WiseArts

Remember the Crystletts I found at the flea market on June 2nd? I took them for a trial run this evening. Here’s how it went:

First, I made a mold out of aluminum foil. I think the mold material needs to be glass or metal since the oven needs to be 350-400 degrees for the Crystletts to melt. The back of the box talks about using copper or aluminum to make a shape that you place on a pan. I suppose the surface tension keeps the melted plastic from leaking out of the bottom. I was too chicken to try that this time, so I made a mold with a closed bottom.

I put a thin layer of the crystals in the bottom, added a piece of colored foil, and then another thin layer on top. Then it went into the oven on a baking sheet. This stuff isn’t like shrink plastic! It took a while to melt. Maybe a good 15 minutes… I didn’t think to time it. It didn’t give off any smell at all.

When it seemed smooth enough, I took it out. On the box it says that you can pull it out sooner if you want a rippled look. It has a lot of bubbles in it. I think they may be reduced by using lower temperature for a longer time period. This feels lighter and harder than a pendant made of resin.

On the box, it says you can hold the piece to a flame to smooth the edges. I figured that I could use my dremel tool to grind off some of the excess (outside!) and then “fire-polished” it over the gas cooktop. That worked out swell. I didn’t smell anything even then, but I turned on the exhaust fan to be a bit safer. Then I used a tiny drill bit to drill the hole.

It’s not perfect, but I’m happy with this first result. I think next time I will try making a proper mold out of heavier metal. I’d also like to try some different inclusions.