How to Glue Crystals

MJSA Education Foundation PRESENTS
An occasional series of articles offering instruction and tips for basic jewelry making and design.
This month’s step-by-step article is contributed by Create Your Style with Swarovski
Elements (create-your-style.com), a Patron of the Foundation and a key sponsor of its initiatives.
How to Glue Crystals
By Nick Regine In this step-by-step
article, Nick Regine, Swarovski’s Professor of
Crystal, will teach the basics of gluing crystals to almost anything—wood, glass, metal,
and more.
The Basics…
MJSA Journal
• Take care to use the right amount of
glue. Too much will make the adhesive
run over onto the crystal; not enough glue
will prevent proper adhesion of the crystal
to the substrate.
• Make sure your substrate is clean and
free of all oils, grease, and contaminants.
• Follow directions on the adhesive
labels. When it’s time to throw away the
adhesive, do so.
• Use fixtures to hold your work and
let it dry. Moving a crystal before it’s dry
will cause a bad glue joint.
• Be careful when working with adhesives. Remember, it is a chemical and can
be harmful to children and pets. Most
adhesives have a strong odor, so work in
a well-ventilated area. Read the MSDS
sheet for any adhesive (most companies
have them online), and store adhesives
in a safe place when you are not using
them.
• Make sure to clean your hands and
the work surface before beginning. Acetone or isopropyl alcohol can be used
for cleaning a surface and removing any
excess glue. Test a small area using a surface tension test pen.
What You’ll Need…
• Swarovski crystals
• Carrier material (i.e., what you will
Crystals
Plastic container and syringe
Glue
Wax Stick or Crystal Katana
Surface tension test pen
be gluing the crystals onto—jewelry findings, key fobs, etc.)
• Surface tension test pen
• Acetone or isopropyl alcohol
• Cotton swab or wipes
• Stir sticks or toothpicks
• Small plastic disposable cup to mix
glue. (You can also use a piece of sturdy
paper or cardboard.)
• Wax stick. You can also use a Crystal Katana, a pen specially designed for
applying crystals (www.crystalninja.com).
• Syringes and glue tips (optional)
• Glue. Silicone adhesives work well
with crystals, and a two-part epoxy is rec-
ommended: It comes in varying hardening times, from five minutes to an hour
or longer. If you are gluing only a few
stones or a small area, use the five-minute
epoxy. If you are gluing several stones to
a larger area, use an epoxy with a longer
curing time. (Note: Always allow the piece
to cure for 24 hours before using.) Other
options include Swarovski CG 500 glue
(for larger projects) and UV adhesive (for
clear and light-amber surfaces that may
yellow if epoxy is applied). Super Glue is
not recommended because the adhesive
shrinks and pulls the foil away from the
crystal.
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The Steps…
1
2
3
4
5
6
1. Clean the surface to be glued—even
brand new items taken out of a carton or
wrapper need to be cleaned first.
2. Test to make sure the surface is clean by
using the test pen. Once the surface is clean,
you can draw a design onto it if desired;
use a non-wax, non-oil-based marker.
3. Dispense appropriate adhesive onto a
sturdy piece of paper or into a plastic cup.
If you are using a two-part epoxy (as in
this case), use the amounts that are stated
on the package—usually a 1:1 ratio.
4. Mix the adhesive to combine both parts.
5. If you are using a dispenser, such as a
syringe, put the glue into the tube and cap
it with a needle tip. Make sure to match
the tip to the size of the crystal being used.
6. Apply glue to carrier material.
7. When applying the adhesive, use a
small amount and spread it evenly over
the surface, in a thin layer. Wipe off any
excess with acetone or alcohol.
7
8
8. Pick up a crystal using the wax stick or
the Crystal Katana.
9. Place the crystals on the prepared surface as desired. Allow to dry 24 hours, and
use either an alcohol swab or a soft cloth
and alcohol to remove any residue from
the stone. u
9
August 2013
The Professor of Crystal, Nick
Regine is the star of Swarovski’s
“Ask the Professor” video series,
which gives expert instruction
on how to master such tasks as
gluing, hot fixing, soldering, and
basic jewelry making. For a step-by-step instructional video on soldering, go to MJSA Journal
Online at MJSA.org, or visit Swarovski’s
“Create Your Style” YouTube channel, www
.youtube.com/createyourstyletv.
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