Resin inlay used to be very frustrating for I had all kinds of
bubbles, and wet sanding always left my resins looking crappy. After
TA-ing back in the spring for a resin workshop, I came home with lots
of new skills. A heat gun or heat embossing gun is necessary for
popping bubbles as you mix the 2 part expoy and once you pour it into
the mold, heat it a bit to pop the remaining bubbles. I find Devcon
quick setting expoy to work really well. Add a smidgen more hardener
when you miss the resin and hardener so that you can make sure your
resin hardens properly.
Pearl Ex pigments (made with mica powder) is georgous in inlay,
giving you color with great depth. Pastel pencils, acrylic paint, eye
makeup, even nail polish, all work well. Do sample colors to see how
they look and cure.
Also, UV Magic Glos by Lisa Pavelka, which cures under UV light,
comes in a small container, no mixing needed, and cures crystal
clear, plus it domes very nicely. I do use the heat gun to pop
bubbles so that I have a very even dome. Do thin layers, and build
up in separate curing stages rather than one thick layer that does
not cure well. Cure for severalhours under UV light for best
results. Does wet-sand well. Have used microbeads encased in UV
resin but some colors run. Magic Glos does notlike water-based
colors, so you have to use dry colors.
I’ve thrown my resin-inlay jewelry in the tumbler with abrasive
media, as well as steel shot, and holds up beautifully.
Just tips on resin.
Joy