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Embossing Powder Made at Home...

5/9/2015

280 Comments

 
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Update 4 August 2015: There is now a composite image showing the extracted polymer ( in these examples the polymer came from a floor finish from Holloway, sold at Walmart) with pigment inks, and color experiments with the colorless Versamark ink after the second video. This photo and effort is provided by Kristina Roberts, who has shared her work with our community. Thanks, Kris! Please check the comments for Kris's work with this alternative polymer.
Two videos below: Video 1 shows the results and video 2 illustrates the process.


Thermography is frequently considered to be raised printing typically used for business cards, wedding invitations, and other decorative printed material. The process provides a third dimension of height. The procedure is essentially the use of a slow drying ink, a thermoplastic polymer, and a source of heat. The wet ink receives the powdered resin and is heated until the polymer flows and adds the dimensional effect and becomes solid again. Raised print is also useful in the production of Braille in place of punched indents. Although a fairly mature industry with its beginnings in the early 20th century with copal or varnish resins, there are new uses being discovered. For example, the rubber stamp process has been adopted by crafters and has become a billion dollar business. It has become an “at home” art form with cards, scrapbooks, and new areas of artistic expression. The companies in this business now sell several kinds of ink, embossing, (thermoplastic) powders in many colors, and other peripherals to make the hobby easier and more versatile.
I became interested in the polymers used in the thermographic process but found very little in the literature and patents. There is an abundance of information on the equipment used but most of the embossing powders are proprietary and even the MSDS literature was of little help. I was fairly sure that someone had made some of these embossing resins at home but a search turned up no process. Additionally, after reading several crafting blogs it seems as though there was a desire to find such a method that was easy to do at home and used readily available materials. After many failures and frustrations I have been able to extract a clear embossing powder from a common floor finish. Since this in an open source website I welcome comments and community additions and suggestions to improve and refine the process. Here is the recipe and the two products required for the extraction of clear embossing powder:

Pledge Floor Care Finish, 798 ml (27 fluid ounces). This was called “Future” until 2008. It is manufactured and sold by S C Johnson. Follow any cautions listed.
Distilled White Vinegar.
Procedure: Add 2 parts of cool water to one part floor finish in a disposable container and not one used for food. With stirring, add vinegar slowly until the polymer becomes thick and very easy to see. Stop adding vinegar at this point. Pour polymer into a sieve or funnel/coffee filter and drain. Return the drained polymer into the original container and add water as a rinse. Drain and transfer to paper towels, spread material and allow to air dry. Reduce particle size by placing dry polymer into a sandwich bag or Cling wrap and apply pressure to make a powder. If a finer powder is required, pass the particles through a dryer sheet as shown in the video.
How it works: The acrylic floor finish is a stable emulsion and is stable due to the fact that the emulsion is kept at a pH of greater than 9. Remember that a pH of 7 is neutral. When we add vinegar that has between 3 and 9% acetic acid, the pH of the emulsion goes down and the polymer precipitates out. The variability of the acetic acid content is the reason that there is no fixed ratio stipulated.
There are other alternatives to consider but they all have limitations. Laser toner is useful but there is no colorless toner and the colors are very limited. Powder coating for metals is an option but very expensive and not generally available in small amounts. So, this project is an alternative material to the commercial products and it is a lot of fun to make your own!


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280 Comments
anon
5/16/2015 04:13:42 am

I'd suggest running the powder through a mill to make it finer. That seems to be the only difference in your A/B comparison.

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Ken
5/16/2015 05:01:51 am

Hi anon,
What kind of mill are you referring to? I have considered a ball mill that I made some time ago but it is not something that everyone has at home. I also thought of an old blender but didn't have one to try. I did get excellent results with a mortar and pestle but again, not in the general user's kitchen. Any ideas that you have would be appreciated and thanks for the comment. Ken.

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themadz
5/16/2015 11:52:46 pm

You can get coffee grinders for about $15 at your local general store. I have one just for the purpose of grinding stuff. They produce very fine powders.

lilette
8/16/2016 10:55:33 pm

KEN, I am from Sydney Australia, and i have been sear hing fot a long time about doing your embossing powder from Scratch anh i thank you very much for your discovery and hard work. Can i suggest grinded coloured chald to be added to your liquid because it I s pigment too and very easy and cheap to buy

Kammy
9/23/2016 08:03:54 am

You could also try a hand grinder from the grocery store used for peppercorn, salt etc.

WHITEOAK, Johnell
7/2/2018 03:58:36 am

Hinthere! I'm Australian too, but I've never heard of this floor product here. Do you know the name of an equal product in Australia? I sincerely hope that you see this ... I would be so grateful! If not, perhaps another Aussie may be able to advise me on the same? Thank you, and kindest regards, J. Whiteoak

Sarra
4/9/2019 09:06:25 pm

Hi all! Thanks a lot Ken for sharing your experiment with us.
Lilette and Johnell, I'm from Australia too (Perth WA). Did you end up finding a substitute of the Pledge floor cleaner ? Woolies sells the wood clwaning version but it isn't clear, not sure if it will work...
Still looking around.

David Fermamdez
3/24/2020 05:59:25 pm

Hi Ken....iI could only find this pledge - Pledge Floor Glass Original will this work if not what can be used?

rita
9/8/2016 11:42:31 am

I would think if you used a mill type thing...you could use a pill crusher...idk though...just thinkin

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Dorothy
10/3/2016 06:19:07 am

A food mill is used in the process of pureeing foods, like applesauce or homemade baby food. You can find one in the kitchen section of a home goods store. They usually come with three blades that allow you to customize how finely you want to mill your foods. Hope this helps. Thank you for this tutorial.

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CrossDraw
5/16/2015 06:35:35 am

Electric spice and coffee grinder/mills can produce REALLY fine powders, Just let it settle for a few minutes after processing it before you open it as the fine dust will remain airborne for a bit and likely wouldn't be too lung/eye friendly

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Ken
5/16/2015 09:05:00 am

Hey CrossDraw,
Thanks for the tip as I have never used either for spice or coffee. I will definitely give it a try, Ken.

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Rob Thomas
5/16/2015 08:51:30 am

In case anyone else (using a Mac) cannot get the videos to run in Safari, they load just fine in Chrome

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Pierre LeCute
8/29/2016 10:35:12 am

Mr. Thomas Sir, just to say iMac running Fire Fox works well also.

pierre

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KeithFromCanada
5/16/2015 11:09:57 am

This is the kind of coffee grinder you want. Shake the powder while grinding, as it will tend to cake, then let it set a while, as it creates a powder that is probably finer than Ranger's. http://www.amazon.ca/Salton-Coffee-Spice-Grinder-10-Cups/dp/B0095GO92A/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen-substore&ie=UTF8&qid=1431824870&sr=1-1

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Ken
5/17/2015 01:08:31 am

Hey Keith,
I think that it is time to try a grinder. Thanks for the link and I will give it a shot as the process can save money. Ken.

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Cynthia
6/4/2015 01:05:09 pm

Thank you, Ken.
I most especially appreciate you writing out the directions for this. That is very helpful.
I am very interested in the colored embossing powder.

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Ken
6/7/2015 03:23:25 am

Hi Cynthia,
I am working on the dye problem now and hope to have some positive results soon. Thanks for the interest, Ken.

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Sol HB
6/23/2015 08:44:50 am

This is sooo awesome. I am having a blast not only because of the possibility I now have to make my own but delighted to see some VERY-very nice people like you is willing to share your knowledge.
You see, for most of us in the rest of the world (ouside Anglo-America), name brand stuff like this is unavailable and shipping charges makes it very expensive and often times unaffordable so we are always looking for alternatives we can make at home. I don't know if I will be able to find this kind of Pledge locally but it will sure beat buying the real thing. I do thank you very much!!!!

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Jieyi Liang
9/12/2015 05:43:17 pm

Totally agree.

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Dawn Gaye link
6/29/2015 03:54:37 am

Can't thank you enough for this - I will be making some as soon as I get a moment to breathe:) As for coloring - I am fairly certain alcohol inks will work just fine - I know they work on commercial uncolored embossing powder. There are 3 or 4 brands available in the US. However, unless you have some - the are pricey. There are instructions online for making one's own alcohol inks - so a combo of these 2 cost saving ideas would be ideal! I will be experimenting with the alcohol inks on your invention - and also with some other coloring materials I've read may work on the clear powder. Again, thank you and all best - I'll get back to you when I get this done!

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Ken
6/30/2015 03:01:14 am

Hi Dawn,
I hope that your experiments with alcohol inks will work and am looking forward to the results. I have had some pretty good success with RIT liquid dyes. One concern that I have is that the acrylic polymer in my process is somewhat electrically different and may not behave like the commercial polymers. But, if it does work it would be very helpful for others. If you are successful perhaps you can take some photos and I can post them in the article. Photos can not be posted on the comments due to the site itself so they can be sent to me at ken.quast@gmail.com. Thanks for the comment and good luck, Ken.

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Ken
7/2/2015 08:56:11 am

Hey Dawn,
I did some experiments that may be of interest to you. I extracted a blue sharpie with 91 % isopropyl alcohol. About 2 ounces of the IPA. However, when I added the extracted polymer it dissolved completely. This might be good for faux enameling but not for coloring embossing polymer made by my process. I then tried 70 % IPA and the powder balled up due to the water in the IPA. Water is highly polar and causes the polymer to form balls. This also happens with the RIT dye which is water based. So, at this point, the 70 % might work before the grinding process. Just wanted to give you an update as you try to make it work. Ken.

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Cindy
7/2/2015 05:18:19 pm

Hi Ken,
I was just wondering what if one could put either a drop of acrylic paint OR a drop of food colouring in the final rinsing water to add colour. I am keen to give this a try and will be sharing this with my friends. Thanks for sharing this with the world, I am sure you are going to make many a lady very happy with this. :)

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Ken
7/3/2015 08:25:17 am

Hi Cindy,
I have not tried food coloring but it may be worth a try. I have tried acrylic paint but have not had any luck yet. As you can see from the most recent posts the alcohol ink seems to be an unlikely candidate. But, with all of us sharing ideas one of us will hit the right button. My best effort so far has been the RIT liquid dye. It does cause the powder to form balls but they can be made into a powder easily. So, I am adding the extracted polymer to the concentrated dye and then drying and grinding. The color is good but there may be a better way. So, any information that you can provide will be a great help. Thanks for the question and the kind words. Thank goodness for the world of clever crafters. Ken.

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Kyla
7/9/2018 08:56:23 am

Mica powders (eyeshadow) or dry water colours shaved

Ethel
7/19/2015 10:25:05 am

Hi, well that pledge ingredient is not sold in my country (latinamerica), not at least in my supermarket :/....do you think can i use anothet polymer like poliestireno? (dont know english name), maybe melted in acetona (what is used to remove nail paint)....and maybe i'm thinking in add nail paint?.....but my question is, having that melted polystyrene, can i mix with the vinegar?....... THANK YOU for trying to help others. you are kind and nice person. :)

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Ken
7/20/2015 08:46:57 am

Hi Ethel,
I did a brief search and discovered that Pledge is sold in Latin America, but of course it may not be at your location. Perhaps it can be found at another type of store? The poliestireno (polystyrene) would probably not work as it is not the correct emulsion. It is possible that another brand of acrylic floor finish may be available. (acabado de piso de acrílico). But, it has to be clear in color as shown in the video and contain acrilico. Sorry that I am unable to more specific with the information. Thanks for the question and kind words, Ken.

