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Accidentally discovered nail trick
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a_arnold
Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006
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Accidentally discovered nail trick
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It has been a while since I have been on the Foro, but in my absence I made a useful "discovery" about nail products. We all know superglue is strong and hard, but takes off a layer of nail when it comes off. And Sally Hansen has always been disappointing. I experimented with something a friend recommended: a Sally Hansen-like brush-on polish called Rock Hard ("5x harder . . . etc"). It was only slightly better than Sally Hansen, but I kept using it, and as I gradually emptied the bottle it got thicker and dried poorly, so I thinned it with acetone, which improved the drying and hardness. It wasn't any more durable, but it bonded well to the nail without weakening nail the way superglue does. Then I tried something else: After putting on a well dried (overnight) coat (or 2) of diluted Rock Hard (just on the edge of the nail) I put a top layer of cyanoacrylate nail glue (super glue) on top of the Rock Hard. The hardness of the superglue protects the underlying Rock Hard, and the diluted Rock Hard bonds well to the nail without damaging it. The combination doesn't come off as easily as regular polish or superglue. Instead it just simply wears down gradually (rather than chipping or peeling), so I have to check it and add more Rock Hard and superglue when it starts to wear through -- but it protects and strengthens AND is durable AND doesn't weaken the nail. And it doesn't look as grotesque as glue-on nails. By the way, as brush-on superglue ages, it dries more and more slowly and less and less hard as the solvent evaporates. Mix in some "fast" superglue (available in hobby stores, not nail stores) to thin it and rejuvenate it.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
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Date May 3 2013 16:17:22
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JuanDaBomb
Posts: 189
Joined: May 18 2011
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RE: Accidentally discovered nail trick (in reply to a_arnold)
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I think the nail damage from the glue that a_arnold is talking about is the thin layer of nail surface the glue takes with it every time it separates from the nail. At least, that is my main problem. My routine: very lightly scuff up the nail surface with a semi-fine file, wipe the surface with alcohol for best adhesion, apply super thin cyano in a thin layer (if I can see the liquid bead up on my nail then I put it on too thick). If I put another layer, then I scuff that layer up like before (although I've read that the super thin cyano does not require a roughed up surface), wipe with alcohol, so on. But I usually don't bother with more than one layer. My main problem is when the glue separates from the nail without necessarily chipping off. This happens when the nail inevitably flexes more than the glue likes, and it breaks the bond in that area. The area resembles like a halo, it's whiter than the surrounding area. And scuffing up the area and applying more glue on it doesn't repair the lifting, of course. The only way I've found to repair it is to put a few drops of acetone on a piece of paper towel and use some pressure and light rubbing to "melt" the glue and allow it stick again. It works, sorta, but not even close to good enough. I don't think the cyano will ever work the way we want it to (and I've tried lots of brands and viscosities). I found a rubberized CA which might be promising since it allows some flex before failing. But then again maybe not, and plus it's a black color lol. I'm going to try your method, a_arnold. Thanks for sharing. I can imagine your method working if the rock hard stuff allows some flexibility, while the CA provides the strength. I'm curious enough to try. Do you think you can provide a link to the rock hard stuff you use?
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Date May 6 2013 7:32:20
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a_arnold
Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006
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RE: Accidentally discovered nail trick (in reply to JuanDaBomb)
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quote:
Do you think you can provide a link to the rock hard stuff you use? I got Rock Hard off the shelf at a beauty supply place -- Sally's Beauty Supply (not Sally Hansen). I think it is a chain. It comes as a bottle packaged in a turquoise and orange box and is item # 600-540 made by American International Industries, Los Angeles, CA 90040. As for repairing cyanoacrylate (CA) when it begins separating, it is easier to add new CA if you use the "fast" CA that they sell in hobby shops (it's not available as a nail product). Fast CA is VERY runny and sets more quickly, but it will flow into and fill the separation much better than the brush-on stuff. I don't pre-scuff, but I do really clean my nails well with soap and water and dry them well before putting anything on. Ricardo is probably right that the alcohol dries the nail. I do, however, think that the CA takes a layer of nail off when it comes off. I can actually see a "step" in the surface of the nail if I have had to do a silk repair with CA directly on the nail and the repair comes off. That step doesn't happen with Rock Hard underneath protecting the nail. However -- here is a trick a friend of mine uses (for what it's worth; I haven't tried it) if you have a tear starting, put a dab of CA on the tear, then (before it dries) touch it to some baking powder. Let dry. Smooth, but leave a mound of cemented baking powder in place over the tear. Then another touch of CA on top. My friend is a classical guitarist -- finalist in both GFA and Parkening competitions. He knows what he is doing. I'm not convinced that this kind of repair will be strong enough for flamenco, but it's worth knowing about.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
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Date May 6 2013 22:51:36
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britguy
Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada
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RE: Accidentally discovered nail trick (in reply to JuanDaBomb)
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quote:
For kicks I wanted to show you my little set-up for nail gloo-ing. You guys are so lucky, being able to use these glues to solve you nail problems. I've been struggling with nail problems for more than fifty years, and still haven't found the ideal solution. I'd love to be able to just paint on Zrazy Glue or some similar stuff, but when I do my nails develop a nasty downward hook at the tip, making playing almost impossible. I've tried OPI etc, etc. but any nail hardener or glue seems to cause the hooking? For me the only thing that has worked at all well on a consistent basis is those plastic glue-on half-nails. I hate putting them on (very fiddly), and they look like s#&*t, but they do last almost a month in some cases, and are easy to maintain. I keep hoping to discover some 'magic' nail formula that will give strong, flexible nails for flamenco playing, yet be easy to use and durable. . . Live in hopes . . . .
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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada
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Date Aug. 15 2013 14:44:47
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