Epoxy resin for jewelry is a modern chemical material, which is very popular among craftsmen who create handmade jewelry. From the plastic mass, it is possible to make products that completely imitate glass. Natural materials (cones, dried flowers, leaves and others), filled with transparent gloss, look unusually attractive.
People who are passionate about beautiful jewelry and are keen on creating all kinds of hand-made crafts, we offer to find out together what is jewelry epoxy, what are the rules and subtleties of working with it. As part of the article, we will conduct a small master class on making a pendant.
Learning the content
The word "resin" usually causes an association with the natural origin of the substance. But in this case we are talking about a chemical product. Externally, the glaze is a transparent liquid, in the composition of which there are two components: resin and hardener.
When combined, substances enter into a chemical reaction, polymerizing with each other. The result is a complete hardening of the resin. Before polymerization begins, solid fillers can be added to the glaze, which can change the properties of the resulting plastic in the desired direction.
Varieties of modified plastic
Do-it-yourself epoxy resin is made on the basis of well-known brands of glue of domestic production - ECF and EAF. You can buy them in stores selling household appliances. A small package of 280 g costs about 70-80 rubles.
The ratio of modified resin to hardener should be in the range of 8: 1 to 10: 1. The chemical polymerization process takes place at room temperature and lasts several hours. It takes at least 12 hours to solidify completely. Hardener for epoxy resin affects the polymerization rate: the more it is in the composition, the faster the shape of the product will be fixed. The ratio of components must be measured very accurately - this directly affects the final result.
Another product of the domestic chemical industry is ED-20 epoxy. It is very convenient to work with her at home, and the price looks more attractive (half the price of ECF and EAF). A significant drawback is the large packaging: 6 kg of resin and 1 kg - hardener.
On sale you can also find two-component compositions of foreign production. On their basis, excellent epoxy products are obtained. In addition to the main raw materials, in the packaging you can find protective gloves, plastic measuring cups, wooden sticks for mixing. Such sets are much more expensive than domestic counterparts. The mixing ratio in them can be very different: 2: 1, 1: 1 or otherwise. It is possible that the proportions will have to be calculated using a special formula. In any case, you must adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations.
We are careful in work
Epoxy resin is widely used in construction, finishing works, as well as in printing industry. Raw materials for technical purposes have a pronounced chemical smell, and fumes irritate the respiratory system. When working with industrial material, protective equipment should be used.
Epoxy resin for jewelry and decorative work of trusted manufacturers does not harm health. Although safety precautions should not be neglected. Usually there is detailed information about them on the factory packaging, but it will be useful to mention this now. So, precautions when working with chemical glaze:
- so that the resin does not get on the skin of the hands and mucous membranes, you should work in rubber gloves and a protective petal;
- if a chemical product gets on the body, immediately remove it from the skin and rinse with clean water at the contact area;
- Do not use resin for the manufacture of products in contact with food;
- it is recommended to line the working space with plastic wrap or wax paper ;
- work is carried out in a well-ventilated area.
We withstand temperature
The polymerization process is accompanied by heat. As a result of a chemical reaction, the resin can heat up to 60 degrees. This feature must be considered when choosing casting molds, it is desirable that they be heat-resistant.
Preheating of the starting components accelerates the polymerization process. As the temperature rises, the fluidity of the resin increases and its viscosity decreases. Filling of small parts with epoxy resin will occur faster and better if the solution is preheated to 25-30 ° C. Then the filler is introduced into it and only then the hardener.
Lowering the air temperature and excess moisture negatively affect the polymerization. Under such conditions, the process may take too long or may not reach completion.
We achieve the desired consistency
While the epoxy resin for jewelry has not entered the polymerization stage, it retains the properties of a viscous liquid. If a dry filler is introduced into the solution, it can sink down (cement, gypsum) or rise to the surface (wood chips, cork). This feature of the material must be taken into account when choosing an injection mold and distributing the composition over it.