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Kris
7/21/2015 11:21:06 am

It worked, I did not use the pledge, I used holloway quick shine floor finisher from Walmart. I got a ton out of one bottle. I cannot wait for it to dry and get it all ground up, it should be ready about the same time my versamark clear ink pad and heat tool gets here. Thank you so much for this post!

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Ken
7/22/2015 02:35:57 am

Hey Kris,
I was glad to hear that somebody tried an alternative and that it worked. Does the bottle actually say "acrylic" anywhere on the container? I checked the MSDS and there was no polymer listed so I am curious. By all means please let us know how it worked. For your general information I have been placing the polymer after drying into RIT liquid dye, drying, and then grinding. So far it seems to work really well. The color is quite vibrant. Thanks for the comment, Ken.

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Kris
7/22/2015 03:16:29 am

The ingredients are: filtered water, zinc free polymer, polymer emulsion, plasticizer, mild solvent, leveling surfant, biodegradable preservative, and anti foam.

Eden
2/24/2018 05:32:44 pm

You can use diy glycerin pad instead of clear ink. SHE money

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Ken
7/22/2015 08:34:49 am

Kris,
Thanks for the info as it is interesting. Dow chemical introduced the zinc free polymer in 2010 and it is a styrene-acrylic co-polymer that is very much like Pledge. So, it should work well as far as melting point. Please keep us updated, Thanks, Ken.

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Kris
7/23/2015 09:39:44 am

Ken, I don't think it is going to work, the chunks that dried is more rubbery. I don't think there is any way toget it past that rubbery stage.:-( I guess I will have to try and find pledge.

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Ken
7/24/2015 02:36:41 am

Kris,
Well, I am as disjointed as you are by the results. But, there may be a silver lining in that you may be able to use the extracted polymer as an acrylic ink. If it can be dissolved in 91% isopropyl alcohol then it can be dyed with an alcohol ink color salvaged from a colored Sharpie. Just a thought. Thanks for the sad result but at least we know what won't work! Ken.

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Kris
7/24/2015 04:01:58 am

I will give that a try. Thanks.

Ken craftyskill
2/25/2018 04:20:15 pm

Hi Ken, It's nice to see there is another name sake that looks for a cheaper way that looks as good as company mass made stuff. That said reading your coment above re acrylic inks. I have got a that is aging & has to give up crafting so I have been helping her clear her craft room out in one cupboard there was a number of acrylic inks & paints that have started to dry up could I add 91% Isopropyl to make it into a paste to get it out then add more till it is all out of the bottle . After getting it all out of bottle would I need to wash it or just leave to dehydrate till dry before grinding up.

Many Thanks for doing your videos.

Ken

Dessye Dee Clark link
11/3/2018 11:35:53 pm

Kris may have had this mishap because there was a residue from the Holloway quick shine that acts as a contaminant in the process? a perfume that prevents full drying and allows the rubbery effect?
Have you had any problems with the powder caking up during storage? I was wondering about two strategies that might reduce this: 1) re -using the dessicant packages that come with beef jerky or electronics, 2) using a commercial anti-caking product, e.g. Aeorsil fumed silica https://www.aerosil.com/product/aerosil/en/effects/anticaking/ Thank you so much for sharing your work.

Diane
10/24/2015 11:01:21 pm

Kris and others: You can order Pledge from the Walmart.com website. I ordered some about a month ago to make a Wink of Stella DIY as described by Lindsay the FrugalCrafter.

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Kris
7/24/2015 07:47:14 am

Well instead of ditching my extraction, I decided to give a coffee grinder a try. I now have a fine ground up acrylic powder. So it does work with some patients and a grinder.

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David
3/25/2020 03:05:29 pm

Hi kris did you oven dry the powder?

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Kris
7/31/2015 06:24:06 am

I am loving this embossing powder. Food coloring works fine with it, as does eyeshadow, the alcohol ink is a no go on adding color. Glitter just gives sparkle. I used clear ink and pigmented ink. I like the way both look. I will be making more of this, I must say the coffee grinder is the solution, it gives a fine grind powder. Thanks again.:-)

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Ken
7/31/2015 08:32:48 am

Hi Kris,
Thanks for the update and it sounds like you have made some good contributions to the process. Can you take some photos or even a video that I can post on the website showing the colors? Neither can be added to the comments but you could send them to me at: ken.quast@gmail.com. This could be very helpful to others working in the process. Of course, attribution will be acknowledged. Thanks for the effort and information, Ken.

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Kris
7/31/2015 08:52:34 am

Yes I can as soon as possible I will make up some pretty things and write what I have done and such.

Katy Alexis
8/22/2015 07:14:21 pm

Wow Ken! This is fantastic! The frugal crafty side of me loves this as much as the science loving side! Thanks for sharing the process as well as all the great information! I'm just starting adventures in embossing on polymer clay and can't wait to try this!

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Ken
8/23/2015 09:08:18 am

Hi Katy,
Please share what you learn on your new adventure as we all profit from sharing our successes and failures! Good luck, Ken.

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Jerry link
9/29/2015 05:39:20 pm

Sounds like some color solutions may already be working for some people. I was just wondering about dry pigments added to the embossing powder that would end up being trapped in the melted plastic.

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Ken
9/30/2015 03:39:16 pm

Hey Jerry,
Adding pigments will work but the question is how well. The thickness of the polymer on inked stamps is relatively small so adding a pigment may not provide enough color. I think that if the particle size of the pigment is small enough it might work. Give it a try and let us know. Thanks, Ken.

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Cre8!
9/30/2015 12:26:30 pm

I think I'm in LOVE!!! Thank you soooo much! This is just what I was looking for! I want to try it with gold dust/powder, as I really want detail gold! I used to be able to buy the 8oz container. Mine always grew legs, and now is not available on the common market. I built my stamp collection on the basis of being able to find this...You have been a great help!

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Ken
9/30/2015 03:43:08 pm

Hi Cre8,
Happy to see that you are finding LOVE in all of the right places and thanks for joining us! Let us know how this works for you, Ken.

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Jerry link
9/30/2015 06:03:57 pm

I don't currently have dry pigments to try, but today I believe to have successfully used acrylic paint. The powder is still drying, so I have yet to melt it, but it has taken the color rather well. I simply dissolved the paint in the water and pledge mixture prior to adding the vinegar.

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Ken
10/2/2015 09:55:29 am

Jerry,
I am surprised that this worked as the vinegar should have precipitated out the ink as it is also basic. Good work and good information. Thanks, Ken.

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Paul
4/28/2018 07:41:12 am

Perhaps the ink has precipitated out but the precipitate has effectively become a mixture of colour and polymer much as adding a powder colourant to the dried polymer might be.

Angie
10/18/2015 01:23:09 pm

Hello, I´m from Latinamerica, I don´t speak in english, excuse me for my words.... I read all comments and I´m experimenting with different ingredients; here do not sell this product "Pledge" but if I get easily the pure chemical to experience, and friends are advising me to get the right polymer for I do not find in processed products.....I tried with a chemical use in wax silicone my result was a viscous polymer, and I'm doing more experiments with other chemicals

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Diane
10/24/2015 11:37:19 pm

Ken, just watched the videos and found them fascinating. As I have the Pledge on hand (for another craft project) I see no reason not to try this tomorrow! As I watched your comparison to the Ranger product I was struck by this thought - if you are using ordinary pigment ink pads (or did you say you added some glycerin?) which come in every color one can imagine, why would we need to color the DIY embossing powder? It appeared that when heated the ink color was evident and vibrant through the clear powder. Other than solving an academic question - which is a challenge I admit - it seems that if you have lots of colors of ink pads, then there's your color range for embossed effects. Thanks so much for the work in developing this technique and the generosity of spirit in sharing it. Diane

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Ken
10/25/2015 08:35:43 am

Hi Diane,
My considered opinion for using embossing powder is that it provides the raised (three dimension) effect. You are correct that if the only indicator is color, then it is superfluous. But, many times the increased surface and shine is worth the effort. Thanks for the comment, Ken.

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Diane
10/24/2015 11:42:13 pm

And Ken, yet another thought regarding pulverizing the larger particles: I wonder if you could seal them in a heavier plastic bag and run them through the rollers of a die cutting machine such as the Big Shot? I may try that (between the cutting plates - of course). Diane

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Ken
10/25/2015 08:41:42 am

Hey Diane,
Sure, that should work and I have also used a bag and a pasta machine as well as mortar and pestle. But, the best is a small coffee grinder. I guess whatever works for you will be determined by your experiments. Best of luck, Ken.

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Gaz
3/8/2016 04:08:39 pm

Diane and Ken and everyone interested. remember that clear embossing powders come in all grades of fineness (is that a word? guess it is now) so even the thick, chunky stuff would work for some projects. UTEE or triple thick embossing powder is quite chunky comcpared to fineor detail powder - just label it all up in different pots and experiment ;)

Kathy
11/4/2015 08:29:24 pm

Hi Ken
I'm from Australia so I'm not sure they even sell pledge floor cleaner over here and the only one I have on hand is very cloudy so no go on the wax ingredient (as I read here) so I'll go off to the supermarket now and try to find the right acrylic clear floor cleaner and let you know for the Aussies out there, what possible products we can use over here. I'm sure I'm not the only one in Oz that is interested in trying this, mainly because I live in an area where it's just not readily available and you said $6 geez I wish it's around the $20 mark for a small tub as shown on your video, so it's worth while trying it out. I'll let you know

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Ken
11/5/2015 09:57:13 am

Hi Kathy,
I am fairly certain that a suitable acrylic floor finish can be found and it sounds like you are determined to find it! A good place to look online is at sites for people who make models like planes and others. They use the acrylic finish to topcoat their models. I found this one comment: "Another option in Australia is "Pascoe's Long Life" which is an ammonia based produce that behaves in a similar fashion to Future. "Pascoe's" was originally marketed under the name "Rekkit's" and can still be found under this name in the country areas". I am not sure if this will be helpful or not. We wish you well in your search and information. Thanks, Ken.

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lilette
8/16/2016 10:50:43 pm

Katy,i am from Sydney Australia and i am very interested in crafting. i have just check for you , you can have pledge in Bunnings, and there is anothe r product called Pascoe. You can also try at Aldi they sell so many good products for cleaning

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Chris link
11/7/2015 12:14:06 pm

Hi Ken,
I'm interested in making embossing powder for some card crafts. Finding Johnson's Pledge Floor Care Finish here in Greece doesn't seem possible. Do you know of any alternative products that could be used that might be in this country? There is a product called Pronto Long Shine, but I wasn't able to determine if it was an acrylic type product or not. Thanks for your assistance. Chris

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Chris link
11/7/2015 12:35:03 pm

Hi Ken,
I just checked on the Johnson's Pronto Long Shine here in Greece, and someone wrote that it has a milky appearance. If this product would work to make an embossing powder, would the milky appearance be a problem? I also would like to know if it is possible to discover if your experiment recipe using distilled vinegar and water would work with this product. Does the vinegar need to be distilled or can it just be regular white vinegar? Thanks for your assistance. Chris

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Ken
11/8/2015 09:16:02 am

Hi Chris,
First, I want to say that doing product search for Greece was quite difficult with both the language problem and limited information. I did find the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for the Pronto Long Shine. It is partly written in Greek so I am not certain but it seems that the polymer is actually based on urea and a wax which would not provide the needed polymer. The link is here and you can copy and paste: http://www.scjproducts.info/nqcontentb02b.aspx?a_id=2699&brand=26&country_id2=9&archive=false.
My best thought is the same as I mentioned to Kathy above and that is to check modeling sites as they use Pledge to topcoat their trains and other models. When you do find an acrylic floor finish it should be clear and not milky. The white vinegar does not have to be distilled.I hope that this will help. Best of luck, Ken.

