Saturday, August 18, 2018

making Q-Dope


If you have deep pockets you can just buy some for about $5 an ounce accept the health risk and skip the rest of the post. Otherwise you can make it for about $3 a half pint.This is what you need.
 100% acetone nail polish remover 1$.
 Ping pong balls about a quarter each.
Cut up the balls and put them in a glass container. Add acetone to the glass container. (do not use a plastic container unless you know it is acetone resistant.) The bottle the acetone came in will work after you use some and make room for the balls. Let it sit over night and you have this white glue. I use one ball per ounce of acetone and have good results.
Basically this is liquid celluloid. You can use it to make coil forms and as Q-Dope.
I wrapped a paper towel around a paper tube and coated it with the dope. After two or three coats I have the form for my next coil.
I have used the Q-Dope and it is good stuff BUT it is MEK based. Many years ago MEK was banded from my work place as a health hazard. The home brew using acetone is a safer compound. ( I don't see the warnings on the label for the polish remover.) The balls are 75% cello and 25% camphor. It seems the camphor is the most hazardous part of the mix. I rub Mentholatum on my skin to ease sore muscles and stuffy head. It is 9% camphor?
Anyway you can dissolve the balls and paint the solution on a coil. Let it dry and your coil is plastic coated. Make a paper core and paint it with the mix and when it drys you have a coil form. ( this may take a few coats.)
It's about the journey. Enjoy the trip.


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