Rainbow matrix: stabilising/resin treatment.

G’day everyone, I hope you’re all well! In this video I will be experimenting with Starbond thin to stabilise and seal the rainbow matrix in preparation for a final polish. I will continue with the stone in this video and keep you updated on how it goes, and when I get it near to perfect, I’ll do another video showing the whole process. For now, I hope you enjoy, thanks for your time 😜👍 [e-mail] theopalmills.com.au

[@Algoldprospecting]

Cool opals. Opals never get old

[@Nobbybuttons]

the vacuum will work magic with the thin resin, reminds me of filling gem stones like rubies and sapphires and emeralds. the matrix looks great polished up, the others should look fantastic with resin, can't wait to see.

[@FriendsoftheBar]

Every treatment looking better. Those 2 picture stones from the final treatment look dope as !

[@matthewhayler601]

Love the way you give us different options

[@CooberPedyOpals]

Wow, that is some great looking matrix. Love the sparkle of the pin fire.👍😁

[@kennethnew3075]

Those 1st 2 pieces are pretty cool. I love a good gadget. Can't wait to see the vacume chamber. Thanks . Be safe at the mine.

[@surajitsaikia4139]

Hi mate good day, it seem like u r a great researcher, experiencing with different matrix and like the way u deal with different types of opal. There is lots of things to learn from u. Keep the good work and share these kinds of videos. Hope one day i would understand opals very well..... 😁😁👍👍

[@billiehydrick6417]

Hey I'm learning how 🤔 🙂 it's working so far I'm sure I will get better

[@jeffholmes1362]

Thanks for sharing, your experimentation on coating, love the colour coming out of those treated stones, love to see them polished.

[@affankartini6627]

Apa nama cairan itu bos,apa di indonesia ada

[@ROCKINWHEELERS]

NICE. YOU CAN DO MAGIC;. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AT ALL. The song. "America - You Can Do Magic"

[@erichughes8172]

I know this is an old video and I haven't read through all your comments to see if someone else has already given you this idea but you might try putting that in a vacuum pressure pot it'll pull that glue deeper into the stone and Starbound also make some medium and a thick glue I'd recommend before you polish you use at least the medium to coat it will fill in a lot of those pocks.

[@erichughes8172]

Lol hahaha a minute after my comment you said you wished you had vacuum chamber

[@theopalmills]

G’day Eric, I have since purchased said vacuum chamber, works a treat. 🤪👍

[@SirRocksAlot]

Treaters look real nice. Starbond seems to help,on the matrix, looking forward to another coat or two. I wonder if with the vacuum and starbond it would fill in stones that have cracked over time. It works on my windshield.

[@theopalmills]

Yes, when done right with a vacuum chamber, it will stabilise the stone, Opticon is another brand that is used to stabilise fractured/cracked gemstones, I watched this the other day and it gave me ideas kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJipXqyPe5ubmtk 🤪👍

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

@The Opal Mills , that Cactus Juice was what gave me the idea of dying resin. I watched a video about it today after watching some of your videos. It just made me wonder if it would treat concrete matrix .

[@user-jo1xv5bm2n]

Try UV resin gives a good cote and polishes extremely well

[@e.j.s.familyblog781]

And another comment

[@nealfelts405]

Try cactus juice and put in the vacuum chamber

[@theopalmills]

Cactus juice and Opticon are on my to do list, 🤪👍

[@Bessler85]

Can't you heat treat with butane torch to pull bubbles out and make the glue even an dry faster looks awesome though ill have to get some matrix in my collection

[@theopalmills]

G’day Josh, possibly that might work, but the stone has lots of air that needs to be expelled. Heating would get rid of surface bubbles but they’d keep coming. Trying to get an even pour was hard as the Starbond was very thin/runny and ran over the sides, also I think I tried to get it to absorb too much in one hit. I’m definitely getting a vacuum chamber. 🤪👍

[@410connects]

starbond is super glue

[@theopalmills]

Yes, starbond do thin and extra thin viscosity. 🤪👍

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

Did you ever think about adding a bit of dye to that thin resin? I wonder if it could darken the concrete like the sugar and acid does. If it did, then you could pick the background that best contrasts with the opal colors. Stupid idea?

[@theopalmills]

Unfortunately the resin sits on top of the opal, whereas it needs to be soaked in somehow to give the blackened background look, coating would tint/block the view of the opal.

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

@The Opal Mills , I think I need some more education on that, Phil. I thought that the opal in the matrix couldn't absorb the carbon but the stone could absorb the sugar and the acid which coloured the stone and contrasted nicely with the opal molecules and allowed them to stand out so much. So I wondered if you could dye the thin resin and put it in your vacuum chamber to get it inside the concrete matrix like the sugar and acid but instead of getting the carbon black from the sugar maybe you could get blue or red or any other colour in there. I thought the Opal itself wouldn't take any colour and just stand out with the contrast. What do I know? I just have a big imagination and do the same when I paint 🎨

[@gregorybowman4638]

You should use sugar and heat to cook the rainbow matrix not acid and no need for bi carb and will go darker.

[@thomascarpenter9462]

Would it work if you put the entire stone in a tub full of the resin and just cut away the access resin once it dries?

[@theopalmills]

G’day mate, yes, I’ve been using liquid glass and a vacuum chamber more recently. I’m finding it depends on the porosity of the matrix, as to whether I use cyanoacrylate or two part resin. 🤪👍

[@csrouse33]

How much per karat do finished matrix opals like these sell for generally?

[@theopalmills]

G’day mate, other than good quality hard matrix, I don’t price matrix by the carat, I price by the piece/stone. There’s not quite the same valuation process with matrix, as any treatment or coatings, as well as the fact it’s not entirely opal, needs to be taken into account. Of course the value divided by the weight can still produce a per carat price. 🤪👍

[@terricoffey5550]

So, you can do this in lieu of the sugar and acid?

[@theopalmills]

I’m not sure what you mean, I treat all the matrix in sugar then sulphuric acid, due to concrete matrix not taking a very good polish I then resin coat them. Once resin coated, they can’t go back in the acid. 🤪👍