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Ken
11/8/2015 09:25:26 am

Chris, an added comment. I inadvertently placed a period at the end of the link and it should not be used. Also, the Pronto is at the bottom if the list. Ken.

Chris link
11/8/2015 03:07:16 pm

Hi Ken,
Many thanks for your research into Johnson's products in Greece, and for your assistance. I had trouble looking up these products too, but will continue the search. If I discover anything viable I'll write again. Johnson's makes some products in this country, and I wanted to contact them directly, but they ask for too much personal information before you can reach them. I may try to buy some product from another country, perhaps through Amazon.com. You have a great article here, and I really look forward to making my own embossing powder as soon as possible. Best wishes, Chris

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Chris link
11/26/2015 07:32:11 pm

Hi Ken,
Last evening a craft store employee here in Greece said that the Schjerning art supply company has an art acrylic liquid that is a possible solution for iur absence of Pledge LS. I tried to look up the ingredients list, but wasn't able to determine if it is the correct type for this project, or if it is safe to use when heated. Could you check on this if you have time and would like to do so?

The directions were in English. I wanted to send you their catalogue, but wasn't able to add an attachment here.

Thanks for your assistance. Chris

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George link
11/24/2015 03:49:59 pm

Here's a rough translation of the Greek Pronto Long Shine ingredients. (It doesn't mention wax, I think LOL)
Could you please let us know if it's ok to use for this project?

AQUA
Copolymer of butyl acrylate - methacrylic acid - styrene
Resin acids and rosin acids, treated with fumaric acid esters of glycerol
ETHOXYDIGLYCOL
OXIDIZED POLYETHYLENE
Alcohols, C9-11-iso-, C10-rich, ethoxylated
AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
Oxydipropanol
SODIUM DODECYLBENZENESULFONATE
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE
Parfum
BENZISOTHIAZOLINONE
Undeceth-5
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
CAPRYLYL PYRROLIDONE
UNDECYL ALCOHOL
SODIUM SULFATE
Dimethylol Glycol
Urea polymer
METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE

Thank you in advance! :)

George

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Ken
11/25/2015 09:47:01 am

Hi George,
This contains the acrylic/polystyrene co-polymer needed for the project. The ammonium hydroxide is the stabilizer to keep it in solution and the vinegar in my process precipitates the polymer out. The water rinse is used to remove some of the other chemicals. If the bottle material is clear, then you will be ready to make the embossing powder. Thanks for the information and translation, Ken.

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Ken
11/29/2015 10:54:55 am

George,
I have had several inquiries from Greece to see if this material does work.Have you tried to test yet? Thanks, Ken.

Chris link
11/26/2015 07:04:58 pm

I think the Pronto product I saw in Athens, Greece is milky in color. Can you explain briefly why the color is a problem? Thanks for your assistance as our search continues here. Chris

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Ken
11/27/2015 09:04:18 am

Hi Chris,
The problem with a milky or less clear finish is that is possible that the fluid contains a wax that will not work. In an acrylic/styrene co-polymer finish the polymer is in solution and can be precipitated. It sounds as if the previous post from George that he has found the correct material. I do hope that someone in Greece has success. Thanks, Ken.

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Chris link
11/28/2015 11:14:28 am

Hi Ken,
Thanks for your replies. I hope what George found in Greece is the allternative material we need here. Is there a way you could contact him and ask if he was successful or not? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again. Chris

Alan Sweeney
11/29/2015 07:54:41 pm

Hi Ken,
This is vary cool to see. I am a gourd artist and just tried some embossing powders on small ornamental gourd and shards, giving them an enameled look. It sure looks great and is a lot of fun. I bought the powders from a man at a trade show who told me he was making them, but didn't give me any insight. So this is extra helpful as it will make it affordable to add this to my list of community education classes I volunteer to teach. Please keep me posted on any updates on new dyeing processes. A thought that crossed my mind was, what about the dyes they use in tie dyeing? Just a thought.
Thanks again for the great info.
Alan

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George link
12/29/2015 04:07:01 am

I finally found the Proton Long Shine thingy.....the only problem is....it's cloudy/milky not clear. Do you think this will be a problem based on the ingredients? Also...since you mentioned that the process works due to acrylics...would acrylic paint in the mix prior to precipitation give it colour? Do you think I should try with this product and see if anything comes of it or do you think it's a no-win situation?

George

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Ken
12/29/2015 09:56:48 am

Hi George,
The fact that it is not clear suggests that it does contain a wax and would not be suitable. Having said that, it would be nice to really know. If you can find someone who uses it to donate a few milliliters you could just add some vinegar and try it. But, I have seen this before and it probably has a wax component. As far as acrylic paint goes, it will not adhere to the floor finish polymer and will wash out. The best way so far is to color after drying with alcohol inks which are easy to make. YouTube has lots of videos. Thanks for the questions, Ken.

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George link
12/30/2015 03:39:08 am

Hey Ken, thank you so much for your prompt response. I purchased a bottle of it already and will try it today. What should I expect to see if it doesn't work?

Ken
12/30/2015 03:11:03 pm

George,
I would expect some solid material but it would not be the polymer. My best guess is mostly a liquid depending on the pH of the floor finish, Ken.

Bethan
2/15/2016 10:01:12 am

Hi Ken,

Thank-you for a great video! This has the clearest instructions I have found.

I have brought myself some pledge WOOD floor cleaner. I haven't started using it yet and still have the receipt if it's not right but it seemed to have pretty much all of the same ingredients as the pledge floor finisher. Do you think it would work the same?
If it's only the colour that it different then that doesn't matter because I am trying to make scratch and sniff cards, but just plain squares, nothing fancy.

Thanks,

Bethan

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Ken
2/15/2016 03:27:39 pm

Hi Bethan,
I have checked the materials and find no evidence of an acrylic polymer so it should not work as the Pledge floor finish does. I may be wrong but I suspect that the cleaner is designed to just clean acrylic finish on the floor. The floor finish should be clear as is the Pledge and the Holloway mentioned in the write up. Best of good luck, Ken.

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Karen
4/29/2017 05:28:10 pm

You are correct, sir! It does NOT work. It was what I had under the sink, so I thought I would try it.

Lillian link
2/17/2016 01:58:57 pm

Hi Ken have you tried coloring your embossing powder, what works best? Lillian

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Ken
2/17/2016 04:10:23 pm

Hello Lillian,
The best method that I have found so far is to use alcohol ink that I extract from Sharpie pens. There are videos on making the ink and I believe some videos on coloring embossing powder on YouTube. Hope that this helps, Ken.

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Gaz
3/8/2016 04:17:10 pm

well I'm a little bummed out..... no pledge near me and online I can only find it for £16 a bottle...... not a great price...... I shall have to keep looking I guess and hope I find it, or one like it but a lot cheaper, around that works.

would love to know of any updates with the dye process. I would guess that powdered dye added to the pot would colour the powder or maybe even mixed in when it's still wet and the let it dry and the powder. it may ever be possible to colour the water you add and that could colour it.
see experiments waiting for me to try - if only I could find the floor polish!!!! LOL

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Gaz
3/8/2016 04:27:31 pm

forgot to say I'm in the south of the UK

don't know the size of the bottle - are they 500ml or 1litre? approx how much embossing powder would this make approx? - just trying to work out if £16 for a bottle is cheaper than buying the actual powder ;) (sure ain't as much fun!!)

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Ken
3/9/2016 03:48:37 pm

Hey Gaz,
£16 ($22 US), is way out of line as the cost should be about $6 US. That is for 800 ml and will yield about 3-4 oz of the polymer depending on how much it is rinsed. I have other people from the UK that have found the Pledge or Holloway brands easily. Check some websites there that do model railroads or other miniature models as they use Pledge as a shiny topcoat on their work. The best dye remains alcohol inks as mentioned above for Lilian. Best of luck in your search, Ken.

Gaz
3/9/2016 07:13:14 pm

Ken, for some reason I can't reply to your post but yes, I thought £16 ($22) was a bit steep.... not so bad had it yielded 1lb+ of powder :)
will have to keep searching for a cheaper supply..... catch22 that I have no where local to buy craft supplies, yet buying the supplies to make DIY versions costs the same or more
even glycerine near me is £10 for a tiny bottle 50ml or less and forget rubbing alcohol - can't get that for love nor money.... I think surgical spirits or maybe methylated spirits (meths) might be close (can't get the clear meths only the tinted purple one)

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Gaz
3/20/2016 04:25:29 pm

ok basic simple question but I don't know the answer and hope you can tell me - why do we add water to the polish only to then remove it?
could we not just add vinegar to the polish and get the same result

on another note, I found some polish and have a couple batches drying, not sure they will work as the polish is not clear in it's liquid state - but does say it's now wax so time will tell - and may work for coloured powder.
I have a couple because one did not seem to work - 1st batch, so I poured it into an old drinks bottle and put it to one side in case I found something to do with it - today I noticed it had separated and the water was floating on top of a gloop.... so I strained it and have that drying in case it works. 2nd batch seems to be drying in big clumps and at moment is rubbery...... could be it still have water in it. again time will tell.

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Ken
3/21/2016 09:40:29 am

Gaz,
The water is used to rinse out the other materials like surfactants, and other water soluble chemicals. From what you describe it seems that you have a wax polish and if that is the case, it will not work. It really needs to be the acrylic polymer. Thanks, Ken.

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Gaz
3/21/2016 11:57:08 am

so the first lot of water also takes away the materials too. then we rinse it again? good to know

I did wonder this but it said when I ordered it it was acrylic.... might have to check what/if the ingredients are listed

oh well, if it IS wax I can use that for caught in crystal technique and I'm sure there has to be other uses for it - it will not see the floor unless I spill some LOL

still can't find the pledge one (or the holloway) for less than £16 ($22) so would be cheaper to buy clear embossing powders LOL (but no where near as much fun)

Gaz
3/23/2016 05:52:46 am

well as thought, it did not work. everything was going well, I got a white powder and it broke up to quite fine...... but when heat is applied it does not melt (and thus does not go clear)...looks like it's going to be cheaper for me to just buy embossing powder ;(
but it was fun doing a bit of alchemy (even if it did not work for me)
and there has to be a use for the powder I have..... just not found what that is yet.

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natasha
3/27/2016 03:34:22 pm


Has anyone tried , perhaps , to use ceramic powder paint baked ?

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Ingrid
5/13/2016 11:11:49 am

Would it be possible to use polymer powder for nails for embossing?
Normally it is used in combination with a liquid activator, but would it melt when you apply heat? It's components are MMA and EMA.

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Ken
5/13/2016 04:30:01 pm

Hi Ingrid,
It would melt but the temperature would be pretty hot for fingernails. It would also not be as hard as you may like. But, it would work. Thanks, Ken.

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Ingrid
5/14/2016 06:47:44 am

Sorry, I meant it the other way round :b... Would polymer powder for nails be a good alternative for embossing powder. It's pretty cheap when you order it online from china, cheaper than any embossing powder available in Holland. But would I be able to melt it, is my question.... Also I'm wondering about grinding up those fake snow flakes you use for christmas decorations. Silly idea maybe, but seeing I can't buy this type of pledge anywhere, I'm desperately trying to think of any other means to replicate the embossing powder qualities :)))

Gaz
5/14/2016 07:46:44 am

Ingrid, (yeah, I can't reply to Ingrid's post, no reply button) I'm having similar problems, I can't find this type of pledge, well, not for a decent price, near me so it's cheaper for me to buy the actual embossing powder
the idea is great and if you can get the polish cheaply it would save you a lot of money.

