INSTRUCTIONS
FOR APPLYING “INSTANT NAIL” FOR GUITARISTS.
Please
read all the instructions before using!
Along with the
“INSTANT NAIL” kit, you’ll need: Scissors, Kleenex, good nail clippers,
(toenail clippers are stronger and work well), and a disposable, non-porous
surface like a piece of smooth plastic or clear tape. Make sure you have
good lighting. Also have some acetone, nail polish remover with acetone, or
super glue debonder in case of glue spills or skin
bonding.
Instant Nails are applied with the
use of cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). If you have
any allergies to this product, consult a physician before using. If you have any medical conditions or
problems with your fingernails, consult a physician before use. If any irritation occurs while using this product,
discontinue use and consult a physician.
If you
want a temporary nail that uses no super glue, you can use our Instant Nails
and adhere them to your nail plate with Glue Dots,
available at office supply and hardware stores. This method doesn’t work as
well, but is an option for those who don’t want to use super glue, and want a
temporary nail. Make sure you use the Super High Tack, Low Profile Glue Dots.
1.
Wash your hands with soap and water before applying. Dry them well.
2. Cut a piece of “INSTANT NAIL” the width
of your nail plate. The Instant Nail is
only going to be applied to approx. ½ of your nail plate. Remember the nail
has a curve, so measure the “INSTANT NAIL” while bending it around the contour
of the nail plate. Since Instant nails are applied to only half your
nail, the length will be determined by measuring from approximately the middle
of your nail plate. You want to apply the Instant Nail with the shiny
side down. Cut a little bit off at a
time until the desired width is attained. Make sure you cut it a bit longer than
the desired length to allow for clipping and shaping, measuring from about ½
the nail plate.
3. Once cut, wrap the “INSTANT NAIL” around the manicure stick. (It’s
the thin, round wooden stick included in our package) shiny side down, against stick. Carefully roll it around until you
achieve a curve. Create a curve in the “INSTANT NAIL” that matches the contour
of your natural nail plate. Make sure the curve you create is in contact with
as much surface area of your nail plate as possible. You can fine tune this by
using nail clippers to lightly bend down the sides of the Instant Nail so that
they’re in contact with the sides of your nail plate.
4. Dry fit the “INSTANT NAIL”. Practice placement of the nail a
couple of times before applying super
glue. You want the “INSTANT NAIL” to cover about ½ the nail plate.
You want a good bond so that it is straight and follows the plane and natural curve of the nail plate.
5. Dispense a good size drop of thin super glue onto any non-porous
surface, (a piece of tape, taped
to a flat piece of cardboard works fine) and then suck it up into the pipette.
You can also cut the tip of the glue bottle just a bit bigger than the pipette,
insert the pipette, then carefully tip the glue bottle a bit and siphon
in the glue. Make sure you squeeze the
pipette before inserting it into the bottle. (When using super glue
you may want to wear a filter mask so as not to breathe the fumes as it cures).
Dispense a thin layer of super glue to the front
half of your natural nail plate, just enough to stay wet. You can use the
pipette to spread the glue, and then apply the Instant Nail. You want to apply
the nail so that it’s straight and follows the natural plane of your nail
plate. Covering about ½ the nail plate, press the Instant Nail firmly using
your thumb or finger and hold for approx.20 seconds. Apply even pressure,
holding the Instant Nail flat against your natural nail as straight as possible
while making sure there’s little or no gap where the tip of the natural nail
and Instant Nail meet. If you use a bit too much glue and the Instant Nail
adheres to your finger tip a bit, separate immediately, and then go back
to holding down the nail. Keep an eye on this from the moment you first apply
the nail. If you do glue your finger tip to the nail, carefully peel it off.
You can use soap and warm water or acetone if needed.
6. Next you should dispense a bit more thin super glue behind the
nail. Apply only a small amount. Always use thin super glue so that it will
disperse and “wick” where needed. Then using nail clippers, clip off any
remaining Instant Nail, if any, at the back that is up off the nail plate. The next step is to file and taper the back
of the “INSTANT NAIL” flush with your nail plate. You can use a course grit file as you start
tapering, then a finer grit file. The best way taper is with an automatic rotary file. The reason for
this is that you can closely monitor your filing as you’re doing so. It’s much
more accurate and precise. Be careful not to file off any of your natural nail
plate while doing this step. When you’ve filed the Instant Nail flush, you can
add a very thin layer of super glue at the seam. It’s important to keep the
seam where the Instant Nail meets
the natural nail sealed so that water or other foreign substances can’t get in
under the nail. Make sure it’s seamless and smooth all around with a fine grit
file, then some 1500 grit sandpaper. At this point you can add a layer of our
fiberglass wrap to the nail, or just leave it the way it is.
7. Trim and file to your preference. It’s recommended that you start the shape with a good metal file to
establish a good straight “edge”, then a fine grit emery board, and then some
1500 grit sandpaper. Our four way nail
files work good for this. (We include them in our kit, or you can get them
separately).
You
can leave the “INSTANT NAIL” a bit long until you get used to its’ filing
characteristics.
8. REMOVING NAILS. A
good way to remove our nails is to file them off. It only takes a minute or two
with a rotary nail file. Emery board files also will work,
but take a bit longer and are not quite as accurate. Make sure to use good
lighting. Simply clip off the tip of the nail and then file the rest of it off.
When filing off a nail, friction can build up, so keep the bit or file moving
to different areas of the nail and limit the amount of time it’s in contact
with the nail. Take your time and use good lighting. You can leave a thin layer
of the old nail on if you wish. Our pre-formed nails can be soaked off with
acetone, (nail polish remover), but it’s much faster and easier to file them
off too. You can lightly draw some lines with a pencil on your natural nail as
a reference before application to help distinguish the border of the natural nail if you
wish, but most people don’t find that necessary. Since you’ve only applied the GuitarPlayerNail to ½ the nail plate, you can use the back
half as basic reference as to how much nail to file off. Also, if you watch carefully while you’re filing, you’ll be
able to see where the GuitarPlayerNail ends and the
natural nail begins. If you do file off some of the natural nail, you can
always build it up a bit before applying a new nail with some brush on nail
glue, silk wrap, or any viscous nail resin.
Another technique that can be used for removal of our Instant Nail strips, is to carefully peel them off. This usually is the fastest and easiest way to remove these nails. Start by cutting the tip off almost flush with your natural nail with some nail clippers. Then using the nail clippers, angle them a bit so that you can grab the edge of the GuitarPlayerNail that's just above the natural nail, and then carefully peel back. Go slow and peel the nail off. Once you get a bit of the nail peeled back, you can grab it with your thumb and index finger of your free hand and carefully peel back, or continue to use the clippers. You may want to peel off a few smaller sections at a time. Push the clippers under the nail a bit as you peel off the nail. Usually the bond between the glue and the natural nail is a bit stronger than the bond between the Instant Nail and the glue. So there likely will be a very thin layer of nail glue left on the natural nail. You can file that off with a rotary nail file or emery board. There also may be a few areas where there is a bit of GuitarPlayerNail left. You can also file that off with a rotary file or emery board type file. If you find yourself removing some of the natural nail while using this technique, you can stop and simply file the rest of the nail off. If you do remove some natural nail, simply build up your nail again with some brush on nail glue, silk wrap, or any viscous nail resin. When finished, remove any remaining Instant Nail and/or old glue that might be left with a rotary file or emery board file. If you have any questions or problems, don’t hesitate to e-mail us at
customerservice@guitarplayernails.com , or call us: 209-295-4969
Be
sure to read our tips and suggestions page.