How I Use ProtectaClear

I know my next order of business was to talk more about using Gun Blue and Liver of Sulfur. However, some questions recently arose that pertained to Protecta Clear jewelry sealer and how I use it. I’ve messaged several people about it, but then I forget how much I’ve told each individual, so I thought I would put down exactly what I do here, and hopefully there will be fewer Oh-Oh’s later on. Not that I mind your questions, at all. In fact, I welcome them, but I do want to make sure I’m clear on some points relating to my use of this product.
In relationship to jewelry and the jewelry community as a whole, the conundrum seems to be “to seal or not to seal.” I didn’t seal my jewelry for a long time, but my love for the art and comments from customers about tarnish led me to seek out a product I could seal with that wouldn’t ruin what I made. I have used ProtectaClear for about 6 years now. I did a copper test when I lived in Florida, one of the most humid states in the US, and blogged about that in 2013.  That was a really long time ago, so I should probably do it again. Now, I’m in Texas, another super humid state. More on that later.

So…since Gary and I RV full time in a 38-foot fifth wheel, space is hard to come by. This little area is the space I use to seal my jewelry. I usually only seal one to 10 pieces at a time, depending on what I am working on, so this space works well. I have about 26 inches by 20 inches to work with. See, you don’t need a huge work room to get this done.


This is what you need to get started: a couple old towels, and three or four layers of wax paper. Make sure your towels are large enough to cover the area you want to protect, in case of splashes. I’ll explain that in a minute. The wax paper keeps your jewelry from sticking after it’s been dipped.



You will also want to make yourself a good hook, similar to the one shown. I use 18 gauge Half Hard copper wire and put a few bends in it just to strengthen it a little. You want it to be six to 8 inches long, depending on the container you use for your ProtectaClear.


(Don’t forget, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)
NOTE: Paper towels, you will need lots of paper towels! You should have about 4 layers close to your jar, as shown.

Here you can see my entire set up. It all fits well into the small space and is efficient. I found a glass jar at a hobby shop that has a wide mouth, a little over four inches at the top when open. It allows me to put a large cuff or pendant right down into the ProtectaClear. I try to keep enough ProtectaClear in the jar to cover an average bracelet.
One thing to remember is that ProtectaClear is a “solvent based” sealer. What that means to you is this product can dissolve certain things…like plastic gloves or a plastic container. Use a glass jar. The annoying part is that the only type of rubber gloves your can wear that won’t dissolve are too bulky to use in this process. So, I use blue Nitrile gloves, as they are a little stronger than latex or common household rubber gloves. Those go away quickly. Even though the Nitrile will also dissolve, they do so slower than the others and I wear them mainly to protect my hands and my lovely blue fingernails. I do, however, try to avoid contact with the ProtectaClear as much as I can. Hence, the creation of the copper hook.

Anyhoo, this is my setup and what I use. I would preface your use of this product by reading all the product knowledge base on the Everbrite Coating website before you begin. It will save you a lot of headaches and questions later on.  If you do run into issues, give them a call. It’s a family owned business and they are super helpful.
My project: I recently sold this bracelet that has been in storage for a while and even though it had one coat of ProtectaClear, it did tarnish. I had also tried polishing it with a recommended paste polish. I cannot stress enough that if you weave wire and do so very tightly, not to use a paste or polish that could dry in the cracks. Getting that out is a nightmare. Everbrite has some new products to polish on their site I haven’t used, so if you are brave enough to try them before I do, go for it.

What I did to clean this bracelet up without ever getting it damp in any way, shape, or form, is to use my Dremel and some of the 3M colored polishing wheels. It took me about 5 minutes with a 200 grit and here is the result. I know, right??? Amazingly clean, and no acid to worry about having to neutralize before I seal. BTW, if you use something acidic based to clean your jewelry before sealing, ya gotta neutralize that acid in a soda bath and dry it completely before sealing. Any moisture or acid will be trapped under the sealer, and you have tarnish…under the sealer.

