downside is you have to let it sit for 30min before working but that's not a problem for me. It's easy to get off too, run the stone under warm water and pop her off. Will have to try the hot glue on some cheap opal. Thanks
Yeah that is already my preferred method. ua-cam.com/video/E_3eXOODpBo/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/yy6-Nw_tMpk/v-deo.html I moved away from wax to epoxy over a year ago now, havent gone back.
Roy new big big fan of the channel my names Ed and your video talking about the screw I freaken love it use it all the time and I cut n old broom handle into 3” pieces and it’s awesome oh yea I use just reg super glue it’s fantastic I highly recommend it . .i had to use the screw driver at first and now I just turn it on with the Stone haha love it and you covered it in this video to . If your a newbie like me Roy is the man he as all the tips n info thanks bro
No worries Ed. Yeah if I'm using a screw or nail I normally add them to the stick first then glue them on after. Superglue is a good one. Slightly more susceptible to letting go compared to epoxy but much more instant.
Yeah the reason I moved away from wax was it was not as easy to get compared to epoxy. Super glue is okay but 5 min epoxy is my go to when I have the time.
Hi Amanda no i dont have anything like that though a handful have suggested it. Might be something worth looking in to. I just like doing this with you guys anyway.
@@MsPixi66 "I have found your videos and advise very helpful" comments like this are all I need for now. Maybe when I get to 1000 Subscribers and want to spend even more time I'll rethink it.
Yeah im with you on that now. I hate to be a hater without trying something first so it was wiry a shot. Back to epoxy and super glue. I need to add wax to this playlist at some point to do I better order some again... Been over a year lol
DONT USE HOT GLUE!!!
If you use the high heat glue you might get a strong enough hold on a stone but it may also be hot enough to SHATTER an opal.
They dont like temperatures that high (that glue is well over 210 Celsius or 410 Fahrenheit).
If you just work boulder opal it may be okay.
Need a better glue gun, and the better glue. Watched a video about this not so long ago. Dude needed the better quality glue. Still not the optimal way to Dop
I will have to hunt around for a hot glue upgrade it seems...
Use better hot glue
Okay I am willing to try it but not hopeful
try another polyurethane adhesive, two-component, holds perfectly
Got any specific suggestions? Polyurethane has a vast range of properties from rubbery to rock solid. I've tried a few and none held up yet.
👍cheep glue sticks don't hold anything. Try a commercial grade 3M I use them at work, they hold good!
I will repeat with better hot glue...
Oh I agree ten THOUSAND percent. I hot glued opals to a ceramic goblet when I was a kid and cracked all of them trying to get them off. Since the backs were polished, I figured the glue would pop off rather easily but this was sooooo not the case.
Let me clarify, they didn't crack when I put glue on them. It was just impossible to get the glue off of the stones without cracking them. They were either Aussie or more likely, Idaho opals. Dad and his partner owned a gem and jewelry company when I was little sooo... keep your stones locked up and away from your kids. If they grow up with dad using diamonds for a magic trick, they don't really comprehend the value of what they are playing with. That said, the stones my dad gave me when I was young, even the faceted piece of glass, I have carefully kept and cherished all my life. The only thing I think might be good for hydrophane and hot glue (low temp and maybe let cool a second before application), is that it won't soak into the stone. Anything soaking into hydrophane could potentially oxidize (like oil will). I've also got triplets that have had the epoxy yellow and they were stored out of the sunlight...I inherited these, so I don't know what was used, but you can tell that the yellow hue isn't the stone color.
Haha there is one viewer that had a dog swallow a stone or two so very good lesson to not let kids or animals mess with the gems!
On the point of yellowing triplets this is quite common with older ones as the resins were not so well developed to resist discolouration. Its why I stick to epoxy 330 for triplets and doublets, though many modern epoxies are quite good I just trust the 330.
I've been thinking about doing an accelerated aging test at uni on a dozen or more glues but its a tad unrelated to opal.
Due to popular demand I will be trying this with a stronger hot glue to see if it is any better...
Any specific brand suggestions feel free to comment.
You just need to use a bit more than what you used in the video. The amount of glue wasn't enough to stick to the wood well enough. No need for high heat.
It needs to look like how justin from BOD would apply the wax.
Just got here to check what I am doing wrong using hot glue gun for dopping. I tried wax, epoxy, PVA but glue gun is my best method and using it for ages without cracking any stone. It requires some preparation of the stone that's why didn't work for you. Fastest method if you want to cut straight away. Done more than ten thousand opal without any issue.
You must have different hot glue because the stuff I have is rubbish.
What preparation are you doing?
Epoxy doesnt require special handling and will never be beaten by hot glue (just slow), PVA doesn't work and wax is pretty much the best if you know how to use it and can get a good supply. If you want instant simple superglue requires no prep and no heat.
10,000 opals is great but what kind? Done anything less stable like ethiopian/indonesian? Both would start popping for sure.
@@RoysRocks I'm just using the same cheap stuff from Lincraft. I'm in Queensland, Gold Coast. Australian opals keep me busy enough, also have principals, I don't touch Ethiopian opal. I do Boulder, Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Pipe.. Whatever dug out from this amazing red soil. Maybe you are right and hydrophane opal would crack but I had success with Tintenbar material too.
