Great advice, Bojangles, fully worthy of being posted five times. I think manicurists use the same kind of acryllic powder--I had my nails built up in a nail salon for a while until I realized that the manicurist was filing my own nails paper thin before applying the acryllic, probably to make it necessary that I keep coming back. You said nothing about sanding your nails prior to application of the acryllic: it isn't necessary? --seed