auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 6, 2011 16:15:39 GMT -5
Joined 5 amethyst crystals into a cluster using copper and silver electroforming.  trying to find different aesthetic combinations with various metal/minerals... gonna try malachite/copper at some point... John L. |
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Post by gr on Feb 6, 2011 16:39:38 GMT -5
John, I think you're on to something there. that ammy and silver is cool looking. think that malachite / copper would look stunning as red and green really compliment each other. Post a pic if you decied to do the malachite one
Gary
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Post by frane on Feb 6, 2011 20:30:36 GMT -5
Yep, that is really great looking! Keep posting!
Fran
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Post by MyNewHobby on Feb 6, 2011 21:22:21 GMT -5
That piece is beauuuuuuuuutiful!!! More please!
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NDK
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Feb 6, 2011 22:45:55 GMT -5
Very nice! Welcome aboard.
Nate
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 7, 2011 8:48:44 GMT -5
Thanx for the compliments... Here's a piece of Ohio drusy on flint I played around with:   ...more to come John L. |
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Post by superioragates on Feb 7, 2011 9:11:33 GMT -5
Love the ammy & silver...very cool!
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Post by mohs on Feb 7, 2011 16:03:46 GMT -5
metal and mineral
little electro-chemical combo
alchemical magic
really cool!
great avatar also
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Post by Toad on Feb 7, 2011 16:33:43 GMT -5
Don't know anything about electropating, so just throwing this out there - since malachite is a copper mineral, wouldn't the copper solution stick everywhere instead of just where you want? Just a thought. I like the color combo though.
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 7, 2011 19:03:02 GMT -5
Don't know anything about electropating, so just throwing this out there - since malachite is a copper mineral, wouldn't the copper solution stick everywhere instead of just where you want? Just a thought. I like the color combo though. not exactly, no... the metal only goes selectively where I want it to...malachite is an insulator, so unless I use electroless copper (which I could but don't want to) the metal only coats areas that have a conductive surface I have provided John L. |
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Post by Toad on Feb 7, 2011 20:09:55 GMT -5
Cool. Be interested to see how it turns out. Really great technique
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colliel82
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 664
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Post by colliel82 on Feb 8, 2011 14:17:18 GMT -5
Really beautiful
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 12, 2011 9:23:30 GMT -5
Patina applied to copper on Ohio Flint drusy from message #5 above  working on another ammy, trying to decide on copper, patinated copper, or gold finish. Any thoughts?? Here's the next ammy mid-stream in process with copper:  John L. |
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 16, 2011 21:16:12 GMT -5
Finally got to try copper on malachite... Sue calls it Copper Mountain... I think it's pretty cool looking, so onward and upward..   John L. |
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Post by gr on Feb 16, 2011 21:51:52 GMT -5
John L, very cool thing you've got goin on there! Is it possiable to fill vugs with this process?
Gary
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Post by christopherl1234 on Feb 16, 2011 22:40:57 GMT -5
Please share more about this technique. This really is interesting. Seems like there could be a whole lot of possibilities with what could be done using this method!
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nuevomundo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2010
Posts: 222
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Post by nuevomundo on Feb 16, 2011 22:54:04 GMT -5
Don't you have to use a somewhat acidic solution? Does that etch or dull the finish on malachite or other carbonates like rhodochrosite?
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Feb 17, 2011 13:34:44 GMT -5
Don't you have to use a somewhat acidic solution? Does that etch or dull the finish on malachite or other carbonates like rhodochrosite? That depends on the type of metal being deposited. The malachite and amethyst/copper were done in 1N sulfuric (pretty acidic), so carbonates do need to be protected prior to processing. I didn't have any trouble with any etching, though. I could have used a pyrophosphate or cyanide bath, but I wanted to try malachite specifically in a strong acid bath. Since it worked, I want to try rhody's next and such... I think rhodochrosite and silver will look pretty nice. Wish it wasn't so expensive, tho. The silver/amethyst combo was processed in a cyanide bath. I do have 40+ years experience in high tech and aerospace electrochemical engineering, and have always wanted to try some of the more esoteric applications, but haven't had much time until recently. I did gold plate a scorpion and holly leaves many moons ago, but most of previous work was industrial high value microwave and aerospace stuff. Some of the processing can be dangerous, so a certain level of chemical knowledge is mandatory in using these techniques. Here's ammy #2 after patination:   more to come. John L. |
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auplater
starting to shine!
Member since January 2011
Posts: 28
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Post by auplater on Nov 2, 2011 17:41:45 GMT -5
Latest foray into advanced electroform rock creations... BIGGER is BETTER!!  . John L |
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