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What kind of alcohol should I use?

Alcohol Lamp

Use alcohol to melt the wax off of stones by soaking the stones in a small jar filled with it. Make sure the jar has a good air tight lid. You do not want to spill any of the alcohol and it also evaporates.

An added benefit from soaking the wax off stones in a jar is that after you have done it for a while the lacquer builds up in the alcohol and this solution can be used for the dopping process.

Alcohol is also used to clean all the surfaces (dop & stone) before dopping.

I use denatured alcohol. It costs a little more than other types of alcohol, but it has the advantage that you can use it to burn in an alcohol lamp, which I prefer for dopping.

You can buy it at any hardware store. A quart goes a long way.

Note: The alcohol will evaporate from your lamp, especially in hot climates. So I only fill it a little bit at a time unless I know I am going to be using the lamp a lot.

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Home Rough Equipment Books Online Designs Just Ask Jeff Order News List Contact Me Links
Amethyst Aquamarine Beryl Citrine Emerald Garnet Opal Peridot Sapphire Scapolite Spinel Sunstone Synthetics Topaz Tourmaline Quartz Zircon

Bargains Beginner's Page Eclectic New Stuff Odds & Ends Parcels Specials
Cut Gemstones Cutting Information Pricing Guides Buying Gemstones



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