FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[chris]

Hi everybody,

I recently bought a specimen which is glued on an opaque base. I would like to replace this base by a frosted acrylic one but don't know which kind of solvent I can use.

I would go to acetone, but maybe there's a better option. If somebody has an idea...

Thanks

Christophe

[str4hler]

What sort of glue do you think it is?
I usually heat the base a little after which always the base lets go
Cheers!

[Gail]

If it is hot glue you can simply soak it in Isopropyl alcohol and it will just pop off.
We do it constantly with no problems. I fill a small bowl and put the stand with mineral in it...just up to the top of the glue...about five minutes later it usually just pulls out without damaging the piece.
Hope this helps.

[Jordi Fabre]

Heat the base is a little bit risky. Usually the 99 % of the minerals are glued to acrylic bases with hot silicone. If this is the case, then you can separate the base and the mineral just using a drop of regular alcohol. The alcohol don't will dissolve the silicone but it is tensoactive for the hot silicone, so the glue will be immediately separated of the base. Then a second drop of alcohol between the mineral and the rest of the glue will separate easily both.

Jordi

[str4hler]

ok, let's use alcohol in the future ;-)

[Jordi Fabre]

Take care to soak all minerals in Isopropyl alcohol Gail. Some are sensitive to it and them could decay by dehydratation. I think that you can use just a drop of alcohol between mineral and base and you will get the same result without risk for the mineral.

Jordi

[chris]

Hi folks,

Thanks for the advices. I'll try alcohol then.

Christophe

[Gail]

Now don't go thinking you need to DRINK that alcohol! ha ha.

Jordi, thanks...we don't let the alcohol touch the mineral, just usually the very bottom of the matrix. Otherwise, yes, we do just add a drop with a dropper. We make sure the matrix isn't sensitive to moisture. Also, we don't use hot glue on many things as they are heat sensitve, we prefer to have bases that require no glue at all if possible, but if not then silicone is our choice.

[Gail]

I meant to say sensitive to dehydration. And you know, there is not a solvent that is good on everything...

[chris]

Gail,

Saying to a French to not drink alcohol is an advice that will most likely not be followed :-). But I'll do my best not drink drink that one ahah...

I'm saving your advice about how you clean minerals then silicone then on base. Might be useful in the future. Usually I try not to put specimens on bases, but I just can't do otherwise with this one.

Christophe