Gear Slug .33 Rosin Forge

[Hogni]

The shorter shelf life is worth a demand at DividerPro I guess. But BTT. Sorry Natty, for derailing the thread.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Has anyone tried their forge on silicone instead of parchment?

I have a small pad (3x5?) I’d be willing to sacrifice for the cause, but I’m not willing to sacrifice a slug’s worth of material on a one-way journey.

The pad is your basic fiberglass reinforced silicone pad, the pressure at the end of the press is mostly distributed across the surface area of the puck and not the metal rim, and the heat will never rise much above 200F, if that.

“IT! COULD! WORK!!!”

In addition to new silicone, I’m waiting on a set of these: and rats, the old post an image trick, caught me again....

Difference between platinum and peroxide curing
http://silicone.co.uk/blog/difference-platinum-peroxide-curing/

I have also learned that the good stuff, medical grade, platinum curing has a shorter shelf life. I found a time of six months while I was searching the interwebs. Still, if your silicone can is half a year old it is time to get a new one.

Damn, sorry, I think this thread has been derailed.

That was real interesting...certainly bears more investigation. Thanks!

Maybe we’ll move more of the VapCap party over here. For my own self, this is all “pertinent to my interest” in the thread, so hopefully I haven’t swept the place clean of Sluggers and sluggers to be. Not a derailment, just a siding....

 

[steama]

I got my 1/8 copper plate for cooling slugs, put a small fan blowing on all the hot stuff and it has worked out great. The slugs cool much faster with a little help which makes for quick turnarounds. It amazing how much heat this copper draws especially with the fan.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Good to hear your success. I have a slab of some metal that is sold for fast dethawing...it works great. It works in reverse, too, so I’ll try and dig that out.

I did some research on the question of forging onto silicone, and the closest I got to a reason not to do it was some guy on grasscity saying it would break the fiberglass and leave you with a hole in your pad...but that doesn’t seem to make sense.

And now I read that silicone absorbs terpenes...?
Okay, officially confused now

Add to this, now Oil Slick has a fancy new product for storing concentrates, made out of Teflon and heat sealable...for 50 cents a sheet, it’s immune to terpenes

 

[Ramahs]

delete

 

[steama]

Good to hear your success. I have a slab of some metal that is sold for fast dethawing...it works great. It works in reverse, too, so I’ll try and dig that out.

I did some research on the question of forging onto silicone, and the closest I got to a reason not to do it was some guy on grasscity saying it would break the fiberglass and leave you with a hole in your pad...but that doesn’t seem to make sense.

And now I read that silicone absorbs terpenes...?
Okay, officially confused now

Add to this, now Oil Slick has a fancy new product for storing concentrates, made out of Teflon and heat sealable...for 50 cents a sheet, it’s immune to terpenes

I think there is a possibility that pressure from the slug has the potential to cut or tear the silicone when the slug is under high pressure. I would rather press on parchment especially since @Nattybushdoctor shared his freeze rosin collection technique. I tried the technique a day or two ago and it literally takes a couple minutes to collect everything with a dabber. Much better than my collection kit of tools that I really don't even need anymore. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

I got good results from laying the parchment on an individually frozen fish filet, which was the flattest thing in there. Good deal.

The problem I currently face is that the parchment I’m using (RAW 5x5 squares) gets soaked thru (or seems to even when I don’t scorch and burn it) and tears, giving me goo to collect on both sides of a ragged edge. Are some parchments heavier than others? I have some Costco brand parchment I can use instead...

I apologize to the experienced dab heads for my early-learning-curve questions....

I think there is a possibility that pressure from the slug has the potential to cut or tear the silicone when the slug is under high pressure. I would rather press on parchment especially since @Nattybushdoctor shared his freeze rosin collection technique. I tried the technique a day or two ago and it literally takes a couple minutes to collect everything with a dabber. Much better than my collection kit of tools that I really don't even need anymore. Oh well, live and learn.

