@DonariaRegia too funny 😁 and yes, that works. The other day I had a cherry cake delema,they wouldn't release from the cake pans. The tick you mentioned came to mind. So, I tossed the cakes stuck in the pans into the freezer for half an hour. Tada!!! Cakes were saved and didn't affect the quality. Now yall have me thinking its time to polish stones since I've been collecting forever. See? what great channel...we have fun and learn stuffs 😊😊😊
Brilliant idea Ariel. I've got a whole basket of cut rocks that I'll probably never get to sanding into cabs but don't want to throw away. Now I can put a shine on them without a lot of work. Thanks.
I bought 4 inch diamond grit polishing pads. I just put them on an old drill. Everything from 50 grit up to 10000 I probably use maybe 5 grits to get up to 10000. It doesn't take much longer, if at all.
I do it this way as well with the polishing pads on my drill so satisfying to go from one stage to the next to see the polished at the end Also going to start polishing a bit with a Dremel for the smaller ones the smaller ones that you have to easily be polished with the Dremel cute tiny sandpaper rounds with each grit
thing is the resin coating is perfect when for example i have tens and tens of stones that would take years to polish and clean etc. So what i do i put on thin gloves and coat the stones with resin, very thin layer and then outside to dry - trying to avoid dust leaves etc.... since the coat is thin they dry very fast and i have hundreds of stones shining. When i see a stone is worth polishing you can throw it in a tumbler or manually, the resin just flies off like plastic ... its a very practical method and some stones look amazing.
Before you apply resin I would also make sure your rocks are dry, even to the point of putting them under a heat lamp for 24hrs or so, as any moisture in the rock will cause the resin to go cloudy and not stick. Great video and something I have been working towards lately, although my rocks will be completely encased in resin here, also in a mold, so while I dont need a really shiny rock, the rough surface causes micro bubbles to appear and be almost impossible to get out, and the shiny rocks dont have that issue
I'm a resin artist, you should always use gloves and mask regardless of fumes. Don't use a torch it burns the resin, A gentle lighter is best. Or stand the resin ( not the hardener) in warm water for a few min before mixing that gets rid of bubbles, or even a spray with alcohol spray. Resin will stick to anything, including glass.
The idea that the surface is too smooth is perfectly valid. Using a matte sealant spray before applying the resin will both help with bubbles and help with that issue, but you will have to protect your crystal pockets or anything you don't want covered in a matte spray. Sanding is a great solution. You do need to wipe them down with alcohol or acetone to make sure to remove any dust particles, or you'll see them floating in the resin. Another possible reason for the resin pooling like that, would be that there is too little resin. It is self leveling, and will create fish eyes and holes if there is simply too little resin to have an even coat. Sometimes after popping bubbles like that, you find that you need a little more. U.V. resin is a fabulous and very fast answer to polishing stones, but as with any resin, the finish will eventually take on an amber tint. So finding a resin that stays clear for years as opposed to months is very important. The U.V. resistance is a big part of that. Getting a reptile infrared heat mat is an excellent way to get your resin to cure more quickly. A food dehydrator will do the same. Be ware or bubbles when using these methods, because speeding the curing will sometimes cause your gasses to be unable to escape before the surface tension is too great. A quick spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol (any anhydrous alcohol, but methyl alcohol is very toxic to breathe) will break the surface tension and allow degassing without adding heat.
I've actually used clear nail polish top clear coat on rocks and it worked incredibly well. So much quicker and easier also dries in minutes VS hours or days.
Great ideas! Try UV resin it cures in seconds under uv light or the sun,may keep the edges tight with resin,like to dome the back of resin art pendants,coasters,etc
UV resin does stink and gets pretty hot, but it is a great idea for some rocks. I found mine tended to not cure perfectly clear, but more with a slight rippled surface when applied on larger areas
Oooh I use a lot of resin stuff! For something like this, I'd go for UV resin, since you don't have to worry about mixing the 2 parts evenly, and you can easily cure it either with a UV light or just set it outside on a sunny day. For a fire-free methood of getting bubbles out, you can get a straw and blow through it onto the resin; the heat from your breath will pop the bubbles all the same. All Resins will eventually yellow, so if you eventually want to polish it off if you do end up getting a cabking or something similar. (Bench Grinders with interchangeable wheels can work good too). Not only that, micromesh has sanding pads that go far enough to add an additional, proper glass-like finish.
