Epoxy Moxy

I decided I needed a sturdy method of hang some of the ceramic crosses I've made. I was kind of nervous using something I have never tried before, because I might mess up the ceramic piece and all that work would be down the drain. You know how that goes. I decided to try 5 minute, two part epoxy and large D-ring hangers. I thought about using the smaller D-rings, but the larger ones have more surface area to adhere to the clay surface. This was my first attempt at using epoxy. Thank goodness I did a test run by attaching a hanger to a scrap disc of clay I had.


I gathered together a few items. A paper plate to mix the epoxy. A paper towel in case epoxy goes where I didn't want it to. A marking pen in a color which can easily be seen on the clay surface. The tube of epoxy and the little plastic stick which comes with the epoxy to mix it with. A toothpick will also work for mixing the epoxy. I snapped the cover off the epoxy container and drew back the plunger a little to allow the air bubbles to escape. It takes a bit of time for the air bubbles to rise to the surface.


Next I did a trial run attaching one of the smaller D-rings to the back of a small clay disc. From the test run I learned I should mark where I want to attach the hanger ahead of time instead of eyeballing the spot. See how the hanger hangs out beyond the clay disc. The epoxy is slippery before it dries and the D Ring tends to slip and go where it wants. I wanted the D ring hidden on the back, not showing above the top. Also notice the small shiny spot towards the middle of the clay disc, that was the first attempt at attaching the D ring. Just to test the strength, I tried pulling the first D-ring off after 15 minutes. At first the D-ring didn't come off, but then it did. Patience is important. Wait the full hour for the complete drying time before you disturb the item with epoxy in any way, or attempt to hang the item from the hanger.


Don't put epoxy over the line and don't put it on too thick otherwise is may squish out and make a mess or go where you don't want it to. Be sure to leave some distance between the top of the D Ring attachment and the epoxy otherwise the D Ring may not move freely. Here is one of the D Rings on the back of one of the crosses. You can see the green marking pen outlining where I wanted to place the D Ring.


Here are all the crosses with their new D Ring hangers. This will make them very sturdy to hang on the wall. When I originally made these crosses I made them with a slot to insert a nail, but later decided the slot wasn't sturdy enough to hang the crosses from. I had visions of a door being slammed or someone knocking against one and the crosses and having the cross fall off the wall. I think this is much sturdier. Oh, I might as well show you the front of the crosses too. Here they are.


Now that I have epoxy moxy, in the next couple of posts I'll attach the base of my Cinderella Vase to the top and I'll make a stand for Spirit Bird. Does anyone know if I can use epoxy on a piece of wood inserted into the base of a ceramic piece or should I use liquid nails?