Ken
5/14/2016 09:57:06 am

Ingrid,
My apologies for misunderstanding the question. The polymer nail system uses liquid monomers like MMA (methymethylacrate) as activators to the powder monomer to make a polymer and the powder would not work as a viable alternative.The same will be true for the snowflake polymer as it will not melt. Good luck in your search for an alternative, Ken.

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Ingrid
5/14/2016 10:31:28 am

Ken,
I actually tried grinding up the fake snow this afternoon. It's made of very light weight polystyreen. First problem was: I couldn't make it fine enough to be called powder. Second problem was: it's so light weight, it simply blew off my paper when trying to melt it... On the plus side: the few bits that remained, díd melt and gave the idea of being embossed. I'll be looking further into this and start reading labels on floorcleaning products. Any other Dutch people on this quest? All tips are welcome!

Gaz
5/14/2016 11:33:04 am

Ingrid, still no reply button to reply to you but with the snow flake thing, is your heat gun the one that looks like a torpedo or the small 'hair dryer' looking one? I ask as they have different air flow - the torpedo looking one has a lot of blow, the 'hair dryer' type has little blow and a lot of heat so might work better
the other way would be to use the torpedo one and heat from underneath, then it should stay in place and melt better.

Ken
5/14/2016 04:28:13 pm

Hi Ingrid,
You must have a different snowflake product than we have here which is good because it is polystyrene and that polymer is a thermoplastic.The melting point is a bit higher than the acrylic but it should work. Use a small electric coffee mill or grinder to make a powder and heat from the bottom so that the air does not move the particles. Let us know how this works so that others can try it too. Thanks, Ken.

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Lillian Tung
5/31/2016 01:00:15 pm

Hi Ken,
I tried this at home but I used pure white vinegar. My outcome didn't work like your demonstration. Are there a difference between using distilled vinegar vs. white vinegar? Many thanks!!
Lillian

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Ken
5/31/2016 03:42:51 pm

Hi Lillian,
Thanks for the great question, and yes there is a difference in vinegar available in most locations. The distilled that I used in the video contains about 5 % to 8% acetic acid, while the white or pure can contain up to 20 % acetic acid. But, all is not lost for your extraction! My best guess would be to add water to your higher content vinegar and try it in a small sample. I would try a 1:1 or equal water/vinegar dilution. Good luck with this experiment. Ken.

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Lillian Tung
5/31/2016 04:33:40 pm

Hi Ken,
Thanks for your reply. I would definitely try again, I will not give up =)
I'll let you know the result with your new advise =)
Lillian

Vicki L. Mitchell
6/16/2016 09:11:07 am

From your video it appears that the Ranger powder is shinier and glossier than your homemade powder. Is that the case, or does it look pretty similar in real life? As far as the shininess is concerned? I am a stamper, so I am very interested in this. Thanks!

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Ken
6/16/2016 11:48:42 am

Hi Vicki,
The shine is the same as the Ranger and the visual appearance in the video is that the particle size at that time was a bit too large. When I used an old coffee grinder to make smaller particles the gloss was the same.Also, the video is a bit difficult to see the real gloss. Thanks for the question, Ken.

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Linda Cade
6/17/2016 06:50:09 am

Great information...I just didn't get from the video if it was 50 ml polymer (Pledge Floor Finish) to 100 ml cool water to 15 ml or 50 ml of distilled white vinegar.

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Ken
6/17/2016 09:48:44 am

Hi Linda,
Just to clarify for you, this is the process in a nutshell: 50 ml Pledge to which is added 100 ml H2O. While stirring, add white distilled vinegar slowly to the Pledge/Water. The acrylic polymer will begin to precipitate out immediately but continue to add small amounts of vinegar and you will see and feel the mix get stiff. As it becomes clearly stiff, it is done and can be added to a sieve to drain and then wash with clean water. The amount of rinse water does not matter as it is just cleaning out the other impurities, The polymer is not water soluble so it will not be lost. The amount of vinegar is not stipulated as the acetic acid in the vinegar is variable but it does not take very much. The key is to watch and feel for the stiffness as to when it is ready to drain. Hope that this helps, Ken

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Linda Cade
7/30/2016 07:55:50 am

Thank you... that makes it very clear. I cannot wait to try this!

Marinda
7/30/2016 04:59:31 am

Thx for the embossing powder recipe, im gonna try it definitely!!

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Jamin
9/10/2016 10:20:22 am

HI Ken, love the video - such a great idea - my question is - do you have any suggestions on making the powder metallic?

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Ken
9/11/2016 08:37:01 am

Hi Jamin,
I have given the question some thought but so far I have no real approach to giving the embossing powder a metallic surface. Thanks for the challenging question and if I do come up with something I will post it, Ken.

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Susan Ag
9/12/2016 05:10:37 am

Very interesting process. I will also try at some point. I think I read all of discussions. Please excuse if this is not new... mica powder for colorant. I see mica in some soap making recipes.

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kam
9/23/2016 11:32:38 am

Hi Ken. Thanks for the video. Will definitely give this a try. Will look at walmart first to see if generic avail. What is the ingredient I should be looking for? Also, would love for you to do a video on coloring the powder and how to do that and what to use. Last, any chance you could get a clear wink of stella pen and see what the ingredients for that is and make a video on making your own wink of stella. There are a lot of videos on you tube on this with a lot of interest. I did like the video made by the frugal crafter, she used floor polish. Any suggestions on that would be great. Thanks for sharing. Hope to see some new videos from you. Thanks, kam

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Ken
9/23/2016 03:37:00 pm

Hi Kam,
The material at Walmart I believe is the Holloway brand but I am not certain. You will be looking for a clear liquid with acrylic polymer of some kind. Some companies try to hide the ingredient so a look at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for any product has to disclose the main ingredient. Alcohol inks seem to be the best coloring material for embossing powder and there are YouTube videos on that process. The Stella pen is interesting and is really simple. The Frugal Crafter probably should have added the glitter after the pledge. But I don't think that I can improve on the process. I am working on a video now and should be ready in a week or so. Thanks for caring to comment, Ken.

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Kam
9/24/2016 10:54:40 am

Thanks Ken. Did see a you tuber show how to add alcohol ink as well as pearl ex powder and perfect pearls powder. Fun. Cant wait to try. Just need the floor cleaner. Checked for it at dollar tree and they dont carry anything like that.

Susan Ag
9/23/2016 04:20:16 pm

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Dinorah Sagarci link
10/2/2016 06:58:41 pm

Hi Ken !!!
Thank you so much for this home made embbosing powder. It's great and very usefull... and economic !!!! Almost everything in art and crafts are expensive, I'm always looking for home made products. I'll do it next weekend !! Best regards and blessings from Mexico !! =)

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Dianna
10/20/2016 06:13:13 pm

Hi Ken I have been reading all the comments and results from different products but this product was not mentioned and I wondered why and if it would work? It is called Polyurethane by Mini Wax, it is a plastic floor sealer and it comes in clear. It has both water based and oil base products, so you have choice The water base is cloudy but does not mention wax either. I do not see the ingredients in it but since it is clear I do not think it has wax in it. Do you think this would work for embossing powders? If so it would make a lot of powder. Thanks so much for your time and effort doing these videos

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Ken
10/21/2016 04:31:10 pm

Hi Dianna,
Most polyurethanes that are used as floor finishes are designed to harden and have a lasting surface that is not removed easily. This is because most of the polyurethanes used in these products are thermosets and not thermoplastic which simply means that will not melt.So, in my opinion they would not work as an embossing powder. Thanks for the question, Ken.

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Sandy Gibbs link
10/21/2016 06:06:28 pm

Loved your video. One of the problems with commercial black embossing powder iis that it tends to stick everywhere, even after using an antistatic pad. Straining it throught the dryer sheet would make it superior to store bought. However, a true black is hard to make dark enough, but I am not a chemist..I would love to see more videos from you on how to make versamark ink- glycerine is involved I think. Also " Glossy accents "cost a small fortune. Leave a pliable clear rubbery finish. Would love to see you take on that!

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Ken
10/22/2016 09:41:16 am

Hi Sandy,
Thanks for the suggestions and I will add these to my list of things to do. So much to do and so little time! Ken.

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Anne Guri Andresen
10/23/2016 05:33:09 pm

Thank you for your work and for sharing it with us. I have no idea if I can find a similar product in Norway but i will really try. My cuestion is: can I use this on jewelery (instead og resin)?

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Ken
10/24/2016 10:17:53 am

Hi Anne,
I am fairly sure that this product can be found in Norway as many SC Johnson products are available there. Of course, they may be a substitute as well. As far as the use on jewelry I would question the adhesive qualities of embossing powder. Perhaps someone else can add some information as I have not tried it. Thanks for the comment and question, Ken.

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Candy
10/30/2016 06:35:05 pm

People are mixing regular embossing powder with distress reinkers to color them no reason why that would not work

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Ken
10/31/2016 10:02:17 am

Hi Candy,
Thanks for the information and it is worth trying, Ken.

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Dianna
10/31/2016 05:29:18 pm

Hi Ken
I tried the embossing powder technique and was not sure what I did wrong. I verymslowly added the vinegar as you suggested but on my first batch it did not turn into the crystals, it just stayed kind of a liquid, I do not give up easily so I tried again and added the vinegar only a dropm at a time and finally got it to work sorta, 'when I finally got the powder I let it dry and it then became as hard ass rock.
what could have gone wrong?

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Ken
11/1/2016 10:30:15 am

Hi Dianna,
If it is Pledge and you are adding two parts water to 1 part Pledge and using distilled white vinegar it can't go wrong. Many people have done this successfully with no problems. I experimented extensively and repeated this process several times with good results each time. So, I would suspect the materials being used as the culprit or the ratios. Double check everything and try again and let me know what happens. The final product when dry is hard. It gets hard as the water leaves and has to be broken up. I use a coffee grinder and it works well. So, the part about it being hard suggests that you have at the least made some acrylic polymer. Let us know how it goes, Thanks, Ken.

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Dianna Raisor
11/8/2016 08:51:21 pm

Oh my gosh I looked over my comment after publishing iy and found a word I never ever use it was a tupo please forgive me I should have looked it over more closely. I am sorry.

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Dianna
11/7/2016 01:47:57 pm

Hi Ken
Yes I am using pledge floor care finish. I will try again as i want this to work, I thought the ratios were the same,but as you say others have done it successfully .I am not doughting any ones word. I just don't know where I went wrong. So yes I will try again and will watch your video to seewhwew I went wrong.Thanks again for your time.

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Trisha
11/11/2016 09:26:26 pm

Ken, thank you so much for this. I'm thrilled with the tutorial, can hardly wait to make my first batch and feel a bit like a mad and frugal scientist all at the same time. Seriously, just starting out in the arts/crafts world is a daunting experience. Any cost savings are greatly appreciated, and it's wonderful to understand the science behind products and processes. Thanks for the considerable time and effort you've put into a very worthwhile tutorial and follow-up.

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Ken
11/13/2016 09:38:58 am

Hi Trisha,
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement and welcome to the family. The one thing you can count on is support by all of us who work to make projects work for everyone who wants to try something new. I wish you great luck with both the frugal and mad scientist parts of our world. Thanks, Ken.

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Gillian, UK link
11/20/2016 11:11:37 am

Hi Ken - Discovered your wonderful site this morning and have been reading all day! My question: is it really necessary to specifically use utensils for crafting (such as a sieve) totally separate from the kitchen utensils? Surely if they are thoroughly cleaned in hot soapy water, they can safely also be used in the kitchen? Many, many thanks for all your information and hard work.

