Craftgrrl

i've heard of people using resin as earplugs. those resin bracelets are just too cool for words. the last thing i need is *another* craft to occupy my thoughts, but i, too, feel the need to work with resin. sorry, no advice, just crafty commiseration. :)

Resin is so luscious in the end, but a pain in the tuckus to work with, from my limited experience. From what I remember the fumes and raw materials are really toxic - so make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area, and maybe even get a respirator. Maybe there's less toxic options than when I was encasing bugs in high school. Once you get a cast, let the sanding-fest begin! To polish the resin you've got to sand the pieces with smoother and smoother sandpaper. I'm sure a sanding/buffing wheel would make a world of difference. I remember I used toothpaste for the final polish.

That's not to say that the work is rewarded when you have a lovely shiny thing floating in resin, but it's not easy.

I've noticed those bracelets around a lot too. I look at them and wonder if they are being mass produced or what the producers know that I don't. And I can't imagine doing many small pieces by hand.

I you do venture into ResinLand, please report back and let us know how it goes!

Tempted by shiny, smooth, resiny things,
Brandy.

those are the smallest molds sold in the craft store next to the casting resin- is why that you see that shape so often.
I am a resin-casting fool, and I use candy molds, plastic cups, ice cube trays, and molds I made out of liquid latex and plaster with great success. The trick is liquid PVA to spray or paint in the molds to make a perfectly smooth surface, which is sold next to casting resin, as well.
This is the thing about earplugs and small beads- the smaller the shape you are casting, the longer it takes to dry, and the longer it takes to dry, the more chance it has of cracking or otherwise becoming unpleasant. You have to experiment- a large object like a paperweight might cure in an hour, a small bead might take three days. You can help this a little by adding more catalyst when you start.
e-mail me with any questions :)

if you use the liquid PVA to line the molds,sanding is very minimal. Maybe just to clean up sharp edges...

det finns olika sorters 'gjut mallar' hos panduro. har dock ingen aning om hur man jobbar med resin så det kan hända att panduros plast formar smälter???

skicka efter katalog på panduro.se

jag tänkte mer på deras andra formar (typ i nya katalogen på sid 286-288) för tvålar etc...

I have a few pieces of jewelry just like that and theres no option of making them because..I wouldnt bother with that..but i was wondering if you could give me the links to the website you found them at? thankssss.

wooo, thanks. thats the place the lady who owns the store told me she got her jewelry..only I forgot what it was called. heh thankyouuuu.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_accessories_jewelry/article/0,,HGTV_3225_3263016,00.html

The person that makes those wsa on Crafters coast to coast and the website above shows you how to do this. I've done it and it works great.