I am currently trying to run a home based business of making custom italian charms that I sell on eBay and myspace also! Everything is going great except buying the hardener/coating for these charms is robbing me blind since all I can find on ebay or other charm sites is refilled bottles for 20+ dollars. What I am trying to find out is the actual name for this hardener used to coat the charms over the picture? I have asked numerous people on ebay and other sites BUT they act like this is a government secret and I only get ” its a coating specially formulated for photo jewelry” or “try looking in your arts and crafts stores for enamel/resin hardener”, well I have searched Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, and AC Moore for this and no one knows what it is. I know this has an actual name and its not just activator and hardener as printed on the bottles so if anyone could help me answer this question it would be greatly appreciated!
I cannot put images of the charms on here, but you can see the charms that I am referring to on my eBay page, it is myworld.ebay.com/mrcharmer864/ or you can also see them at www.myspace.com/mrcharmer864. The only thing that I know for sure about the coating is it is in 2 parts that you mix together in equal amounts and you have about 20 minutes to apply to the charms before it starts to set up, and that it also dries to a hard, clear, glass like finish!
go to a lapidary catalog and look for, clear casting resin. I’m sure you have seen paper weights and money suspended in clear plastic .this is what is used for that type of work.
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2 Responses
Diane B.
2009 May 05 1It would be helpful if you described more what *type* of hardener/coating you're using (or what exactly "Italian charms" are), but I assume you're using an "epoxy resin" or mulitple layers of polyurethane over an image of some kind (in a cell or just as a thick coating).
If the clear coating comes in two parts which are mixed together *equally*, and it takes about 24 hrs. to harden/cure, that would be an epoxy resin (also sometimes called "bartop resin").
(Some people may be using a polyester resin instead though –those are sometimes called "casting resins." One part is often referred to as the catalyst, and just a few drops of it are mixed with a lot of the other part. But that type of resin won't work as well for coatings and situations where the "good side" will cure *next to the air* –not in a mold or between layers of fiberglass.)
You can buy epoxy resin yourself in various places like craft and hobby stores, art supply stores, plastics stores, and (probably cheaper) online, but there's one brand that's way cheaper which can be purchased at Home Depot or other hardware-type stores. It's called Glaze Coat (Famowood, by Eclectic):
http://www.google.com/images?q="Glaze+Coat"+Famowood
…in the adhesives section at Home Depot … 1 qt. for $13
…some hardware stores have it by the pint
…Lowes…also try Ace Hardware, and even Target/Walmart/Walgreens?
You might also want to check out lots more info (and lessons, brands, etc.) re epoxy and polyester resins… this previous answer I gave at YA would be good:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApSyEPMN8QjReT1_ZXSsbbHty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081015214859AA9cNiS
HTH,
Diane B.
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cactus jack
2009 May 05 2go to a lapidary catalog and look for, clear casting resin. I’m sure you have seen paper weights and money suspended in clear plastic .this is what is used for that type of work.
References :
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