Resin Coloring

[MBUMIK]

just wondering what everyone uses for coloring your resins

i have so far only used pearlex which i find great however there are a few colors missing which i would really like to do

red and white for starters

MIK

[texx]

watching this thread with interest cos i have not been able to find that out either , i think they keep it a secret

[Big Shed]

You mean like the people kept their "secrets" when you asked the question here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/resin-colours-105408/):(

Seems to be a bit of a recurring theme.

[texx]

You mean like the people kept their "secrets" when you asked the question here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/resin-colours-105408/):(

Seems to be a bit of a recurring theme.
basically yes

you did reply and thank you very much for that i took it all in .
but it never answered my question or maybe i am to thick to see the answer .
one or two guys answered as a matter of fact and thanks .
but i never got many brand names , that people have used ,and i am or was hoping there would be some more in this thread thats why i am watching with interest , so far i have been told of "barnes " and "pearlex "
which i believe is for a metalic type look , i think from reading other posts that cement powder colour probably would not be a good idea because it would be water based but not having done any resin casting yet i don't know thats why i am trying to find what people are using .
i called into 2 art supply places last week while in the big smoke one looked at me like i was mad ( good call i am ) the other had 3 colours white , a dirty blue , and a dirty red , probably ones that have been there for years that no one wanted and at $21.95 for a tiny little jar i can understand why they are still there.
sorry if i offended you with my remark i found your answer of value , i will still be watching this thread to see what other brands and or suppliers there are .

[rrobor]

I needed to fill holes in red gum and asked around and the answer was resin and to colour was builders oxide. Bunnings have little containers of the stuff so you can make a pallette and mix your colours to taste. The powder is very fine and a little goes a long way. But my advice is try it, it may or may not suit you. My wife had me make a mirror frame out of pine to see if the size was OK

[BoomerangInfo]

Honestly, for all the stuffing around you can do trying to find a "cheap" alternative, it's just not worth it. Just go to Barnes and order their pigments. They don't only have Pearlex, they have solid pigments (http://www.barnesonline.com.au/product.asp?strProdFamily=Pigments%20-%20Polyester) as well. The pearlex can get a bit expensive as you need to use a fair bit to get it opaque enough that tube show-through isn't a mjor hassle. With the solid pigments, you use so little, it'll dry up before you use it all, so the cost per blank is miniscule. I quite often use a mixture - primary colour in Pearlex, highlight colour in solid.

There is quite an initial outlay if you want the whole range, but where I started was getting the primary colours - red, yellow, blue, black and white. Then you can just do the old colour wheel thing and mix the colours to get the colour you want, although of course it's easier if you just buy the colours you need out of their range of about 30 odd colours.

If you're really strapped for cash, then just experiment! I started using watercolours from Crazy Clarks. A few worked OK, others made the resin go off, as they had too much water in, which resin doesn't like. You can use any coloured powder - cement oxides, ground spices, the wife's makup :; or whatever. Some will work great, some will fail dismally.

In the end, do you want to save on wasted resin, by using pigments designed for the job, or do you want to save on colours at the risk of ruining a cast, by experimenting with anything you find around the house.

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

PS - Why do you say rd & white are missing? Those colours are available in pearlex??

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

PPS - Sorry. I also tried the PSTF transparent dyes, which are OK, but the problem is it makes the tube too obvious. They do have uses in some places, but generally I'd steer away from them.

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

thanks for the replys guys

the main reason for putting this thread up was to see if anyone had found something different to use for coloring

i do intend to get some of the pigment pastes, but with no-one around here keeping anything like that means i have to get it posted up, which i have no problem with at all, just thought there maybe somehing else that is available in my area

i also plan to try powdered paint, normal paint, oxides - waiting for a tiler to bring me some different colors, even grout may work

but why not share successes and failures so that everyone else may save money

the pearlex i have in white is a real pearl and i am after just standard white, the red looks a bit icky and not a vibrant red, everytime i order pearlex i get a couple of extra colors so eventually i will have the whole set

i am guessing that the normal paint should be enamel, if resin doesn't like water, i would think that acrylic which washes out in water would spoil the resin anyone tried???

i might even talk to the paint shop and see if they would part with some of their tints that they use in mixing colors for people

thanks again
MIK

[BoomerangInfo]

I'm hoping to stock up on the whole pearlex range soon. If you have any specific colour you'd like to try before you buy, I could probably do a small sample pack and send to you.

