How in the world do you guys make your beads look glassy? I just made a couple pendants, and I tried putting a thin layer of translucent over the entire pendant. I put them in an ice water bath as soon as I took them out of the oven. They just look cloudy. This translucent layer was the thinnest setting on my pasta machine, and then I took it and rolled it out even thinner. Maybe it wasn't thin enough. I'm using Premo. I know there is polishing and buffing involved as well as the various finishes that have been talked about on this board. I really have no idea how much polishing and buffing I need to do and what I need to use other than the high number sand paper. I have used Future before, but that doesn't really give me that glassy look. It's shiny but not what I'm really after. I read about the Triple Thick, which seems to be promising. I'm really new to this, so would somebody please tell me how to do this? I am addicted to this clay stuff now and love it, but I'm frustrated. Thanks so much!

Okay..some...quite a lot really, believe you have to sand and sand and sand then buff..others like our Sparklebee does not I think .she does coats with future. I am going to post pics of pieces I could not sand because I used powders but applied polyglaze on one and Triple Thick on the other. Here is one with TT and here is one with polyglaze

If a piece has no mica powders on it, here's what I do.

Believe it or not, sometimes the translucent doesn't look as shiny as it really is becuase the light shoots through it rather than bouncing off. That said, my fool-proof approach is to sand first with 400 and keep feeling the piece with my fingers to make sure there aren't any dips, bumps, etc. Then up to 600 or 800, then up to 1000 and I usually stop there but I have moved to 1500 grit on occasion. The easiest things to sand by hand this way are large beads, cabs, etc. I put a small square of sand paper in the palm of my hand, creating a "nest" and move the bead, not the paper, to sand.

If EVERYTHING I've got is round, I line the inside of the drum of my tumbler (some folks just put in pieces of sand paper but I like to line it with a strip that goes all the way around) and run it for 20 minutes or so (This can be risky if you have applied real thin slices of cane so be careful and check after 5 mintes or so to see how things are going.) If nothing is lumpy, I'll start with 600 rather than with 400, then move on up as before.

Next I buff. Usually with a piece of denim or I'll just rub each piece in that little dip beside the kneecap because it cups around the bead, and the bone puts a lot of pressure on the denim so the bead gets fairly shiny.

Then 3 coats of Future, drying completely in between each coat. If you don't want it to look really glassy, stop with one coat. More than 3 won't really do much more, so the magic number is 2 or 3. Once time I sanded lightly between coats and it didn't seem to make a difference so I don't do that.

Thanks Jilla and fenian. I really want to try the Triple Thick. I was making pendants tonight, and most had powders on them. The mica powders do add some shine that does help with the look I'm going for. I applied 3 coats of Future, and they looked better than some of the other stuff I've done. One of them looked good enough to put in a piece to actually sell, so I was excited over that. Jilla, all that sanding seems so time consuming! I have to admit that I'm really lazy...and I'm impatient when it comes to results! Of course, if that's what it takes to make a really good piece, then that's what I'll do. [:)]

Fenian, I have to say I just love those pieces! Are the blue, pink, and purple colors from powders? I just have some silvery white powder that I use to highlight right now. You people are so talented!

Speaking for Fenian - yes. Mica powders come in 35-40 colors. If you live near a Michael's, watch for a 40% coupon in the Sunday ad, and you can get sets of a dozen colors that are regulary about $25.

Thank you! I am so addicted to powders..sometimes I think this is not good as it keeps me from trying other techniques. The heart was made with perfect pearls (four colors to a pack..about $15 and the paisley pendants were made with pearl-ex which I have been using more and more lately...I have about a dozen colors but I didn't purchase them all at once...like Jilla mentioned I used coupons..in my case, at AC Moore..hey are these two places affiliated? Seems like they have the same inventory , coupons, etc

here is another heart that I used cheap eye makeup purchased at the dollar store and finished with polyglaze ( this was before I discovered Triple Thick)

Armysis: I use the Krylon Triple Thick spray which I really like...Sparklebee doesn't like it..I guess she said it didn't dry properly..I have noticed on a couple of pieces that the piece I sprayed felt a bit "tacky" even after a couple of days so what I have done is put a coat of Future over this and that corrected that problem...it may have to do with high humidity .... anyway, I noticed at AC Moore they have another Triple Thick Spray made by DECO I believe...I am going to purchase this product as well and will keep you all updated.

I so need a tumbler!!![:D]

Hey Jilla, got any recommendations for Baby's First Tumbler? [:)]

Figured I'd jump into this forum with both feet, and this is a great thread to start with!

Linelle, if you're looking for a first tumbler, I might suggest going with the toy ones that you may have seen before. I have three, one each for 320, 400, and 600 grits. They're cheap (think I got mine at Michael's for less than $30, on sale), don't use a lot of power, and seem to do a decent job. I will usually run by beads through each grit for up to 24 hours, though I have seen suggestions for variances on times. A little practice and experimentation will help you find out what works best for you.