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Ken
11/20/2016 04:49:39 pm

Hi there Gillian,
Yes, you are absolutely correct that there will be no harmful materials if everything is cleaned thoroughly. I tend to write conservatively and hope that most people will observe safe practices. But, I re-use most utensils and have very few "real" craft items. Thanks for the kind words and question, Ken.

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Jean
12/13/2016 08:54:27 am

THANK YOU!!! I have been looking for a way to make an etching resist for copper, and using rubber stamps. Toner is popular (as in- print an image and heat transfer it to the metal) But embossing powder should theoretically work the same, and allows original hand cut or common rubber stamps, or hand painting to create artwork. This is awesome! YOU are AWESOME!

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Krista Clark
12/17/2016 12:09:14 am

This is a great piece. I am a big nerd so I was thrilled to get the science lesson. Thank you for sharing this and if it weren't for good people like you out there online I wouldn't know where to even start in my own experimenting with crafts and new techniques. High five!

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Ken
12/17/2016 04:10:06 pm

Hi Krista,
High five gladly accepted and appreciated. Thanks for the comment, Ken.

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Prakash Kumar link
12/22/2016 09:32:04 am

How to work emboss jeans formula is a good idea

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Martha
12/24/2016 03:19:43 am

I'm not a stamper, although I do have some stamps, embossing powders, inks, etc. I can tell you that Pledge is available on Amazon, approximately $11.20 US on Prime or cheaper if you pay for shipping as of the end of 2016, 27 ounces. I don't know the conversion so I don't know if this is economical for the process.

Another suggestion for coloring is dry pigment powder. I've found this at tkbtrading.com in many colors, and you can buy small amounts that would actually give you a lot of color. I recently bought some mica powders from them and the red I bought actually was just a pigment powder, no mica. Disappointing for my intended purposes, but it was a definite red. If the pigment powders work, they can be bought in larger sizes. They are initially sold for home made makeup, such as lipsticks, eye shadows, blush, etc. and the website includes recipes and containers. The pigment powders come in small ziplock bags.

One last idea for coloring your embossing powders is gel pens. I've seen them used to color liquid polymer clay, and they worked better than the sharpie pens - just a drop or two from the ink barrel (simply pulling them apart gave access to the ink) was enough and the pens could still be used after putting them back together. The ink appeared to be transparent or translucent, it was difficult to tell on the video.

And one bit of knowledge - embossing powder can be (and has been) used on and mixed into polymer clay. On the surface of a baked piece of polymer clay, it behaves similarly to the paper craft purposes. Mixed in, it can color white, translucent, or other colors of clay, although coloring the darker colors would be 'iffy' at best.

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Renee Otulakowski
1/29/2017 09:34:44 am

Ok. Your a rock star. I've been searching for the method to create the clear embossing powder for a couple weeks. Thank you!!!

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Ken
1/29/2017 10:06:45 am

Hi Renee,
Happy that you found what you wanted. When we share information, we all win! Thanks, Ken.

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Kay
2/2/2017 08:15:41 pm

Loved the end results! Could hardly believe my eyes! So easy and affordable! To speed the drying time prior to grinding, I dump it onto a paper towel and position it smack in front of one of my furnace vents. Trying to grind it before absolutely dry will cause it to clump inside the mill. My impatient self figured that out first thing! A million thanks, Ken! Now I can hardly wait until spring brings green leaves so I can try out your leaf printing technique! So glad to have stumbled onto your website... Did so just noodling around on YouTube and came across your initial video... which led me here. Again, a million thanks!

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Ken
2/5/2017 11:15:20 am

Hi Kay,
Thank you for the kind words and your success with the project. And welcome to a site that shares success and failure equally and believes in the free exchange of ideas. Ken.

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Kathy
2/5/2017 09:46:22 pm

Thank you for sharing this brilliant and economical idea.

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Sally
2/7/2017 08:54:58 am

Thank you for sharing this, Ken. How long does it take the powder to dry once the liquid has been strained? Over night or two nights?

Thank you!

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Ken
2/7/2017 03:23:03 pm

Hi Sally,
Overnight should be fine if you follow this procedure: Place the extracted material on some paper towels to absorb the excess water. Break the pile up into smaller pieces and spread it around. Change the paper towels if there is a lot of water. The reason for breaking up the pile is that it will get hard and difficult to grind. When dry you are ready to grind in a coffee grinder or whatever you decide to use. Good luck, Ken.

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Sian
2/12/2017 11:11:02 am

Hi Ken,

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on this. I have just made my first batch and can't wait to give it a try!

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Joyce Allen link
2/14/2017 07:17:38 pm

This is awesome. Can't wait to try it. Thank you.

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Susan
2/22/2017 02:59:06 pm

I haven’t tried making my own embossing powder, but I’ve used alcohol ink to color purchased UTEE powder. I put some powder in a small lidded container, added a few drops of ink, put the top on securely and shook the heck out of the container until the color was evenly disbursed. If you leave the container open for a short time, the extra alcohol dissipates, leaving dry powder. I have also used Pearl Ex and Perfect Pearls powders to color UTEE by a similar method. Works great and you can adjust the depth of color by adding more or less ink or Pearl Ex. I have no idea if either method would work with your homemade powder.

I have a large stock of purchased powders. Everything from UTEE to glittery powders to Opals. I have been using them for a couple of years to coat paper beads. But for the last few months, I’ve been using the UTEE almost exclusively, and coloring it by dropping alcohol ink on the melted UTEE as I rotate and spin the beads on long picks to keep the UTEE from dripping off until it cools. Not sure I want to add the extra step of making my own powder though.

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Ken
2/22/2017 03:42:10 pm

Hi Susan,
I have reports of readers using alcohol inks successfully with my process as well. But if you don't need to make your own at least you know how for future reference. And, you can make the UTEE as well. Thanks, for the follow-up, Ken.

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Lindsay Aikman
4/19/2017 09:28:43 pm

Hi Ken,
Thanks for this great tutorial! When you say "You can make the UTEE as well", do you mean using this same method for making clear UTEE? Or is there another tutorial somewhere or in the making? Keep up the good work!



Gaz
2/22/2017 04:25:11 pm

I still cannot find this floor polish, well not at a price that makes it cheaper to make the powder myself.
one day it might happen, but sadly, I'm not holding my breath for it. great to hear all the success stories

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Elle
2/28/2017 12:35:19 pm

Hi Ken, I'm from the uk and we cant get the pledge floor care here, and its very expensive to import. What I did find while I was searching the web i found this EVERBUILD STABILISING SOLUTION is a specially formulated microscopically fine polymer emulsion Thats the description on their website, would this be any good for the pledge substitute. I would be grateful for your advice. Thank you.

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Ken
3/1/2017 10:10:27 am

Hi Elle,
Unfortunately Everbuild has very limited info in their safety data sheet but it is an emulsion and the Pledge is a clear solution so it won't work. In the UK look for the Holloway brand as somewhere in the comments people have found other acrylic floor finishes in the UK. Thanks, Ken,

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Melissa
4/1/2017 11:17:00 am

Hi Ken. Love the educational video. I'm in the States and have access to Pledge however all of the Pledge products I have come across indicates multi-surface. Would this work? Also, I have on hand Armstrong Shinekeeper floor polish which is clear solution. Any input is greatly appreciated.
Can't wait to look into other information that you have posted. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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Ken
4/1/2017 03:22:08 pm

Hi Melissa,
Pledge makes a multi purpose cleaner and that may be what you have but there is an easy way to find out if either that or the Armstrong is correct. Take a small amount of either product, maybe a tablespoon, in a disposable cup. Stir and add vinegar and see if a white material precipitates out with a small amount of the vinegar. If it does, rinse it and let it dry and see if it gets hard. If it is soft and not hard it is not an acrylic. Both the Pledge and Holloway (Walmart) floor finishes will work as the video shows. Thanks for the love, Ken.

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carole wright
5/22/2017 12:31:48 pm

hi did you find out if pledge multi surface works or not please? seems that's the only one I can find many thanks

Sue
4/10/2017 08:19:06 pm

I am so inspired to try this! Thank you so much for sharing your discovery. I haven't read all the comments, but I will use a mortar and pestle to grind my dried product, and just add some dried pigment and micas to my powder as a colorant. Very cool! I work in a lab, although I'm not a scientist, this piques my interest exponentially! Thanks again!

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Ken
4/11/2017 11:48:10 am

Hi Sue,
I am glad that you are inspired to try this experiment and it does work well. The mortar and pestle will work and you can control the size of the particles. Best of luck and thanks for the kind words, Ken.

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Gaz
4/11/2017 12:12:58 pm

If I am understanding this correctly, as we can't get the polish in the UK, if we find one that produces a hard 'rock' after it's mixed with the vinegar it should be OK?

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Ken
4/13/2017 03:40:48 pm

Gaz,
Generally speaking acrylic polymers are stabilized with ammonia which make it basic and the vinegar precipitates it out of solution. But other polymers and waxes can also be basic. Best to check the MSDS for acrylic or acrylic co-polymer before purchase. As mentioned in addition to Pledge, Holloway is available in the U.K. Thanks, Ken.

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Ken
4/20/2017 03:20:56 pm

Lindsay,
Sorry for the confusion and I did mean that you can make a clear UTEE with this process. No other video, Thanks, Ken.

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carole wright
5/22/2017 12:16:27 pm

here is the Holloway in the uk http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=pledge+floor+care+finish+clear&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xholloway+clear+floor+care+finish.TRS0&_nkw=holloway+clear+floor+care+finish&_sacat=0
both very expensive

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coweja
5/18/2017 05:51:50 pm

thank you for your instruction, I have looked for this for a long time - to be able to make the powder at home. thank you again.

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carole wright
5/22/2017 12:13:46 pm

here is the pledge in the uk http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=linen+dresses+size+16%2F18&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpledge+floor+care+finish+clear.TRS0&_nkw=pledge+floor+care+finish+clear&_sacat=0

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carole wright link
5/22/2017 11:40:57 am

wow thank you for this tutorial, this is the only one I found! will def give this a go, clear emboss powder is way too expensive.

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Ken
5/24/2017 09:44:42 am

Carole,
I am constantly looking for a cheaper alternative than floor finish but it is difficult. The price for you is really way to much. Wish that I could help, Ken.

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Lynn
8/6/2017 07:23:24 pm

Since the price was right I bought Quick Shine by Holloway from Amazon. The resin precipitated well, and the hard, sharp crystals (not rubbery in my case) pulverized well, but the resin will not melt with any amount of heat. Some amount does brush away, but a frosty, sandy surface remains on the area of the Distress embossing ink. I'm going back to compare the formulation. Feedback welcome!

Incidentally, I bought some Kool Aid packets for craft purposes and discovered that regular gel medium immediately formed stiff crystals when the powder was stirred into the gel. I added glue as a binder and have the mix drying as texture. Next time I may just see whether that resin melts!

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Ken
8/8/2017 09:53:07 am

Hi Lynn,
I am not very familiar with the Holloway products but according to the Safety Data Sheet for your product there is no polymer, acrylic or other. The material that causes the shine is Dipropylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether. I am not sure how it became hard as all materials are liquids. It may be a reaction with the acetic acid in the vinegar. So, since it is hard and will not melt says at least it is not a thermoplastic. That it has no polymer is probably why the price was right. Please let us know how the gel reacts. Ken.

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Melinda
8/11/2017 09:54:01 am

Ken, You are awesome. I cannot wait to try this. I am just starting to emboss, and I will let you know how it turns out. Your video is the most informative I have seen regarding making embossing powder, and the directions make it look so easy. Thanks for all your hard work!

