Tinting epoxy

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HSTurning

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Joined
Dec 4, 2008
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Those of you that use epoxy to glue in tubes.
What works best for you to tint the epoxy to hide the tube in acrylic blanks?
What does not work?

Another question.
What is your first choice to use to block up the tube to keep the epoxy out of the tube?
What do you use in a pinch if you run out of the first choice?
 
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I've tinted epoxy with either dry pigments (powders) or I've shaved pastel
sticks and used that to color the epoxy. You can pick up boxes of those things
at yard sales for a quarter.. and get just about any colors you want. I just
scrape off some powder with the side of a knife, or even sand off some powder
with a piece of sandpaper
 
I use PR dye, I get it from U.S. Composites about 3.00 a jar and seriously all it takes is a small drop to color enough epoxy to coat the tubes and the insides of a couple of Jr. size pens, also it doesn't affect the cure of the epoxy,
 
I use the PearlEX powders. Having a jar of each of the 40+ colors gives me a pretty good selection to match blanks. I also use the PearlEX with epoxy to fill voids in pens as well as mix with alumilite or polyester resin to tintblanks. A pretty good "do all" powder in my opinion.

I use the dental wax to block up the tube end and I don't run out. My last order I accidentally ordered enough to last me 75 years!
 
I've used acrylic paint -- I just mix it in when I'm mixing the parts of the expoy. It doesn't take very much.

I don't block up the tubes. I just clean them out with a file after the glue dries.

-Barry
 
I have been having trouble with epoxy. I either paint my tubes or use the chameleon tubes. More often than not, when taking JohnnyCNC's bushings out(they fit very snug), the tube slides right out with the bushing. I started using Sumo glue a couple of weeks ago with wood and acrylic and PR, and no more tubes sliding out. Sets quickly and stays where you put it. I do not work for Sumo, it is made by Loctite.

Good Luck,
Dan Heine
 
I use PearlX like above and use it to fill a void in pendants or anything else that i want to color. 40 colors, and i think it was something like in the $30 dollar range, bought on line. I have enough to last a life time. Carl
 
heinedan said:
I have been having trouble with epoxy. I either paint my tubes or use the chameleon tubes. More often than not, when taking JohnnyCNC's bushings out(they fit very snug), the tube slides right out with the bushing. I started using Sumo glue a couple of weeks ago with wood and acrylic and PR, and no more tubes sliding out. Sets quickly and stays where you put it. I do not work for Sumo, it is made by Loctite.

Good Luck,
Dan Heine
Click to expand...
Uh... Dan, you are supposed to mix the epoxy equal amounts of A and B. You can't just use part A alone and hope the glue holds! :wink:
 
heinedan said:
I have been having trouble with epoxy. I either paint my tubes or use the chameleon tubes. More often than not, when taking JohnnyCNC's bushings out(they fit very snug), the tube slides right out with the bushing. I started using Sumo glue a couple of weeks ago with wood and acrylic and PR, and no more tubes sliding out. Sets quickly and stays where you put it. I do not work for Sumo, it is made by Loctite.

Good Luck,
Dan Heine
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like you are not allowing the epoxy to fully cure. Even if it "sets" in 5 minutes, it is not cured for several hours. The heat generated by turning will cause it to slide out if it is not fully cured. Anything other than CA used to glue in tubes requires at least 4 hours, in my experience.
 
HSTurning said:
Another question.
What is your first choice to use to block up the tube to keep the epoxy out of the tube?
What do you use in a pinch if you run out of the first choice?
Click to expand...

First choice, baseplate wax from Arizona Silhouette.
Second choice, raw potato.
 
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