That Glossy Look......Epoxy/Resins & Alternatives
In the process of making bottle cap's, you may want that ever popular glossy shine on top of your images. In this post we will discuss Epoxy Resins and Dimensional Adhesives, and other alternatives to making the shiny coating for your bottle caps.
Epoxy Resins
The dictionary definition for Epoxy: Any of various usually thermosetting resins capable of forming tight cross-linked polymer structures characterized by toughness, strong adhesion, and low shrinkage, used especially in surface coatings and adhesives.
....Wow...that's a lot of big words...I'll translate: Epoxy is a strong coating and glue. There. All better.
Well, now we know what Epoxy Resin is....how do we use it? Which brand is best? Ahh, there are hundreds of kind of Epoxy. I couldn't possibly find and test them all. For the sake of this website; we will only discuss the most commonly used Epoxy's (and their substitutes) for Bottle Cap crafts. Even with that, there are some that I'm sure will be left out.
Epoxy Resins are two parts, mixed together to form a hard, plastic like coating. and the two part liquids. With the two part liquids, you must first mix the two liquids together before you pour it onto your items, this gets tricky as measuring the two liquids must be done carefully.
Examples of TWO-part Resin brands are: Envirotex Lite, Crystal Sheen, and Castin' Crafts Clear Resin (also known as Easy Cast).
Prices range from $16 for 8 oz. on eBay as of today (July 6, 2010).
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Epoxy Substitutes: Glazes
A great alternative to Epoxy are Dimensional Adhesives. The biggest difference between these and Epoxy is ..no mixing!
Most popular brands are listed below, in no particular order. Most are water based, and acid free. This does not mean they are 100% anti-yellowing, but it does help! Also, even once completely dried - these glazes are not water-proof! If you get them wet, the glaze will begin to dissolve and get cloudy.
Note: The brush-on glazes may be too thick. A thinner liquid will self-level, with a thicker liquid it dries almost exactly how you leave it. It would be great for adding dimension to small things, like letters and such.
#1: 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Hobby Craft - I use this one a lot, and I really like it the best.
#2: Deco Art Triple Thick Gloss Glaze ~ brush on
#3: Diamond Glaze by JudiKins
#4: Delta PermEnamel Clear Gloss Glaze
#5: Krylon Triple Thick Brush on Crystal Glaze ~ brush on
#6: Glossy Accents by Ranger Inkssentials
#7: GLOO from Ki Memories (sorry, no link) ~very thick, used mostly in scrap booking.
#8: Aleene's Paper Glaze (a bit more expensive, you're paying for a popular name)
Prices for these range a bit. Anywhere from $4 for 4 oz to $8.
More information about the pros and cons of using glazes can be found on the "Tips 2" page.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alternatives to all the above...I know of two other ways to get a nice glossy finish.
The first is a simple spray. The already mentioned Krylon Triple Thick Glaze comes in a aerosol spray as well, although not as thick..it does dry fast and will leave no bubbles (more about that in a sec.). Repeated coats will give you a very nice glossy coating. Price: about $6 a can.
The second, is embossing powder. UTEE is a very good product also from Ranger Inkssentials. This works for 'filled' bottle caps, where you full the cap with embossing powder and melt the powder in the oven or with a heat gun. Two applications are often needed for this process, as the powder shrinks when heated, and you'd need to add some more and melt again to completely fill the cap. Price: about $8 for 4 oz.
Air Bubbles In Glazes
A tip or two about Glazes. When you've applied your glaze you'll often notice tiny air bubbles. These will dry and look bad...so you'll want to prevent and remove them if at all possible.
Air bubbles are caused two ways.
1) The glaze itself has air bubbles. To prevent this: Do not shake the bottle before applying! Store bottle upside down (if possible). Since air may be inside the tip - when using, apply the first few drops on a paper towel instead of on your project.
2) Air pockets below where the glaze is applied. Typically from under your image (or whatever you put on the cap). Insuring you've used the best possible glue is important, and making sure you've pressed the image firmly will also help a lot. If you have an air pocket under your image, it will come out after you've applied the glaze!
Ok, we've taken the precautions...but there's still some bubbles!!!! Removing the tiny bubbles as soon as you've got a good coating on your project is the first step. Use a needle, toothpick, or even a dry paint brush to pop them, or move them to the sides and (hopefully) off your project. Then wait....about 5 minutes should do it...and check for bubbles again. However, once the glaze has started to dry, be careful - there will be a 'shell' and you don't want to damage it!