We are ready to seal. I do not recommend the Spray sealer. Tried it and it does not level out good enough to make a good seal on woven wire. Especially on tightly woven wire. And…unless you want a dull finish, do not use the Satin finish sealer. They do make one, but again, I don’t recommend it for jewelry for two reasons. 1) it’s dull, and 2) you have to stir that stuff all the time to keep the finish even. If you’ve ever used satin sealer on your furniture, you know what I mean. Use the regular clear ProtectaClear, made specifically for Jewelry.

Take your hook and place it somewhere around the piece you will be dipping where the hook won’t get stuck, and slowly lower your piece into the ProtectaClear. I must make a note here, or I would be amiss. Do not use this product on soft stones, i.e pearls, Rainbow Calsilica, and others with a MOH’s hardness rating of less than 4.5. You can test a piece if you like, just to see what happens, but don’t do it on a finished piece of jewelry, please. I’ve had great success on most stones. I did have a Jade that became a little discolored, but it didn’t hurt the stone itself. Use your best judgement. Nothing soft and noting porous. Oh, and beware if you’re using dyed stones. If you don’t know if they are dyed, once you dip them, you will. Most dyes will bleed into the ProtectaClear. Remember…solvent based sealer! Okay, nuff said for now.
I put the whole bracelet down into the liquid and let it sit for a minute, and you can wiggle it around with your hook to make sure everything gets covered.

Using your hook, bring the piece up and out of the jar, holding it over the opening so it can drain. Try not to drop it back into the liquid…you get splashes that way, and you will be wiping them off of yourself and your work space…or they will harden and become part of whatever they are on.  Yes, I still have a drop stuck to my counter top, but so far my husband hasn’t noticed it.
Once the dripping slows down, we don’t want to waste the ProtectaClear, gently set your piece down on your layers of paper towels to soak up a little of the excess.  Don’t let it stay on the paper towel but just a few seconds, just long enough to soak up a little extra liquid. We want most of it to stay on your jewelry. You can quickly flip it over if you want, too. ProtectaClear is a self leveling product and will not develop drip marks. At least I have never had this happen.
On that note, when dipping pendants, role up one end of your towels and wax paper to make a little angle, and place your pendants on that incline. That way, the excess will run down hill., and can be toweled up with a paper towel after it has sat for a while. You should never notice a drip mark.

Now that you’ve done that, remember, no longer than a couple seconds, move your jewelry to the wax paper. as shown here.

Check your jewelry after about 15 minutes. You will notice that some of the ProtectaClear has drained off and began to pool. You can use your hook and push your jewelry to another area on the wax paper. You can now use some paper toweling to mop up the extra ProtectaClear. Be careful not to touch the front surface of your cabochon or stone while it’s drying.  Now is a good time to turn your piece over, too.
According to the Everbrite Coating website, it should only take less than a day to dry. I usually let my pieces finger dry ( dry to the touch ), and then re-dip them, and go through the process again. This time, I let them dry overnight in a safe, dry, spot, or for at least 24 hours before shipping. The product has to “cure.” You can read more about that on the manufacturer’s website. Once cured, you will have a lovely shiny product you will be proud to share with your customers, family, or friends.

***Remember, too…this is a chemical product. If you can’t ship it to a PO Box, which you cannot, you know it isn’t safe to have around young children or where pets can get into it. The paper towels should be thrown away in a safe place, and you should use this product in a ventilated area. Take care of yourself, too. Don’t hold your head over the jar and breathe in the fumes while you are working! The chemical Data Sheet is listed on Everbrite Coating’s website, if you care to read it.

Once dried, it is non-toxic and clear, and I have yet to find someone who cannot wear jewelry sealed with this product, but that does not mean it can’t happen.

Also, just because your product has been sealed, does not mean, that if in the right environment, your item cannot still tarnish. Never guarantee the item will not tarnish. People do weird things with their jewelry, and there is always that person out there that sets out to prove you wrong. Just food for thought.

I hope this article has been helpful to you if you’ve been considering using the ProtectaClear product. I, personally, love it, and will continue to talk about it and use it. Feel free to message me with jewelry-related questions, but direct your chemistry questions to the company, please.
Have a wonderful day, and please…Stay Wired Up!!! gail

Our Beloved Copper and Learning About Gun Blue - Lesson Two

To start out, I'm giving kudos to Szarka Carter of Magpie Gemstones. She is the one that turned me on to gun bluing for copper. Not personally, but I remember when I first started working with copper wire years ago, reading something she wrote about using it to oxidize her copper. And let me tell ya...I ran right out and got some, cause I really did not like using LOS (Liver of Sulfur)! It stinks, it's finicky, and well...you basically do not want to inhale it. More on LOS next time.