@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265 I was buying from joann's, but my last bottle is producing the sticky stuff on drying so they probably dropped the quality while doubling the price 🫤
@@JGFurgie oh thank you so much for letting me know and taking the time to reply to me! I'm sure you will find something that works even better than that did! 🙂💯
@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265 Yeah, I don't want to support Hobby Lobby for all the issues they have, nor Amazon when possible but that doesn't leave a lot of options
@AgateAriel probably less of an issue when it's a thin layer. If you did a deep pour for something like an epoxy river table to use outside it would very likely turn yellow and not stay clear.
Resin is a great idea for slabs. I don't know if you remember my suggestion of corn syrup to polish, I figured it was just a viscosity problem,so I tried it with molasses... Don't do that. After about three days my barrels were pushing each other into each other. I guess it started fermentation and started puffing. LOL. New idea for tumbling, I heard that before ceramic media was used they were using leather belt pieces, like half inch squares or smaller. Always looking for ideas.
To make spreading the resin eaiser, they make eaiser, they sell these kits of silicone brushes (they might also be listed as makeup brushes, but they're the same thing) and they're pretty easy to clean, once any leftover resin on them cures you can just peel it off, i'd also recommend getting a silicone mat to protect your workspace, again you can just peel up any drips or spills once they've cured. Also, i saw another person mentioned using uv resin, which would make the process a lot faster and easier, but (at least in the case of the ones i've used) it does have a pretty strong smell, like kind of like how a nail salon smells, so i'd keep that in mind if you decide to work with it.
Is the gloss sticky when you touch it after it dries? I remember a few years ago I tried making jewelry and I put I think it was called Hoge poge or something like that. After it dried it was sticky so after that I just gave up and didn't know what to use to seal jewelry with.
40 years ago, I used a liquid floor wax, and dipped my rocks to see if they would 'look wet' when dry. They are still shiny.... Gotta love rocking and rolling
@@LezBeRockin73 It was whatever polish on the market sooo many years ago! If liquid polish is still available, I’d imagine any kind would work… I’ll look around, I have some I’d like to dip too! 😁. I filled an old bowl, and just dipped them in. They are still shiny… ✌🏼
So, i understand your dilemma. Another option is a flat lap. I got a slant flat lap from hitech for my first polishing machine. Its a little bit of a pain, you have to change the wheel for each level. But it is about 500.00 compared to 3,000.00. A more doable price tag. While the resin turned out nice. Still nothing beats a good polish. Maybe a good place to start to save up for.
Same here I have dragged home buckets of rocks from around Minnesota, mostly from Superior. Everywhere I walk every boat landing every field every Forest trail My eyes are Open and on the ground...wish I could cut them.
I am wondering what it would turn out like if tumbled in the tumbler to polish them instead of resin painted. Would like to see a video of tumbling slabs.
I finally ordered my cab king. Was supposed to arrive today but huge fail for UPS! Anyway, nice shine! I might suggest using clay in your basket instead of the pebbles.
So I know this is an older video but I use UV resin from hobby lobby and a fingernail polish brush to apply it and it works great. A good UV light and it dries to touch in minutes and rock hard in a hour, hour and a half. Sometimes I will dry it and then put in a windowsill for a day or two.
Just because there are no fumes doesn't mean it's not still harmful always be in a well ventilated area and use gloves as well as a mask also the uv protection will keep it from yellowing over time so it is beneficial for what your doing also what I've noticed about it pulling in the center is to make sure it goes just over the edge of whatever you putting it on for instance if im putting a thin layer on a flat surface I elevate it and pour it on so all the extra runs over the sides yes it will give you drips on the back side but I have avoided that by doing it like I said and just slightly having it go over the edge like with a toothpick it's kind of hard to explain and I love the aquarium gravel opposed to the ceramic media I am gonna have to try that out I am no expert at either hobby though lol I just dabble with both resin and rocks and a few other things to keep my adhd happy
Also you could also try a spray clear varnish I've tried it on landscaping rocks and it gave them a beautiful wet shiny look so it may work for what your doing as well and it's quicker and it doesn't dome up just a thought
I ask stupid questions because I don't know, if you were to put flat lab polishing disk on your saw could you polish your stones with the same piece of equipment that you are cutting stones with?
