By Kathleen Hom
(c) 2006, The Washington Post
Shuffling through the aisles of home
improvement stores in search of something
a little snazzy to revamp an old dresser or
cabinet door can be daunting -- not to
mention disappointing if you leave mission
unaccomplished. So why waste time pon-
dering which impersonal knobs would do
your favorite aunt's hand-me-down justice?
Cast your own exclusive hardware in
synthetic resin. A bonus: Your handmade
knobs can cost less than $1 each and be
every bit as cute as the $5 mass-produced
versions.
Synthetic resin need not be confined
to industrial research labs or the lairs of
meticulous model builders. With the ease
of casting resin in ice cube trays as molds,
the average person can create simple and
charming pieces.
For our resin knobs, we embedded
paper cutouts and small objects into layers
of clear resin poured into various shaped
trays. You're only limited by your imagina-
tion and your stash of supplies -- you can
keep it simple or build elaborate three-
dimensional scenes, staggering several
paper cutouts or even family photos. Once
you've mastered the elementary tech-
niques, you'll quickly churn out personal-
ized and functional knobs.
Step One
Gather your supplies: I used clear cast-
ing resin and casting hardener (both can
be found is most craft or home improve-
ment stores for less than $20); Ikea Plastis
rubber ice cube trays in X and star shapes
($1.99 each); a pair of latex gloves; a plas-
tic cup; and a plastic teaspoon.
You'll also need some hardware: flat-
head screws, aluminum spacers and acorn
cap nuts to secure the knobs in place (all
should be an appropriate size for whatever
you will be screwing the finished knobs
into). Finally, you'll need to select whatev-
er found objects or paper cutouts you want
to embed in the resin.
Work in a well-ventilated area as cast-
ing resin is toxic. Make sure anything that
will touch the resin -- such as your ice
cube trays, found objects and screws -- is
clean.
Step Two
Don gloves so the resin doesn't come
in contact with your skin. Read the direc-
tions on both your casting resin and hard-
ener, paying attention to the proportion of
resin to hardener that you are instructed to
use. (Various products will recommend dif-
ferent proportions.)
For this project, I used about a tea-
spoon of casting resin per layer per knob.
Remember to mix only as much as you
immediately need; you will work in layers,
and each layer must set before pouring on
another.
Measure and pour your resin and hard-
ener into the plastic cup, and thoroughly
stir with a plastic spoon for about a
minute. Avoid allowing large air bubbles
to form in the resin.
Pour a teaspoon of the mixture into
each mold of the ice cube tray.
Place the ice cube tray on a level sur-
face so the resin can set. Check your
resin's instructions for proper drying time;
mine was firm to the touch in about 20
minutes.
Step Three
Once the first layer has set, mix anoth-
er batch of resin and hardener in the plas-
tic cup. For the second layer, the amount
of resin depends upon the size of the object
you're embedding. For the paper cutouts, I
again used about a teaspoon of resin for
each mold.
Use your gloved hands or the plastic
spoon to dunk the object that you're
embedding into the resin mixture. Dunk-
ing prevents air bubbles from forming
when you put the object into the mold.
Take the object out of the resin mix-
ture and place it in the mold. You will
want to insert the object front-side down
because the bottom of the mold will be the
front of the finished knob.
Pour a teaspoon of resin mixture into
the mold, completely covering the
embedded object.
Step Four
Next, stand the head of a screw in the
resin. Make sure the screw is level and
doesn't wobble and tip over.
Allow the resin to dry completely,
which can take anywhere from eight hours
to two days. The resin will dry faster in a
warm, sunny area, and knobs made with
thinner layers dry faster.
Step Five
Pop the knobs out of the molds as you
Do It Yourself: Making New Knobs
Many custom home buyers today are choosing the warmth of
wood for their kitchens, and the vogue choice is predominantly
cherry. The phase of white cabinets seems to have subsided, and
with the richness of these cherry cabinets, it is easy to see why.
The vent hood above the range is a focal point, with a graceful
arch and stylish support brackets below. The backsplash is a com-
plementing tile with some diagonal applications for effect. The
granite island allows snacks to be served and conversations to take
place without getting in the way of the cook.
In this photo provided by Lifestylehomedesign.com, Many
custom home buyers today are choosing the warmth of wood
for their kitchens, and the vogue choice is predominant-
ly cherry. The phase of white cabinets seems to have sub-
sided, and with the richness of these cherry cabinets, it
is easy to see why. The vent hood above the range is a focal
point, with a graceful arch and stylish support brackets
below. The backsplash is a complimenting tile with some
diagonal applications for effect. The granite island allows
snacks to be served and conversations to take place with-
out getting in the way of the cook. If you are looking to
remodel your kitchen, or planning to build a new home,
take a look at cherry for your cabinetchoice. (AP Photo/
Lifestylehomedesign.com/Mark Englund)
K
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K
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14
March 2006
Today's Home
The Citizen, Auburn, New York
The Citizen, Auburn, New York
Today's Home
March 2006
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