Hot glue sticks on shiny surface so after I pre shaped stone by hand I touch the back a little bit on 600 then 1200 Nova to get it roughly polished, If you go 3000 will hold even better but no need. Next thing (I have a feeling I will be stoned to do this) it needs to heat the opal. If you do with cold stone the glue will freeze straight when it touches the opal and won't hold. That is what happened in your video. Also the glue needs to be more hot and fluid, it is better to plug the gun in 3-5 minutes before use. Only unplug for a little time when the glue gets very hot and start to form bubbles inside. I place the opals under 40W light bulb from 8-10 cm will heat them up to 50-80 C slowly and touching the glue won't shock them. When everything hot put some glue on wood stick and quickly place on opal. I spread the excess with finger quickly so it won't get burned. It's like touching hot candle wax. It will allow you couple of seconds to position the stone on stick before it cools. Put it aside to cool down together with the stone. Another minute and it is ready to cut.
Advantage: Fast and easy. Disadvantage: In wet condition it won't hold the stone for long. If water finds the way to go between glue and stone it will peel off in time. Need to finish cutting within 10-20 min which should be plenty enough. Another disadvantage is when i cut boulder dry (matrix mostly) and the stone gets hot by polishing it obviously will soften the glue so while doing it I have to cool down the stone by put in water for a short time before continue polishing.
To remove from stick I peel off side of the glue with fingernail a little bit and one drop of methylated spirit, it will release the stone and comes off easy.
Both epoxy and PVA worked for me in the past but found them too slow, I only can cut next day. I never liked wax, when someone showed it to me nearly the whole back of the stone was covered with it. It was even holding it on the side which I don't like as I need access to the side of the stone especially if I have to cut it smaller than originally planned due to some sand, crack or any imperfection. Also some old bloke told me to put it in the freezer to remove. I never knew which would break first the wax or the opal if I do that.
@@phenomhu Its interesting enough to maybe make a follow up video on but sounds like a MASSIVE pain.
If you have to get the back to a pre-polished stage just to get it to stick not many are going to go with that.
Pre-heating the stone and prepping the glue like that is essentially the same as wax.
Wax shouldn't be all over the back and sides of the stone. Thats just people being lazy and not selecting the right sized dop stick and using too much wax. The freezer trick works well but it can also just be the fridge, freezer is just faster. Never had a stone break in the freezer but its only taken a few minutes to pop off the stick.
Getting an opal carving done in 10-20 mins aint going to happen either so another reason its not going to work out for me. Quick cabbing it wont matter but thats a deal breaker for carving.
Dude you gotta try 2 part epoxy as a dopping material. It holds so incredibly well. Only downside is you have to let it sit for 30min before working but that's not a problem for me. It's easy to get off too, run the stone under warm water and pop her off. Will have to try the hot glue on some cheap opal. Thanks
Yeah that is already my preferred method.
ua-cam.com/video/E_3eXOODpBo/v-deo.html
and
ua-cam.com/video/yy6-Nw_tMpk/v-deo.html
I moved away from wax to epoxy over a year ago now, havent gone back.
if u use the 2 part epoxy, are u putting it on a screw head or wood stick or does it matter?
U used way too little glue on the wooden one. On the screw could me more as well.
No matter how how much I use this stuff won't hold. It is the stone contract that breaks. The wood side holds fine.
@@RoysRocks strange, I don't know what could be the problem then, maybe the stone is too moist or too cold, I don't know.
Yeah it might be something more like that. Same thing happens to wax. It is weren't opal I'd try the hotter stronger glue.
Roy new big big fan of the channel my names Ed and your video talking about the screw I freaken love it use it all the time and I cut n old broom handle into 3” pieces and it’s awesome oh yea I use just reg super glue it’s fantastic I highly recommend it . .i had to use the screw driver at first and now I just turn it on with the Stone haha love it and you covered it in this video to . If your a newbie like me Roy is the man he as all the tips n info thanks bro
No worries Ed. Yeah if I'm using a screw or nail I normally add them to the stick first then glue them on after. Superglue is a good one. Slightly more susceptible to letting go compared to epoxy but much more instant.
first view first comment? thanks for the vid Roy!!
No worries Mackie you got to this one mega fast.
Hey it was worth a try Roy i cant seem to find this wax at all.
Yeah the reason I moved away from wax was it was not as easy to get compared to epoxy.
Super glue is okay but 5 min epoxy is my go to when I have the time.
I'd love to support you! Do you by any chance have a patreon or have you considered getting one?
Hi Amanda no i dont have anything like that though a handful have suggested it. Might be something worth looking in to. I just like doing this with you guys anyway.
@@RoysRocks I have found your videos and advise very helpful I'd be happy to pay a little something in a World where nothing is free lol
@@MsPixi66 "I have found your videos and advise very helpful" comments like this are all I need for now.
Maybe when I get to 1000 Subscribers and want to spend even more time I'll rethink it.
Also tried hot glue 1 time in the past. Big fail. Is useless
Yeah im with you on that now. I hate to be a hater without trying something first so it was wiry a shot. Back to epoxy and super glue. I need to add wax to this playlist at some point to do I better order some again... Been over a year lol