I resin lots of my rocks. I find a lot of rocks in water and they look so much prettier when they are wet so I decided to try resin. I use epoxy resin for art to begin with so I always have it available
You can achieve a face polish by using wet/dry sandpaper. Yes, it's time consuming. However, once you know what you are doing, you can achieve results in a few hours. I have face polished cut stones by hand, and have taken them up to 10,000 grit for a mirror finish.
playdoh is good to put rocks into - to hold level - i have seen it somewhere since i am an avid watcher of many sites ........ resin could be considered a kind of preservation of rocks cos it can always be 'polished' off later?
i do this for a while its quite good but does not replace polishing, but its great for uneven surface stones and just to save time polishing if its not so important ... resin requires a lot of safety precautions.
Take a bit of tinfoil, kinda crush it a bit till it looks about right for the rock in question and press the rock into it on your table. Adjust foil size and shape to rock and press flat basically like you'd do for your open faced loaded potatoes on the BBQ...now I'm hungry.
It's not as reliable as cabbing machines, but you can find Oxide and Diamond Pastes in various grits, and use them in combination with a Bench-top grinder using polishing wheels. For small stuff and concave or tight areas, a Dremel with a polishing wheel works well too.
I’m sure this is way too late but what you could try on the ones that pooled is sand down the resin. And maybe a dropper or those disposable pipetes for the resin? 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve never used resin before but i do something similar when I don’t want to cab some of my rocks. I use this more for stabilization of slabs or rocks that have cracks in them before I cab or tumble (works great with mica). Anyways it’s called ST⭐️RBIND Super Fast THIN Instant Adhesive and is like 10 bucks . This is water thin and drys with a high gloss without having air bubbles. When using to fill a crack it drys in about 20-30 mins when covering the face of a stone I’d let it dry for 24 hours. Add a few drops to the stone and tilt it from side to side until it covers the surface. Using this instead of epoxy will safe you a lot of time also. *Using this though make sure you definitely wear gloves cause it will bond your fingers together in secs and can burn skin if you get to much on you. Also the fumes can burn your eyes.
Wow that was frustrating 😅. After trying to post the information comment 13 times above I had to remove the dollar symbol and the word “A_a_o_” place to get it. 🤦♂️😂
That does work and usually lasts a while but not forever on the flat surface! I do use it sometimes to fill in cracks on tumbled rocks and it works well for that!
Hi, I've used resin in many projects and it won't adhere to anything that has any kind of oil on it. even finger prints can stop the resin adhering. its called fish eye. Hope that helps.
You should always sand the rocks and then wipe them with some alcohol, before using resin. I do that with uv-resin, low viscosity, and there you see if you added enough or not. You can "repair" everything and it wont harden before you use your UVLight . I have more control acc to the result. For very quick results you can also use some special varnish. And with those, you wont even see that something was added on top of the rocks. But when you use varnish, no need to sand before.
So you can use X-Ray modeling clay just put down a junk then push in your agate till its level you can keep re using the clay and I have not watched the end yet but if you torch the resin after you pour it the bubble will.all.pop I love your channel
You put aluminum foil over the bas😮ket to keep the dust off right? Somewhat moot since the basket has such big holes on the sides. And we all know that dust gets into the tiniest of holes. Better to just use a solid sided plastic tub. And if I remember correctly there is a clear resin that is UV light cured, and doesn't take so long to set up. And doing that may also cure your problem of having the resin pull away from areas on the stones.
Hi tech is trippin lol it's called a trim saw. Slab saw is the ones with the lids where you secure the rock in it and hit the switch while it cuts automatically. You can also use your finger to apply the epoxy in a super thin layer 😊 the biggest problem with epoxy is eventually it'll yellow out
@@AgateAriel must be a hi-tech thing lol cuz I have a covington 10" trim saw. I have a covington 16" slab saw that I use to cut slabs off rocks. With the epoxy, it just depends on the brand of epoxy you use, but there's tons of brands out there. My wife does the epoxy cups and does crafts with epoxy, so we've tried so many different kinds. Have you seen my polishing videos with the stone polisher I use? Way cheaper than a cab machine and you can polish the bigger slabs with it too
@@AgateAriel . And here's another thought (I've yet to try it because I'm new to tumbling), but natural clay is basically silicone (sand) and aluminum. In Texas we have abundance of red, black, and grey clay (we have all three in my county). I can't help but wonder what it would do as a grit. Something to research....
Honestly 90% of those machines that are marketed to people intrested in rocks are overpriced as fuck. This weird bs with 6 discs is just a bench grinder with longer shafts.. buy a cheap bench grinder, and some discs for it, a lot cheaper. Also that slab saw.. tile saw does the same and costs a fraction of that. Why are they so overpriced? Idk.. but those prices are ridiculus.
