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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2006-11-28, 9:50am
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Default Possible STOOPID question: Graphite

Got a graphite marver/marble mold last night.

Took it out and my hands came away all black and dirty.

Sooo.. my question: do I have to wipe it down before use? I can just imagine marvering a nice colour and having it come away all black and gunky.
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  #2  
Old 2006-11-28, 10:02am
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Yes, it is a good idea to wipe it down with a damp paper towel before using it.
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  #3  
Old 2006-11-28, 10:08am
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Thanks... I didn't know whether the nature of graphite was ALWAYs to be dirty and it'd be futile to try and clean it, or what.

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Yes, it is a good idea to wipe it down with a damp paper towel before using it.
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  #4  
Old 2006-11-28, 10:10am
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Yes, it will always turn your hands black. That's the nature of graphite.
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  #5  
Old 2006-11-28, 10:11am
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Um, it's always gonna be dirty. Graphite is what is used as the "new" pencil lead, since the old pencil lead from times of yore is poisonous.

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  #6  
Old 2006-11-28, 2:43pm
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Some graphite is denser than others. The higher quality stuff will still leave a little on your hands, but not near as much as the lower quality stuff.
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  #7  
Old 2006-11-28, 7:04pm
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THANK you.
But if i Marver something, the black won't mess things up then?
(Duh, Obviously not, otherwise people wouldn't use it)
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  #8  
Old 2006-11-28, 7:23pm
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I think that some colors do react to a graphite marver, maybe some blues (I can't remember).
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  #9  
Old 2006-11-28, 8:53pm
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I've not found that it reacts with anything, but there again, maybe I've not used the right (or wrong) colors, but the black won't come off and mess up you work of beauty!
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  #10  
Old 2006-11-29, 6:13am
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heheh.
riiiiiiiiiiight. YOu mean I can't use the marver as an excuse? DARN!

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I've not found that it reacts with anything, but there again, maybe I've not used the right (or wrong) colors, but the black won't come off and mess up you work of beauty!
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Old 2006-11-29, 9:48am
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I'm dating myself....but "lead pencils" have lots of graphite in them....it's what allows the pencil to glide and deposit on the paper = writing...
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  #12  
Old 2006-12-03, 5:42am
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I have some very dense graphite that leaves ALMOST no black on your hands inless yo handel one of the un polished sides. This stuff is so dense when its polished it looks kind of like metal.

The density and the surface finish will make a difrance on how much rubs off. I like to wash my graphite under water after polishing it to get any loose dust off of it.
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  #13  
Old 2006-12-03, 6:48am
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Smutty, how do you polish your graphite and what do you use? I've not heard of this before (which means nothing!). What is the benefit of polishing it versus not? Thanks!!
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  #14  
Old 2006-12-03, 3:24pm
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Quote:
how do you polish your graphite and what do you use?
super fine grit sand paper then followed with newspaper or some scrape soft denim works pretty good.



Quote:
What is the benefit of polishing it versus not? Thanks!!
For one it makes it smoother so your glass seems to ride on it better. But mainly Just because it looks nicer. I like the metal look.
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  #15  
Old 2006-12-04, 10:26am
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I use coffee filters to polish my graphite marver. I notice that when it starts looking dull, it can leave a gray mark in my glass, so I just rub it with a new coffee filter whenever it starts looking that way.
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  #16  
Old 2006-12-05, 4:00pm
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Elly, your graphite marvers shouldn't leave black smears on your glass, if that's what you're worried about. Some colors of glass do seem to react with graphite. Moretti/Effetre black in particular will bubble if marvered with a cold graphite paddle. To keep that from happening, warm your graphite paddle a little before you roll a black bead on it. Jim Smircich has an explanation of what in the black glass causes this to happen (manganese, I think, but I could be remembering wrong), and says it happens only with black -- but I think I've had it happen with some of the other dark colors as well. Remember that Effetre black is just a very very dark shade of purple, so it could happen with the dark amethyst as well (although I'm thinking I might have had it happen with cobalt, or maybe dark lapis -- can't remember). Anyway, if you get bubbling with a dark color after marvering with graphite, try warming the graphite first, or try doing your marvering with a metal tool instead.

If you ever want to reshape a graphite tool -- to put an edge or corner or point on something to make it a better shaping tool -- it's easy to do with sandpaper, but do it outside, or work with the piece and your arms in a big cardboard box and wear an apron. It's VERY dirty work.
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