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Envirotex
JaniceL767@aol.com
I just took a class yesterday at Trifles in MD on making pins with EnviroTex Lite. I had seen them and bought the stuff in a craft store, but the directions were no help at all. Doing it is actually pretty easy.
1. Stamp and color on mattekote or kromekote. (Start with white or very light paper. Color copies of originals work best. Colored paper darkens and blotches.)
2. Cut out and mount on museum board. (I used illustration board or mat board. The resin is relatively heavy and requires more support than card stock offers.)
3. Mix equal parts of both potions. One tablespoon of each did about 12 pins. You don't want to mix up more than you can use because it hardens. Mix in plastic Dixie cup with flat wooden toothpick or popsicle sticks. You must mix for two full minutes. (These are typically called resin and catalyst, or some call them Part A and Part B. You must have equal portions of both liquids and you must mix them together very thoroughly. Restaurant control portion cups work well to control amount and because they are disposable. I like to mix with the ultra-cheap wooden chopsticks that you have to break apart. The flat surface does a good job of scraping sides and bottoms of the container to mix everything well. DO NOT measure or mix in or with anything you might want to keep!)
4. Lay images on plastic bottle caps on a piece of parchment, wax paper or whatever, making sure they are perfectly even. (Use aluminum foil over your entire work surface. The resin will go right through paper and will react with cling wraps. If you get it on your counter or sink, think electric grinder and damage! Actually, working over a cardboard soda flat lined with aluminum foil works well. I turned portion control cups upside down, taped them down and then used very small pieces of foam mounting tape to hold my images in place. You have to clean up the back of the image, but if you do it carefully, the pin finding covers up the area pulled off when you loosen the mounting tape. You want the surface to be absolutely flat; if it isn't, the stuff flows to one side. By the way, keep the soda flat and used cups with tape. You'll be set for the next batch of pins.)
5. Put on latex gloves and dip finger in mixture. Coat edges of pin with finger (lightly).
6. Place on bottle caps and pour a small amount directly in the center of image. Resin will flow out to the sides. Don't pour too much or it will gook over the sides. Pour until covered. (Perhaps because I'm terminally impatient and want to coat these suckers in one process, I've had big drips on the underside of mine. As much as possible during the first hour, I try to remove the drips with gloved fingers or toothpicks. If that doesn't work, use sandpaper or a Dremelr tool with a sanding disc to remove the bulk of the drip. The drips are reminiscent of stalactites. If I ever get patient and do two or three thin coats instead of one thick one, the problem will probably disappear.)
7. With straw, gently blow on stuff to remove gas bubbles. (Exhale. Don't inhale this stuff. You'll want to do this step within five minutes of pouring.)
8. DO NOT MOVE THEM. (Again, I'm impatient. Don't move them for about an hour after you pour, other than to get them to a dust free environment. Cover them with a cardboard box. I probably shouldn't admit it, but I put them in my oven and make sure the oven doesn't get turned on! It's not like I use the thing for much else.)
9. Let dry 24 hours. If another coat is needed, repeat. (The drying time depends on temperature and humidity. You can speed them up to full cure in 36 hours if the temperature is 90x F and humidity is 30-40%. I cheat by turning the oven on warm until it hits 140x, turning it off, and placing the pins inside with the door blocked open about an inch. If I repeat the cycle two or three times over a twelve hour period, they are hard in 24 hours. DO NOT leave the pins in the oven during the heat cycle and DO NOT do this unless you have a reasonably accurate oven thermometer. Never rely on dials on the stove to tell you temperature.)
I got my tiny box of Envirotex Lite at Michael's. They had about two or three sizes, but I started with the smallest. It is on the aisle with the glues, I think. Right near the varnishes and rubber cement and all the other toxic things! It comes it two seperate bottles (in one box) and you mix equal parts of the resin and hardener. Then pour away. The article in Somerset said to seal dye ink before applying? I didn't and they seem to be fine. Anyone know if a sealer is really necessary?
