Ultradome Brand, UV Curing Epoxy Resin for Polymer Clay Jewelry

Well, this is interesting – something totally new to me. Is the purpose to protect the finish of the polymer when using powders, inks foils,etc?

Sounds likes the stuff they use when I get my nails done…. they are called "gel nails" but really when it's cured under a UV light it's a very strong clear plastic. The gel-like material it painted onto the nails in coats and then cured under the UV light after each coat…. it's sandable, very shiny, and very durable. I actually wonder if the material would be compatible with polymer clay every time I get my nails done. BUT perhaps you could find a spa that will let you put your project under their lights for 20 minutes….. just this once…. ;)

I would love to learn more about using epoxy resin. I have seen some of Lisa P. work with magic gloss, a pendant made with black clay and silver foils. It really was magic the sheen and beauty in the pendant. I have never used any kind of resin for any kind of craft so I am eager to learn more. Learning this from you Cindy will mean it is something I will be able to accomplish. So please play away and share with us in that magical way you always do.
I for one can't wait to see what you bring to us.
Love and Uuuuuuuugggggggs, Peggy

Looking forward to hearing about this UltraDome Product, Cindy. We just had a demo at our Guild using the Magic-Glos. I have yet to try the stuff (recently purchased the Magic-Glos. I live in sunny Arizona (although it has been raining for the past 3-4 days!) so, I am planning to use regular light instead of a UV lamp. I have seen some cheap UV lamps on E-bay as well, if anyone is interested in buying one. I played with resin last year (Enviro-Tex ??), but I was not happy with it. I even tried to make a well to hold it from going down the sides, but it only puddled along the sides of the well. If this UltraDome works as well as the Magic-Glos, that would be awesome. Also, heard that the Magic-Glos doesn't last long, so it is best to purchase a small amount rather than a large amount. It's efficacy dwindles down if it has been sitting on the shelf for a long time.

I tried Magic Glos and was disappointed with my results. Of course I didn't realize that a windowsill won't cure the resin! I contacted Lisa and then tried again outdoors. I live outside of San Francisco and we don't see sun much either so the results weren't great. I also found the resin likes to collect in the center and it's hard to get a smooth coating without bubbles and unfilled valleys. I need to save my money and get a UV lamp. I hope you can find a cheaper version for us Cindy!

Lisa's Magic Glos supposedly sets up in 5 to 10 minutes. I have the 36 watt lamp but would rather have the smaller one. I have yet to try the process but will report what I do find out about the product.

Neat, looking forward to seeing what you find out. I've been wondering lately if resin-coating polymer clay roses would make them more durable. Mine seem to be prone to breakage.

Katie – Are you baking your roses at about 265° for at least an hour? I've cooked some an hour and a half. I think lower temps and longer times makes the PC more flexible rather than brittle.

UltraDome has a shelf life of one year. The way to remove bubbles is with a pencil torch. A heat gun will not work because it blows air and could also blow dust and fuzz onto the piece.

I have a UV lamp from Lisa and have tried the MagiGloss a few times. I really like using it. My first attempt at it was a failure though but just like everything else, with a little practice you get better at getting it to spread out and getting bubbles out. I made a clay butterfly pendant and put a couple of the tiny flowers from my daughters wedding boquet on the butterfly and covered with the resin. It worked wonderfully and my daughter loved it.

I don't have a camera. How do I get a picture to send? Will a scanner work? I just bought a judikins petite soleil uv light from Joann's they have a 50% of sale. I used the online code and got it for 18.24 instead of 36.49. Sale ends tomorrow. Bought Lisa's magic glos. I live for friday mornings!! I thank you Cindy you are great. I've learned so much from you>

There is another product that you can use that does not need a UV light. This product is called Royal Coat Dimensional Magic made by Plaid. It comes in a 1.1 fl.oz. bottle. It takes 3 hours to dry. I have used this and it works great. I have bought mine at Hobby Lobby,and Walmart,and I think Michaels carries it as well.

Great, Cindy! I can't until you figure this out for us. Good luck!

Will Diamond Glaze or DG3 Art Gel work? Diamond Glaze by Judikins can be used for shallow pendants and is $5.99 for a 2 oz bottle. DG3 Art Gel by Judikins at $10.99 for 4 oz creates a dome like effect. I haven't tried any of them yet.

Hi,
I'd love to hear how this compares to Magic-glos, particularly with regard to how Magic-Glos tends to shrink or pull back away from the sides of your piece. Wonder if this does the same?

I think the Diamond glaze will work just fine. I was looking for my bottle arnd. my craft room and I misplaced it some where. That is what I get for moving things to a different area. The other two you mentioned I have not used them so I can not tell you definately that they would produce what you desire. Good luck and let us know if the others work.(Cheryl)

Cindy, I have been using Magic-Gloss a lot. I did a demo at our clay guild a couple weeks ago. I was practicing on some pieces to use for the demo and glos just wasn't working. I was using a bottle I had opened in August and it wasn't spreading. I do live in Arizona where things dry out faster. I opened a new bottle and it was better but it still pulls in from the sides. When using Magic-Glos it's best to put a light stream around the edge of the piece (Tina Holden's idea) put that out in the sun or in a uv light and then fill in the middle and continue putting more coats on it. The best way to see if you have filled in every spot or there are air bubbles is to put the piece on a small tile while working with the Magic-Glos and hold it up to eye level. Looking down at it is sometimes deceiving. Can't wait to hear your thoughts about the new UV Resin. I really would like something that doesn't pull away from the sides. I'll send you some pictures of the things I've done with Magic-Glos.