Today's topic is Gun Blue, and using it on our lovely copper creations. First of all, let's talk safety. I know there are peeps out there that don't wear gloves, masks, etc, but I'm here to tell you that on Birchwood's Safety Data Sheet they have a Hazard Section that says, and I quote "DANGER! MAY INTENSIFY FIRE; OXIDIZER. TOXIC IF SWALLOWED. TOXIC IF INHALED. MAY CAUSE SEVER SKIN BURNS OR EYE DAMAGE. VERY TOXIC TO AQUATIC LIFE WITH LONG LASTING EFFECTS." Gun Blueing is a chemical solution, made up of 2 acids, a sulfate, and water. If you would like to download the Data Sheet for yourself, you can find it here.

I never never never take a chance with any chemical, not on my skin, in my nose, or in storage. I wear rubber gloves from the dollar store, after I take off my rings and other jewelry...just to be safe. Who wants to accidentally darken their rings or watch, right? As far as not breathing in the stuff, if you have  a window close by, you can open it slightly. If you have a fan, it would serve you well to use both of them, especially if you have any sort of lung issues. I have one and one-half lungs. Trust me, if you are standing over it for a half-hour or so, you need ventilation or a mask. And please, wear the gloves because of your skin, too. Why take the chance. I know, I make it sound really caustic, don't I? I've been using it for years, but with the safety measures I take, so far, so good.

Perma Blue, the brand name for the Birchwood product, is also not good to be leaving around where the kids or your pets can get to them. I don't have to worry about that so much. I don't have kids around or pets right now (so sad). Perma Blue products do have child proof lids on them, but take extra measures to make sure your loved ones are safe, too.

Like I said, I buy the larger size, which seems to last forever. When it comes (and they may not ship it to your PO Box, so just be aware of that.), it will come with a metallic seal. I do not peal the whole thing off; I poke a
hole in it large enough I can squeeze some of it into my glass container. Use a screw driver or a sharp knife. Just remember to wash it off well, after your done...the knife or screw driver. Okay, you  knew that...I just poke a hole because in my mind, it might help to keep the product fresher longer. I cannot, however, document that.
 
Use a glass container to store the Gun Blue you are using in...one with a good lid, preferably metal. Get a container large enough to dip your items in. I use a wide mouth jar from Hobby Lobby. I keep the rest of my unused large bottle in a resealable plastic bag, just cause I like to be extra safe. Keep that out of reach of children and pets, as well. I cannot stress enough...there is no home remedy for swallowing this stuff. It would be an immediate visit to the ER!

Here is my set up, which I will talk more about when we actually get to using your Gun Blue. And, as you might notice, my wide mouth jar has a baggie between the jar and the lid.
Here's why. My first jar's lid had a liner in it. I think it was some sort of coated pressed cardboard. This new container's lid did not. What I had was bare metal, but I thought...okay...I will give it a go.

Here is what happened.
 Nice lid, huh?
Yep, for some reason this product can sweat, which it did, and it started to rust out my lid, probably my cheap lid, so I decided to use a baggie to give the lid a little more protection. I've been doing that for over eight months now and it's working. No problem.

So...Here is the list of things you will need to work with Gun Blue on copper wire, besides the wire:

• Gun Blue...like, no kidding, Gail
• Rubber or Nitrile gloves
• Glass jar with a wide mouth
• Some sort of handmade copper hook ( I forgot this, but it's to dip your product in the Gun Blue. More on that later)
• Ventilation and/or a face mask (not one for Halloween!)
• And a towel to work on

I guess that is about it for your introduction to Gun Blue. Yeah, you wanted more, didn't you? Baby steps, kids. Next time I will be discussing using Liver of Sulfur, much the same way as I did here. After that, we get to work. We will be using both side by side and you can be the judge. On paper, at least. I get stuck with the smell. Love you all. Don't forget...
Stay Wired Up!!!

