Coloring Epoxy

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

BKelley

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
891
Location
Tucker, Georgia, 30084
I use System Three T-88 epoxy, both regular and Quick Cure to adhere tubes in blanks. Yesterday I painted both tube and hole black. I tried to color the epoxy as a little insurance against tube show ———- gooey mess, checked today and epoxy had not hardened. Any thoughts on what to use to color this epoxy.

Ben
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

TonyL

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
8,904
Location
Georgia
I have never done it successfully. I probably added too much color. I paint barrels and tubes always. Many have it great success...just not me. :). Coloring the epoxy will not fully hide glue lines.
 

Jolly Red

Member
Joined
May 4, 2012
Messages
145
Location
Carterville, IL
I have dyed epoxy black with India ink. I did not have any problems with the epoxy curing. I know people who have used craft acrylic paints to color it. The secret seems to be to not use too much of the colorant.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
I use System Three T-88 epoxy, both regular and Quick Cure to adhere tubes in blanks. Yesterday I painted both tube and hole black. I tried to color the epoxy as a little insurance against tube show ———- gooey mess, checked today and epoxy had not hardened. Any thoughts on what to use to color this epoxy.

Ben

Ben I am a big proponent of the use of System III T88 and use it all the time. I use their tints and here is a link. But as the old commercial use to say a little dab will do you. Does not take much at all to color the epoxy.

www.systemthree.com/collections/fillers-foam-and-pigments/products/epoxy-paste-pigment
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,214
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I have been painting tubes and the the blanks for years......I have only painted them white or black. I have this white tint that I ordered after reading a post here, I got a pint, truly a lifetime supply. I am still at work and I can't remember what brand it is, but it is awesome. I can't remember if they didn't have black or I didn't buy any. I will look tomorrow for the brand if you are interested.

I have had great luck for black, which is the bulk of my work, just using testors model paint. I am not saying that I do it right, but I have never had any issues doing it this way:
I mix my epoxy on cardboard.....I put the two parts of the epoxy, so there is a 1/4 inch gap between them........I take the other end of a small plastic cheapo model paint brush and dip two or three drops from a black testors model paint bottle in that gap....mix all thoroughly, and use.

I always let everything dry at least overnight. I used to be worried that the tubes were painted with spray paint, the blanks with acrylic enamel from wally world and testors in the epoxy,truly a "dukes mixture", but I have never had a problem in a couple hundred pens.....
I hope this helps....just my .02
 
Last edited:

MRDucks2

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
3,215
Location
Bristow, IN
I have used acrylic paint, testers model paint and Alumilite liquid dye all successfully. I use cut off bamboo skewers as stir sticks and just get, maybe, a thin 1/8 bit of paint on the tip, just coloring it a little and stir the epoxy in a soda bottle cap with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.

Thanks JT. Do you find that the tint hides the glue lines or do you paint the inside of the blanks anyway? Thank you.


Tony it is something like wearing a belt and suspenders:biggrin: I never paint the tubes. I find that a waste of time unless I am clear casting. I paint the inside of the blank and will occasionally use tint in epoxy in case of scrapping. I do not worry about glue lines per-se. But what I really use it for is for segmenting and gluing pieces such as in this pen. I think it was Hank who picked up on it just by looking at it when I showed this pen awhile ago.


View in Gallery
 
Last edited:

BKelley

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
891
Location
Tucker, Georgia, 30084
Thanks J.T., just completed an order for 2oz. Of black. I had rather use something that was made especially for System 3 T-88 than fool around with various paints that might work or not. l appreciate the info so much, I'll share a new found tip with you. Wanting to dye some wood yellow I searched the shop for some yellow dye or stain, but to no avail. Then I remembered the spice turmeric. Borrowed some from wife, mixed it with alcohol and presto a great yellow dye. Thanks again for the info

Ben
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
Thanks J.T., just completed an order for 2oz. Of black. I had rather use something that was made especially for System 3 T-88 than fool around with various paints that might work or not. l appreciate the info so much, I'll share a new found tip with you. Wanting to dye some wood yellow I searched the shop for some yellow dye or stain, but to no avail. Then I remembered the spice turmeric. Borrowed some from wife, mixed it with alcohol and presto a great yellow dye. Thanks again for the info

Ben

I have now a good collection of transtint dyes and they are some of the strongest dyes you can find. But before that I use to buy Rit dyes and mixed with alcohol and they worked very well. So many colors to choose from in that line. :):)

I also bought from them the dyes used for epoxy resins when I placed my order and those have worked very nicely also. You are right to use the product made for it.
 
Last edited:

TonyL

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
8,904
Location
Georgia
Tony it is something like wearing a belt and suspenders I never paint the tubes. I find that a waste of time unless I am clear casting. I paint the inside of the blank and will occasionally use tint in epoxy in case of scrapping. I do not worry about glue lines per-se. But what I really use it for is for segmenting and gluing pieces such as in this pen. I think it was Hank who picked up on it just by looking at it when I showed this pen awhile ago.

Thank you ; I also like the the belt and suspenders analogy.
 

Bob in SF

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Messages
1,762
Location
San Francisco
Ben - I like the ResinTints, and also use their ArtResin - nice control of transparency/opacity here:
https://www.artresin.com/products/resintint-originals-10-colors

Here's little bottle stopper top bezeled inlay:
ArtResin epoxy + ResinTints + mica powder + dichroic film, domed with clear epoxy:

attachment.php


A little bit of Mixol pigment also goes a long way.

I like your turmeric idea.

- Bob
 

Attachments

  • ArtResinTints,EpoxyBezelStopperInlay,markison,2019.jpg
    ArtResinTints,EpoxyBezelStopperInlay,markison,2019.jpg
    322.8 KB · Views: 249

raar25

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
770
Location
Glastonbury CT
FYI I have added color to several different epoxy brands and the secret is just a drop of paint to add the color for two pens worth of epoxy (sorry not very scientific) . I typically use black or white latex or oil paints (I have used BEHR and rustoleum) and mix in a drop into the mixture. It gets pretty thin with just a drop so any more will probably cause the mix to fail. But using that small amount it colors fine and I have never had a failure. So just a drop or two will do fine for what is probably two teaspoons of mixture.
 

sbwertz

Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
3,649
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I have mixed embossing powder into the epoxy. I usually use it to fill small voids or cracks, but it colors the epoxy very well. Get it at a craft store like Michael's in dozens of colors.
 

pshrynk

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2017
Messages
742
Location
Lake City, Minnesota
Penn State's pigment assortment works nicely for me. I only use a dab of the pigment and get a good color result. It's not terribly accurate with the color match, but I figure that the coloring is more of a camouflage than anything.
 
Top Bottom