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Carolyn Bifano
8/13/2017 09:22:21 pm

Ken, I made this and on one batch i didn't stop soon enough and it went thin again. Is there a way to get it back or is it trashed?

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Ken
8/14/2017 05:12:23 pm

Hi Carolyn,
Since the acrylic is not soluble in either water or vinegar it has to be there. My best guess is that there is too much liquid but the polymer should be available. Mix it well and take a small sample and let the liquid evaporate and see if the acrylic is left behind. It can then be salvaged, Ken.

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Lynn
8/18/2017 08:00:42 pm

Great news, Ken! My first attempt at extracting acrylic from Pledge Floor Finish was wildly successful in yield. I do have two additional questions. Is the vinegar odor supposed to remain or do I need to more thoroughly rinse and drain the product? Is it possible to reduce the powder too much in a coffee grinder? I don't have a commercial powder for comparison, but I expected the Pledge powder to produce a higher result.
I also took a reference photo of the Quick Shine Holloway powder melted to its fullest on VersaMark. Would I need to send that to your email address? --lks

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Ken
8/20/2017 10:52:21 am

Hi Lynn,
Glad to hear that you had success with the procedure. The extracted polymer should be rinsed well enough to remove the vinegar odor and the other materials like detergents, fragrance etc. I would not grind too much as if it was flour, but more course. Try grinding until uniform and make a small sample. Grind some more and try a second and so on until you find the right size. I still don't know how the Holloway became hard but a photo can be sent to my email. ken.quast@gmail.com. Thanks for your comments as it helps others as well. Ken.

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Joan
8/26/2017 10:31:04 am

Hi Ken I was so hopeful but I used pledge floor care concentrate. The only thing it was a blue colour (the pledge itself). It did not thicken. Could it have been the the wrong pledge?

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Ken
8/26/2017 03:52:41 pm

Hi Joan,
Yes, that is the wrong pledge as the correct one is completely clear. The one that you used is probably the floor cleaner, Ken.

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Carolyn B Hayes
9/15/2017 02:02:27 pm

Hi Ken, Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I have been searching for a receipt to make real polymer clay. I have tried the ones you find on you tube but they didn't work for me. The items made split when air dried. Couldn't find any for oven baked ones. So, I purchased the items needed and look forward to trying out this receipt. I am back and have tried making polymer clay the way you said but I am having trouble. It is either too dry which makes it break when folded or too wet which makes it sticky. Please help. I don't know what to do.????

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Gaz
9/15/2017 02:13:18 pm

Carolyn, this is for embossing powder, not polymer clay. you can't model with it. you would make it into powder by grinding it and then stick it to card etc. with a sticky ink then heat it to turn it into 'plastic'

for clay I have done the porcelain clay you cook in the oven to make and that worked pretty well, might try the non cook version soon.

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Caeolyn
9/16/2017 07:01:53 am

I bought these products according to your video to make real polymer clay. You didn't check into that. I tried to make it the way you described in the video. Why did you make the video to make real polymer clay if it isn't meant for that. Now you say that it is an embossing power????? I paid hard earned money for these products. Now What now???? Watch your video and then tell me I can't make what you said I could make!!!!!! So disappointing!!!!

Ken
9/16/2017 08:47:16 am

Caeolyn,
There is apparently some confusion about what it is you are doing and which project you are working on. There are two: Embossing powder made at home and Polymer clay homemade. These are two separate projects with a video and write up for each. Both work as shown in the videos. But, rather than being disappointed please tell me what you have for products and what you want to make. I make every effort to assist readers and I will try to help you as well when I have the problem clearly defined. Thanks, Ken.

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Carolyn B Hayes
9/16/2017 03:34:30 pm

Thank you Ken for your reply. I watched your video for making homemade polymer clay. Sorry for the mix up. Guess I should have explained myself a bit better. Didn't know there was another different video.. I bought the Eagle Series plastisol ink and Kaolin clay you described in the video. I can't get to work as you did. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. If I put more ink, it is too sticky and if I put more powder it becomes too flaky. When I roll it out and fold it, as I do with store bought clay, it breaks. It needs to be a smooth fold. Even though it is too dry it sticks to my roller and tares apart. It will not stay together. Hope this explains my frustration and you are able to help. I can't afford to keep trying all the different receipts and not getting the results I need. Just want to make my own polymer clay and save some money. Alas, I have spent enough trying to make my own clay to buy lots of store bought clay. Cry Cry Cry. Hope so much you are able to help me.

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Gaz
9/16/2017 10:21:26 am

Is this not the thread for making embossing powder?
I presume there is another thread on here for making polymer clay.
I think we have a cross post here but I also presume the videos are different as making a clay and making powder would require a different ending, if the polymer extraction is the same.

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Ken
9/16/2017 11:14:13 am

Hi Gaz,
Yes this is the comment section for embossing powder and yes there is a separate post that shows how to make real polymer clay from plastisol ink and kaolin. The post from Carolyn is apparently incorrect which it what I am trying to convey. Thanks for your comment and I hope this is a rare occurrence. (First time in six years!). Ken.

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Hope Exline-Ivory
9/26/2017 08:58:32 am

Hey Ken,
Great diy, I actually have good results using a clean, unused, Goodwill pepper mill. Grind as I go kind of thing😀
Wondering about those make it bake it kits from the 70s. No idea what type plastic pellets they are but wondering if similar to this chemically or something altogether different? Would love your thoughts.
Thanks so much

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Ken
9/26/2017 11:02:58 am

Hi Hope,
Great idea with the pepper mill if it make small enough particles. As far as the makeit bakeit sun catcher kits they are typically transparent colored polystyrene. These are difficult to grind and although the heat guns will soften them, they will soften but not flow well. Ken.

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nancy
10/4/2017 07:36:44 pm

Thanks for the info! You forgot to add the cost of the vinegar, so four ounces will cost closer to seven dollars.... ; )

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pat link
10/15/2017 09:51:10 am

love your video could you email me how much the recipe for this and also does it dry pretty fast and does walmart still have that as didnt see it at ours or another one they carry please email me thanks great tutorial

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Ken
10/15/2017 04:23:10 pm

Hi Pat,
The amount of finished powder depends on the type of floor polish used and it dries overnight if spread out for air contact. In the US it may be easier to find Pledge than the Holloway brand. Good luck,Ken.

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Gaz
10/16/2017 12:41:10 am

sorry, somehow got unsubbed from the list, so just putting the sub back ;)

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Hiba
10/26/2017 03:50:09 pm

That's so cool! i'v been searching for a process like forever! Thank u so much for your effort n for sharing! just one question.. i couldn't find this floor finish but i found the pledge floor finish for wood... will that work? as the bottle isn't transparent i donno if that's clear of not..

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Ken
10/27/2017 09:22:56 am

Hello Hiba,
From my experience the products that are not clear are wax-based and not usable for this project. All of the ones that I have found are clear and indicate the use of a polymer. Thanks, Ken.

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Hiba
10/28/2017 07:20:14 am

Thanx for your response Ken..

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Adriana Rezende
11/2/2017 04:45:34 am

Great experiment. Thank you for sharing. Hugs from a Brazilian living in Finland :)

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Ken
11/2/2017 11:08:48 am

Adriana,
Thanks for the comment and I return the hugs, Ken.

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Adriana
11/3/2017 01:41:38 am

Have you tried your own powder with glycerin instead of the pigment color? Some say that glycerin can substitute the "versamark". (???) :)

Ken
11/3/2017 04:41:36 pm

Greetings Adriana,
As far as I know glycerine is only used to rejuvenate Versa Mark when it has become too dry. It moistens and makes the material wetter and transferable. Glycerine is too fluid to use as a stamping medium as it is too thin and has no viscosity. It may be possible but would take a lot of work, Ken.

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Susie Muckleroy
11/10/2017 08:09:10 pm

Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this. I found you thanks to a comment & link someone left on a video. A woman has a video titled something like "how to make embossing powder". Very early on (of a very long video) I realized she's just adding color to store bought clear piwder. I decided to read the comments & see if anyone else noticed. Bingo! I found you! Win, win!
Thank you so much, I can't wait to try this! 😄

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Ken
11/11/2017 03:50:10 pm

Hi Susie,
Happy that you found me as I have been waiting for you! XD! Good luck with the project, Ken.

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Lori E McGarrity
11/21/2017 11:21:50 pm

Ken, so glad I stumbled upon your video. Others talk of "making embossing powders" but all they are doing is coloring store bought powder but you are truly making your own. It really looked easy too. Readily available products. Can't wait to try this. Thank you so much. Oh, since you said you welcomed suggestions etc. I watched your first video and noticed when you were heat setting your powders you were just using your gun all over the image. I find it works much better and gets a very even melt when you start at one spot and slowly move it over as you see it melting. Just start in one area and go over until all done but not blowing all over the whole piece at one time. Hope this helps. That you for your time and sharing that.

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Sanjida
12/11/2017 05:37:13 am

Thank you, sir, for sharing your knowledge for free. May Allah reward you for your generosity.

I like to experiment with different materials used for paper crafts by hobby crafters. However, many things that I see online are not available where I am and getting them shipped is not practical. So it really helps that you are posting solutions that we can try at home often with locally available materials. Thank you for your hard work.

I have a request. I could not find your contact information and so I am posting my request here.

I have been longing to make clear stamps. I am curious to know if it is possible for me to make clear polymer stamps without using photopolymer materials. I was wondering if I can modify some ingredients to make liquid polymer that I can pour into a mold to cast my own stamps.

If that is not possible then perhaps you can share with us how we can make photopolymer materials that can be used to make clear stamps!

And if even THAT is not possible then what else can I do to make clear stamps that are flexible and as good as the best, costly, clear photopolymer stamps available commercially?

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Chris
12/24/2017 12:47:53 pm

Thank you so much, I can't wait to try it. When I make it I will have my grandchildren watching. I think it will be a great science project for us all.

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Heidi Graham
12/30/2017 04:10:57 pm

Hello,
I loved your video! I live over an hour away from the nearest craft store and I did not want to take the time to drive there. I googled and found your video. I actually had all of the components to make the powder, but I started to think, Minwax Polycrylic would surely have a higher polymer content, and I had some high gloss Polycrylic laying around, so I tried it! I followed all other instructions. I did not want to use my only strainer, so I took a piece of chiffon left over from another project. I put it over a bowel, clothes pinned it to the sides of bowel and poured the mixture over it, then gathered up the sides, removing the pins as I went and twisted and squeezed the liquid out (just like making jelly). After this was done the powder was already mostly dry. I laid the chiffon over some paper towels then spread the little clumps out, because I was anxious to try it out I used a plastic fork to further break it down into very small pieces. I let it finish drying, then tried it out. I works wonderfully, and was fun to make! It was a great project to talk to my children about chemical reactions.

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Ken
12/31/2017 09:28:09 am

Hi Heidi,
Seems like another source for acrylic polymer but I have some questions. Assuming it is the water based minwax did you use vinegar to precipitate the polymer? Do you have a yield of polymer vs. the minwax? My last look at the minwax was that it was too expensive and the yield was low. But congrats on the process! Ken.