@Bonnie: Hmmm! Lisa Pavelka indicated that the biggest problem would be having the Magic-Glos run over the edge. She works from the inside to the outside of the piece – which is opposite of the way others apply these coatings.

@lynn watts: I looked for Dimensional Magic at both WalMart and Michaels (no Hobby Lobby in the entire state of Nevada). Neither carried it. Just goes to show that not all products are sold in all locations. Maybe they think there aren't enough artists in Nevada to warrant carrying some of these products!

Carolyn, I didn't have a problem with it going over the edge when I ran a thin layer around the edge and then put it in the sun. I was very careful when putting that on. I also did a piece where I started on the inside and used a toothpick to pull it out to edge. I did make a mess when I put too much on and it dripped so I was very careful after that. I hope this new stuff is easier to use. I ordered some today. The only thing I'm worried about is that you have to use a little fire thing to get the bubbles out.

@Bonnie: I bought a tiny butane torch at Lowe's yesterday. Looks easy to use, though I haven't tried it yet.

Yes, they are easy to use and work well to get the bubbles out. Lisa showed us a technique at a workshop where if you have a big bubble that you don't catch before hand and you have already cured the resin. Just take a dremel, drill a little hole into the bubble then refill and recure.

If you are careful and fill from the middle out and use a toothpick to drag the gloss/resin out to the edges, making sure your piece is as level as possible, I have had very little problem with overflow and/or pulling from the edges. It just takes some practice.

Carolyn, I ordered the Ultra Dome and it comes with a little blow torch. Just hope I don't set the cat on fire. He's constantly pulling on my shirt sleeve for attention.

So glad to see all this interest in the UV Resin. I have some more playing to do before I show you what I know. I did find a quick wave over the surface with a lighter worked to get out the bubbles. (I need to pick up some more fuel for my torch.) Liquid overflowing is definitely an issue, but I should be able to figure some easy effective methods to show you soon. Will let you all know when I do!

Yea Carolyn that has happened to me as well. They all do not carry the same item as the other Walmart's. I thought they all carried the same items as all Walmarts. Sorry about that. Some places carry certain items and one day when you go in there to buy something and they don't carry it anymore. I hate that when it happens. K-Mart did that with an item I went to buy that I had bought there before and they stopped carrying it.

I sure hope this product works well. No mixing is so appealing, I'd love to see different ways to combine it with clay. Resin is pretty versatile, can use it for so many things beyond clay too. I can't wait to find out the outcome of your tests Cindy!

I've also used Lisa P's Magic Gloss quite a lot. For bubbles, Lisa says to use a heat gun blown quickly over the surface. It does remove most of the bubble very quickly. Works for me!!

I'm glad to hear there is a cheaper alternative to the Magic Glos.
I will look for it here in Michigan!!
I have used the Magic Glos a lot, and here are some of my experiences:

It seems to cure better in real sunlight, rather than under UV lite.
If you put a thick layer, it takes longer to cure under UV lite than real sunlite. I leave mine in the UV lite for @ 25 minutes.
If you use a heat gun to remove bubbles, don't heat too much. Do a little at a time. This is especially true if you plan to bake the resin with clay, in an oven, afterwards. My resin sometimes turns an amber color after baking. But, when I cured in the natural sun, oven baking didn't change the color. Go figure?!! I'm still figuring that one out!

You can buy an exact type of UV lamp that Lisa P sells on Ebay.
Got mine for @ $26. Not bad!! It's for drying acrylic nails.

Hi Cindy!
I posted a little bit about Ice Resin on my blog. Lucid Moon Studios has a really neat polymer clay heart that she filled with resin, it might inspire some of your readers.
Hope you and yours are well!

@Shannon: Hi, thanks for the inspiration! That polymer heart is sooo adorable — it makes me want to start "resin-ating" right away! I'm going to wait for Cindy's tests to be done, though. I know when her video comes out, it will show me how to use resin in the simplest way (you know how she "makes the mistakes, so we don't have to…") Still, I love the endorsement you gave to ICE resin — you really put it out there! I've seen lots of articles about it, with comparisons to other products; lots of people agree with you. BTW, you have some gorgeous stuff on your blog, and your etsy store as well!

TRACKBACK COMMENT: "I did order a sample size bottle of the Ultradome mentioned in an article at Beads and Beading blog. It was only $6 including shipping for a 1oz bottle. Hopefully the UV light setup I use to make my clear stamps will work on the resin."

I, too, just ordered the Ultra Dome Resin. I haven't used it yet, but hope it works as good as the Magic Glos.
I use a heat gun to remove the bubbles, and hope it works the same for the Ultra Dome.
Has anyone used both products? If so, can you give a comparison??