Wooden Wand & Crystal Sphere: With A Twist

[Deleted]

So here is my latest issue, I want to use all natural glues or resins to attach/merge this crystal sphere to the twirl wand.. I've recently discovered the doping wax and thought this might be my only alternative.. I need to know what the melting point is for the dop wax and if it is actually an all natural wax product.

Any suggestions on what type of glues or resins that are all natural that can/would withstand high heat or slight abuse when handling. Will the Dop wax simply loose it's punch after a few years and I have found that I need to heat up not only the wooden wand/stick but the sphere and adhere the dop wax to both items then merge them.

[Deleted]

Quote:

I want to use all natural glues or resins to attach/merge this crystal sphere to the twirl wand

From my understanding.. epoxy glue is not all natural.. Unless the term epoxy means a specific brand.

[stephent]

Dop wax starts melting below 140F...it's soft at barely over 115F.
You want a Hoof/Hide Glue.. or a natural Shellac. Shellac (the full bore natual one) is meltable (85C-100C or so) ..but above the ranges of the colored waxes used for Lapidary uses. It's used as a melting range extender for doping waxes. Also it's sticky as heck when melted ..dries fairly hard. it used to be used for attaching fishin pole ferrules and eyes.. Might still find it at WalMart in sporting goods...

[Deleted]

it would appear that one of the poster deleted his comments.. Hence my empty epoxy comment above..

Thanks Stepent

Although I've suggested that I would like to use an all natural glue or resin.. how would this have been done in another time and place.. I am aware that sinew was used to merge the arrowhead to a spear etc.. but I'm dealing with a wooden surface and very smooth and polished surface of the sphere.. I've attempted this in the past the the glue would remain on the wood, but not the sphere.. Thus leaving a "cupped" indication on the wood where the sphere once was.

[stephent]

Shellac sticks...it's in the form of a stick...will stick stuff like chrome metal to a slick surface..ie..fiberglass clear coating. I suppose you could wrap a leather around the stick and stone orb together and then shellac both together. But it would not be a clear coat..
But I'm thinking the bond between the stone and shellac will be more then you think. Doping wax won't hold in either really warm weather...or especially cold weather.
It would certainly be possible to set the stone in a metal "setting" made on the wooden stick...like a ring setting.

[Joe]

No ideas from this guy but will say that pretty righteous!!!

[Deleted]

Thanks Joe.. and many of my projects are on hold till a few issues have been taken care of.. but as Stephent said.. I may opt for the "bug glue" (Shellac) I just need for the multiple items and textures to remain intact with each other and simply trying to revert to old school or retroisum styles..

[agatemaggot]

You could make a ---Tinkers Dam ---- with non sticking Aluminum foil that is about 1/8 inch above the surface of the wood. Wrap it around the wood several layers thick to make it rigid and tape it tight. Fill it part way with clear epoxy , not the 5 min. kind and then place the sphere centered in the dam you have partly filled. If you guess right the bottom of the sphere will press the epoxy evenly to the edge and fill the space about perfectly. After letting everything set for several hours simply remove the tape and foil.

Don't forget to de-grease the sphere before starting !

Harley

[Deleted]

Harley, I'm trying to stay away from unnatural products, glues or resins.. and although I've thought about doing what you suggested.. the epoxy would not fall into this natural category.

[deserthound]

i make a a few arrowheads and have mounted many to shafts, i use pine pitch that i go out and harvest right off the pine trees..i use the same method to prepare it as native americans did..it sets up pretty good ..i have  more info somewheres if your interested.

[Deleted]

Hound.. That would be wonderful, But we'll need to wait till I return from our vacation.. I'll be gone for about two weeks.. and when I return I'll get back in touch with you. Thank you very much.. just what I was looking for.

[Roger]

Have you looked at ecopoxy? I don't much about it, other than it is supposed to be a 100% natural product.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info Roger.. But I like hounds pine sticky idea better.. I'll see what kind of info he has first before making any sort of judgment call on what to use.

[deserthound]

www.primitiveways.com/pine_pitch_stick.html

[Sabre52]

You might check out recipes for gelatin glass glue. Think it's natural and will stick glass to wood. Dop wax is way too temperature sensitive and will not hold for long. Might check out glues made from asphalt, natural resin, or rosin too. Amerinds used some of those with good results. I've seen beads stuck to stone bowls with asphaltum that were several hundreds years old and still hard stuck.....Mel