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Liisa
1/10/2018 11:26:03 pm

Hi Ken,
I really enjoyed your videos. Basically my background is an avid stamper /card maker . I ended up at your web site because I ended up being able to combine some basic colored pigment powders (metallic/pearlesent/Matt even iredesent blues purples reds and such)with clear embossing powder to see if I can make my own colored embossing powders I ordered from Ali express (China ) for real cheap. Advertised as pigments that are used in the automobile to cosmetic companies. So I have a couple dozen 100g bags of different colors as well with pearlized and iredesent qualities .
My education background is in Naval photography and quality control of processing/printing , and I also then have a degree in a registered nursing.
I will be processing your embossing powder this week as soon as I get my materials.
Honestly I was trying to find out how I can start my own business in selling my colored embossing powders as I googled this , I came to your web site. Anyhow , I will certainly recommend combining a pigment powder with the embossing powder you have achieved. As soon as I my process my embossing powder referring to your technique I will then combine a few of my pigment powders to see what characteristics come about if combined . I can then compare the commercial embossing powder I mixed with these pigments which I have been mixing in the past few days. I get pretty good results that are opaque. At least with the colors I have tried so far.
So if you are interested in these pigments I can give you more information.
I have to look back at my order to see how much I spent . It was penny's to the dollar. Very inexpensive. I spent maybe $ 30 for 2 dozen 100g bags. I have to verify though .
I hope I made sense trying to explain my plans.
You can email me if You want more info and photos .
Thank you for your great scientific finding. As a stamper I thought your outcomes were fantastic and very helpful. Monetarily I can save a lot of money . so thanks again for all your work .

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Liisa
1/10/2018 11:34:30 pm

Ken
Continuense
I will also take a look at other clear emulsions only because I too find this fasinating as well I want to provide you with my findings so it may give you more information that you may find useful. If you have any questions I am open to them prior and after my processing of the powder.

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Natasha
1/25/2018 02:25:56 am

Hi Ken

I'm just loving you right now finding this here on your website, Making my own embossing powder that's awesome. I'm very Far from where you are i'm in South Africa and here Embossing powder is very expensive. I have a question thou.
Making this powder will i be able to use it with a heat transfer image for Textiles? I have seen other videos they are using the hot melt adhesive powder on screen printed images and then heat press it onto T-shirts. So i did some searching and figured out that embossing powder works on fabric. Will this powder assist with sticking to the fabric ? is it heat activate ? or can i perhaps add some clear glue to the mixture to make it stick better when heat pressing? I would much appreciate it if you can assist me with this. thanks Natasha

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Ken
1/28/2018 10:10:20 am

Hi Natasha,
Well I am loving you too for the kind words and the answer is yes. As the powder melts with heat it adheres to silk screen images and will then be reheated to adhere to the shirt. You should not need glue for the process. Hugs, Ken.

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Sheila
2/6/2018 07:13:11 pm

Hello Ken,
I recently came across this post and decided to try it out. I purchased the 64 oz bottle of Holloway quick shine multi surface floor finish. I figure worst comes to worst I'll just use it to clean my floor. I was able to extract some of the polymer out, and to get it ground pretty nicely. I have a couple of questions though. It still kind of smells a bit like chemically tinged vinegar even though it's dry. Should I rinse it again? Also it doesn't seem to give me a really shiny finish, more like a distressed look and it takes longer to melt. I actually kind of tinged my paper with the heat. Is there something that I'm doing wrong that those two things happen? Just a , it works well with using glycerin as your embossing ink. I saw the details on this step I use that I've never seen before. Thank you you so much for the information. PS. How do I send you a picture so you can see what I'm talking about?

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Liisa
2/8/2018 08:42:34 pm

Ken,
I was able to find the pledge today. I wrote a comment above about a month or so ago.
I was able to get excellent results with your method! I have the particulate drying right now which I will leave for over night. Tomorrow I will process it. I will follow up with a comment on how well my processing went. I will also experiment with dying the powder with my pigment powders I have . I will update you with all my data and results.

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Gaz
2/25/2018 05:55:26 pm

so I know it's not an exact science (and I won't hold anyone to the amounts) but roughly how much powder would 800ml bottle of polish yield?
just trying to work out price and if it's worth buying the polish or just buying clear embossing powder ;)

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Mary
2/26/2018 08:45:22 pm

Gaz, if the bottle Ken used in the original demonstration was 27 oz (I looked online and I think that's the size) it is 798.45 ml, so should make 4 oz or approx. 114 g of the embossing powder

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Gaz
2/27/2018 04:01:35 am

Mary, OK so that was about the amounts I got but wanted to make sure. I can only find these type of polish for around the £20, that makes it more expensive to make than to buy when you add in the vinegar and time to make it and grind it.
I shall continue my search for the polish cheaper.

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Denise
3/9/2018 08:55:51 pm

Hi, Ken! Thanks so much for the fantastic science demo. I believe, if you are looking for an inexpensive alternative for the embossing ink, you can use glycerin in an ink pad for clear or you can color the glycerin if you want. Also, I see lots of folks are using eyeshadows to make colored embossing powders. Maybe these are micas? How different is the look of your dye coloring of the embossing powder?

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Ken
3/13/2018 05:11:19 pm

Hi Denise,
Unfortunately I have not done very much experimentation with color but depend more on the stamp ink color. But, when I use alcohol inks it works but is a little less vibrant. Sorry I can't be more helpful, Ken.

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Becka
3/27/2018 02:18:14 pm

Hello Ken,

I tried doing what you showed in the video but I'm having a problem. I can't get the powder to stop sticking to itself. It's like it hasn't dried completely. I laid it out on a paper towel to dry. The one thing I think I did wrong was I added too much vinegar. It went from being thick to being thin. Could this have caused the problem? I really appreciate your help!

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Ken
3/31/2018 10:35:38 am

Hi Becka,
Sorry for the delayed response. There are two possibilities for the problem. One is that it was not rinsed well enough with water and the other is that it is not the correct polymer. If the floor finish has the acrylic like Pledge or the Holloway brand then it has to the rinsing. Vinegar won't soften the acrylic so it has to be either the wrong floor finish or incomplete rinsing. Ken.

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JR
4/3/2018 06:24:10 pm

I am interested in embossing as a translucent cover coat wiith just the slightest hint of various colors. Something between a resin and a wax finish.

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PK Nelson
4/15/2018 09:01:10 am

Hi. I goofed and did not stop when it began to extract and added all 50 ml of the vinegar. I continued with the steps, e.g. the sieving and rinsing but now I have a very small amount of extraction. NB, I am using the correct ingredients, e.g. the correct type of Pledge and white vinegar but I am not 100% sure if the standard white vinegar is distilled. Any input/help would be appreciated. Thank you!!!

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Ken
4/17/2018 03:45:11 pm

Hi PK,
If the Pledge is the correct one then I am not sure what is going on. The polymer should not be soluble in vinegar and I can't explain the yield. Some of it may have been rinsed away but I am not sure. Ken.

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Sandra Allen
5/2/2018 03:49:23 pm

Wow, how cool are you!!!! That was a ton of fun to watch and learn. Thank you!!

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Cathy Daniel
5/21/2018 02:07:38 am

How Ken awesome product I shall trying get the pledge floor care finish. I will let you know how I get on Thanks

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Cindy B
5/29/2018 08:52:48 pm

Wow this is perfect I had everything on hand to try it. Just found the video about an hour ago mixed up my first batch it is now drying. Shared on facebook so my home school friends could try it Thank-you so much for this.

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Holly Lowery
6/5/2018 09:27:14 pm

I think this is absolutely amazing. I now need to go buy some floor polish and try this myself. I am very interested in seeing your attempt at adding color.

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Christina G
6/15/2018 08:42:29 pm

Hi Ken! Thanks an awful lot for your efforts and diligence. You have done some really cool projects that I cant wait to try, when I am done moving! I was wondering if food color paste would work. It is a very concentrated color and a tiny bit goes a long way. I have used Wilton's food color paste and a tiny bit goes a very long way. BUT, would the other ingredients cause "problems"?

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Ken
6/16/2018 04:37:13 pm

Christina,
The food coloring will not work as it is water based and the embossing powder is not. The best colorant is alcohol inks which can be found on YouTube. As far as your several comments on other topics it may take a little while to answer as I have a backlog of comments that came in today. If there is anything urgent let me know but your patience will be appreciated, Ken.

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pat mahony
7/24/2018 10:39:26 pm

ken - YES! pls figure out how to add color to this...
Thanks - this is awesome...

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Val in Germany
8/31/2018 05:25:29 am

Thank You! My powder is just drying.
After a couple of false starts testing other floor polishes, I finally succeeded with "Pledge Revive It floor gloss" which I had to order through Amazon.
The ones that failed were "Sofix Vollglanz" and Erdal "Glänzer". They both come in opaque bottles so you can't tell till you open it, that the liquid is not clear.
Now I have very shiny floors, too….

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Maria
9/21/2018 02:20:37 am

Thank you for all the information. I try to find a product to replace Pledge, I find W5 Floor shine ( from Lidl) and I was so excited that I got the powder, but it did not melt. I started looking for something else and I found a drug that melts FORTRANS. It works very well and I do not have to do anything, just use it.And it's found at all pharmacies.
I hope my information will be useful to you.

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Ken
9/21/2018 09:36:23 am

Hi Maria,
Fortrans is actually Polyethylene Glycol and is water soluble and very sensitive to water vapor. It is used as a laxative because it does adsorb water so it does melt but will be subject to damage by moisture, Ken.

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Maria
9/21/2018 11:46:39 pm

Thank you for this information! Goog to know about water.
I made a card with resist techniquie and it is OK. I will test
how it behaves to moisture. Any card I made, a wax seal for resistance.

CHERIE KIRCALLI
10/15/2018 06:56:43 am

Walmart didn't have the Pledge you demonstrated. Will Pledge Floor Gloss, Original, 27 oz which they DO have work just as well?

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Ken
10/16/2018 09:21:38 am

Hi Cherie,
I was unable to find an SDS on this product but I think that it is the right one. Johnson has changed the name so many time that I can't keep up. Best of luck, Ken.



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Chrix
12/2/2018 12:48:16 pm

Hi. I found this comparison (http://addictedtoresin.blogspot.com/2018/09/gloss-varnish-for-modelers-pledge.html) of the two products and it's the same, as you say, it's just another name change. That is why it is very difficult to find the other brand. By the way, the page shows a picture of the ingredients and I do not see anything like the polymer. Maybe it comes with another name, I do not know much about chemistry. :-) Sorry for my English, my main language is Spanish.

Kathy
1/24/2019 12:46:30 am

Hi, I’ve just stumbled on you video. It appears the Pledge floor finish has discontinued. What would a replacement be?

Thank you
Kathy Adams

Reply
Ken
1/26/2019 09:51:28 am

Hi Kathy,
Pledge® FloorCare Multi Surface Finish. The material has to be water clear. If it is not, it is a wax. Hope that this helps, Ken.

Reply
Chrix
5/5/2019 11:13:51 am

Hi. I found this comparison (http://addictedtoresin.blogspot.com/2018/09/gloss-varnish-for-modelers-pledge.html) of the two products and it's the same. it's just another name change. That is why it is very difficult to find the other brand.

Reply
Holly Dawson James
3/30/2019 11:16:58 am

Hi Ken, Thank you for the info, I tried making the enbossing powder yesterday, the only thing I forgot to do is raise, I hope it will be ok?
I loved making it, I used alcohol inks to color, its pale color but looks good so far. Will try and use india inks next go around,

God bless
Holly

Reply
kate from denmark
4/2/2019 04:21:52 pm

i can not get this plege vanish in denmark does you have what i am going too look for iff i can find som simlar in denmark, like too make my ovn embossing powder,

Reply
Ken
4/5/2019 10:53:20 am

Kate,
I did a search but found no pledge in Denmark. I would suggest that you do a Google search for "S C Johnson Pledge Denmark". In your language there might be more results. Sorry I can't help more, Ken.

Reply
Christie
4/29/2019 02:32:31 am

Wow, I am impressed! How can I sign up to your blog?