To be clear, I’d rather forge onto parchment, too: it just hasn’t been a dependable surface for me during and after the press. I appreciate your input because you help me see things more clearly, thanks to your wider experience. My ‘interst’ in forging to silicone stems entirely from my dissatisfaction with the RAW squares. My remaining material is sitting on a Boveda pack until tomorrow night, when I’ll forge onto my Costco paper - unless someone has wizard news about a better, easier-to-obtain paper?

I used to spend all my time on the VapCap thread; now I’m spending it here...I *LOVE* this board!

 

[Hackerman]

I use the Cosco brand, Kingsford or King something.

If I press too hard it will bleed but if I don't overdo it, I'm fine. Also, the way I fold sometimes I have it double thick. Never bleeds through, then.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Kirkland. I’ve been folding the RAW and I’ve never had any goo get on the vise or press plate, but the top layer always tears, usually when pulling it loose from the slug...hmmm. Just checked the bottom rim with my fingers and. I find no burrs, no edge, no roughness to explain it. Just checked the pressing plate, and I find it needs dressing. It’s not bad, will only take a few moments with a nail file, but it could easily be an accomplice in this.

I suppose it could be those evil terpenes, eating away at the silicon layer, but...I’ve done a bunch of dabs on different kinds of rigs, from a bunch of anonymous silicone biscuits, and they all had plenty of terpenes, so I doubt it’s that.

 

[-dab8-]

I got good results from laying the parchment on an individually frozen fish filet, which was the flattest thing in there. Good deal.

The problem I currently face is that the parchment I’m using (RAW 5x5 squares) gets soaked thru (or seems to even when I don’t scorch and burn it) and tears, giving me goo to collect on both sides of a ragged edge. Are some parchments heavier than others? I have some Costco brand parchment I can use instead...

I apologize to the experienced dab heads for my early-learning-curve questions....


To be clear, I’d rather forge onto parchment, too: it just hasn’t been a dependable surface for me during and after the press. I appreciate your input because you help me see things more clearly, thanks to your wider experience. My ‘interst’ in forging to silicone stems entirely from my dissatisfaction with the RAW squares. My remaining material is sitting on a Boveda pack until tomorrow night, when I’ll forge onto my Costco paper - unless someone has wizard news about a better, easier-to-obtain paper?

I used to spend all my time on the VapCap thread; now I’m spending it here...I *LOVE* this board!

I use Costco brand with great results.

 

[Nattybushdoctor]

@ClearBlueLou Thats a negative, your Slug.33 with not work with silicone. The problem is it creates an air tight seal and no rosin can escape.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Roger, wilco!

 

[steama]

I use Costco brand with great results.

I have been using this stuff,

Reynolds Parchment Paper is a natural high density paper with a non-stick coating (silicone) that can be used to line everything from cookie sheets to cake pans to muffin tins. ... Treats will bake evenly and release from paper with ease. Plus, because you're baking right on the paper, clean-up is a breeze.

This silicone coating kind of bothered me because I was scraping to collect off of the parchment paper and I do not want to ingest any additional silicone. This is why I am so damn happy about using an ice pack or a cold stone to collect the rosin and not disturb the silicone coating on the parchment paper (I found a cold stone in the thrift store - fucking perfect). Thanks again @Nattybushdoctor for your collection method.

If it is called parchment it has a silicone coating or quilon and silicone.
____________________________

A parchment paper that tries to come off as all vegetable and natural 'Regency Parchment' is actually treated with quilon and silicone.

I have not been able to find any parchment paper that is not coated with silicone once you dig in and really research. So the next best thing is to have a collection method that will not disturb the silicone coating.

Not a big deal anymore. Also, silicone has a very low toxicity.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Gotta agree with you and Doc about the cold-backed paper liftoff, BornAgainSteama - wonderfully easy and effective. It really points up the fact that the ONE tool I’m really missing is a needle probe...

I see ads for these silicone fingertip wraps, are those any good for picking rosin off of parchment? Or are they used for something else?

Thinking I’m going to pull out the forge tonight. I’ve had an eighth moisturizing for the last week, I already know this stuff wants to produce. I’ll tear it into little pieces before loading. I will attempt to pack it evenly.