Use of aids
The main difficulty that will have to face in the process of work is air bubbles. If you let the mixture stand a little or slightly warm it, they will pop up. To get rid of bubbles that adhere to the form, you can use a regular toothpick. To make the epoxy with your own hands the perfect consistency, fill it with a thin stream through a fine strainer.
When working with glaze, it is convenient to use disposable tableware to prepare a separate portion of the mixture. Plastic jars of dairy products (yoghurts, cottage cheese) are well suited for these purposes. Stir the mixture conveniently with wooden sticks of ice cream.
To make an accurate dosage of the components, you can use medical syringes of various capacities. Please note that in this case, the epoxy resin must be filled into the container from above. And the hardener is filled into the syringe in the usual way.
It is advisable to lubricate the filling molds with a protective solution. It can be replaced with regular petroleum jelly or parquet mastic. Apply a thin layer and remove excess conveniently with a cotton swab. If the molds are made of silicone, polyethylene or plexiglas, they will not need pre-lubrication.
Talk about fillers
Solid and liquid additives influence how epoxy resin adornments result. Most often, alabaster, cement, chalk, wood chips or glitter (sparkles) are used for these purposes. The content of the additive in the total volume of the mixture is not more than 50%.
Dry fillers provide hard but brittle plastic. To neutralize undesirable quality and improve the ductility of the material, liquid plasticizers are used. The simplest and most affordable supplement can be castor oil. Usually one or two drops is enough.
We choose the composition for making the pendant
A special transparent epoxy resin for jewelry will help us create the jewelry. As an example, we can take a two-component composition of Gedeo produced by the French company Pebeo with a capacity of 150 ml.
The material perfectly imitates glass and is used not only in the manufacture of jewelry, but also for multilayer coatings, surface decoration, and restoration of cracks. The basis for application can be glass, metal, earthenware, silicone, plastic, painted wood. Glaze is characterized by exceptional transparency, lack of smell, it is easy to prepare. The finished product is characterized by increased strength and does not turn yellow from time to time.
Step by Step Actions
- Glaze components are placed in a clean, dry dish in the following order: first 100 ml of Resin A liquid, then Hardener B epoxy hardener 50 ml. Both substances must be thoroughly and gently mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. It is important to prevent the formation of air bubbles. If nevertheless this could not be avoided, then you can immediately pierce them with a wooden toothpick. The mixing process can take 15–20 minutes.
- The resulting mixture has a liquid consistency, so it must be set aside for 40-60 minutes. This time should be enough for the solution to reach the viscosity of a thick jelly.
- During this time, we prepare a mold whose depth should not exceed 50 mm. With excessive volume, the glaze may not harden. It is very convenient to mold jewelry made of epoxy resin in a silicone container. Products specifically designed for this purpose are on sale. If you use a mold made of a material that comes into contact with an epoxy, it must be treated with protective grease.
- A small portion of the resulting mixture is poured into the prepared form and allowed to dry for 15–20 minutes.
- With tweezers, decorative details are laid out on the frozen surface. It can be multi-colored pebbles, crumbs, dried flowers, leaves and more.
- Top up with the remaining mixture. Distribute the composition evenly so that it completely covers the inner element.
- At the end of pouring, the epoxy resin for jewelry should dry within 24 hours. Since the surface attracts dust from the air, it is better to cover the form.
Useful Tips
If you do not want to wait long, you can speed up the drying process by slightly heating the mold in the oven. Try not to overheat, otherwise bubbles may form on the surface.
The hole for the lace can be made using a wooden stick while the product is in a soft condition. If you are late with this - it does not matter, you can carefully drill a hole in the frozen pendant.
Make sure that the surface where the mold is located is absolutely smooth. This will not allow the mass to roll in one direction.
After removing the finished decoration from the mold, sand it with a rough sandpaper to align the edges. Pass the string through the hole and wear the pendant to your health.