Resin Jewelry Without a Mold?

by Robin
(Indiana)

If you want to use resin as a protective barrier to a piece of jewelry, how do you do it? Can it be painted on?

Answer:

If I get what you're saying, you want to varnish or seal your piece of jewelry. (Please correct me if you meant something else).

I'm not sure if resin is the material you really want to use as a sealant or varnish. Artists generally use two types of resins - casting resin and coating resin.

Casting resin are the type you use with a mold.

I think Robin is referring to casting resin (Robin, please correct me if I'm wrong).

Coating resins are generally used as a high gloss finish on objects like tables and bar tops, or for decoupage, photographs and newspaper clippings. You can pour it on or brush it on. There are a few spray sealant types on the market too.

Envirotex Lite and Aristocrat Liquid Glass are a few brands you can check out.

For jewelry making, I think resin is a great sealant to protect paper (for a glossy, plasticized look), or for fabric. It'll gloss up and stiffen anything it's applied to. It's comparable to applying 50 coats of varnish.

If you want to protect your sterling silver or copper from tarnishing though, I wouldn't use regular 2 part-resin. Here are some options for keeping silver and copper shiny:

Lacquer - Some people recommend using a lacquer like Procraft or Midas Finish Seal but spots will wear off, and it can`t be spot repaired. The Midas scratches easily. You`ll get drip lines, bubbles, and pooling lacquer too. Not fun.

Tarni-shield is a silver polish that I might work, but I`ve never tried it myself. I hear that it`s a thick and gooey substance that you rub on and buff off.

According to Tim McCreight (The Complete Metalsmith) Beeswax and paraffin wax based protection - This is what the pros use to protect metal. You can try using a furniture wax like Butcher`s Wax. If you want to buy a commercial product made specifically to protect metal, Renaissance Wax and Museum Wax are a couple to check out.

I`ve read that you can get good results from Turtle Wax Finish 2001 car polish. It is a silicone resin, urethane product,and not a wax. You brush it on and use a soft cloth to buff off the haze.

Whew! That was along drawn out answer. I hope that my long-windedness answered your question.

If anyone tries any of these techniques, please! Add your comments.

Christine Gierer
How-to-Make-Jewelry.com