Subscribe if you like rocks 🤓
For a mirror finish the freshly coated rock could be flipped over and placed on a piece of glass. After curing place in the freezer so they release.
@DonariaRegia too funny 😁 and yes, that works. The other day I had a cherry cake delema,they wouldn't release from the cake pans. The tick you mentioned came to mind. So, I tossed the cakes stuck in the pans into the freezer for half an hour. Tada!!! Cakes were saved and didn't affect the quality. Now yall have me thinking its time to polish stones since I've been collecting forever. See? what great channel...we have fun and learn stuffs 😊😊😊
@@Saer-s9u I never thought of using that method for releasing baked goods. Now I have a new method! Thank you for the reply and the tip!
New sub here 😊
Loving we're not alone in our enthusiasm for rocks! Sending love. ❤
If nobody has mentioned it yet, you want the resin with UV protection because it prevents any yellowing caused by sunlight.
Brilliant idea Ariel. I've got a whole basket of cut rocks that I'll probably never get to sanding into cabs but don't want to throw away. Now I can put a shine on them without a lot of work. Thanks.
I bought 4 inch diamond grit polishing pads. I just put them on an old drill. Everything from 50 grit up to 10000 I probably use maybe 5 grits to get up to 10000. It doesn't take much longer, if at all.
Oh that’s a good idea!
I do it this way as well with the polishing pads on my drill so satisfying to go from one stage to the next to see the polished at the end
Also going to start polishing a bit with a Dremel for the smaller ones the smaller ones that you have to easily be polished with the Dremel cute tiny sandpaper rounds with each grit
thing is the resin coating is perfect when for example i have tens and tens of stones that would take years to polish and clean etc. So what i do i put on thin gloves and coat the stones with resin, very thin layer and then outside to dry - trying to avoid dust leaves etc.... since the coat is thin they dry very fast and i have hundreds of stones shining. When i see a stone is worth polishing you can throw it in a tumbler or manually, the resin just flies off like plastic ... its a very practical method and some stones look amazing.
Would love to see you try out other methods like clear nail polish, spray can, wax, and see how they compare :)
I have used clear acrylic spray paint on some... less toxic, nice finish, low cost faster application and dry time.
@@KZ-np8fz Good idea will try that
Glossy acrilic varnish spray is even better with way less work
@@sasoritter8228 Would Crystal Kote spray work?
Before you apply resin I would also make sure your rocks are dry, even to the point of putting them under a heat lamp for 24hrs or so, as any moisture in the rock will cause the resin to go cloudy and not stick. Great video and something I have been working towards lately, although my rocks will be completely encased in resin here, also in a mold, so while I dont need a really shiny rock, the rough surface causes micro bubbles to appear and be almost impossible to get out, and the shiny rocks dont have that issue
Oh good to know thank you! That would be tough with bumpy rocks and the bubbles!
I'm a resin artist, you should always use gloves and mask regardless of fumes. Don't use a torch it burns the resin, A gentle lighter is best. Or stand the resin ( not the hardener) in warm water for a few min before mixing that gets rid of bubbles, or even a spray with alcohol spray. Resin will stick to anything, including glass.
Great advice! Thank you. 😃
My husband suggested that you can stick play doh on the back of those rocks to level and hold in place your rocks while you are applying resin.
omg I didn't expect this result. I will definitely try it out too! Thank you, ariel
The idea that the surface is too smooth is perfectly valid. Using a matte sealant spray before applying the resin will both help with bubbles and help with that issue, but you will have to protect your crystal pockets or anything you don't want covered in a matte spray. Sanding is a great solution. You do need to wipe them down with alcohol or acetone to make sure to remove any dust particles, or you'll see them floating in the resin. Another possible reason for the resin pooling like that, would be that there is too little resin. It is self leveling, and will create fish eyes and holes if there is simply too little resin to have an even coat. Sometimes after popping bubbles like that, you find that you need a little more. U.V. resin is a fabulous and very fast answer to polishing stones, but as with any resin, the finish will eventually take on an amber tint. So finding a resin that stays clear for years as opposed to months is very important. The U.V. resistance is a big part of that. Getting a reptile infrared heat mat is an excellent way to get your resin to cure more quickly. A food dehydrator will do the same. Be ware or bubbles when using these methods, because speeding the curing will sometimes cause your gasses to be unable to escape before the surface tension is too great. A quick spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol (any anhydrous alcohol, but methyl alcohol is very toxic to breathe) will break the surface tension and allow degassing without adding heat.
