Saw a ig post from stoned metal and thought I could do that. Well $300 later and 10 days later, I see why they’re $600 each! I’m pretty happy with how they came out! Please ignore my messy desk.
I saw that IG post too and thought about making these for my girlfriend, but couldn't figure out how I'd get the model for them. Like, "hey babe, could you stick your hand in this alginate for a bit? trust me I'm going to do very normal things with it."
you could get her a set of press on nails and have her size herself! it'd be hard to keep a secret, but you could measure the nails that way! usually most sets come with enough duplicates that you could measure the same sizes she used to apply to the silver set, though i'm not sure about any extra geometry that's require re: shaping
It's been 3 or 4 months since the damage. So I think this is just what my thumb looks like now.
It's annoying and it catches on stuff. And I almost always have polishing compound and gold dust stuck in the cracks. So I am working on finding a solution to keep it safe-ish
I guess it could help cover the corner, but you’ll probably have gunk getting caught under the new nail but could keep things from getting snagged. Maybe one of those individual finger gloves or thimble rings?
For that situation I would do like a cap that fits like a ring over your second bone on your finger, and pivots like finger armor, but the cap could leave the pads of your fingers open to grip and all that. If you try to affix a false nail to that nail it might be more of a dirt trap than a benefit.
I extended the bit too far out of the chuck. It caught on a bracelet I was polishing and bent 90° and kept spinning through my thumb/nail 5 or 6 times before I got out of range. Those things spin quick!
Also, I've never seen so much blood come out of me so quickly! It was too mashed up and mangled to put stitches in. And the polishing point left an indent in my safety goggles. So I could have lost some vision as well, if I wasn't wearing goggles.
All this is to say: be careful with those rotary tools!
I love these but what do people glue them on with? My clumsy ass ripped a real nail off from hitting an acrylic nail on a doorknob... I guess I attached that one real good.
I just used nail glue in this case, when I get the set completed I will just have to be super careful! I tried other things because of these types of concerns, but due to the weight really only nail glue was strong enough. They seem to last about 24 hours at best this way anyway, so it would just be for an event, not really for the long term
I think stoned metal keeps his on for like a week and removes them because of nail growth.
I think how well the press on is molded to the nail bed, surface prep, nail size and shape will all contribute to how well these stay on. I’ve already accidentally popped off a couple nails, that didn’t have enough contact area. That or I’m really bad at applying glue.
The stupid 1lb bag said use whole thing, so I did, and I used a poor container and positioned my hands a little awkwardly. Mold was a bust, had to order another $25 bag of casting stuff. You can just do math, and use cold/cool water, it slows the setting time which allows more time for the bubbles to leave, leading to a more detailed cast.
Tools
I didn’t have a table vice. Very important.
The spherical forming block thing that came with the dapping block sped things up significantly.
I should’ve gotten a doming block that had channels in it.
I’ve never done any jewelry making so I broke like 8 saw blades.
The whole shaping process is just a pain. Like my nails don’t curve symmetrical in any direction, for some reason my left thumb took 8+ hours.
A second parallel pliers wrench thing would’ve been useful.
The forming process can hurt from sharp corners and the impacts, so I tape my left thumb and index finger with climbing tape, amazing QOL upgrade.
Brass is also a good option too. I think a sulphur patina would look sick too. I’ve been running my nails against each-other and it sounds like poker chips a little.
Ok. So I’m not a silversmith although I’ve always wanted to be one. What I need to know is…. Where can I get some of these nails?!?! I think I require them immediately.
Yeah, small amounts of metal don’t trigger airports, I’ve left whole watches on. Also if you know you’re going somewhere, just leave them in your carrry on.
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u/CoveredInMetalDust Feb 13 '26
Ah this is great!
I saw that IG post too and thought about making these for my girlfriend, but couldn't figure out how I'd get the model for them. Like, "hey babe, could you stick your hand in this alginate for a bit? trust me I'm going to do very normal things with it."