7 Replies to “Making Fake Nails”

  1. not that i’m any sort of authority on this, however ….
    the most common method seems to be to make them out of the container tube that crazy glue comes in. I personally cut the tube into four strips as evenly as I can, then cut pieces off of that sized to my fingernail, then trim the nail-tip to a smooth curve. And of course, they are affixed with the crazy glue, just a drop or so. The first time I use a new nail, I glue it on, wait for it to dry (maybe 1 min tops with crazy glue) then take it off and re-glue it. This seems to help keep the nails from popping off. And, speaking of which, I recently learned the trick of using athletic tape (or something similar) around the back end of the nail, wrapped around the finger, to keep the nail from flying away if it pops off.
    As to removing them, the first time or so is a little painful, but you just pry them up from the backside.
    Now, on to another nail ….
    1/8" acrylic sheet. seriously. a local hardware store just GAVE me a pice of scrap about 8"x5" for free. You heat it carefully with a hot air gun (on low power), using bulldogs or tweezers or needle-nose pliers to hold the acrylic in the heat stream. It doesn’t take long and will bubble and smell bad if you heat it too much. Once warm (which is obvious as it will bend of it’s own accord as it warms enough) you just cut off appropriately sized pieces with scissors. Seriously, it gets soft enough. you then keep carefully heating and trimming until it’s basically a nail shape. Once you have this, you need to curve it to your fingernail — DON’T JUST PUT THE HOT ACRYLIC ON YOUR NAIL TO SHAPE IT, HOWEVER!!! Find something around your house curved similarly to your nail, I use a waterproof match case. Using a cloth GENTLY, with the acrylic just warm enough to bend, but not cleanly cut, you press the flat onto the curved object to give it a curve close to your nail–the crazy glue will fill in imperfections in the curve if it is merely close. If you press too hard (with the cloth) you will imprint the cloth pattern into the acrylic, which you will then need to file or heat back out. Then you take it to a file for final tip shaping and smoothing. There should be no sharp points or edges. I’ve learned that with great care and some luck, you can even do it so you don’t have to do any filing, as the heat can (if done right, which IS somewhat difficult, so far) create a smoothly rounded tip just perfectly. These are affixed the same way as above, with crazy glue. Also, I find it useful to color the backside/underside of the clear acrylic nail with a marker or something, then apply a coat of crazy glue as protection for the color … this makes the nail considerably easier to find than clear acrylic. I have yet to try making nails from colored acrylic, though I’m sure that would work just fine.
    have fun!! and experiment!! I’ve met people with nails made from old broken frisbees (something I recently ‘attained’ the opportunity to try) and clear ball point pens. The essential things are that it has the capacity for becoming slick (an application of silicone can help this), is unlikely to scratch the disk, and is unlikely to shatter on impact.
    —
    later,
    frmn.v.c.stegeman

  3. Well I made my first finger nail. Used a plastic stopper off an old chair. It worked really well. But then had real problems taking it off. Finally I levered it off using a nail rasp. Came off without too much hassle.
    —
    Rawiri Walker

  4. I have just made a nail out of a little glass ball. It has a flat underside and a rounded top. The best nail I have used so far. Just keeping it fixed to my nail has been a problem though. But heavy duty sandpaper can roughen it enough to make it stick. I just hope it doesnt shatter if it gets hit hard.
    —
    Rawiri Walker

  5. I use rubber cement so that I can peel the nail off easily.Beats the heck out of super glue when it is time to wash up for dinner!
    —
    leslieloo

  6. Ive sort of built up on Artaos technique of nail making, to make my nails more like Dan Yarnell’s (i mean fashionable as well as very useable).
    I shave of the sheet acrylic to a thinner nail than i usually do, and then put on any pictures/design/sparkles I want (crazy glue does a good job of sticking them on). After that I cover the design up with a clear acrylic for nail buildup that you can buy in most nail care places/ It comes in a powder and a liquid, which, when mixed gove acrylic plastic.
    Enjoy!
    PS – a fast way to polish is using small grain sandpaper and a nail polisher after that, works quicker than jewlers rouge with muchbthe same result, and not as messy.
    PPS – sheet acrylic comes in all colors, transparent and mist, avid and mild. And its a close relative of crazy glue )) In Russia its called organic glass BTW
    —
    No jump, no catch!

  7. PPPS – also, if you want to heat several pieces of plastic for bending at once – just use your oven, it gives more than enough temperature and the capacity is limitless, you can bend 20 pieces easy (you wouldnt som nay nails, but that is another matter)
    —
    No jump, no catch!

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