For plain colours with no sheen or variation, you can't use pearlex.

I haven't tried enamels. Not sure what the solvent in those may do to resin. Some acrylics I used. If it's pretty thick, it seems to be OK. But if I'm selling pens to people, I don't want to take the chance of the resin losing integrity and coming apart, so I've stopped doing that.

Funny enough, when I got resin from the guy at FGI and asked how much of their pigment to use, he told me that even with their pigments, if you use too much, the resin is wrecked and fails to set. I think that'd need a much larger portion of pigment to resin than we use, before that would happen though.

Russell.

[Big Shed]

I haven't tried the powdered oxides, dispersing them properly could be a problem I suspect.

Most enamel paints use hydrocarbon solvents like mineral turps and polyester resin doesn't like them, but you could try.

The automotive acrylics, particularly the concentrated ones that the auto paint store uses, could be a goer, but whether they will sell those to you is another story.

I have played with the universal tinters that Bunnies and the paint stores use to tint architectural paints, they work up to a certain percentage, but I have found them to retard the cure to a greater or lesser extent. Even if you could buy the ones they use in the tint machines, they only come in 1ltr cans and I think you get a shock when you find out how much they cost

You can buy 250ml containers that the master painters use to tint certain colours, but they are not nearly as concentrated as the machine tint colourants and hence you can't use as much of them. Again, not cheap.

I have found the poly resin pre-dispersed pigments from Barnes to be very good, again not cheap at $8.80 per 100gr. But 100 gr should colour about 1-2kgs of polyresin which in turn would give you between 20 and 35 blanks, so not really that expensive.

Main problem with those is the limited range, mainly straight primary colours, no decent maroon (as Russell found) etc.

Hope that helps, can't have "secrets" now can we?:doh:

[texx]

now we are getting some info :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
not much point every body making the same mistakes , if we can learn what has and or has not worked for other's it can save a heck of a lot of pain and dollar's .
so the colours from barnes are a paste not a powder.see i thought they were all in powder form
what does FGI and PSTF stand for ??

[Mr Brush]

Saw an interesting idea in a recent woodworking magazine.....forget which one.

They suggested using the Feast Watson Prooftint in epoxy - just add it to the mixed epoxy until you get the shade you are after. Bonus is that you only need to buy the tiny bottles of Prooftint, which are nice and cheap.

Tried it once (teak), and seems to work very well.

[MBUMIK]

thanks russell and fred

very happy to have your input

i will have a bit of a play with some small casts in an ice block tray so it doesn't matter if it works or not

as to secrets, everyone should share only what they wish to share and nothing more, i was amazed at the amount of people complaining on the IAP site after the bloke came up with the 360 degree herringbone pen, he sat down and i am sure wasted bucket loads of pieces trying to make this design

why should he give away something that is unique and only he makes, instead they should have been asking about purchasing some of his ability allow him to go further

i appreciate any help that anyone can give me

thanks for sharing

MIK

[MBUMIK]

PPS - Sorry. I also tried the PSTF transparent dyes, which are OK, but the problem is it makes the tube too obvious. They do have uses in some places, but generally I'd steer away from them.

Russell.

CSUSA sell tubes for some pen kits in Black and also Nickle

i plan to get some for each style of pen i get off them next time i place an order, damn that next order is going to be a big one, the wish list is massive already

MIK

[Big Shed]

as to secrets, everyone should share only what they wish to share and nothing more, i was amazed at the amount of people complaining on the IAP site after the bloke came up with the 360 degree herringbone pen, he sat down and i am sure wasted bucket loads of pieces trying to make this design

why should he give away something that is unique and only he makes, instead they should have been asking about purchasing some of his ability allow him to go further



MIK, I followed that thread there as well and some of responses were amazing to say the least!

It was also quite noticeable that those that complained the most were also the ones least likely to contribute their ideas and new techniques:rolleyes:

[BoomerangInfo]

now we are getting some info :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
not much point every body making the same mistakes , if we can learn what has and or has not worked for other's it can save a heck of a lot of pain and dollar's .
so the colours from barnes are a paste not a powder.see i thought they were all in powder form
what does FGI and PSTF stand for ??

Pearlex is powder, Polyester resins are like very thick paint. I stick a paddlepop stick in the pigment, and the blob that sticks on the end of the stick I then stir into the resin.

FGI is Fibre Glass Industries, the people in Wacol, Brisbane that I've got my last can of resin from.

