Dammar gum is an excellent quality gum. It's transparent, even when broken, with no fine pieces of grit that would make it opaque or transparent. The color range is also excellent; one might think that it's rather yellow-green. The color and gloss of this encaustic paint are chemically stable, which ensures that the color will not change colors even when exposed to air. It can be used as an encaustic paint on all substrates.
Dammar gum is most commonly used as a decorative encaustic medium. The compound of dammar varnish, turpentine, and water is the basic composition. This resin can be used as a drying medium as well as a quick-drying medium. This resin is capable of withstanding stresses up to two hundred and fifty pounds per square inch. A thin layer of this resin is available in the picture varnish.
Dammar gum provides chemical resistance to alkaline chemicals as well as acid. This product, however, does not protect against ultraviolet radiation. This resin is suitable for use on paper and wood, but it can't be used for ceramic and porcelain. It is used in encaustic varnish, a combination of a cleaning medium and a varnish. The cleaning medium is made of ten different solvents and two types of resins. The product contains calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. The product's ability to bond to glass and aluminum makes it an excellent varnish coating.
Encaustic varnish is made of a mixture of silica powder and dammar gum. This material can be applied as an encasement to glass, ceramic, and even metal surfaces. The gum arils help the product stick to the surface, while the silica helps to keep it from breaking down. While these types of resins do not provide protection, they do make the application process easier. Dammar Gum is the most effective at binding to glass, even granite.
Dammar gum is used to protect and decorate glass surfaces and has been used in interior design to create a frosted effect. Dammar crystals and oleanolic pigments are the main ingredients for making this product. Dammar is also known as polycrystalline or polysulfone-based resins. Because of its affordability and versatility, polyresin-based resins are increasingly being used in art and crafts.
Dammar gum can be used as an image retention varnish, a flame retardant, a protection layer, protection for glass and mirrors, or as a photoactive coating. This is one of the few art materials that are safe for home use, and the properties of the gum make it suitable as a painting medium as well. Because it's translucent, there is a rainbow of colors available. And because the product can be shaped, it has many decorative applications. Some manufacturers even add glitters to their dammar products, making them more attractive.
Dammar gum has a natural consistency, so it can be used as a natural varnish. It can also be used as wax to make batik, to prevent the wax from cracking when it is drawn onto silk or rayon. It is also used as a natural preservative for preserves and jelly beans.