Disclaimer: All links on this page are provided for your convenience, I get nothing from having these links on my website.
Epoxy Resins
The dictionary definition for Epoxy: Any of various usually thermosetting resins capable of forming tight cross-linked polymer structures characterized by toughness, strong adhesion, and low shrinkage, used especially in surface coatings and adhesives.
....Wow...that's a lot of big words...I'll translate: Epoxy is a strong coating and glue. There. All better.
Well, now we know what Epoxy Resin is....how do we use it? Which brand is best? Ahh, there are hundreds of kind of Epoxy. I couldn't possibly find and test them all. For the sake of this website; we will only discuss the most commonly used Epoxy's (and their substitutes) for Bottle Cap crafts. Even with that, there are some that I'm sure will be left out.
Epoxy Resins are two parts, mixed together to form a hard, plastic like coating. and the two part liquids. With the two part liquids, you must first mix the two liquids together before you pour it onto your items, this gets tricky as measuring the two liquids must be done carefully.
Examples of TWO-part Resin brands are: Envirotex Lite, Crystal Sheen, and Castin' Crafts Clear Resin (also known as Easy Cast).
Prices range from $16 for 8 oz. on eBay as of today (July 6, 2010).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Epoxy Substitutes: Glazes
A great alternative to Epoxy are Dimensional Adhesives. The biggest difference between these and Epoxy is ..no mixing!
Most popular brands are listed below, in no particular order. Most are water based, and acid free. This does not mean they are 100% anti-yellowing, but it does help! Also, even once completely dried - these glazes are not water-proof! If you get them wet, the glaze will begin to dissolve and get cloudy.
Note: The brush-on glazes may be too thick. A thinner liquid will self-level, with a thicker liquid it dries almost exactly how you leave it. It would be great for adding dimension to small things, like letters and such.
#1: 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Hobby Craft - I use this one a lot, and I really like it the best.
#2: Deco Art Triple Thick Gloss Glaze ~ brush on
#3: Diamond Glaze by JudiKins
#4: Delta PermEnamel Clear Gloss Glaze
#5: Krylon Triple Thick Brush on Crystal Glaze ~ brush on
#6: Glossy Accents by Ranger Inkssentials
#7: GLOO from Ki Memories (sorry, no link) ~very thick, used mostly in scrap booking.
#8: Aleene's Paper Glaze (a bit more expensive, you're paying for a popular name)
Prices for these range a bit. Anywhere from $4 for 4 oz to $8.
More information about the pros and cons of using glazes can be found on the "Tips 2" page.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alternatives to all the above...I know of two other ways to get a nice glossy finish.
The first is a simple spray. The already mentioned Krylon Triple Thick Glaze comes in a aerosol spray as well, although not as thick..it does dry fast and will leave no bubbles (more about that in a sec.). Repeated coats will give you a very nice glossy coating. Price: about $6 a can.
The second, is embossing powder. UTEE is a very good product also from Ranger Inkssentials. This works for 'filled' bottle caps, where you full the cap with embossing powder and melt the powder in the oven or with a heat gun. Two applications are often needed for this process, as the powder shrinks when heated, and you'd need to add some more and melt again to completely fill the cap. Price: about $8 for 4 oz.
Air Bubbles In Glazes
A tip or two about Glazes. When you've applied your glaze you'll often notice tiny air bubbles. These will dry and look bad...so you'll want to prevent and remove them if at all possible.
Air bubbles are caused two ways.
1) The glaze itself has air bubbles. To prevent this: Do not shake the bottle before applying! Store bottle upside down (if possible). Since air may be inside the tip - when using, apply the first few drops on a paper towel instead of on your project.
2) Air pockets below where the glaze is applied. Typically from under your image (or whatever you put on the cap). Insuring you've used the best possible glue is important, and making sure you've pressed the image firmly will also help a lot. If you have an air pocket under your image, it will come out after you've applied the glaze!
Ok, we've taken the precautions...but there's still some bubbles!!!! Removing the tiny bubbles as soon as you've got a good coating on your project is the first step. Use a needle, toothpick, or even a dry paint brush to pop them, or move them to the sides and (hopefully) off your project. Then wait....about 5 minutes should do it...and check for bubbles again. However, once the glaze has started to dry, be careful - there will be a 'shell' and you don't want to damage it!
Disclaimer: All links on this page are provided for your convenience, I get nothing from having these links on my website.