If you can't find Enviro-Tex at your stamp store, check local craft stores and try different brands. I get a product called Liquid Glass at Michaels...or Hobby Lobby, can't remember which...that's cheaper than what Enviro-Tex retails for and it's readily available in my area. I think it's exactly the same. It's in the section with the paint and it comes in a box. Inside the box are 2 plastic bottles...one is the resin and the other is the hardener. You mix equal parts of each and pour over your...whatever. I lay my whatever on plastic wrap, the Liquid Glass doesn't stick to it. I got thousands of those little plastic medicine cups from my sister the nurse and I use those and popsicle sticks to mix the concoction. I don't think I spelled that right.
I think the stuff I used was called envirotex- that clear resin stuff. A few of things that I learned...
1. Try to mix exactly by what the instructions say (I think equal parts of each bottle). I accidentally got more of one and the stuff STILL hasn't COMPLETELY dried (that was a few months ago, its still like sticky tape).
2. Set whatever your making up on something- a raised surface. I stuck push pins (for bulletin boards) in some cardboard, kind of in a grid and set my stuff on that. Sometimes if you don't and just lay your stuff on a flat surface the envirotex will dribble over the side and stick to whatever is underneath- so don't use the good china.
3. Use heavy cardstock or even mat board (or polymer clay if your going in that direction) to make your design. I tried using watercolor paper with nothing underneath and the edges curled up a little which made the envirotex kind of migrate to the middle and dry. Maybe thick watercolor paper and a small image wouldn't have a problem. I was trying to make some christmas ornaments at the time- they were about 4 inches tall.
4. Sometimes, after your project has dried, you have maybe a little clump of the resin, like a little bulge. If you have a dremel tool with fine sanding disk it will take it right off. I'm sure that a fine piece of sand paper would also work, it would just take a tad longer.
5. Don't work in small rooms. Or at least have all the windows open if you do. I did one batch in the winter and didn't want to open the windows! It felt the same as when you stand up too quick and get a head rush. I immediately opened the windows and just put on a sweatshirt.
I've found Envirotex at bothWalmart and MJ Design. It comes in a box, I think it's basically blue and white. Make sure you work with it in a REALLY WELL VENTILATED area. I understand the fumes are extremely obnoxious. I bought the stuff and have never used it being warned off of it from so many folks. But I think I'm going to do it anyway! I wouldn't mind hearing your feedback of what you have found using the stuff.
Sealing is really necesssary. I did about one dozen items with dye ink. Looked great at night. Got up in morning and it had run in all directions.
You know I read the warnings on the box...Then I was ready to make my pins...Then it started to rain...So I couldn't do them in the back like I had planned, so I thought about the garage...Re-read the part about humidity...decided that I couldn't do it in the garage with the heat and rain...so...
I made mine in the kitchen under the range hood (which I realized later just blew air up toward the ceiling and not outside). My husband had gone to the movie (without me - grrr) and he has a really sensitive nose. So I figured he would be irritated by the smell, but seeing as he went to the movies and I didn't, I wasn't too worried about it. And I was imagining that it really did smell horrible and was probably killing all my brain cells. Well, when he came home, he couldn't even smell anything. Then I kind of noticed that I didn't either.
Sometimes, after your project has dried, you have maybe a little clump of the resin, like a little bulge. If you have a dremel tool with fine sanding disk it will take it right off. I'm sure that a fine piece of sand paper would also work, it would just take a tad longer.
That bothered me too. Wasn't it something like sticking a piece on contact or something else sticky on the back (masking tape?) before pouring, the pulling it off afterward? I don't remember exactly or who said it. But it made a lot of sense to me. I think it might have been someone on Carol Duvall's show?
I've been using these tripods from Pizza Hut for the last year to make my envirotex pins and they work better than the rolled up playdough. They are fantastic and I just sent my hubby to go ask for more.