PSTF (Poly Supra Tran-Fast) Transparent dyes are a liquid dye than, as the name says, is still transparent when mixed with resin, so instead of clear see-through, you may en dup with pink see-through, or blue see-through, etc.

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

CSUSA sell tubes for some pen kits in Black and also Nickle

i plan to get some for each style of pen i get off them next time i place an order, damn that next order is going to be a big one, the wish list is massive already

MIK

Be careful with that. My experience (which may not be the same as everyones) is that tube colour is not the only factor. I have found, even on painted tubes, that "something" can be seen through the resin. After quite a bit of trial & error (more error than trial really), it seems the epoxy glue is forming a layer between the tube and the blank (as it should) and that layer if reflecting/refracting the light differently to the resin, thereby creating a shiny atrifact in the layer, just like airbubbles underwater looking silver.

The solution I've found which works 100% of the time for me so far, is to paint the inside through the drilled hole instead. It's a PITA, since I now also need to wait for the paint to dry before continuing with the pen, but better than turning the blank, only to have to throw it away.

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

Saw an interesting idea in a recent woodworking magazine.....forget which one.

They suggested using the Feast Watson Prooftint in epoxy - just add it to the mixed epoxy until you get the shade you are after. Bonus is that you only need to buy the tiny bottles of Prooftint, which are nice and cheap.

Tried it once (teak), and seems to work very well.

i have a few of these tints that i use for dying my wooden arrows it does work well for wood, this would turn out as a transparent resin

any ideas on anything else to add that would reduce the transparency??

like adding corn flour to curried bangers, thickens it up (dam now i'm hungry for curried bangers)

interesting concept, i think this is a question for all you chemical gurus:U

beats me i just come up with stupid question:doh:

MIK

[BoomerangInfo]

I actually mixed opaque whit epigment with pink PSTF dye to get opaque pink, to make my "Think Pink!" pens.

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

I have found the poly resin pre-dispersed pigments from Barnes to be very good, again not cheap at $8.80 per 100gr. But 100 gr should colour about 1-2kgs of polyresin which in turn would give you between 20 and 35 blanks, so not really that expensive.

Well I haven't actually measured, but I reckon I'd be getting 200 - 500 blanks from one $8.80 pigment container. There might be 1/2ml on the stick that I mix in to make 4 blanks, and there must be at least what, 100mls in the container? That'd be 800 blanks!

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

interesting, will have to get some of this pigment paste

i read a pdf on resin casting and it had some pearl drops in it, it is a liquid pearl, the guy mixed it in after the resin was at the gel stage, i should say swirled it in, very effective, but i haven't been able to find the pearl drops has anyone else found these anywhere???

MIK

[BoomerangInfo]

interesting, will have to get some of this pigment paste

i read a pdf on resin casting and it had some pearl drops in it, it is a liquid pearl, the guy mixed it in after the resin was at the gel stage, i should say swirled it in, very effective, but i haven't been able to find the pearl drops has anyone else found these anywhere???

MIK

Well, I may still be doing something wrong, but when the stuff I use gels, it gels solid (solid enough to not flow again) in seconds. Swirling in anything after it starts to get results in air pockets, which are your absolute worst nightmare in a cast.

Russell.

[NewLondon88]

Well, I may still be doing something wrong, but when the stuff I use gels, it gels solid (solid enough to not flow again) in seconds. Swirling in anything after it starts to get results in air pockets, which are your absolute worst nightmare in a cast.


Not only that .. but the pearl that gets swirled in isn't resin. (unless I read it wrong)

That might look great, but it is a barrier in the middle of your resin blank, and if that
blank is going to crack anywhere, that's where it will happen. Might even fall apart
coming out of the mold. From what I just read, there's nothing about the 'pearl drops'
that would gel or harden. It would just be a line of liquid in the middle of the blank.
(Can you point to this PDF so I can see if I'm sticking my foot in my mouth?)

However .. if the 'pearl drops' are really catalyzed resin with pearl already mixed in,
then this would work. Perhaps the smaller amount of resin makes it 'gel' later than
the rest of your mix? That could account for it not being set yet.


As Russell said, once it sets, it can set HARD and FAST. I have a piece in my shop
that is a solid, smooth 5x6" block of purple pearl with tangerine swirls in it, and on top
of that is a large mountainous lump of purple/tangerine bumps. When I started to pour
16 ounces out of the mixing cups, it was coming out nicely. Before I could pour all 16
ounces of it, it hardened into said mountainous lump and plopped into the mold.
And how long does it take to pour 16 ounces? 5 seconds? 6 seconds?