As far as "glass-like" finishes, I have tried a few different glazes. I tried the Future, but thought that was a bit thin; it didn't seem to give me the coating I wanted, even after up to 8 or so coats. I had been using Minwax's water-based polyurethane, which works great. It takes a little bit of time to dry, up to about 2 or 3 hours, before you can recoat. Results are very good, however. Recently, though, I discovered the Triple Thick from DecoArt (I think). This stuff is AMAZING! You coat your item, and it's ready for another coat within about 10-15 minutes. You need to let the item sit for up to 24 hours before you can handle them, else you'll mess up the finish. I will let my stuff sit for up to 3 days before I handle them, just to be sure. The Triple Thick is a "brush-on" glaze, but I have actually taken to just dunking the item into the jar of glaze, then using a 3/4" clean paintbrush (designated to this task now) to brush off the excess glaze. I find I get fewer brushstrokes that way.

This picture is one of my latest projects, just a faux dichro look, glazed with the Triple Thick. With results like this, I think the Triple Thick is now my glaze of choice. [:D]

Tumblers - Lots of people get them at Harbor Freight at a very reasonable price. The ones that come with kids' gemstone tumbling starter kits are fine too and you can find those at Michael's etc. and probably use a coupon. I got mine from Rio Grande because I was setting up for making lots of jump rings for chainmaiile so I needed shot too so it was a matter of convenience.

For clay, you will not need shot. Just the sand paper. If you don't want to line the barrel with sand paper you can throw in little stips or squares. In either case, also put in a very little squirt of Dawn blue dish soap as a lubricant.

I hope this is not a dumb question...sorry if it is but I've never used a tumbler. In order to use a tumbler, do the beads have to be all round? Or could they be semi-round, like an oval shape? And the cane slices would have to be pretty thick to prevent them from being rubbed off? I'm really into making pendants right now...I guess you couldn't put something like a flat circle or flat oval in it, right?

Fenian- what a great idea with the eye shadow! As long as it's sealed, it works, right?

AndyPan- beautiful piece! Thanks for the input.

Hi AndyPan, welcome to the coolest forum around. At times, also the silliest. [:p]

I love your pendant! I've been experimenting with faux dichro lately and having a lot of fun. Can you tell us more about the technique(s) you used for your pendant?

I have also had some excellent results with Triple Thick (DecoArt, not Krylon). When you're done, do you bake yours to give it a final set? Do you know if it has to be sealed with Future (a la Polyglaze) to make it waterproof?

armysis, I have put pieces that are all different shapes and sizes in together, and have gotten decent results. I do a combo of the sandpaper lining, as well as 1/4"-3/8" sandpaper chips. I glue sheets of wet/dry sandpaper together, then cut them all up to make the chips. Having the double-sided chips seems to do a better job, IMO.

I also wouldn't worry too much about the cane thickness, as I have not noticed any real rubbing off of the design, even after 24 hours on the 320 grit. You might still want to experiment to see if you notice differently. I have a few beads that I did some canes as well as a layer of translucent over foil, and there was no loss of either the cane, nor exposure of the foil. And both the translucent layer and the cane slice were very thin.

The one thing I have noticed with the toy tumblers is that they DO leak, but not enough to worry about. The only thing I have seen as far as the leaking is that when I take the drum off the machine, the ends are kinda sticky. But I think that is from dried up soapy water that collects as the machine runs. The leak is VERY minor, so don't worry too much about it.

One other thought. To be perfectly honest, I haven't had to used my tumblers all that much lately, since I started wearing gloves while I work. When I roll my beads, I am getting much smoother results than when I worked without, and virtually no sanding is needed. I might hand-sand occasionally, but only to remove some of the sparkle from mica clays that spread out a bit when the bead was rolled. I'm using the cheap latex painters gloves from Home Depot, but maybe someone has another suggestion for those with latex alleries?

Linelle, the technique I used is actually found in Donna Kato's new book, The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects: Techniques and Projects Featuring Transfers, Stamps, Stencils, Inks, Paints, Mediums, and More. It involves the use of metallic foils and alcohol-based inks. Donna's technique is amazing, and produced the results I'd been shooting for immediately. Really, that woman is just incredible! Her new book is a must-have, if you don't have it already. It had a mess of great new techniques, and it's been right beside me the last few days while I'm working! [:D]

As far as the Triple Thick, ummmm, I can't give any definitive answers on it's durability. I baked a small batch of beads that I used the TT on, and the finish all bubbled on it. NOW, that may have been MY fault. I may not have allowed it long enough to completely dry, or I had the temp too hot, or what, I don't know. I have heat-set beads that I'd used the Minwax polyurethane on, and those worked fine. I have not refinished with Future over any of my other finishes, though I have seen that mentioned a couple of times in the time I have been looking through the forum this morning, so I just might give it a go.

All in all, I am most happy with the Minwax, because it's given me consistent results time and time again. Future isn't bad, but I find that it's very thin, and it takes a long time to build up to the finish I want. The Triple Thick is a new addition to me, so I am still experimenting to find a happy medium with it, but it's starting to shape up into my favorite finish now. I will look into it's "waterproofness" tonight.

Thanks for the warm welcome. [:)]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Linelle Do you know if it has to be sealed with Future (a la Polyglaze) to make it waterproof?

Linelle,
Triple Thick is a water-proof finish, so you do not need to seal it with Future or anything similar.