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Thread: Opal Inlays
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13th December 2011, 05:55 PM #1
Opal Inlays
Hi all,
Curious if anyone has used or knows where to get opal suitable for inlay material? Most of what I've found close enough are little boulder pieces, and it seems a bit of a waste just to see the top of it in a headstock.
Thanks
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20th December 2011, 09:17 AM #2Intermediate Member
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Opal could be expensive but most the cost will be in the labour.
Opal is also porous and I don't know how it would react to the timber finishes.
Would look great though.
'Tiger Eye' from W.A. would be another great looking stone inlay.
Will
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20th December 2011, 12:48 PM #3
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20th December 2011, 01:35 PM #4
A flat(tish) doublet or triplet would be the go.
Even then you'll need to test a piece in your epoxy... opal can be 'delicate' and it'd be a shame to see the stone react unfavourably against the solvents.
eg. cloudiness as the doublet/triplet delaminates .
- Andy Mc
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20th December 2011, 05:00 PM #5
Any idea what sort of adhesive they use to put doublets and triplets together? I imagine it would be some sort of resin, wouldn't it?
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21st December 2011, 03:42 AM #6
Yes. We use a water clear bonding epoxy. (ie. it dries water clear)
But in the past I've used other brands of epoxy to fix a doublet to a setting and later discovered a 'cloudiness' around the edge of the stone where the new epoxy 'leeched into' the original. Not all 'poxies are created the same, apparently.
Not saying it'll be a problem for you... however it's still best to check your glue's compatible first, y'know?
- Andy Mc
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21st December 2011, 11:54 AM #7
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26th December 2011, 02:28 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
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Have you got, or can you get, some abalone shell, instead? When compared with paui(?) abalone from NZ, British Columbia abalone shell is very pale, pinks and blues.
Opal would be wonderful, matched doublets would be visually stunning. The puzzle I see is trying to reshape the pieces.
I use abalone for moons and eyes in my wood carvings, just a personal hang-up about using BC materials.
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26th December 2011, 07:55 PM #9
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27th December 2011, 02:45 PM #10GOLD MEMBER
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Oh, man, I can't wait to see the head.
When I lived in Melbourne, 40 yrs ago, I knew a manufacturing jeweller who had a necklace of 12-sided beads, entirely matched opal. I have yet to see anything so beautiful.
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