Epoxy as a finish??

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gketell

gketell

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Cross posting to TPS because I'm in a bind and way behind...

Ok, I'm making some custom-ordered pens that are curly maple dyed a specific shade of purple. To get the purple I use a mix of liquid TransTint dye and liquid food color. I would like to use my normal CA finish but the problem is that the Medium CA just won't dry. Thin is fine (although won't build up), but the medium... [}:)][B)][V] It will lift the dye or just slough off or any number of nasty things. No matter how many layers of thin and/or medium CA, each application results in more purple on the paper towel used to apply the CA.

I've tried letting the dye dry for a day or more before finishing. I've tried using a layer of BLO between the dye and the CA. I've tried just using lots and lots of layers of thin CA. Nothing is working. I've even tried using rattle-can spray lacquer as a finish but can't get it on and smooth enough for my tastes.
:(

Someone yestereday mentioned to me that they have used epoxy as a finish. I'm willing to give this a shot as I have nothing to lose but I can't find anything on this site or IAP on how to do it. How do you get it on, how do you get it smooth, how do you polish it.... Has anyone done this and/or does anyone know where I can find a tutorial?

Or, if anyone has any other ideas on how to make the CA work...

Please HAAAAeeelp. I've got two days to get this pen done and off to Ken for engraving.

Thanks!!!
GK
 
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funny that you mention this, i've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now.

although i can't tell you how to do it, but i would assume it would be a similar application to CA. maybe try the 5 minute or 30 minute and see how that works... just turn a scrapper and try it out... i assume it's going to be a real pain to remove from the bushings since the layer will be a lot thicker than a CA layer. and since it ends up as a plastic when hardened, maybe just buff, HPP and TSW?

you'll have to let me know how it comes out!
 
Try an initial coat of thin CA. That should dry pretty quick.

Or you can try this with your medium. Spray the blank with accelerator, and then wipe it off. There will be just enough accelerator left on the wood that when you apply your medium, it will cure a little faster.

I would try these ideas before trying to master a totally new finish method, like epoxy.
 
Billy,

I'm glad someone caught the reference. [:D]

OK, I did some testing. I took a low-end maple blank and put the pure Transtint on one end, the pure red food color (McCormick's brand) on the other and my mixture in the middle. I then smeared a goodly portion of medium CA over all three test patches. In 5 minutes the CA over the red was fully set. In an hour and a half the CA over both the TransTint and the mix was still wet. And very purple. Sooo the problem is the TransTint.

Thinking that maybe it REALLY didn't like being used pure I mixed a batch per instructions with alcohol and used that on the side of the block. Waited a while and then applied medium CA to that. An hour later it was still wet. Oh, and the color was very much "lighter", which won't cut it for this customer.

OK, time to try to mix my color using pure McCormick's and also time to toss all my liquid TransTint.

GK
 
Don't toss your transtint. Send it to me if you don't want it. I use it a lot and have never had any problems. Don't know exactly what your trouble is with it but I would assume it is not dry for some reason. Try getting the color you want and then putting it in a toaster oven on low bake for a few hours with the door cracked open a little.

If you really want to do an epoxy finish this is what you do. I have done a bunch of expoxy finishes and bounce back and forth between epoxy and CA. I use 30 minute epoxy and mix it up per directions. I then use a plastic bag from the kit to apply the epoxy to the slowly spinning blank. I do not try at all to make it smooth. I just blob it on. Then I kick up the lathe speed a little and use a cloth rag to start evening it out but still not trying to get it completely smooth. I turn off the lathe and let it sit until the epoxy coat starts to get sticky.

Now a take a piece of cloth rag and hold it very firmly between both hands. Do not wrap it around any of your fingers and hold on tight. Kick the lathe up to full speed and gently touch the rag to the blank. It will be VERY grabby at first but as you work it, it gets better. Then simply burnish it in nice as if you were doing a friction finish and you will have a very smooth, gloss finihs. The heat from them burnishing process will make the epoxy cure. If the gloss is not high enough, add another coat the same way. After all the coats are done and dry, I usually buff them on my Beal system starting with white diamond for a realy nice finish.
 
Have you tried using a sanding sealer before applying the CA?

I'm having a lot of trouble understanding why thin CA works OK but you can't put medium or thick CA over it. How about putting on 4-5 coats of thin and end it with a friction polish?
 
The one time I used sanding sealer (I grabbed the wrong spray can), it completely liquified the dye and when I went to wipe off the sealer it took a large part of the dye with it.

Yes, I tried multiple coats of thin (up to about 6 or 7). It never built up like it does on normal wood and even on the 7th coat I would get purple on the papertowel as I applied the thin CA. After I did the 7 coats I tried to put a coat of medium and it acted like it pulled all the thin back out of the wood. There was far more purple CA sloughing off the pen than I had put on.

I went to the store today and bought some Deft lacquer and some blonde shellac and I found a can of water-based polyuerathane I had on the shelf; All three lifted the sample dye that I had left drying since last night.

So far the only thing that seems to work is spray lacquer and I think the only reason that works is because there is no manipulation one the dye is on. The lacquer hits and doesn't move, doesn't get rubbed, etc.
My only fear is that even if I successfully get the top coat on and looking wonderous, how long will it last since the undercoat is reacting with all of the topcoats I have tried.

From all the people who have told me that they successfully use liquid TransTint I'm beginning to wonder if I have either a bad batch or the Purple is just a PITA color. Has anyone else tried the purple?

GK
 
I have had great luck with shoe dye. I use the brand Angelus. There is a large assortment of colors too. I got it on the internet just type in Angelus and you will find someone with it.

I hope the ones you were doing turned out ok. Sorry for the late response
 
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