Resin jewelry making

Resin is rather a strange beast.  For any of you who have worked with it for any amount of time, you know what I mean.  You can seemingly do everything right and somehow it doesn't work.  (Enjoy my resin jewelry making mistakes here.)  I've posted some resin jewelry making tips before, but I've recently found a few quirky items to add to the list. 

The resin I've been using for my scrabble pendants mixes in a 1:1 ratio.  It doesn't matter how big a batch I make, but it has to be equal parts.  Most of the time lately, when I've mixed a total amount of 15 milliliters, by the time I get to the end of putting it on pendants, it's starting to get thick and I have a fair share of bubbles to get out of the pendants.  By happy accident one day, I found that if I pour a "smidge" (yes, that's a technical term) less hardener, compared to the resin, it will stay fluid longer, but still cure completely.  That has made it easier for the bubbles to rise on their own, or for me to get them out.

I use a toothpick to dop my resin onto the scrabble tiles.  This may sound incredibly stupid (or intuitive depending who you are), but I have figured out that the toothpick must go straight into the resin, then straight out.  Any slight "scooping" introduces microbubbles into the resin.  Perhaps that's why I had so many to get out to begin with.

Lastly, when I use a straw to get out the bubbles of the poured resin, I have to change it up after two batches.  (I won't talk about the actual technique of doing that because it can be dangerous to your health if you don't do it right.  I know I've got resin jewelry makers that read this blog and I don't want to endanger you.  However, if you watch enough resin jewelry making videos, you will find the technique.)  When I use a straw for more than two batches, there gets to be too much moisture placed on the pendants and they cure slightly tacky on top.

Just when I thought I knew what I was doing, resin once again claims itself as the boss.