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katiebear Fords Bears
New Jersey
Posts: 51

Hi all, I made my new bears claws out of clay and glued them on with E6000.   Does the smell of the glue eventually go away or will she have smelly feet forever???  It seems pretty strong to me.  Thanks!

psichick78 Flying Fur Studios
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,073

I have to be honest.......I read that it was great glue but I hate it!

I'm not sure about the smell but I find it takes along time to dry and it is VERY smelly. Not my cup of tea.

rkr4cds Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)
suburban Chicago
Posts: 2,044

Here's something I never expected to find on one of my Rosary-making lists: how to preserve flowers, like small roses!

Who Knew??? that you could make something as insubstantial as roses into rosary beads???
These are snips from an ongoing thread:
I bought H's recipe and did it. It is toxic and definitely an
outside project. I am glad to share it however.
Dear Friends,
This is H's formula and what I did following his instructions as best I could.
en paz,
Annette
Preserving Roses for Rosaries.

THIS IS AN OUTSIDE ACTIVITY (it smells awful)

I picked roses from both miniature rose bushes and small sized roses from floribunda rose bushes. Be sure to leave about 1" stem and I suggest taking off the green parts. I was out every morning and evening picking buds that were just beginning to open. I tried both putting them in silica gel (works) but I preferred drying them in my food dehydrator. If they aren't completely dried, they may get some friends (bugs).

In a 4" x 8" loaf pan which I never wanted to use for food again I put in 1 tube for the glue E 6000 (the larger size tube). Then I added some of the paint thinner tourlene. I'm not real scientific about the proportions. The recipe says it is to be the consistence of cream. Mine may have been thinner.

Cut green flower oasis into chunks about 2" x 4". Place the roses in the oasis. This way you can dip many at a time. Dip 2 or 3 times about 2 hours apart so the roses dry between dipping. No need to worry about bugs after this!

Some people spray paint color on their roses, but I prefer mine natural. The dried colors can be very beautiful too. Different types of roses dry different colors, so try different kinds and colors of roses and tell us which you like best.

I have seen roses preserved naturally from the bush. The roses were about $20 each. Of course the person wouldn't tell me how they did it but I have a hunch that the bush was fed a very large amount of glycerine. Also, I see roses advertised being preserved in liquid resin. There has got to be a better way than what I did. I did mine 2 years ago. I'm thinking about doing it again.

When you string the roses it is necessary to cut the hard bottom part of the rose off. I was able to string the wire on a beading needle to string the roses.

He told me at one point that his formula involved toxic chemicals. I
also think he made that formula readily available, though I am not
sure where. I would certainly observe all precautions if you try it.

Just in terms of roses in general, you might want to think outside the
box of the hybrid teas and explore some of the beautiful Heritage type
roses or "old roses." They're an awful lot easier to grow, less
vulnerable to pests, and hardier over winter.

Real Roses,
Smaller roses work best. They don't have to be miniature. The large roses don't dry real well.

Which of those two chemicals was the problem one --- was it the
torulene? I would imagine there are risks with resin as well.
How do you dispose of the chemicals afterward, and what did you do
with the pan?

I know you probably already know this, or you would not have asked
those questions about disposal and the pan. But (ahem):

I think what we're talking about here is toluene. It's toxic if
inhaled, splashed on skin or clothing, or (God forbid!) accidentally
ingested. Eyes, face, hands and body should be protected while using
it. It should not be flushed or disposed of in the sewers, storm
drains, or septic tanks, nor should it be put in the trash where it
might be taken to a landfill. I'd be careful about spilling any of it
outside where pets or other animals might be exposed to it.

The idea of using it in conjunction with E6000 gives me the
heebie-jeebies, as that's no environmental walk in the park either.
:-) It's one of those glues that has a bad-smelling ingredient added
artificially to prevent substance abuse. Aside from that, it's dandy
stuff, though I have never found it to be adequately sticky and prefer
the tiny tubes of hypo-cement when I need something gluey.

Were I ever tempted to fool around with such a brew, I'd get MSD
sheets for all the stuff--and then I'd go over them with somebody who
is wise in the ways of volatile solvents. Then I'd contact the city to
find out when their next toxic materials disposal day was going to
take place. I would also want to know something about the hard resin
formed by this mixture. Does it retain any of the toxic properties of
its two "parent" chemicals? What does it do when rubbed against the
skin and/or exposed to sweat or body oils? What would it do if a child
or pet got hold of it and decided to chew on it? (As I think of it, I
would also use a glass or enamel pan to do this in, or something
equally non-reactive...certainly not aluminum or anything old or prone
to rust.)

I think if somebody tasked me with making real-rose beads, I might
experiment with some well-known slow curing epoxies or other
ready-made chemicals whose safety and toxicity levels have already
been established and that are mixed according to very accurate
specifications.

Just a couple of thoughts from the engineering deck... As with the
coral and the ivory, I have to wonder what Them Above think of having
the lovely Earth jeopardized to make articles of prayer...I'll just
put my tinfoil hat back on and return to my dungeon.

My 2 penn'orth: I love a challenge and will be giving this a try this summer - OUTSIDE!!!

fribblesltd fribbles, ltd.
Kalispell, Montana
Posts: 679

..I think the E6000 glue is found to cause cancer in the state of California...it's nasty stuff, but it is a good glue.  I prefer other glues though. 

Also, if you are making clay noses, I recommend you put a little wire and insert 'em like eyes.  That way there is no glue involved, no smelliness, and the nose is guaranteed to stay on as long as it's not ripped off.


Amelia

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

That smell sends my dogs running! But it does go away in a couple of days! And it works great! You do need to follow the directions depending on what you are 'sticking' together to avoid extended periods of drying time or the bond not setting properly. I like it though I don't use it much on bears. When doing noses or toe nails I still sew them in, the glue is like insurance... it's peace of mind that nose reeeeaaaallly isn't going anywhere even if the thread breaks!

kbonsall Kim-Bee Bears
Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,645

I have found ways around using superglues and such because the smell gives me an AWFUL headache bear_shocked ... Not sure about E6000, never heard of it

katiebear Fords Bears
New Jersey
Posts: 51

Thanks for the responses.  The smell did go away however, I was worried i ruined my bears.  Have a great day!
Andrea

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