Hardening the shell of an egg.

[50AE]

I don't know about the other countries in eastern Europe, but here we have a custom. Painting boiled eggs with different organic dyes and styles, alright. But after this, comes the most fun part. Call it egg smashing if you want. Using his wrist, one holds the egg facing upwards, while the other guy hits it with another egg. Simple - the broken egg is the looser and the intact one is winner. The looser egg is simply eaten afterwards.

 

The goal in winning is to have eggs with hard shells! (Well, also a hitting technique exist).

 

So this is why I started the topic, I'd like to "cheat a little", by finding a way of hardening my egg shells. Remember, it has to look normal, no epoxy paint is acceptable for example.

 

I thought about something. Maybe dipping it in a hot solution of calcium chloride for some time, to let it be absorbed in the pores of the casing, and then dipping it in sodium silicate. Calcium silicate will form in the pores, which would harden the shell, right? Or a carbonate, resulting in the formation of CaCO3

 

Reaction 1: CaCl2 + Na2SiO3 ---> CaSiO3 + 2NaCl

Reaction 2 : CaCl2 + Na2CO3 --> CaCO3 + 2NaCl

Edited April 5, 2011 by 50AE

[Peret]

Sodium silicate ("water glass") on its own - just dip the eggs in it with no pretreatment (other than washing them) and let them dry. You want the kind that's like thin syrup, not the powder, which won't work. Its original purpose was preserving eggs, strangely enough. Sodium silicate reacts with calcium carbonate in the shell to make a hard impermeable cement, but it looks just like the original shell.

[50AE]

Thanks, gonna try it and share the results

[NightHawkInLight]

Ah you got it all wrong

 

You don't need to harden the shell, you need to replace the contents! Drain it by drilling a small hole in the top and bottom (you need two to allow air in as the other drains), then fill it with some sort of quick setting silicone or epoxy! Use something that's not going to have trouble hardening all the way through with only the two holes on either end letting in air. Then patch up the holes with a little glue or filler to smooth em out. Paint it up and you're good to go.

[50AE]

I've thought about this long time ago, but it is very cheating

 

What if people want to break my egg to check if it's not fake? They won't be happy to see it with epoxy inside.

Edited April 15, 2011 by 50AE

[NightHawkInLight]

Ah ok, so you don't want your secret to be discovered...

 

In that case I think water glass is the way to go. A good thick coat.

[Mumbles]

Successive alternative dips in calcium chloride solutions and sodium silicate could potentially be a way to build the shell wall up even more.

 

You could always bring and ostrich egg. You could probably give someone a concussion with one of those things.

[killforfood]

Ah you got it all wrong

 

You don't need to harden the shell, you need to replace the contents! Drain it by drilling a small hole in the top and bottom (you need two to allow air in as the other drains), then fill it with some sort of quick setting silicone or epoxy! Use something that's not going to have trouble hardening all the way through with only the two holes on either end letting in air. Then patch up the holes with a little glue or filler to smooth em out. Paint it up and you're good to go.

This was my first thought but then I remebered last years egg launch winner.

For our annual Church 4^th of July picnic I built a giant sling shot for launching water balloons and eggs. We have a contest to see who can launch an egg the farthest without breakage. I've seen eggs packed in everything from cooked oatmeal to Jell-O. Last year's winner packed his egg in nothing. He bought a bunch of eggs from different stores until he found some with extra hard shells. We were repeatedly launching his eggs over 100yds without breakage.

I suggest you take a liking to eating lots of omelets until you find some extra hard eggs.

 

I currently have 17 Chicks (Chooks for you Aussies) in the brooder. After some intense training and extra Oyster shells; I'm sure to be next year's winner.

[NightHawkInLight]

This was my first thought but then I remebered last years egg launch winner.

For our annual Church 4^th of July picnic I built a giant sling shot for launching water balloons and eggs. We have a contest to see who can launch an egg the farthest without breakage. I've seen eggs packed in everything from cooked oatmeal to Jell-O. Last year's winner packed his egg in nothing. He bought a bunch of eggs from different stores until he found some with extra hard shells. We were repeatedly launching his eggs over 100yds without breakage.

I suggest you take a liking to eating lots of omelets until you find some extra hard eggs.

 

I currently have 17 Chicks (Chooks for you Aussies) in the brooder. After some intense training and extra Oyster shells; I'm sure to be next year's winner.

 

That's also true. Find some eggs from homegrown birds and you'll have shells at least twice as hard as those from factory bred birds. Up until a year or two ago I had quite a few chickens and game birds. A lot of those eggs were tough to crack in the first try on the edge of a frying pan. A good diet goes a long way.

[moondogman]

That's also true. Find some eggs from homegrown birds and you'll have shells at least twice as hard as those from factory bred birds. Up until a year or two ago I had quite a few chickens and game birds. A lot of those eggs were tough to crack in the first try on the edge of a frying pan. A good diet goes a long way.

 

Duck eggs are harder than the chicken eggs too. Your 100% right about the homegrown eggs the yolks are much deeper yellow than the poor anemic store-bought eggs.

Steve

[WillowPineAndBoom]

50AE! Did you finally try it or not?

[Richtee]

I suppose burying it for a couple thousand years in mineral rich soil is outta the question...