[Jewelry making - Article 00017] - Re: [Orchid] Repairing amber

[pmreilly2prco]

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    Judy,     I have done some amber "repairs" in the past using Opticon
    as the bonding material. It will cement the pieces together and it
    will hide the crack in the amber itself (the fly will most likely
    still show the damage). I use the clear version of Opticon rather
    than the more readily available "amber" colored version. To do the
    repair, spread a very thin coat on the two crack faces and align the
    pieces back together slowly; starting at one edge and rolling them
    into their final positions ( this reduces the likelihood of trapping
    air bubbles in the seam); wipe off any excess that gets onto the
    amber's outside surfaces and allow the cement to harden to full cure
    (depending on the room temperature, this should take about 24 hours).
    Next, lightly sand off any cement that remains on the surfaces of the
    amber (400 grit silicone carbide paper works great for this) and
    finish by polishing with Zam polishing compound on a soft muslin buff
    turning at a slow speed. ( I do this on the flexible shaft  to get
    good control of the rate of rotation because too fast of a buff will
    burn down into the amber's suface). 

    Paul D. Reilly, (a first time responder after months as a lurker)
    Wholsaler of repairs and custom work to the trade.  

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