Warmer weather and mix ratio

[slhallford]

I searched to see if I could find a thread addressing this but either I missed it or there isn't one.

I felt like I had really nailed my mix ratio about a week ago. I wasn't have any troubles fighting with overly wet or dry beads. The weather has warmed up about 15 degrees or so from about 65 F to around 80 F. I'm pretty sure this has to be the root of the problem.

I'm using CND perfect color white and Retention + to practice my smile lines here at home. I'm finding that my beads are setting up MUCH faster than before even though I'm working on reusable forms. I'm using a pro styler brush and my little CND doggie dish and the same method to make a bead as before. Dip the brush in and burp the air bubbles out, one gentle wipe on each side and a line through my powder. Last week at the end of going going gone, i would have a lovely wet sugar looking bead. Then, I'd place the bead and GGG again and it would be smooth and a dream to work with.

Now, I can't seem to keep the bead under control. It will be lovely to work on about halfway on one side, but when I go to press the other side out, it's too set to work easily with my brush. I ended up with little stabbing marks after getting frustrated and poking at the bead.

I'm assuming I need to work a bit wetter now because of the heat but I can't seem to make the leap there. I've tried leaving more liquid in the brush but then the bead just seems so wet and it gets gloppy on my brush.

Any tips for fine tuning this?

S

 

[geeg]

You will need to work a little wetter OR a little faster

Another trick is not to work one side first, but to work both sides evenly to keep the bead moist and to stop it setting. Press you bead on and then press first one side and then the other in turns ... this works very well along with a bit more speed. If you work this way, you may not have to change your normal ratio.

 

[slhallford]

Thanks, Geeg!

DH will be gone today so I can put the a/c on and work without every window in the house open. He's really sensitive to the smell of the monomer. I printed out all the suggestions for minimizing the odor but he still swears I'm trying to poison him. Silly man.

Hopefully, some more practice today will help speed me up a bit. I tried both ways of pressing yesterday and I was still too poky. If I got two presses out on each side, I was lucky.

S