I've actually used clear nail polish top clear coat on rocks and it worked incredibly well. So much quicker and easier also dries in minutes VS hours or days.
That is a great idea and it definitely saves time. Love your videos and appreciate you posting them.
Thank you so much!!
Great ideas! Try UV resin it cures in seconds under uv light or the sun,may keep the edges tight with resin,like to dome the back of resin art pendants,coasters,etc
Oh my gosh I totally should have used uv resin! I definitely will next time!
UV resin does stink and gets pretty hot, but it is a great idea for some rocks. I found mine tended to not cure perfectly clear, but more with a slight rippled surface when applied on larger areas
Oooh I use a lot of resin stuff! For something like this, I'd go for UV resin, since you don't have to worry about mixing the 2 parts evenly, and you can easily cure it either with a UV light or just set it outside on a sunny day. For a fire-free methood of getting bubbles out, you can get a straw and blow through it onto the resin; the heat from your breath will pop the bubbles all the same. All Resins will eventually yellow, so if you eventually want to polish it off if you do end up getting a cabking or something similar. (Bench Grinders with interchangeable wheels can work good too). Not only that, micromesh has sanding pads that go far enough to add an additional, proper glass-like finish.
Oh wow good to know! Thank you for the recommendations, I will have to look into those!
Can you tell me what store where I can buy you uv reason from? Is it sticky when it dries?
@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265 I was buying from joann's, but my last bottle is producing the sticky stuff on drying so they probably dropped the quality while doubling the price 🫤
@@JGFurgie oh thank you so much for letting me know and taking the time to reply to me! I'm sure you will find something that works even better than that did! 🙂💯
@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265 Yeah, I don't want to support Hobby Lobby for all the issues they have, nor Amazon when possible but that doesn't leave a lot of options
Nice tip. Planning to put some rocks into some sort of resin display. The UV protection might help it from turning yellow in direct sunlight.
Oh I bet you’re right!!
@AgateAriel probably less of an issue when it's a thin layer. If you did a deep pour for something like an epoxy river table to use outside it would very likely turn yellow and not stay clear.
Make sure you get a resin thats UV stable, as not all of them are
I love your ingenuity!
Thank you!! It was a fun experiment!
Resin is a great idea for slabs. I don't know if you remember my suggestion of corn syrup to polish, I figured it was just a viscosity problem,so I tried it with molasses... Don't do that. After about three days my barrels were pushing each other into each other. I guess it started fermentation and started puffing. LOL. New idea for tumbling, I heard that before ceramic media was used they were using leather belt pieces, like half inch squares or smaller. Always looking for ideas.
Oh yes I forgot about that! An interesting result you got for sure😅 I like the idea of leather! That might be fun!
To make spreading the resin eaiser, they make eaiser, they sell these kits of silicone brushes (they might also be listed as makeup brushes, but they're the same thing) and they're pretty easy to clean, once any leftover resin on them cures you can just peel it off, i'd also recommend getting a silicone mat to protect your workspace, again you can just peel up any drips or spills once they've cured.
Also, i saw another person mentioned using uv resin, which would make the process a lot faster and easier, but (at least in the case of the ones i've used) it does have a pretty strong smell, like kind of like how a nail salon smells, so i'd keep that in mind if you decide to work with it.
I might have to look into getting a silicone brush! Good point about the uv resin, I didn’t know it smelled!
You're a ray of sunshine brightening the world 😊
Thanks Ariel, great job. But you might try clear acrylic glos, either brush or spray. i used resin to begin with but now just spray 'em glossy.
Is the gloss sticky when you touch it after it dries? I remember a few years ago I tried making jewelry and I put I think it was called Hoge poge or something like that. After it dried it was sticky so after that I just gave up and didn't know what to use to seal jewelry with.
@@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265 Have you tried Crystal Kote spray?
The agate eyes are my favorite. 😍
Agreed! They are so pretty!
40 years ago, I used a liquid floor wax, and dipped my rocks to see if they would 'look wet' when dry. They are still shiny.... Gotta love rocking and rolling
Oh that is super smart! Might be something else I try!
@annieg1015 what floor polish do you use? I have too many rocks and not enough tumblers 😅
@@LezBeRockin73 It was whatever polish on the market sooo many years ago! If liquid polish is still available, I’d imagine any kind would work… I’ll look around, I have some I’d like to dip too! 😁. I filled an old bowl, and just dipped them in. They are still shiny… ✌🏼
Happy New Year, Ariel! Great idea for a shiny surface! Thanks for sharing!
