Comments on: From my “Growing Crystals” experiments. http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/ The musings of Brother John. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:38:20 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Brother John http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-381 Brother John Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:38:20 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-381 The biggest deal is with the "saturation" of your solution. Too little concentration results in small crystals. Too much concentration causes "wild" seeds to accumulate on the bottom of your container, on the sides of your container, and it seals off the top of your solution preventing evaporation. All crystals will stop forming when the concentration of solution in the water drops to a certain point. And if the solution becomes too "watery", the process will even reverse! Yep, your crystals will start to "ungrow". They will vanish! Did you continue to add water? If you did, you also needed to increase the concentration of your solution. Given enough time, and proper adjustments to your solution, it is actually possible to grow LARGE crystals. I have some examples I'll share when I get some time. -<strong>Brother John</strong> <em>Lansdowne, Pennsylvania <strong>USA</strong></em> The biggest deal is with the “saturation” of your solution. Too little concentration results in small crystals. Too much concentration causes “wild” seeds to accumulate on the bottom of your container, on the sides of your container, and it seals off the top of your solution preventing evaporation. All crystals will stop forming when the concentration of solution in the water drops to a certain point. And if the solution becomes too “watery”, the process will even reverse! Yep, your crystals will start to “ungrow”. They will vanish! Did you continue to add water? If you did, you also needed to increase the concentration of your solution. Given enough time, and proper adjustments to your solution, it is actually possible to grow LARGE crystals. I have some examples I’ll share when I get some time.

-Brother John
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania USA

]]> By: Brother John http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-380 Brother John Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:33:19 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-380 <strong>Amy</strong> and <strong>Ashley</strong>, I'm going to start some crystal projects again in the near future. I have a <a href="http://brotherjohn.thruhere.net" rel="nofollow"><strong>new site</strong></a> where I plan to post my progress and give tips. If your browser won't let you click on the link, you can type this in: http://brotherjohn.thruhere.net As I said, It might take me a little while yet before I start. -<strong>Brother John</strong> <em>Lansdowne, Pennsylvania <strong>USA</strong></em> Amy and Ashley,
I’m going to start some crystal projects again in the near future. I have a new site where I plan to post my progress and give tips. If your browser won’t let you click on the link, you can type this in:

http://brotherjohn.thruhere.net

As I said, It might take me a little while yet before I start.

-Brother John
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania USA

]]> By: Ashley Hughes http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-379 Ashley Hughes Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:23:50 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-379 You are very smart to know exactly how to make crystals. You are very smart to know exactly how to make crystals.

]]> By: Amy http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-282 Amy Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:43:10 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-282 um my crystals didnt grow either it grew llike really small then it disapeared!! um my crystals didnt grow either it grew llike really small then it disapeared!!

]]> By: Brother John http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-257 Brother John Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:15:50 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-257 <strong>Meredith</strong>, I actually hate to hear that... way back in the day, when I was in school, I totally failed my crystal growing project. Not only did I feel bad about that, but I didn't look too good compared to my classmates who did succeed. In my adult life, I've since learned a lot about the mechanics and science of growing crystals. I actually got the knowledge BEFORE I tried to recreate my old school project. But when I did, I got crystals on my very first try! Recently, two other people (<strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-252" rel="nofollow">Raymond</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-251" rel="nofollow">Tay</a></strong>) asked me for advice and I gave a fairly lengthy description at <a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-253" rel="nofollow">this link</a>. If your browser won't let you click on that directly, you can manually type in the address: <a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-253" rel="nofollow">http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-253</a> One tip I didn't mention to <strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-252" rel="nofollow">Raymond</a></strong> or <strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-251" rel="nofollow">Tay</a></strong> is that you can dip your string into your saturated solution early on, then lay the string on some wax paper. As it dries, you'll get some <em>"seed crystals"</em> forming in the string. Later, when you submerge your string in the solution, the seed crystals will give the whole process a head start. Read over what I've written to <strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-252" rel="nofollow">Raymond</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-251" rel="nofollow">Tay</a></strong> and see if it helps. <strong>Brother John</strong> <em>Lansdowne, Pennsylvania <strong>USA</strong></em> Meredith,

I actually hate to hear that… way back in the day, when I was in school, I totally failed my crystal growing project. Not only did I feel bad about that, but I didn’t look too good compared to my classmates who did succeed. In my adult life, I’ve since learned a lot about the mechanics and science of growing crystals. I actually got the knowledge BEFORE I tried to recreate my old school project. But when I did, I got crystals on my very first try!

Recently, two other people (Raymond and Tay) asked me for advice and I gave a fairly lengthy description at this link. If your browser won’t let you click on that directly, you can manually type in the address:

http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/more-fun-with-crystals/#comment-253

One tip I didn’t mention to Raymond or Tay is that you can dip your string into your saturated solution early on, then lay the string on some wax paper. As it dries, you’ll get some “seed crystals” forming in the string. Later, when you submerge your string in the solution, the seed crystals will give the whole process a head start.

Read over what I’ve written to Raymond and Tay and see if it helps.

Brother John
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania USA

]]> By: Meredith http://brotherjohns.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/crystals/from-my-growing-crystals-experiments/#comment-256 Meredith Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:52:54 +0000 http://brotherjohns.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/growing-crystals.jpg#comment-256 I did that! my crystals aren't growing at all! i had to redo it three times and it still didn't grow! i waited a whole week! nothing happened! wut am i doing wrong?! I did that! my crystals aren’t growing at all! i had to redo it three times and it still didn’t grow! i waited a whole week! nothing happened! wut am i doing wrong?!

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