Reply
Ken
5/3/2019 10:57:53 am

Use the RSS button and use any RSS reader.

Reply
Chrix
5/5/2019 11:10:39 am

Hi. I found this comparison (http://addictedtoresin.blogspot.com/2018/09/gloss-varnish-for-modelers-pledge.html) of the two products and it's the same, as you say, it's just another name change. That is why it is very difficult to find the other brand. By the way, the page shows a picture of the ingredients and I do not see anything like the polymer. Maybe it comes with another name, I do not know much about chemistry. :-)

Reply
Martin Molohon link
5/25/2019 04:40:52 pm

Hi Ken,
I found your video extremely informative. As a fellow Alchemist, I really admire your discovery. I noticed your ooboos, such as calling vinegar a base, and your calculation was way off. The saving is closer to 200%. I will demonstrate this to my YouTube followers and of course, give you a shout out. You just made a lady in France very happy.

Reply
Ken
5/26/2019 09:39:32 am

Martin,
Thanks for the corrections and full disclosure I don't edit my videos as I just want to get the project out there for readers/viewers. But calling acetic acid a base is really a problem. The numbers are based on the amount of co-polymer present in the floor polish. It varies incredibly and the results are variable. But, its nice to keep me honest and more careful so thanks. Ken.

Reply
Martin Molohon link
5/26/2019 10:33:47 am

Always happy to help. I often make the same mistakes, as I do not edit my content either, for much the same reason.
I do hope to see more of your content.

Rafael
7/1/2019 02:58:53 pm

olá sou do Brasil,
estou a quase um ano procurando baratear o valor do pó para emboss,
achei fantástica a sua receita, porem aqui no brasil não encontro o produto especifico com a exata formula, o Pledge aqui no Brasil ou essa linha se chama "BRAVO", mas os que acho em mercados tem cera em suas formulas, estou quase desistindo =(
a Jonson aqui tem uma verdadeira industria de formulas diferentes, bom quem sabe um dia eles lancem aqui o mesmo produto... kkk
reparem que até a logo é parecida
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=Qn8aXdmICP2v5OUPs9KYoAc&q=bravo+pisos&oq=bravo+pisos&gs_l=img.3...501232.507217..507936...0.0..0.210.1231.0j6j2......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i67j0j0i30j0i8i30j0i5i30j0i24.951r-vs2-Cc#imgrc=531SQ5dKaj1JSM:

Reply
Karla Childs
7/2/2019 06:18:19 am

Hello. I just found your blog post and gave this a try. I used the Pledge Revive it. Clear liquid. I followed the steps and I did get some powder, but it isn't hard. It's more like chalky. Does it need more rinsing or is it completely ruined?? Thanks.

Reply
Carole Marie WILLIAMSON
8/22/2019 06:06:30 pm

Ooooh Ken, I just out of curiosity looked up in Google, 'can I make my own embossing powder', and to my surprise KEN, HERE YOU ARE. Thank you Ken, I can't wait to get my ingredients. I mean I have box of twenty four coloured and sticky ink pad on the way, but I'm all for trying my own. I'm just a typical crafter/DIY'er. I think I made a new friend for life in you Ken and intend to follow you throughout. Blessed great day and future ahead Ken. 😉🙃👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾

Reply
Ken
8/24/2019 08:52:29 am

Carole,
Welcome to the family and thanks for the comment. If you go to YouTube and search:
observationsblog.com you will see several of the projects that I have done and you may find of interest. Thanks again, Ken.

Reply
Debbie
8/27/2019 07:42:42 am

Hi Ken, I have been having a hard time finding Pledge Floor care Finish. They have repackaged it and it is now called Pledge Revive It. Thanks for your videos!!!

Reply
Ken
8/28/2019 10:21:37 am

Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the update as they have changed names so many times that it makes finding Pledge impossible to find causing problems. They should have left it at Pledge! Thanks again, Ken.

Reply
Debbie
8/28/2019 11:46:18 am

Agreed!!!

Debra
8/30/2019 05:58:01 pm

Can I ask a strange question? The dryer sheets... are they right or of the box, or after using in dryer (question for both breaking up into powder and rubbing on paper before stamping)?
Thanks.

Reply
Debbie
8/31/2019 06:26:03 am

Right out of the box. The sheets will lose their anti-static properties once run through the dryer.

Reply
Debbie
9/26/2019 01:46:28 am

I have a question......I made a batch of embossing powder using this method. I then added some purple mica powder to a small amount. When I heat it with my heat tool it does not "emboss". It stays flat on the page. I used some of the powder that I did not add the mica to and it embossed just fine. Do you have any ideas of why it didn't work with the mica? Thanks so much!!

Reply
Ken
9/26/2019 03:07:10 pm

Hi Debbie,
Mica is a thermal insulator and is preventing the heat from melting the embossing powder. There really is no way around this problem except maybe heating from the bottom of the image. Worth a try, Ken.

Reply
Debbie
9/26/2019 03:56:40 pm

Ah ha!!! I've read that people were using mica's and eyeshadow to color their embossing powder so I thought it would work. Too bad but oh well!!! Thank you for the prompt response.

Debbie
9/27/2019 09:31:35 pm

Hi Ken....again, Have you done a video on coloring the embossing powder? That would be great to see. Thanks!!

Reply
Sherry Mizzell
10/9/2019 07:37:40 am

What other floor finishes have you tried besides pledge? And have they worked?

Reply
Ken
10/9/2019 09:58:43 am

Sherry,
I have not used any other brand but the comments contain other floor finishes. Worth reading. The best alternative seems to be Holloway brand, Ken.

Reply
Keeley Guthrie
10/11/2019 08:58:28 am

Thank you very much for this article. As of October 2019 I was unable to find the exact pledge product. I contacted a representative at pledge.com and they said that the product has not changed but the name has. The new name is pledge floor gloss. It is still available at Walmart. Again, thank you for the information you give in your blog.

Reply
Alex
1/10/2020 10:58:14 am

I don't have the embossing ink or grinder to test this but just throwing my 2 cent in. Has anyone tried using ground up dried modpodge? It's just a gelled acrylic medium so if the acrylic is all that's required then this may be a cheaper (and easier) source.

Also while it's not acrylic based, dried PVA (white) glue also acts as a transparent thermoplastic. If I ever get the embossing ink I'll experiment with these but for the moment I'm just passing through.

Reply
Freja
1/13/2020 06:25:48 am

Hello and thanks for doing this. I am in Denmark and I can not get the Pledge here, but I assume the working ingredient in it is acrylic?

Reply
Nelly
6/2/2021 07:52:17 pm

What chemical compound or polymer is in the Pledge Floor Care That cause the embossing?

Reply
Ken
1/13/2020 10:23:59 am

Freja,
Yes, but it has to be stabilized by ammonia to work with my process. So the pH needs to be 10 at least. There are other floor polishes with acrylic but a search for Denmark will have to be done. Ken.

Reply
Kim
2/25/2020 09:32:56 am

Hi thanks so much for sharing. I was wondering if you could use an acrylic gel medium for this process. Just curious. Thanks again, Kim

Reply
Ken
2/25/2020 02:47:27 pm

Kim,
I would not because the acrylic would be difficult to isolate from the pigment and it is the wrong co-polymer. Sorry, Ken

Reply
Ana
4/18/2020 10:35:12 am

Thank you so much for this vídeo, Ken. I would like to make my own golden embossing powder. I'll do some research on RIT dyes, to see what they are and if I can find them where I live.

Reply
Debbie
6/23/2020 07:01:30 pm

I recently made some embossing powder using this method. However, it has now become hard as a rock. I had a silica packet in with the powder but it did not work. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.

Reply
Ken
6/25/2020 09:45:27 am

Debbie,
You are doing nothing wrong because as the water evaporates it get hard normally. As shown in video two the finished dry product has to be ground up with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle or even a rolling pin. You can spread the wet material out in a thin layer to make it a little easier. But, hard is normal, Ken.

Reply
Debbie
6/25/2020 11:28:18 am

I ground the product in a coffee grinder when it was dried. I then placed it in an air tight jar with a silica packet. However, when I went to use the product it was hard as a rock and the packet paper was stuck to the product. It is hard as a rock and I can't even get the stuff out of the jar.

Ken
6/25/2020 03:30:47 pm

Debbie,
I have never heard of this happening so: Is it the correct acrylic? Is it well rinsed to remove the vinegar completely? Something is wrong with the process but I don't know what it it is. One it is ground it never and gets hard again like embossing powder works. You never need silica gel. What is causing it to get hard again is a mystery. Anyone else have this problem? Ken.

Debbie
6/25/2020 05:51:27 pm

I followed the directions so I don't know what happened. I'll give it another try and see what happens. I'll let you know. Thanks for your help.

IronMathbook
12/25/2020 11:18:44 am

Has anyone tried this with colored laser toner. I know that if I mix the toner I can create different colors. I can't find any info about this online just stuff about foiling.

Reply
sophie thomas
3/31/2021 11:47:52 pm

Bonjour, pensez vous que ce polymère soit ok ?
https://www.jacksonsart.com/fr-fr/jacksons-acrylique-polymer-vernis-gloss-1-litre-with-uv-stabilisers?___store=jacksonsart_fr&gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLRzyfnVFretJSAnbdwu6T_LbtHZx5H4NtpQxPdAszRNRJ-djREw56xoC2oIQAvD_BwE


Merci pour vos travaux .

Reply
Binky Melnik
10/30/2021 06:27:40 pm

Hey, Ken Jr:

I came here to see whether you’d been any new developments in this thread recently, and see that the only new development is that you lost your dad. 😰 I’m so terribly sorry. I’ve come across his stuff several times over the years, and was really impressed with how smart, curious, and willing to help others out he was. The community’s lost a good man. I hope you and your family manage somehow to find some peace and a way to deal with the holes in your hearts.

I’m sending you virtual hugs. Courage.

Binky
❌ ⭕️ ❌ ⭕️

Reply
Angela
3/3/2022 10:07:42 pm

There is no longer any pledge available at a reazonable price in Australia. It is available from ebay, amazon and another supplier but the cost plus postage as they are all online suppliers is close to $40 per bottle. Given that the yield is around 80- 90g, and you can get 15g of embossing powder for $7.00, work it out. Pledge plus postage is ag least 36, plus vinegar, plus clolour and you are looking at $40+ for max 90g. 6x7 is 42, so youre saving $2 if you can get a good yield with cheap vinegar, not including colour. So its actually cheaper to buy it already made than make it if you live in Australia.

Reply
Diane
3/16/2022 03:16:44 pm

Thank you for keeping this site open, even after the death of your father. I just found 2 nearly-full containers of the pre-2008 S C Johnson FUTURE floor care. This was at my hazardous waste recyle center. I have found an easy way to make very fine powder. Put the dry solid into a plastic container with a secure lid and add 3 or 4 marbles. Shake. The more it is shaken the finer the powder becomes. Remember to let the dust settle before opening the container!

Reply
Nellie Rodriguez
12/7/2022 09:19:14 am

Coloring would be an excellent tutorial.

Reply
Bob
12/16/2022 11:34:22 am

Pledge has discontinued this product and all of its incarnations in January 2022. Not sure if there are any alternatives if anyone has any that contain acrylic polymers. I'm considering trying this product someone posted above from Jacksons has anyone tried it?

https://www.jacksonsart.com/en-ca/jackson-s-non-removable-acrylic-polymer-varnish-gloss-1000ml-with-uv-stabilisers

Reply



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    The author has an eclectic background in chemistry, electronics, writing, mental health, and community action...Ken

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