Happy New Year! I hope you have a great one!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Have a great 2024!
You too! 🎉
You could use play dough to keep rocks stable.
Cool idea. I’ve done some with 2 part epoxy. It does work dry well but I cabbed mine out first😂
I might have to try epoxy as well! See what works better!
I seem to recall someone telling about using the side of the saw blade to polish the cut stone.
Oh interesting! I should look into that!
So, i understand your dilemma. Another option is a flat lap. I got a slant flat lap from hitech for my first polishing machine. Its a little bit of a pain, you have to change the wheel for each level. But it is about 500.00 compared to 3,000.00. A more doable price tag. While the resin turned out nice. Still nothing beats a good polish. Maybe a good place to start to save up for.
Yes I’ve been thinking about the flat lap as well-I might have to check it out!
Hey, I just started rock tumbling and I'm wondering if I can take breaks in-between the stages?
Very good and cheap idea 👍 works for me too 😄 i tried Once epoxy glue, covering litle stone pendant. That worked nice too 👍 Happy New Year!
Oh good to know! I might have to try that as well! Happy New Year!
Same here I have dragged home buckets of rocks from around Minnesota, mostly from Superior. Everywhere I walk every boat landing every field every Forest trail My eyes are Open and on the ground...wish I could cut them.
I will be setting up a P.O. Box soon for people to send rocks to cut and then I send them back! Stay tuned! 🙌
Cool. Greetings from Poland.
I am wondering what it would turn out like if tumbled in the tumbler to polish them instead of resin painted. Would like to see a video of tumbling slabs.
I actually did throw the ones that didn’t work into the tumbler so I will have to update you!
I use a can of spray on clear paint and so far three years in they still look good. 👍🇺🇸
Ohhh I’ll have to try that!!
@@AgateAriel put one coat on and let it dry then if needed add a few more some rocks took a couple times to look like a wanted them. 👍🇺🇸
🙂 Hi, I'm very new to rocks. I was curious, what would clear coat nail polish do? 🤔
That is incredible beauty! 😯
Right!! They all turned out so great!
@@AgateAriel you're turning into a pro!🙂
@@michaeltrudell9356 thank you!!
AWESOME video! So creative!! ROCK ON!! 😁👍🏻🪨⛏️
Thank you so much!
Ariel I am your biggest supporter and fan I love your videos and rocks ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
That is so kind-thank you so much!!
Your welcome 😊
i Use uv resin its dry in minutes when i make rock jewelry. Try play dough to hold the pieces in place.
The Hi-tech 10" Saw also has an attachment for slabbing! I got it when I bought mine it was $100 extra.
You’re kidding?!? Omg I need it!
@@AgateArielI wish there was a way I could show you a picture of it!
If I have a flat rock that's already pretty shiny should I tumble it? I like how it looks now and am scared it will break if I tumble it.
I finally ordered my cab king. Was supposed to arrive today but huge fail for UPS! Anyway, nice shine! I might suggest using clay in your basket instead of the pebbles.
That is a great idea! Then they wouldn’t jostle around at all! Thank you!
So I know this is an older video but I use UV resin from hobby lobby and a fingernail polish brush to apply it and it works great. A good UV light and it dries to touch in minutes and rock hard in a hour, hour and a half. Sometimes I will dry it and then put in a windowsill for a day or two.
Definitely interested in an Etsy shop!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it! 🙌
Just because there are no fumes doesn't mean it's not still harmful always be in a well ventilated area and use gloves as well as a mask also the uv protection will keep it from yellowing over time so it is beneficial for what your doing also what I've noticed about it pulling in the center is to make sure it goes just over the edge of whatever you putting it on for instance if im putting a thin layer on a flat surface I elevate it and pour it on so all the extra runs over the sides yes it will give you drips on the back side but I have avoided that by doing it like I said and just slightly having it go over the edge like with a toothpick it's kind of hard to explain and I love the aquarium gravel opposed to the ceramic media I am gonna have to try that out I am no expert at either hobby though lol I just dabble with both resin and rocks and a few other things to keep my adhd happy
Also you could also try a spray clear varnish I've tried it on landscaping rocks and it gave them a beautiful wet shiny look so it may work for what your doing as well and it's quicker and it doesn't dome up just a thought
Nice! What a clever idea!. Really enjoyed your video.
No way?! Never thought about using aquarium rocks in the tumbler. I love rock confetti!