Introduction to our Beloved Copper and a Little Bit on Oxidation - Lesson One

I've seen a lot of question on Facebook and the Internet from different skill levels of people working with copper wire or plate about why copper does what it does, like kink and break. I've worked with copper wire and copper items for about seven years now, and decided to share some of my research to possibly help any of you along in your quest to work with copper. Some of this information may seem a little too "scientific" for your personal taste, but I figure if we are really going to understand what we are working with, we need to know it inside and out, and I'm starting at the beginning, cause I'm a "why" person.

Copper, as you probably know, is a soft or malleable metal, and one of the few natural metals not silver or gray in color. It is highly conductive to electricity and heat (meaning both travel easily through copper), but copper does not easily corrode. That should mean something to us that use Gun Blues or Liver of Sulfur on our copper wire or sheet, but we'll talk about that later.

The simplest answer I could find about why copper is softer than some of the other metals, and why it is so conductive, is because of its molecules size and shape. They are all the same size and shape, and cubic in nature, so they move easily against and around each other. So...copper is soft because the molecules move easily inside the copper structure, wire, etc. When we work with copper, like bending over and over, it begins to get harder to use. We call this "work hardening."

Work Hardening happens because the copper molecules start to become strained and/or deformed in shape, and defects form in the molecular structure.  And...like a great friend, if we push it and push it, it WILL break down. Copper will say, "I've had enough of you!" and break. The moral of this little story for you copper users is to bend your wire or work with your metal slowly. If you are in too much of a hurry, and push your metal or wire too fast, it will work harden much quicker, it will bend, kink, and break, as I said earlier, because all that movement deforms the molecular structure. Be patient with your wire and metal, and you will be rewarded.

Then there is Annealing, which is a whole different thing. Annealing, in my terms, is a healing process. When we anneal copper, usually around 700F degrees  (make sure you have an annealing pan, please!), it actually causes the metal to grow new grains that are free of stress within the existing molecular structure. I used to think that the molecules just spread out, making it easier to work with again, while in all actuality, with heat, the metal grows these new grains, which do away with all the molecule deformities previously a part of our wire or metal. Ya gotta love physics!

Corrosion vs. Oxygenation:

Liver of Sulfur causes copper to oxidize quicker than it would normally. Here's the difference; Corrosion is rust, like you might see in iron...it's that dark scaly and flaky layer, which is the actual breakdown of the metal. However, Oxidation is when the metal is exposed to oxygen and/or other atmospheric conditions and chemicals and becomes patinated. The natural patina on copper is copper oxide, and like on the Statue of Liberty, is a greenish or a green blue color. This natural patina actually acts as a protective layer to copper. It keeps the bottom layers of the copper from breaking down.

 VS

Liver of Sulfur is basically an Oxidizer, moving along the oxidation process on copper, silver, and some other metals. However, any wire or metal that is "coated" or non-tarnish will not respond to LOS, for short, because the chemical cannot get to the actual metal's surface. If you are buying craft wire, it will, most likely, NOT oxidize, as most craft wires are coated or non-tarnish. LOS does not corrode the copper. It merely leaves it with a brown to black patina.

Gun Blue is another product you can use to oxidize your copper, but I will write more on that in a day or two. Promise...unless I get run over. :-P

While I'm not the best at keeping up with blogging, I think my muse is back. Yeah, I've said that before and have been a real dolt about it, but I was a trainer by trade for many years, and it's time for me to get my crap together and be more helpful to others and not just creative.

This is going to be an ongoing study, so stay tuned. In the next couple of days I will be talking about using Gun Blue vs LOS on our wire, not just copper, but sterling, etc. I will also be writing about how to use these two chemicals effectively, the use of distilled water vs. tap water, cleaning of your jewelry, and so on. Stay tuned, my friends! and...

Stay Wired Up!

Pantone Colors for 2017 – Wow! It’s Greenery!

You can find this post on my website here:
https://ggchambers.com/pantone-colors-for-2017-wow-its-greenery/

If you've subscribed to the blog here, it is still safe to read it off my website. Sign up on https://ggchambers.com for all my new posts. There are more to come! Thanks for your patience and being a loyal follower.

Stay Wired Up!