Silk - what the .....????!!!

[crystaltash]

Hi guys!
Here I am again with yet another question!! It's to do with mending cracked nails.

I was taught that when using silk, apply 1 thin coat of gel, cure, then apply the silk, cure again and then apply another coat of gel and cure it.

Is this right, because it doesn't look right!! And also, do you just cover the crack with the piece of silk or the whole nail?

PLEASE HELP ME AND TELL ME HOW TO DO THIS!!!!! I thin I might be going slowly mad!!

Thanks lovlies!
Love and pink dried flowers,

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Blimey it's a while since I have had to do this, but I'll try and explain in a "generic" form cos I forgot to check your profile to see what brand you use.

I tend to cover zones 1 and 2 with the silk (well I used fibreglass).

Anyway I would apply the sticky bonder layer,cure, then apply f/g, then stipple a thin layer of gel into f/g so it "disappears", cure, then apply builder layer, cure, wipe of sticky layer, buff to shape and apply finishing gloss, cure, wipe. oil!

All it is doing is sandwiching the f/g into the gel to give added strength.

 

[Jaffacake]

you can use resin if you dont want the shiney gel look too, same procedure, resin, fibreglass or silk, stipple adhesive to make it dissapear, resin again and buff x

 

[crystaltash]

Thanks chums.

So after I've sandwiched the silk or f/g between layers of gel - I don't buff until the builder layer??

Cos after i cure the silk into the nail, I can still see, and there are rough edges of it sticking out. Is this just bad application of the silk?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

It may be bad application of your silk. However it could be that your silk is not that good, I had probs with a batch that I had, just kept curling at the edges no matter what I did. However when you stipple into the silk, you only need enough to work it into it, I've found that if you use too much then the silk moves about and curls at the edges. As with any gel application you have to be fairly light to the touch, I think you will find f/g better, maybe have a try.

But yes, you shouldn't have to buff until you have cured your builder layer.