blending tips & gelbond???

[lola67]

hi there, I was wondering if any of you have experienced this problem: the salon I'm working in uses gelbond to apply tips, which I have never used. I usually use normal tip glue (runny!!). I've noticed that with using gelbond I'm having problems with tip blending, they're going really air bubbly and end up with that silvery look, if you know what I mean? There's only 1 other nail tech and she doesn't seem to be having any probs, so I think it must be something I'm doing. I pre blend the tip before applying it and put the gelbond in the well.......
Linds x

 

[izzidoll]

With any adhesive you should apply it to both surfaces you intend to stick together!!
So apply a bead to the contact area of the tip and spread it out then apply a little to the edge of the nail plate.
Then apply tip...gelbond is a pressure set adhesive (arent they all?) therefore needs to be pressed firmly onto the nail.
To prevent any chance of a ski jump I tend to press my clients finger up into the tip, rather than press the tip down thus holding it in the perfect arch.

HTH

 

[geeg]

You also need to keep applying the pressure to the tip when you use Gel Bond, for just a little longer than with a thiner adhesive AND make sure your tips are a correct fit for the c-curve of the nail.

If you are 'squashing' a nail tip onto the nail and you release the pressure too soon, then the tip tends to slowly spring back into its original shape and 'suck' air under the tip causing the air pockets you are talking about.

Once you get the 'feel' of it, you will love Gel Bond. I only use the Pink Gel Bond as I feel it creates a prettier look to the finished enhancement.

 

[lola67]

With any adhesive you should apply it to both surfaces you intend to stick together!!
So apply a bead to the contact area of the tip and spread it out then apply a little to the edge of the nail plate.
Then apply tip...gelbond is a pressure set adhesive (arent they all?) therefore needs to be pressed firmly onto the nail.
To prevent any chance of a ski jump I tend to press my clients finger up into the tip, rather than press the tip down thus holding it in the perfect arch.

HTH

hi, thanks for replies. Apart from applying the adhesive to the both surfaces I do all of that. I have only ever applied to the tip and have never had any probs before. I think because gelbond is a gel and not a liquid that's what seems to be causing me the trouble. Not sure why this should be though!! But I will try applying to both surfaces and see if that makes a difference.
thanks again. x

 

[bug123]

From my Creative foundation notes about Gelbond - it say its a 10 second pressure set - as opposed to 5 seconds for speedbond

 

[Cathie!]

If you have any excess gelbond that has seeped out after applying the tip, wipe it off down the nail towards the free edge or it will impact on your blending....as it's a pressure set adhesive the seeped gelbond will still be unset making tips difficult to blend!

 

[lola67]

If you have any excess gelbond that has seeped out after applying the tip, wipe it off down the nail towards the free edge or it will impact on your blending....as it's a pressure set adhesive the seeped gelbond will still be unset making tips difficult to blend!

thanks cathie, thats a very good point. A couple of times this has happened and I've tried to wipe it off & got in a bit of a sticky mess!! Or I've left it and just buffed over as I've started to blend, as you say it's unset and could be the cause of the probs. I think I'm applying too much sometimes. Silly question then, how do you wipe it off? I used a pad with scrubfresh on it........ xx

 

[Bagpuss]

thanks cathie, thats a very good point. A couple of times this has happened and I've tried to wipe it off & got in a bit of a sticky mess!! Or I've left it and just buffed over as I've started to blend, as you say it's unset and could be the cause of the probs. I think I'm applying too much sometimes. Silly question then, how do you wipe it off? I used a pad with scrubfresh on it........ xx

you should never use scrubfresh on tips....it cracks them. to remove gelbond just use a dry lint free wipe. x

 

[Hope]

On our foundation course we were shown to use a cotton bud to swipe any excess GelBond off, works a treat!

 

[Cathie!]

I just use a small piece of couch roll. Swipe it up towards the free edge.