I’ll use a double thickness of the Costco parchment. I’ll use the blazer, set the flame for 2.5”, two minutes on a side. Am contemplating an extra 30 sec per side if I see no exudate by the time I’ve done four minutes. Ditto at five, repeat after six. If I have no yield at that point, I’ll stop.

 

[steama]

Gotta agree with you and Doc about the cold-backed paper liftoff, BornAgainSteama - wonderfully easy and effective. It really points up the fact that the ONE tool I’m really missing is a needle probe...

I see ads for these silicone fingertip wraps, are those any good for picking rosin off of parchment? Or are they used for something else?

Thinking I’m going to pull out the forge tonight. I’ve had an eighth moisturizing for the last week, I already know this stuff wants to produce. I’ll tear it into little pieces before loading. I will attempt to pack it evenly.

I’ll use a double thickness of the Costco parchment. I’ll use the blazer, set the flame for 2.5”, two minutes on a side. Am contemplating an extra 30 sec per side if I see no exudate by the time I’ve done four minutes. Ditto at five, repeat after six. If I have no yield at that point, I’ll stop.

All you need is a dabber with some kind of tip (like a paddle tip) that can lift the rosin off well. You do not want to scrape much as little pieces of frozen rosin will go flying away. So I kind of pick and dab as a ball of cold rosin gathers on the tool. Usually once you get to the big glob it just lifts right off.

Super quick and super easy.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

So, my lab experiment for the night is complete.
Except for the seepage from the top of the slug, I have no measurable yield at all.

Dammit...well, more for the ghee, but I *was*planning to add some rosin to it

All you need is a dabber with some kind of tip (like a paddle tip) that can lift the rosin off well. You do not want to scrape much as little pieces of frozen rosin will go flying away. So I kind of pick and dab as a ball of cold rosin gathers on the tool. Usually once you get to the big glob it just lifts right off.

Super quick and super easy.

Sounds much like what I did. I have flat, spatulate tools arriving. Mostly what I’ve used is what’s left of an old crochet hook. The hook part is long gone, but I’m used to it. If I had a needle probe, I’d probably switch over to it. Slowly.

 

[Ramahs]

Question!

I expect to be ordering my first Slug.33 soon. Is there any functional benefit to the "Brilliant Polish" model, or is it purely aesthetic?

 

[Nattybushdoctor]

Question!

I expect to be ordering my first Slug.33 soon. Is there any functional benefit to the "Brilliant Polish" model, or is it purely aesthetic?

Beauty only.

 

[Nattybushdoctor]

So, my lab experiment for the night is complete.
Except for the seepage from the top of the slug, I have no measurable yield at all.

Dammit...well, more for the ghee, but I *was*planning to add some rosin to it


Sounds much like what I did. I have flat, spatulate tools arriving. Mostly what I’ve used is what’s left of an old crochet hook. The hook part is long gone, but I’m used to it. If I had a needle probe, I’d probably switch over to it. Slowly.

What Slug.33 are you using? I dont like to hear no yield, makes me sad.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

G’day, Doc! I have the Fat Mac.

After all the sitting and scraping, I came up with a measurable yield: 0.053g, from 3.52g.
Seepage was plentiful, a clear greenish gold, not at all burned, so I’m doing the ISO soak on my Slug again because I got tired of trying to scrape it all off by hand. Better to have MORE than LESS.

 

[Hogni]

Do you really mean 0.053 or 0.53g? First one would be nearly nothing?

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Yes, 0.053...which is about 5% yield

 

[steama]

Yes, 0.053...which is about 5% yield

My first three runs were very small like you show. My problem was not enough heat. Examine your slugs, if they are soft and squishy you may need more heat.

If you are using the 'seep kit' you should not have seepage?

 

[Hogni]

0.176g would be 5%, your amount is 1.51%...but I'm not so strong with maths

 

[steama]

Learning with the slug33 Fat Mac could be a real heart breaker should you fuck up. 3.6gm per run...ouch. I feel for you @ClearBlueLou