Color library

[jason_r]

Having finally gotten my resin, dyes, molds and a little
time, I started casting a few blanks.

I started with some basic colors, mostly trying
to determine how much pearl and/or dye to use.
From digging through the archives (at least the casting
archives, not all of them), I know there are a lot of
people who have probably volumes of color recipes.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, has anyone put
some recipes up on the net?

And before you go off and flame about "Copying someone else's pen",
that's not the point. The point is if I decide I want to make, for example a NY Giant Pen, so I need some white, blue, and red in the right shades. Rather than spending days and a bunch of resin getting the right shade, I could go the the recipe website and pull up a working recipe for each color. (and maybe even pick one that I had the exact pigments for)

So:
1) Anyone done this already?
2) If not, anyone interested in seeing it done?
3) If yes to (2), anyone interested in making contributions?
Contributions would be in the form of a small piece of resin (about
1/8" thick and 1x2"-about what sticks to the cup when casting-
to be scanned, along with a series of data on what dyes/resins/
pearls were used. You'd have to be more precise in measuring
things than "popsicle stick shovels of powder"-I'm moving to a set
of measuring spoons for that reason.


Thanks
--
Jason

 

[sbell111]

I wish I could help. I still just add popsicle sticks of powder until it feels right. I will mention, however, that I have pretty good luck getting a specific color when I use the liquid pigments because I have a little bit more control.

 

[jason_r]

Originally posted by sbell111

I wish I could help. I still just add popsicle sticks of powdre until it feels right.

If you'd like to help (and I decide to do it), I'd
send you a spreadsheet. Then just keep notes on what you put in
each batch and scrape the cup out into a small mold (or just scrape
it to the bottom of the cup so it pools there).

And maybe we'd have a place for popsicle sticks of powder recipes. (actually, that's what my first 3 are).

I could set something up where anyone could upload a recipe too-
basically a big classifieds ad for recipes.

I had thought it would be cool to have a color wheel
people could click on with a "brush" that would then return
all the recipes that were within the area covered by the brush.

 

[rherrell]

Interesting idea. The problem that I see though is what medium do you choose? We have guys here that use everything from powder coat powder to liquid dye to powdered dye to...you get my point? It would be quite an undertaking to include all of them.

 

[jason_r]

Originally posted by rherrell

Interesting idea. The problem that I see though is what medium do you choose? We have guys here that use everything from powder coat powder to liquid dye to powdered dye to...you get my point? It would be quite an undertaking to include all of them.

Yes, it would be quite a list. Personally I *started* with 14 dyes and 4 luster pigments from Douglas & Sturges. Not to mention what other dyes I have from past projects.

The "simple" thing is to just index the color and let the "recipe" be
free-form. Easiest to implement, least precise.

More precise is drop down menus for dyes/pigments/luster pigments/???
for people to select from. New items could be added as needed.

Here's something I put together while back:
http://www.thistleclass.com/classifieds
(Maybe it'll get polished and deployed someday)

Different subject, yes, but the underlying code would be
real similar.

 

[rincewind03060]

Amazon has a set of measuring spoons
http://www.amazon.com/S-MINI-MEASURING-SPOONS-5PC/dp/B000E3FED6/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_b
that measure a tad, dash, pinch, smidgen and drop. Might be good for this use.

 

[BullDurham]

If you want absolute color reproduction you need to use ounces or grams for the measuring unit and you will need a scales that does the same. Then you need to use the same resin and dyes each time to reproduce the same color every time. But I think that is more than most would want to do! It just depends on how close you want to be to the same color each time.
Just having fun.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Originally posted by BullDurham

If you want absolute color reproduction you need to use ounces or grams for the measuring unit and you will need a scales that does the same. Then you need to use the same resin and dyes each time to reproduce the same color every time. But I think that is more than most would want to do! It just depends on how close you want to be to the same color each time.
Just having fun.

For powders, you'll probably want to go to ml, or to the nearest .01g weight, for liquids and pastes cc, or ml measures.

1 oz (US, liquid) = 29.574 ml
for simplicity
1 metric oz = 30 ml

 

[bitshird]

For pearl Ex a good ratio is 1/8 tsp per OZ of silmar 41 polyester resin, powder coat powder is a pain in the Arse, it is nearly impossible to get a complete mix,however in a tutorial on casting there is mention of a chemical dpm, which
stands for dipropylene glycol mono-methyl ether, which I have not been able to locate in the sticks so I'm still fighting with solid colors and powder coating powder.
the liquid dye from US composites are probably the best, just watch out for any black colorant, they always cause more trouble than any other color,

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Yes, the black seems to inhibit curing significantly. But then that is what post-curing is for.

 

[jason_r]

Not to toot my own horn, but because I hate people
who say "We need X" but expect other people to do it.

http://www.rziha.net/woodworking/experiments/resin_color_library/

Maybe someday I'll get to mixing dyes and get more on there.

 

[Jeff-in-Indiana]

this is a very good idea .. I wish I had thought of it a couple of years ago, and then I wish I had been DOING this for the same amount of time .. haha .. starting from scratch every time is getting old ..

 

[gketell]

Awesome site, Jason!
GK

 

[jason_r]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Always nice
to know it's appreciated.

For those who looked initially, and haven't been back,
the library is now up to ~50 samples spread over 3 pages.

Now I just need ArtStuf or CoastalScents to sponsor it.

 

[ESwindell]

Too all,
This is a very timely post as I have a friend at church who works with polymers and resins. I gave him a wish list for the perfect chemical with which to cast/stabilize. The list that I gave him was: water clear, able to be colored (with a recommendation of the best color to use), thin enough to be absorbed by the wood, long enough open time to be allowed to be absorbed, able to be pressurized and/or vacuumed with out ill effects, will not soften with the heat of sanding, will not have a reaction to CA, safe enough for the layman to use, low oder, not too expensive. I think that was all that I put on the list. Now he may come back and say that a product that is currently being used is the best or he may come up with something completely different, time will tell. I will give you an update when I get the information.
God Bless,
Eric