Yep, glues. Not everyone's favourite topic of discussion, but a worthwhile one.
My journey with Deluxe Materials started in 2019. I was looking for something to hold jewellery in position whilst taking product photos. I needed something that was strong enough to hold, easy to remove and not obvious or easily editable in post production (Photoshop). I found "Deluxe Materials Tacky Wax", it was/is perfect. It holds nicely, the majority of it can be wiped off and the rest washed off with soapy water. Brilliant!
I was so impressed with this, so I tried some other products. I'm pretty sure everyone has, uses or has used some kind of Cyanoacrylate before (Superglue, Crazy Glue etc.), so I tried some of that. The "traditional" types that Deluxe Materials make are available in 3 viscosities and setting times: Roket Max (normal) 10-20 second bond, Roket Rapid (runnier) 5-10 second bond and Roket Hot (super thin) 1-5 second bond. I have all three of these in my fridge, yes, the fridge. Cyanoacrylates store very well in a cool, dark, environment. Mine are sealed in a bag and kept separate to any food. Each of these glues works really well. The "Roket Hot" is the only one I don't use often as it's very thin and difficult to control unless you use the Roket Glue Tips for precision gluing (which I should do more often).
The best bit? This stuff lasts. I've been using the same glues for 5 years now. I don't do a lot of gluing, but the fact they haven't solidified is a testament to their quality. Even better? I've replaced glues when their tops or caps have been messed up by excess glue, but you can buy re-cap sets! This makes them last longer. How's that for combating waste? There's even a very effective Glue Buster in case you get it wrong.
I think these glues are so versatile that I've put together a starter kit that offers a small saving over buying everything separately.
I used to keep a specialist gap filling Cyanoacrylate in stock "Special-T", but I can't get this now. It was really useful for sealing knots on Silicon Elastic such as Stretch Magic. I trialled Deluxe Materials' CA Gel as a substitute and I think it's better than anything I've used before. Another good thing is it's available in an "ordinary" sized 3 gram tube, but if you're using a lot, an economical 20ml tube is also available.
Next, Epoxy Glue. As a Jeweller, I often use epoxies for holding pieces in place while laser welding, or while making tools, for gluing pearls into settings, or one of the many other uses around the studio. The most frustrating things for me are getting the mix right and the length of setting time as I get impatient. Deluxe Materials have a large range of epoxy adhesives, but I've decided to start out with this one as I like it. Speed Epoxy II, 4 minute cure. Perfect for my uses and hopefully for you as well. It's easy to mix, sets quickly and is easy to clean up.
The majority of Deluxe Materials products are made in the UK. Of the items I'm currently stocking (May 2024), it's only the Epoxy that isn't. I've always been a champion of British products as I believe many have great things to offer. Deluxe Materials are no exception. They also do a lot of other products, mostly aimed at model making, which you can check out on their website here. If there is anything else you would like me to consider stocking, please let me know.
Although the rest of what they do isn't aimed at jewellery, I'm itching to give a few things a go as I think they could make awesome displays.
Thank you for reading.
Best wishes, Damian