Someone on the list suggested using Post-it Notes on the back of pins to cut down on bumps on the back (which I tried). It worked really well if I left them sitting on their piles of pennies, but I usually picked them up to pour the Envirotex on (or to get it to all the corners, etc..). That left me (in a few cases) with bits of Post-it Note firmly embedded in an Envirotex bump
I'm getting ready to try some pins, and I have used Envirotex before but this time I want to use some link chains to hang other stamped images off of the main pin. How have you found to be the best way to keep those holes from closing up as the Envirotex dries?
I hate to post about things that I have never tried, but here I go. I remember reading AGES ago about what someone did for this. They punched the tiny holes through the image and put part of a toothpick through it. Then pour on the Envirotex. BUT you must keep rotating the toothpick and moving it around so that I won't be permanently bonded to your pin. Once it completely sets up, you take the toothpick out.
Perhaps this will work for you - but first try it on a sample piece!: Petroleum jelly on a toothpick.
Are you supposed to emboss the rubber stamped images before applying to envirotex?? What brand or type of sealant would you recommend?
I made pins (well-I was going to until disaster struck) and I used Printworks Black Outliner Ink and colored my image with markers (waterbased)...the Black ran and the colors did not. Do I need to seal the image before I use the envirotex lite??
You can but you don't have to. A sealer should be applied before doing Envirotex or it will smear. Also recommended for 3D lacquer but not required. Good Luck
The only real tips I can give other than the box instructions would be: Don't make up more than you plan on using at the time, it will harden quickly and you can't leave it setting around!! Make sure you dry on wax paper, something that if it drips you can remove it and it won't glue itself down. You can use those little 3 legged plastics things from delivered pizza's (usually stuck in the middle of the pizza) it dry your pieces on, this keeps the piece up off paper and allows it to air dry without sticking!!!
Does anyone know if Envirotex(or something similar) can be used to make fake water in silk/dried flower arrangements? I know that mass-producers use some type of acrylic but I was wondering if the Envirotex could work as well.
Envirotex I think, would tend to spread out. I would try the water-based "Crystal Lacquer" from Sakura, or "Glass Kote" from Carolyn's Crafts. You can add layer on layer to build up the water droplets. I got both these products at my local RS store. They stay three-dimensional on paper, but I dunno if they'll soak into the silk fabric.
I recently bought a box of Envirotex Lite. The outside says something like "may be harmful if mis-used", but the insert says the hardener may cause permanent eye damage and the resin may produce an allergic reaction by ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Says to avoid inhalation and to wear protective gloves AND goggles. I think this kind of warning is one to be taken seriously and it is better to err on the side of caution. I may be more concerned about products like this because of ONE semester of long hours in a university screen-printing class that resulted in a permanent sensitivity to solvents used inthat environment. Prior to that semester I had no allergies or chemical sensitivities.
I did a search on the web for some of the chemicals listed on the insert. (Disclaimer - I am no chemist and all of these chemicals seem to have lots of synonyms, etc., nor am I much good at searching the web...)
http://www.jarmco.com/epoxies/ebond.htm
on something chemically to Nonyl Phenol, Corrosive to the eyes - may cause severe damage including blindness. May cause skin sensitization. Corrosive to the upper respiratory tract... repeated exposure can result in lung damage. May cause respiratory tract sensitization...
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/ew/chems/epichlor.htm
The Tribal Arts issure of Somerset Studio had an article on Envirotex pins and the author recommended push-pins coated with temporary adhesive stuck into foamcore for the pouring. The article also recommended wax-paper for surface protection and something called "Miracle Wipes" for clean-up. (Anybody know what these are and where to find them?) My question: If I decide to use this product, I would be using it in the garage. The temperature would be in the 30's or 40's or lower. How would this affect the procedure? Will I need to wait for spring?
