Bubbles. Grrrrr! and major discoloration. I guess these papers didn't get a good coating. Yup, I learn that you must coat at least 2-3 times before pouring the resin. Now the bubbles weren't there until about 30 min. after I poured. I put them under a light source for some heat but the bubbles did not go away. I'm just not sure why or how this happens. I am glad this is the worst one out of all the bezels I filled.
The Patricia Healey leaf pendant came out really well. There are a few tiny bubbles at the bottom of the leaf but you can't see them very well.
Bubbles. gah!
Some discoloration and a few bubbles.
Some minor discoloration but no bubbles. Phew! This was the most expensive bezel (clasp) I filled.
And there was one more that got jipped in the photography due to my battery dying but it came out great, no bubbles or discoloration.
All in all, not bad. But I still need some practice!
thanks for sharing your resin experiences..i would love to try it..but it seems really tricky..
ReplyDeleteHobby Lobby have some antiqued copper and brass bezels that go on sale 1/2 price every other week..maybe that's what i should experiment with first as it seems that no matter which resin is used there are still those pesky bubbles. wonder what brand J.scott uses..and wonder if she also gets a lot of seconds due to bubbles
Have you considered re-doing any of the ones w/lotsa bubbles? is it possible to tear out the resin? b/c that's what i'd do... which would lead to a bigger mess but i always end up w/big messes.
ReplyDeletealso-im loving your new policies! if i had more customers i'd do that w/the no more checks and no more reserves for months and months...
The way to get rid of the bubbles is to wave a flame over the top of the resin, the bubbles will pop immediately. I use one of those long zippo lighters people use for their BBQ. I would check with Limabeads first though, I don't know the formulation of their resin. It works with the ice resin, and the one I usually use, I can't think of the name right now. I will send you a convo with the name, I know it is available at Micheal's.
ReplyDeleteI usually babysit my bezels and wave the flame over the top of them, every 10 to 15 minutes until the resin has firmed up.
I had some bubbles in my deeper bezels. My theory is that the resin firms up before some of the bubbles can rise to the top. My solution is to pour the deeper bezels in two steps, instead of all at once.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I have had the same frustrations with resin, so I was watching your video very closely to see what I'm doing wrong. The last time I tried it, and wasted a few bezels, I decided it wasn't worth the effort and cost. I've tried a couple of different brands of resin, and always have the same results. I haven't tried using heat to help with the bubbles, though. I'm almost afraid to try again.
ReplyDeleteI saw this great tutorial on YouTube, maybe youve seen it? I thought it was great!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHRGse4kpYw by beadaholique. They put Part A in hot tap water for 40 minutes etc. Great tute. Then explained how to get the bubbles out very clearly and use a with a micro torch. Good Luck!
Thanks for your vlogs :-) I am quite scared of two part resin for some reason so it's really good to see you doing it in 'real' time. Can I say that (even thought I know that technically they're not meant to be there...) I like the bubbles! I think they're cute. I think the wooden bezel and the leaf bezels are my favourites although all are very pretty. Good job I reckon!
ReplyDeletegreat bracelet at any rate and you got some great tips. Ice is the best way to go.
ReplyDeleteCan you take the resins out of the bezels after it sets or are you stuck w/ bubbles forever? It would make sense if you couldn't but I just wondered. I have some resin stuff and haven't used it yet. It's rather daunting!
ReplyDeleteHi Lorelei .... this is a really great and informative resin tutorial by John Golden. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAEKnv0OU08
ReplyDeleteHe advises coating your image after you've glued it into your bezel and making sure to adhere your modpodge right up against the edges of your image where it meets the bezel. That way you have a sealed image and the theory is that with the seal you won't get any resin creeping under the image causing discoloration. Not sure if you did this in your process. Also, for bubbles the heat flame, as mentioned, over the resin works really well or take a straw and gently blow on your resin, this will cause bubble to disperse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAEKnv0OU08
It's wonderful to see other artists progress and experimentation's, these have come well, it's like every thing all it takes is practice and perseverance
ReplyDeleteYou can come over and I'll dish all my resin secrets.
ReplyDeleteOh and you can take out the resin from ones you don't want. Just soak them in ATTACK over night. Then clean the bezels with soap and water. If needs be, a little mineral spirits and they'll be as good as new.
Of course, you could always sand your resin to give it a matte finish to hide most of the bubbles.
With the wooden bezel, since it had no bubbles at first but then developed them, that makes me wonder if the wood was porous, and perhaps that was a factor in bubble formation. If you try a wooden bezel again, you could try coating the inside of it with Mod Podge also. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteHow far ahead of time did you coat the paper with Mod Podge?
Your jewelry is lovely and charming. I really like the bluish green ones. They're very luminous and glowy.
ReplyDeleteYour clasp is particularly great! I'm sure you'll master the resin...until then call them "bubble bezels" and run with it :)
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend experimenting with inexpensive bezels, like bottle caps. That way, you can figure out the techniques without worrying about wrecking the expensive bezels. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteTara L.
Ugh, you poor thing. Resin is evil. I have never worked with a more frustrating medium. When I first started using the stuff, a very long time ago, I experimented with some different brands and finally landed on Castin Craft. I find it to be pretty consistent and cheap.
ReplyDeleteI think I may know why your pendants had bubbles. If the chemical make-up is anything like the stuff I use, I think the resin got to hot. For some reason, when exposed to to much direct heat bubbles magically appear from no where! It's like an evil miracle.
I tend to baby sit the pendants for the first hour or so. Checking them every 15 minutes or so. If bubbles stubbornly cling to the bottom, I use a piece of 28g wire to coax them up. And I yell at them, sometimes cry. But so far that doesn't help.
Hi Lorelei! to avoid bubbles there's an even easier way: the hair dryer!just blow hot air over the resin and bubbles will disappear.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards from Italy :)
Sofia
Lorelei, did you seal the edges of the paper as well as the front and back? I heard you say in the first video that you sealed the front and back. Sealing the edges is an important step too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for walking through the various steps of pouring resin into bezels. I like the wooden bezel with the bubbles - seems to work with the colours and give it an airy effect.
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out Carmi's Resin Crafts Blog (Carmi's Art/Life World)? She uses a different resin but has lots of tips on how to work with it and recently demonstrated how to address problems like bubbles and discolouration.
Good luck!
And if you come over, I'll load your pockets down so full of beads that it'll be like that scene from Amelie with the kid with marbles. I'm not even kidding!
ReplyDeleteI use the Gel du Soleil that Nunn Designs sells. Becky Nunn indicated that sealing the edges (prior to pouring the resin) 2-3 times and then making sure that there is zero moisture is the trick. After sealing I place bezel in sunny window for at least a day...every once in awhile a teeny tiny bubble appears that I prick with a needle...Works for me!!!
ReplyDeleteI used a pin to prick the bubbles. It pulled at the resin, but the resin set back into place after about a minute. This process worked 6 hours after pouring the resin, so if bubbles settle in an hour or so after poring, you still have time to remove them.
ReplyDelete