Post by: bloodrock on 22/07/2020 03:05:52
I am currently working on an art project and I need some advice
I have a bunch of rocks/crystals that I have crushed into a fine powder. The goal is to use that powder and shape/mould it to create various different things. I want to be able to shape this powder into any form and let it cure so that it hardens and becomes a rock solid object.
I do not how exactly to go about this. What substance I might need to mix with the powder or what techniques I need to use. I feel like there might be a few different methods to achieve the result I am looking for. So I am hoping someone from this community can provide a solution.
I have attached a photo of the desired end product.
Screen Shot 2020-07-21 at 7.04.28 PM.png (479.32 kB . 644x574 - viewed 11808 times)
Post by: Bored chemist on 22/07/2020 10:34:26
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2016/06/029.html
Post by: evan_au on 22/07/2020 10:53:22
- But it takes a long time to make lava out of lava...
Is it possible to leave the hard rock as hard rock, and just carve it?
- This would be traditional sculpture
Perhaps the easiest would be to mix the hard rock powder with cement (which is a soft rock powder) and water, and let it set in the shape you want.
- If it doesn't need to be durable, you can mix the hard rock powder with plaster-of-paris (which is an even softer rock powder)
Post by: chiralSPO on 22/07/2020 12:51:12
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on 13/08/2020 04:44:07
Hi,
I am currently working on an art project and I need some advice
I have a bunch of rocks/crystals that I have crushed into a fine powder. The goal is to use that powder and shape/mould it to create various different things. I want to be able to shape this powder into any form and let it cure so that it hardens and becomes a rock solid object.
I do not how exactly to go about this. What substance I might need to mix with the powder or what techniques I need to use. I feel like there might be a few different methods to achieve the result I am looking for. So I am hoping someone from this community can provide a solution.
I have attached a photo of the desired end product.
Wait, is that a Porygon?
Post by: chris on 16/08/2020 20:31:06
Post by: alancalverd on 17/08/2020 23:03:43
Post by: JanetSims on 26/12/2022 11:23:31
Post by: wolfekeeper on 28/12/2022 05:06:39
You may have heard of it.
There's two main types: mortar based and polymer concrete
Almost any plastic will work for polymer concrete, if you really want you can use a thermoplastic and then you can rework it if you screw anything up.
Thermoset plastic with rock in it is used for concrete worktops, they frequently use acrylic, but epoxy or vinyl or polyester should work fine too. It's easy to test, just get some plastic and start mixing. You don't need or want a whole lot of plastic to stick powder together, it just fills in the gaps between the powder particles.
It helps to have different particle sizes. The small particles fill in the gaps between the big particles, and the glue sticks the whole lot together. You generally want to use as little binder as possible, the binder is expensive and the aggregate is typically cheap.