Well I am still training but I struggle with my mix ratio, either too wet or too dry - its driving me insane and making my work messy on my nail trainer, does anyone have any tips. I do keep reading through the tutorials and practising but its still not working and I am getting frustrasted!

I think you are terribly hard on yourself hun

I had an A4 practice sheet of printed nail shapes inside a plastic sleeve that I made beads on until they settled rather than ran off of x

Hi Ya

I dont know if this will help but it worked for me!
I used to have the same problem.
What i did was to put my powder in a large necked flat dish, (i used a ferraro Roche tub!you know the 4 portion one!! Lovely). Then loaded my brush with the liquid and watched how much run out when i scrapped in on the side of the dappen dish.
I then pulled my brush through the powder and said 'going going gone' (something a geek said a long time ago) as i lifted it from the powder. When looking at 'gone' the bead is either wet or dry or a perfect glass ball, and you can judge whether you need to do a longer line through the powder or a shorter one.
Using a wide dish is great as you can leave the lines there and then shake every now and then. Keep practising honey you will get there.
All the best Ann

A great way to get your ratio the correct consistency every time is....
Dip your brush into the monomer and wipe both sides of the brush, then pick up some polymer. See how it looks. If the bead is too wet next time pick up a little more powder. Or if too dry pick up a little less powder. When you get that sorted you can then sort out how many wipes of the brush and dipping into the powder to get different size beads. Putting those small round stickers between a laminate sheet is also a good guide to see where the beads are heading.

I know getting your enhancements to look amazing etc is top. But, playing with 3d is great for getting to know about ratio. You have to work alot drier and that helps to get things into perspective

It all comes together eventually. The mix ratio takes a little while but worth the time and hassle.
x

this is also what i had.i was given mine at college and to be honest i wish i had still got it as it came in quite handy.
if i were you i think you would benefit from making your own one and just practice.also practise doing different size balls eg big ball for thumb going through to a small ball for the little finger.
if you have trouble getting the powder to soak ito the monomer then you need to be working wetter and if the ball drops off your brush then you are working to wet.
you have already got past the first stage by realising where you are going wrong so all i can say now is practice,practice ,practice.xx

A VERY GOOD AND SIMPLE EXPLANATION. WELL DONE.

Thanks everyone will definately gie the spot under a plastic sleeve a go.

I keep finding that I always end up with a little bit of product still on my brush whether too dry or too wet and even with fresh monomer!

So does everyone love .. that is not a problem. When you press the bead on it is absorbed right away as you inject liquid into it from the pressure of the brush. Don't worry about it if it is just a small amount.

i think you will make a great technician,
as you are recognising these problems already,
you seem to be too hard on yourself at the moment,
i know its easier said than done, but honestly it is all down to practise!!

you will defiantely get there, and the more you do the easier it will become,
but as you are already asking lots of questions and can see where youre going wrong,
methinks a great tech in the making
chin up hun, you can do it and we are all here to help you

remember none of us were born doing perfect nails,( well except baby gigi!!)
we all had to go through exactly what you are at the moment to produce a decent set of nails

have faith and most of all enjoy learning
xxx

Gotta agree with Nik here. You can see straight away where you are going wrong so it's just more practice you need. We all had to do it...some of my first ones were so bad I couldn't think I could ever do the job I swear!!
Good luck hun and keep on with the practice and you WILL be fab!! xx

Thank you Gigi, Lotus Blossom and Judy for your advice.

I am hard on myself and very critical - just ask Kirsten my trainer at CND - I am driving her crazy I am sure with my stressing! I think it is just because I want to deliver pure quality nails to clients.

Mrs R

Ive gone from too wet to good, back to too dry to too wet and all the way back round again, ive had the laminated sheets out today, had a bad day ....

I feel like i cant do it, then it gets better, then i go back to worse..

Im sure it will ome together very soon, but the nail trainer might not make it lol

Together we will crack this xx

Champs

I have just bought a new,much larger brush,so i'm sure i'll have this problem until i get used to it

Bead practise is all that's needed hun,and a little time xxxx

It does take time hun, and you will find just when you feel you can't do it, it will all fall into place.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are great techs, so keep asking questions and practicing, you will get there.

Hugs Hun.

dont be so hard on yourself! no pracical advice (as the clever geeks have given it to you already!!) but you are new to this and cant expect to do it all in a day.
i come on here somedays and think 'why the hell cant i be as good as those geeks' and then you do a knock 'em dead set of nails or a client rings you after a month for a rebalance (and you think their nails are off) and they turn up with no lifting - and you realise you are getting better all the time.
TAKE YOUR TIME AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!