[jerin]

Hi everyone,

I am in need of some help with doing pearl studs.
I would like to know how to avoid getting glue on the pearls, as I am using pearl earrings with peg.

Thanks!

[knotty panda]

Don't use glue . Sorry, I prefer studs too. Jeremy has a glue he likes from iShor (another international purchase for you, you poor thing!). I believe it comes out in teeny drops. Are you using a pearl tweezer? Other than that, just being careful is what I do. I stick the peg and cup into the glue tube hold, squeeze some glue up to cover the peg, pull the peg and cup out of the tube and stick on the pearl. Then I put the post in between the leaves of a table and put a book on the earring to weight them until they set.

[GemGeek]

How clever Knotty!

[jerin]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

Don't use glue . Sorry, I prefer studs too. Jeremy has a glue he likes from iShor (another international purchase for you, you poor thing!). I believe it comes out in teeny drops. Are you using a pearl tweezer? Other than that, just being careful is what I do. I stick the peg and cup into the glue tube hold, squeeze some glue up to cover the peg, pull the peg and cup out of the tube and stick on the pearl. Then I put the post in between the leaves of a table and put a book on the earring to weight them until they set.

Knotty,
if You perhaps mean "Vigor", I already have it. It is a superfast glue and as I have a pearl tweezer but am not used to use it, I am quite clumsy with it. So I try to take it between my fingers, but acc. to the above method I always end up in getting some of the glue on my fingertips, who than touch the pearl....
I am not certain I understand "between the leaves of a table"???
The advice with the book does sound great though, thanks a lot.

[jshepherd]

It is the volume that you have to control. It takes a bit of practice, but if use use the right volume you should not have any problems.

When I am making them I point the post down at an angle and squeeze the vigor while pointing down at an angle. I guess the angles would best be expressed like this: \/ The amount is less than a drop. Much less than a drop. It should be just enough to form a miniature ball at the END of the post tip. If the glue goes into the cup you will have spillover.

While I am doing this, the pearl is on a stick-board, top down with the hole up. Carefully, while resting the side of my hand so it does not move, I post it in one move, directly in the center of the hole. Squeeze for a few seconds and it is done.

[Caitlin]

What's a stick board?

[jshepherd]

Something sticky that will hold the pearl in place. A card or strip that pairs holds pairs, for example.

[danachit]

I use a two-part epoxy that takes 24 hours to set. I use a two inch piece of wire and dip into the mixed epoxy...put a little on the post peg and a little into the pearl. The wire is so small that it's quite easy to direct the amount and position of the glue.

After placing the post on the pearl, I set it on a glue board OR if a glue board isn't around....I gently set the pearls down in a cup of salt or sugar. The grains hold the pearl earring upright nicely while the gold post sets for 24 hours.

I've actually sat with a young man and showed him how to do this procedure. He made the earrings for his beautiful bride. She was thrilled to have such a beautiful gift that was also made by her fiance.

[jshepherd]

I used to use the two-part epoxy as well. I think the one we started with took only four minutes, however, not 24 hours. Now that is some patience!

[jerin]

[quote=danachit]
After placing the post on the pearl, I set it on a glue board OR if a glue board isn't around....QUOTE]

Just what is a glue board? Thank You all for the good advice, I will try it and see whether I can do them as nice as the ones I buy from PP.

[danachit]

When I buy my pearls for the earrings...they come on a rectangular piece of 'cardboard about the size of a banana ( ) Each pair is side by side, sitting on a little round sticky thing. They are held secure by the stickiness. Does that help?

[knotty panda]

Jerin: When a table is pulled apart, the sections are called leaves. If you insert an extension piece, that's a leaf too. At least over here. You all probably call them something else. I put the post in the seam between the leaves to hold the pearl upright and put a book on the pearl to weight it down. You have to have a pair of earrings, though. The book won't balance on one pearl. That sugar/salt idea is pretty cool if you don't weight it down.

[jerin]

Originally Posted by danachit

When I buy my pearls for the earrings...they come on a rectangular piece of 'cardboard about the size of a banana ( ) Each pair is side by side, sitting on a little round sticky thing. They are held secure by the stickiness. Does that help?

Hi Danachit,
my pearls unfortunately just were loose, so perhaps I should change to the right vendor to get this type of cardboard....

Knotty,
thanks for the explanation, after some time of thinking I came to the same conclusion, though I never have heard it before.
Thanks every one. I´ll try everything and see what works best.

[pattye]

Maybe one could try double sided sticky tape or museum gel--I am thinking if one was just doing a pair or 2----?

Pattye
so many pearls so little time

[DFrey]

I find plasticine or modeling clay are great for holding findings upright that have just had pearls glued onto them. I think plasticine is available at most office supply places or kids stores.

Dfrey