Saturday, July 11, 2009

Adventures in Resin: Part 2--Magic Glos

Quick update on my resin experimentation...yesterday I tried using Magic Glos to go over the pendants I'd sealed with my first batch of Colores Doming Resin but were still sticky because I hadn't mixed well enough. Sorry to say, it was pretty much a failure.

Magic Glos is a UV resin, which means it needs either a UV lamp or sunshine to cure but then it cures pretty quickly--maybe in 20 minutes. When I tried putting it over the sticky areas, I noticed that the Magic Glos didn't stay put and the surface got bumpy and uneven as it cured. I was able to remove the Magic Glos crust (reminded me of "Magic Shell", that chocolate coating that hardens on ice cream).

So I tried Colores again on the sticky ones. Some were still salvageable but the backs were pretty messy from the first batch running under. I had to just throw out a couple because they were just a tad sticky still. I must've really done a poor job mixing on those because the Colores from the first batch was still running out from under the new curing Colores. Ugh.

Back to Magic Glos...I'm sure there are some projects that it's great for but I don't really like it for covering pendants. Even if I didn't have the Colores underneath, it still cures too quickly to be confident you have time to fix bubbles or rhinestone placement. Plus, I felt like I had to babysit it so it actually takes longer than using Colores which I can leave inside covered and go about my business. If you cover Magic Glos, you run the risk of the UV light not being able to get to it. I guess investing in a UV lamp and working inside would solve that problem. I tried it on just plain paper which you have to seal with tape or laminate--can't use mod podge or other water-based glaze--and that's kind of a pain to trim around the image to get the extra tape off (got bumpy edges. Plus, I had to apply several layers to get a dome-like effect (which meant even more time).

So, now that I know how to use it correctly, I'm sticking with Colores. I'll have to come up with something else for the Magic Glos because I hate the idea of wasting $10!
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2 comments:

  1. How were you able to remove the Magic Glos once it had cured. It made a mess of some of my beads and I haven't found a good way to remove it - Lessons Learned
    NEVER use it on a surface that isn't flat e.g. a round bead - what a MESS

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  2. It's been awhile so I don't remember exactly how I did it...I think it just peeled off, which might be easier to do from a flat surface where you could get an edge in. You could try using a heat gun--see if it melts it enough to loosen its hold on the surface. I've done that with Colores. & as an update...in the last 3 years, I've stuck with Colores. Are you just trying to seal the bead or actually encase it in resin? If sealing, a spray fixative or paint-on sealant might work. If needing to put it in resin, you could try putting the bead in a mold & then pour resin over it. Then turn it over once one side cures & pour over the other side (though I haven't worked with molds like that so I don't know how easily it would come out of the mold--I'm just brainstorming here.) Good luck!

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