Announcement: GRS thermal lock for newbies

[dlilazteca]

Made this video for other newbies that are curious on what you get when you purchase GRS thermal lock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj6LC8J0Epw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Carlos De La O III

 

[Sandy]

It is a lot easier in the microwave.

 

[dlilazteca]

It is a lot easier in the microwave.

Sandy

I completely agree but there's only one microwave in the house and it belongs to my wife! My tools and goodies have to stay in my man cave.

Carlos De La O III

 

[mitch]

i use a heat gun (a Milwaukee with digital thermostat) set to about 600˚F. tried nuking the stuff once- wasn't any faster, and definitely less convenient & controllable.

 

[Keirkof]

Personally, for the usually small amount required for stonesetting, I almost always use boiling hot water to melt thermo-loc. The micro-wave cannot help if you want to get a metallic piece out of the mold instead of fixing it, though it is the best way to melt a large amount. I find the heatgun takes much more time than either of these methods, and it's easier to overheat the plastic and the contained piece that way...

On the other hand, I can imagine one would get rusting issues with water on non-precious metals. So many applications, just as many techniques

 

[Gemsetterchris]

Personally, for the usually small amount required for stonesetting, I almost always use boiling hot water to melt thermo-loc. The micro-wave cannot help if you want to get a metallic piece out

I've not yet tried thermoloc..putting stones in boiling water could be abit risky or are you heating from cold?

 

[Keirkof]

I've not yet tried thermoloc..putting stones in boiling water could be abit risky or are you heating from cold?

With melee diamond I would consider the risk almost zero. As far as I know, it's not usually the heat itself that's the problem but the heat shock, i.e. any rapid change in temperature. I would be very careful with emerald and stones that cleave readily, especially when included... So I would 'pre-heat' those I'm not sure of in a tiny puddle of 'warm' (not yet boiling) water, leave that to sit for a bit, then add some warmer water etc. All in all very controllable with water. The thermo-loc becomes malleable at the 'just bareable' 70-80 °C point I think so the temperatures are quite low compared to heat guns and especially open flame.

 

[Gemsetterchris]

That makes sense, I'll get some in to try. Still being abit "old school" with setting cement & flame.
Does it hold well? Often cement has a habit of breaking up under certain pressure of pushing metal which I hate

 

[dlilazteca]

i use a heat gun (a Milwaukee with digital thermostat) set to about 600˚F. tried nuking the stuff once- wasn't any faster, and definitely less convenient & controllable.

I agree more control to get your items out. Would not want to stick my knife in the microwave.

600 need to give that a try I've been using at 400

Carlos De La O III

 

[Marcus Hunt]

You can get a microwave for next to nothing nowadays. It doesn't have to be fancy, the cheapest you can find will do. It's an extra tool for your man cave and a lot quicker and easier to use than a heat gun (which I also use at certain times). A hot air soldering station os also invaluable when using thermo lock I find and again, these aren't expensive any more.

 

[Big-Un]

I use both methods, microwave and heat gun, depending on the amount and purpose of Thermo-Loc needed. Tried hot water once....didn't like the rust issue from it.

Bill

 

[Beathard]

I use a heat gun when doing lots of small items because of the speed.



I use the microwave on larger items.

 

[Beathard]

Another group of happy thermoloc objects...

 

[Keirkof]

Does it hold well? Often cement has a habit of breaking up under certain pressure of pushing metal which I hate

I find that Thermo-Loc will give more advance warning before reaching breaking point. It bends rather than breaks. With setters wax my impression is if you push too hard, it breaks very abruptly into shards and flakes. Both will melt if the drill/burr/... heats the metal enough, in that point I don't notice much difference between wax and plastic...

 

[Southern Custom]

Sticking issues with Thermo loc? I just started using this stuff out of necessity and love it. I did notice it wanted to stick and I wasn't prepared for it. Next time I lightly oiled the piece and no problems. I saw somewhere about making a fixture using seran wrap possibly. If anyone can clue me in to that method, I'd greatly appreciate it. And for you jeweler/engravers out there, it's also great for taking an impression of engraving patterns on rings if you find one you want to save. I"ve started a little collection of these and it only takes a pea sized lump to do it..

 

[silverchip]

Just use a plastic grocery bag but not while it is blazing hot,let it get cool enough to mold in your hand first.

 

[dlilazteca]

Painters blue tape is what I, got the idea from this forum.

Carlos De La O III

 

[KCSteve]

ThermoLoc doesn't really stick to anything but itself but if there's any roughness in a surface it will lock into that.