Official Luthiers Forum!
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/

Heathergems for inlays?
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=33434		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Jim_H [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:31 am ]
Post subject:  Heathergems for inlays?
I just watched an episode of "How it's Made", where they showed how heathergems are made. Basically dried heather is sandblasted, died, and pressed in a type of resin. It forms a very hard multicolored block that can be cut down and shaped and polished to suit your needs. Not a lot of info on the interwebs, but I see they are used for golf club faces, among many other things, so I'm guessing the stuff must cure to be pretty hard.

It seems like if you could get the stock matieral cast in your favorite colors, this stuff might make an interesting alternative to things like shell for inlay (and presumably Heather is not listed on CITES ? :P )

Here is a website where you can see some of the craftwork...
http://www.heathergems.com/

Here are a couple of pictures from that site

Image

Image

Here is a video showing how they are made
Author:  Chris Pile [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
I'll be darned. A composite lapidary of sorts.
Author:  Don Williams [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
I bet the Lacey people are already aware of this and keeping their eyes on it.
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
All you need to do is ask them, they won't bite. :)
Here's an email responce from them.

Dear Chris



Thank you for your email and interest in Heathergems. The blocks are difficult and time consuming to make. We are only able to make enough to cover our own production so as a result we do not sell the slice of heather on its own we only sell the finished jewellery items.



Regards
Author:  alan stassforth [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
Wow!
Author:  Mark Groza [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 12:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
There are alot of man made gem stones that are prettier and can be bought in slabs from lapidary shops. Victoria stone is one of them. It looks like mother of pearl and comes in many colors.
Author:  Jim_H [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
Mark Groza wrote:
There are alot of man made gem stones that are prettier and can be bought in slabs from lapidary shops. Victoria stone is one of them. It looks like mother of pearl and comes in many colors.


Prettier?
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
Guess we got lucky-- back in '99 our family visited Scotland and toured the Heathergems facility. There at the plant they were selling the left over scraps from their manufacturing process. I picked up a blue/green/tan piece that someday will go into a guitar...somewhere...somehow....

Steve
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
So, heathergem is a cellulose product? Glued and encased in a resin? What are the properties of heather that make it such a useful raw material for this process? Grows like a weed and no one knows what else to do with it? It is pretty, but the raw stuff looks a lot like wicker vines.

Mike
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
Mike, I think you're pretty close to the truth.
The plant grows profusely there, the dead stalks take the dye stain quite well, and someone realized that this was a profitable solution.
I think it's really clever!

Steve
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
I thought heather is the name of that girl that I had a crush on but she ended up marrying someone else...
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Heathergems for inlays?
Steve Kinnaird wrote:
Mike, I think you're pretty close to the truth.
The plant grows profusely there, the dead stalks take the dye stain quite well, and someone realized that this was a profitable solution.
I think it's really clever!

Steve


Well, then I guess it is true! You CAN put lipstick on a pig. :) But very cool idea.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/