coloring

[ahoiberg]

i had read some old posts about using india ink for coloring PR. so, i tried to use some india ink to dye a batch black and it seems like it's taking forever to cure... do i need to adjust the catalyst amount or anything for adding colors? or should i just expect that it will take a bit longer since i'm in effect changing the make-up of the solution?

 

[stevers]

It seems when I use a liquid dye, it takes longer to cure. Just pulled a batch of cactus blanks that took 48 hours to set up, and one is still tacky. Some say you can up your catalyst with no ill affects to the resin, and some disagree. I have only ever increased my catalyst be a couple of drops per ounce. So it had no affect on the resin and helped to speed the cure time, I guess. I am still in the experimental stages as well. I do remember someone saying black is problematic though. Was a while back. Eventually, it will cure.

 

[RONB]

I've used a few colors for the P.R. and black is a slower cure. I find that the more coloring you use the slower the cure on all of the colors that I have used. I have ordered but not received yet some dry pigments and I'll let you know if they change the cure times. I have also used oil based paints for coloring with good results but slower cure times.You just got to play with it.IMHO
I think that if you were to add one drop of cat. to a batch it would cure, it might take a long time but eventually it will set up.

 

[stevers]

Ron, powders don't seem to have near the affect that liquids do. I think liquids change the make up of the resin some how. I'm not a chemist so it's all greek to me. But the diff is certain. Powder has little or no affect.

 

[ahoiberg]

almost 3 days and still waiting for it to cure! i will see this to the end...
i guess i put too much ink it, but i really wanted it to be opaque... i'll give her a few more days and see what happens. it seems like it's getting harder, slowly but surely.

 

[RONB]

Heat helps speed up chemical reactions,so put the stuff in a warmer place and that should help.It will get hard eventually be patient.

 

[winpooh498]

We use mostly liquid pigments, the main problem that we have come to is getting a good red. We have several shades of red dye, but to get them red instead of pink you have to add a lot of dye. We have added as much as 10-15 drops of hardener per oz of resin, once they set they turned like normal, but at times with that amount it still didn't set. Some blanks would come out of the molds rubbery or almost jelly like but solid like the jelly candies. We have some pen blanks and bottle stopper blanks that we poured about a month ago, I can still dent it with my finger nail. We have also had this problem with the liquid brown. To get a nice black we use the paste dye, it takes just a tiny bit of dye. I think that the paste sets up really fast, but it is much harder to get good colors with them.
If anyone has any idea on how to get a nice rich almost blood red, please let us know. Good luck with your black.

 

[RONB]

I bought and use a beautiful deap red from Art Stuf ( web site artsfuf.com)I called and they know their products. I bought 1 oz.Think it was about $2 to $3 dollars per oz.

 

[winpooh498]

I bought and use a beautiful deap red from Art Stuf ( web site artsfuf.com)I called and they know their products. I bought 1 oz.Think it was about $2 to $3 dollars per oz.

We buy all our dyes from Art Stuf. We have a bottle of all the liquids, what color of red have you used? How much hardner did it take to get it to set? Like I said I have got some to set but it has taken a very long time. I love the Scarlet Red with a little of the liguid pearl.

 

[airrat]

If your wanting solid black I would get the black Alumilite. Curtis can give his opinion on how good it is, I have not ordered it yet but I will be for my "hat pin" pen.