Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Getting Glued - or why Epoxy is just like Baking

Oh boy! I've just received some DiamondGlaze and it looks goooooood...
I suspect - should all go well today - I make actually start making some new steampunk jewelry.

I'm also going to be testing out some new glues. It looks warm enough to open the windows -- because I certainly don't want lung damage. One of the test glues will be the e6000 product - which looks good in theory though - holy crap it has a number of warnings on it. hm. I'm always reluctant to use things that can end up getting absorbed into the skin.. and you know - cause some weird long term effects.

Anyone want to talk about glue? lol. Its def one of my fav subjects. Getting one thing to stick to another. I've really no great luck on soldering to be honest. Mostly due to the range of materials I use. Soldering steel? arg. soldering copper to brass, brass to steel, steel to aluminum, ... i seriously get nightmares.

Unlike my Dad - who has a lifetime of luck and skill - I just am not a fan of epoxies. Nothing wrong with a good old epoxy. Really expoxies - the 2 part kind - rule the stars. Unfortunately epoxies and I aren't the best of buddies. I dunno. I mix well. Really I do. I suspect it is the measuring. Maybe what I should do is load up 2 syringes with hardner and glue and then squeeze out exactly the correct amount.

I think using epoxies is much baking. Seriously... I'm a cook. I can't bake. Oh sure, once ever 5 years I will bake. In fact I baked up some awesome banana bread last week. But really all that ... measuring. it drives me crazy. 1/4 of a teaspoon? Are you kidding me? What happens if i am making a half batch? I then either wing it or google up "whats a half of a quarter of a teaspoon?".

Evidently my poor broken brain agrees. Measuring epoxy is Just Like Baking. I end up with too much glue or too much hardner, or break the not-to-be-broken rule of "Mix Yer Epoxy for One Solid Minute or Else".

I suspect I don't have the attention span of 60 seconds. sure thing I can spend 45 minutes taking apart a piece of machine, or 2 hrs picking through gears the size of a 1yr old's little toenail, but can i sit there mixing Epoxy for 60 seconds? seems not.

To be fair though - there are some epoxies I've had luck with. Just not a consistant result. I'm going to try out this stuff and will let you all know.

so any one out there love a glue?

ClockworkZero out :)

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