I'm not an Envirotex expert but I did ruin the solitary pin I made because I let it dry on aluminum foil. Oops. :) (The foil stuck to the sides and the back of the pin and it didn't look cool.) I haven't had a chance to try it again but I learned you need to glue something with a flat top onto a flat piece of heavy cardboard. You can use empty thread spools, film cannisters, push pins, etc. Use a thin layer of re-stickable gummy stuff (looks like Fimo/Sculpey but it's tacky and repositionable) to attach the pins to the object. You want it to be as flat as possible. Someone suggested I emboss the edges before I pour the Envirotex and that helps keep the Envirotex from spreading over the edges. Also, you can use a Q-Tip to coat the edges of the pin with Envirotex before you pour and that also helps prevent it from spilling over the edges. A little Envirotex goes a loooong way!
Another tip for keeping items to be coated up off the work surface, is to get a buch of push-pins and some of the poster tack that you find at office supply stores. Stick the push pins into a flat piece of corrugated board (your work surface) and put a bad of the tack-it onto the head of the pin. Now you can secure your item to be coated onto that. Just remember to wipe off the drips with a fabric wrapped finger before they dry. For your frames with an open center, just do the same with four push pins at each corner.
I just took a class on making pins and button covers with envirotex yesterday. I think the best tip I learned was to use your heat gun (we used the pink one, be careful with those Milwaukees!) to remove the air bubbles instead of blowing through a straw. Be sure to hold the gun a little farther away from the pin than if you were embossing and keep it moving so you don't re-melt the ep. Also, even though I'm NOT usually someone who likes to use glitter, using a glue pen and some ultra-fine prisma glitter (the "clear" kind) to highlight certain areas of the stamped image before covering with envirotex really made the pins. Some things that could use a little glitter are Santa's beard and angel wings. I also hadn't thought of embedding flat charms or tiny jingle bells in the envirotex.
Hi. I used to use Enviro-tex but got bored with the mixing and the preparations. What I do now is use the Crystal 3-d lacquer which gives an equally good finish, hard and you don't have to prop things up because the lacquer doesn't run.
When I first played with this stuff, the mistake I made was not thoroughly stirring the stuff for the full two minutes. I was afraid I'd get too many bubbles in the mixture, so I gently folded it for the two minutes. What a dissappointment when my pins stayed tacky, they just didn't harden like some samples I had seen. I put the stuff away for some time, until a stamping friend of mine, Lauren Johnston, showed me how to do it. She vigorously whipped the mixture for two minutes. I mean, when I did it, my arm was a little tired from the whipping action! (Okay, so I'm a little outta shape...) Then I had no problems. My second set of pins cam out great and now I love the stuff!
Darlene: After the recent posts about the dangers of using envirotex, I'm curious whether your instructor advised any additional precautions to take in using this substance.
No, she seemed like a very intrepid pin maker. She used it inside, made lots of pins at one time, etc. I was actually surprised at how little the stuff smelled - it has a chemical-y smell, but it's not unbearable. And even things that don't smell can give off fumes that are bad for you. Is 3D crystal laquer non-toxic? I'd like to try that, too, if I can find some around here. They don't seem to carry it at my M store. What section is it usually in? As for myself, I'll probably do one small batch of pins now - in the house with a window open - and then wait until spring to work in the garage where I can have the door open. Also, I take the usual common-sense precautions: don't rub my eyes, wash my hands thoroughly afterward, etc. Rubber gloves of some sort might not be a bad idea, either. The bottle also recommends eye goggles. Most of the other precautions seem to be aimed at allergic reactions. My advice is to take a class if you think you might be sensitive to the fumes. You can get an idea of how bad they are and whether you can tolerate them before you invest in the stuff. I guess I take the middle road- I wouldn't want to go into business using it every day, but after working with it, I won't completely avoid it, either.
With all the talk about Envirotex....I saw Aleene's show one time, they were showing pins and such. This one women who made pins,she used some stuff that was called "Liquid Lamit", she just brushed on a couple of coats of this stuff,and it was hard and shiny. Oops, I think I saw it on "Home Matters" on Lifetime channel. I sure we could find it at craft stores.