Monday, April 29, 2013

What in the world is Fordite?

Reposted from www.fordite.com

"Fordite, also known as Motor Agate, is a unique automotive enamel material with an interesting history. The original "rough" slag consisting of layered automotive paint was created by the now extinct process of hand spray-painting cars in automotive factories. The over sprayed paint gradually built up on the tracks and skids that the car frames were painted on. Over time many colorful layers built up and were repeatedly hardened in the paint curing ovens. Some of the deeper layers were baked hundreds of times. Eventually the built up paint became obstructive and had to be removed.

As the story goes, some workers with an eye for beauty realized this unique byproduct was worth salvaging. It was super-cured, patterned like psychedelic agate, and could be cut and polished with relative ease! “RECYCLE IT!” seemed to be the resounding sentiment. And so it was...

As word got around about this remarkable material, rock hounds began showing up at auto factories, offering to help remove the problematic paint.


Sadly the techniques that produced this great rough years ago are no longer in practice. Cars are now painted with an electrostatic process that essentially magnetizes the enamels to the car bodies. This leaves little, or no over spray. The old factory methods that created this incredible material are long gone. The Fordite “mines” are dry, so get some while you still can!"

I got mine this weekend at the Spring Gemboree in Cuyahoga Falls.... :-)




8 comments:

  1. You got some gorgeous pieces too! I keep hoping that one day I will find some that I can afford because it's truly unlike anything else :)

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    1. Thanks Karen, I think there are some pieces available on ebay, :-)

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  2. Funny that it is called 'Fordite' when Henry Ford so famously said "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black."

    Your pieces are beautiful!

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  3. Oh my those are awesome pieces! The one on the right looks darn close to lace agate :) I found an out of the way stone shop here in Anchorage that has about 15 or 20 pieces. (Ooops, did I say that out loud?!)

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  4. It is thought that Rainbow Calsilica is or was made in the same manner and is not a natural gemstone. Thanks for the post. Love your bracelet by the way!

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    1. Thanks Regina, and I love rainbow calsilica too! :-)

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