Yes!! It’s one of my favorite parts honestly! Like a bonus 100 rocks when your done tumbling 😃
I would recommend using kinetic sand. Pack it fairly hard. Then paint the resin on. The push them into the sand.
I ask stupid questions because I don't know, if you were to put flat lab polishing disk on your saw could you polish your stones with the same piece of equipment that you are cutting stones with?
Hmm I’m not sure actually! Might be something to look into 🧐
@@AgateAriel you might have to go to a metal Smith and have them cut you a disc with the right sized arbor but I would think it would work.
I have a cheap wet tile saw and if I remove the table and put it on its side. I can do that, though. It does spin quite fast.
I resin lots of my rocks. I find a lot of rocks in water and they look so much prettier when they are wet so I decided to try resin. I use epoxy resin for art to begin with so I always have it available
That’s awesome! It makes them look so pretty!
You can achieve a face polish by using wet/dry sandpaper. Yes, it's time consuming. However, once you know what you are doing, you can achieve results in a few hours. I have face polished cut stones by hand, and have taken them up to 10,000 grit for a mirror finish.
I’ve never used resin, but would a shinning coat of modge podge work on the rocks too?
Pre drilling a hole and putting your slices in the tumbler is the way to go.
Very unique idea!! Also, I absolutely loved the mossy agate slab you sent!
Yay I am so glad you liked it!!!
playdoh is good to put rocks into - to hold level - i have seen it somewhere since i am an avid watcher of many sites ........ resin could be considered a kind of preservation of rocks cos it can always be 'polished' off later?
Resin makes a huge difference! Thanks for posting this. ❤
Of course!! It was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to do more in the future!
Ariel, I am not tech-savvy, and I am having a hard time finding what kind of oderless apoxy that you used in this video. Can you please post it here.
I have a lot of rocks too but I would totally take some off of yours hands!
Love that!! Thank you! I definitely will be setting one up! 🙌
Does this reisn you used smell? I use to do art work with resin.
No I didn’t notice any smell!
@AgateAriel oh good. I live in an apartment and was concerned about the fumes. Resin can be tricky to use for sure. Interesting video.
Does the resin peal off?
i do this for a while its quite good but does not replace polishing, but its great for uneven surface stones and just to save time polishing if its not so important ... resin requires a lot of safety precautions.
Take a bit of tinfoil, kinda crush it a bit till it looks about right for the rock in question and press the rock into it on your table. Adjust foil size and shape to rock and press flat basically like you'd do for your open faced loaded potatoes on the BBQ...now I'm hungry.
Oh my gosh great idea!!
good day. i have a piece of rock about 5 to 6 kgs. asking help to identify please. thanks
i love rock as much as you. Austin texas has the best rocks ever!!!!
It's not as reliable as cabbing machines, but you can find Oxide and Diamond Pastes in various grits, and use them in combination with a Bench-top grinder using polishing wheels. For small stuff and concave or tight areas, a Dremel with a polishing wheel works well too.
I’m sure this is way too late but what you could try on the ones that pooled is sand down the resin. And maybe a dropper or those disposable pipetes for the resin? 🤷🏻♀️
Oh I might have to try that next time!
I save time with my slabs by just tumbling them! It rounds the edges off some, but they still look good! 😏
Yes I threw the ones that didn’t work out into the tumbler-I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
You can use acrylic floor wax and it shines them up very nicely also it is A LOT easier and less messy to work with. Not to mention cheaper.
Super cool
Well TH-cam keep deleting my comments.
I’ve never used resin before but i do something similar when I don’t want to cab some of my rocks. I use this more for stabilization of slabs or rocks that have cracks in them before I cab or tumble (works great with mica). Anyways it’s called ST⭐️RBIND Super Fast THIN Instant Adhesive and is like 10 bucks . This is water thin and drys with a high gloss without having air bubbles. When using to fill a crack it drys in about 20-30 mins when covering the face of a stone I’d let it dry for 24 hours. Add a few drops to the stone and tilt it from side to side until it covers the surface. Using this instead of epoxy will safe you a lot of time also.
*Using this though make sure you definitely wear gloves cause it will bond your fingers together in secs and can burn skin if you get to much on you. Also the fumes can burn your eyes.
Wow that was frustrating 😅. After trying to post the information comment 13 times above I had to remove the dollar symbol and the word “A_a_o_” place to get it. 🤦♂️😂
what about a thin layer of mineral oil
That does work and usually lasts a while but not forever on the flat surface! I do use it sometimes to fill in cracks on tumbled rocks and it works well for that!
Hi, I've used resin in many projects and it won't adhere to anything that has any kind of oil on it. even finger prints can stop the resin adhering. its called fish eye. Hope that helps.
I have used just a can of clear lacquer on some of my rocks also looks good
Modeling clay hold rocks ever try sanding disc your Ariel of course you thought of it by now thanks your still number one
I'm looking into converting a buffing arbor into a cabbing machine, they cost a couple hundred dollars just need wheels and water source.
I have used clear nail polish on Petoskey stones to get that effect. Still a good idea though 😃
You should always sand the rocks and then wipe them with some alcohol, before using resin. I do that with uv-resin, low viscosity, and there you see if you added enough or not. You can "repair" everything and it wont harden before you use your UVLight . I have more control acc to the result.
For very quick results you can also use some special varnish. And with those, you wont even see that something was added on top of the rocks. But when you use varnish, no need to sand before.
I used to polish granite countertops after cutting them. You can polish wet or dry. It is way cheaper to buy polish pads and a pneumatic rotary tool
Hi Ariël, Why don’t you grind and polish them? You already have all the material for it. The only thing you need more is a flat piece of glass.
Add more resin.. and also to get rid of bubbles on the top of your resin.. add a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol
So you can use X-Ray modeling clay just put down a junk then push in your agate till its level you can keep re using the clay and I have not watched the end yet but if you torch the resin after you pour it the bubble will.all.pop I love your channel
Use "SILLY PUTTY" to hold your rock surfaces straight.
Oh great idea!
Thank you, glad I could help.
Nice idea😊
I use resin try a paint brush for a nice thin layer
Variable speed angle grinder and 5 inch Dimond pads . All in for under 100 usd
👍👍
You put aluminum foil over the bas😮ket to keep the dust off right? Somewhat moot since the basket has such big holes on the sides. And we all know that dust gets into the tiniest of holes. Better to just use a solid sided plastic tub. And if I remember correctly there is a clear resin that is UV light cured, and doesn't take so long to set up. And doing that may also cure your problem of having the resin pull away from areas on the stones.
Do you ever use your rocks for jewelry?
Hi tech is trippin lol it's called a trim saw. Slab saw is the ones with the lids where you secure the rock in it and hit the switch while it cuts automatically. You can also use your finger to apply the epoxy in a super thin layer 😊 the biggest problem with epoxy is eventually it'll yellow out
Haha oh whoops 😳 good to know about the resin! How long does it take to yellow?
Oh wait I just looked it up-it is called a slab saw since I have the 10” one. The 6” is called a trim saw
@@AgateAriel must be a hi-tech thing lol cuz I have a covington 10" trim saw. I have a covington 16" slab saw that I use to cut slabs off rocks. With the epoxy, it just depends on the brand of epoxy you use, but there's tons of brands out there. My wife does the epoxy cups and does crafts with epoxy, so we've tried so many different kinds. Have you seen my polishing videos with the stone polisher I use? Way cheaper than a cab machine and you can polish the bigger slabs with it too
@@DigLifeCrisis oh no I will have to check it out! Can you post the link below and I’ll copy it into my browser!
@@AgateAriel no prob 😀 th-cam.com/video/aQvrXfOdshI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0wzn9fnPow6yFtvV
I think a slab / cube of clay would make a good holder as you're describing. Playdough for that matter...
Oh my gosh that’s brilliant!!!!
@@AgateAriel . And here's another thought (I've yet to try it because I'm new to tumbling), but natural clay is basically silicone (sand) and aluminum. In Texas we have abundance of red, black, and grey clay (we have all three in my county). I can't help but wonder what it would do as a grit. Something to research....
Heat gun might be better. Lot of money for what that slab saw is.
Probably right! Yeah I was pretty shocked at how much all the lapidary equipment costs!
If you a brush works great
I use clear fingernail polish.
I might have to try that too!!
Try Modeling clay
or clay
❤❤❤❤🎉😢😅😅
Egg cartons
That could work too!!
Whipe it down with alcohol and it will be more even
That’s not a slab saw that is a wet saw for tile
when you coming to tiktok
Honestly 90% of those machines that are marketed to people intrested in rocks are overpriced as fuck. This weird bs with 6 discs is just a bench grinder with longer shafts.. buy a cheap bench grinder, and some discs for it, a lot cheaper. Also that slab saw.. tile saw does the same and costs a fraction of that. Why are they so overpriced? Idk.. but those prices are ridiculus.