[MBUMIK]

so far all of my cast i pour both colors at once so that they mingle as they pour but i am planing to try the wait game in the future

here is the link to the PDF that i mentioned
http://content.penturners.org/articles/2005/casting_polyester_resin.pdf

the pearl drops he uses gives some pretty good high lights

MIK

[NewLondon88]

ok . now I understand.
I don't think the resin is 'gelled' before he's putting the pearl in, but it is probably starting
to get a little thicker and warm. And from what I had read, it sounded like someone was
just swirling it through the resin. But actually, he's stirring it in.. getting it well mixed.
The 'swirl' part happens after mixing. You just kinda stir in a pattern once it starts to set.

If you check Coastal Scents (i think it's coastalscents.com) they have pearl mica
powders that are not very expensive..These will accomplish the same thing, but will do it
in one step. Rather than mix the colored powder and then add pearl (liquid or powder)
you add the colored pearl powder. Either way, you're still going to mix it thoroughly and
then make your swirl pattern just as it is getting set.

[MBUMIK]

thanks mate

i have been looking at some of their paint powders as well, they have some pretty good looking colors

i read alot of things on the net, the biggest problem is because we are in different countries there are different names for some things and Australia is pretty small in the big scheme of things so not everything is available here, so i try and make it up as i go along:U:doh:

MIK

[NewLondon88]

Australia is pretty small in the big scheme of things so not everything is available here,

Send me an address, maybe I can put together a little care package

[dj_pnevans]

There is a company in Perth that is looking at getting in Alumilite. They tell me that it can set in 90 sec if this is so it will make it easy to mix colours. The only draw back is the cost of about $10 to $15 more the resin. When I get back home I will se how they are going with it and let you know.
David

[BoomerangInfo]

There is a company in Perth that is looking at getting in Alumilite. They tell me that it can set in 90 sec if this is so it will make it easy to mix colours. The only draw back is the cost of about $10 to $15 more the resin. When I get back home I will se how they are going with it and let you know.
David

That'd be interesting to see. Price may be a killer by the time it gets to Qld for me, but it may make things difficult with PE resin a lot easier.

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

i found alumilite available in australia somewhere the other night, it was a lot more expensive than PR though, if you do a google search i am sure it will turn up

MIK

[dj_pnevans]

Mik is this the place.
Alumilite Water Clear Resin 450g - Resins - Silicone Moulds & Resin ? Art Clay Silver (http://www.artclaysilver.net.au/silicone-moulds-resin/resins/alumilite-clear-450g)
David

[BoomerangInfo]

Mik is this the place.
Alumilite Water Clear Resin 450g - Resins - Silicone Moulds & Resin ? Art Clay Silver (http://www.artclaysilver.net.au/silicone-moulds-resin/resins/alumilite-clear-450g)
David

Holy Guacamole! $35 for 450g!! I paid $55 today for 4Kg of PE resin.....

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

i don't think thats the place but the price is about the same

MIK

[NewLondon88]

Holy Guacamole! $35 for 450g!! I paid $55 today for 4Kg of PE resin.....

Russell.

$55 for 4Kg of PE? I paid $0.59 for a gallon of water! :p

PR and Alumilite aren't the same thing. Urethane resins are much more expensive
than polyester. I've checked a lot of places looking for a less expensive alternative,
but most seem to be in the same price range for urethane or polyurethane resins.

But .. it sets in minutes and there's no smell to worry about. Different product for
a different application, I guess. If you don't need the speed or the lack of fumes,
You probably needn't consider the Alumilite anyway.

[BoomerangInfo]

$55 for 4Kg of PE? I paid $0.59 for a gallon of water! :p

Ahh but let's see you turn a gallon of water into a pen!

I guess when you look at things like Easycast Clear - $286 for 4.75Kg, I guess they are comparable. You'd have to charge $12+ a blank to make it worth using if you ask me.

Russell.

[dj_pnevans]

Russell where do you get your resin from?
David

[BoomerangInfo]

Russell where do you get your resin from?
David

There's a company called Fibre Glass International (FGI - HOME (http://www.fgi.com.au/)) with trade centres around Australia. I got my 4Kg tin from the Wacol store in Brisbane. They have some pigments as well, and other supplies, but so far I've only gotten the resin and MEKP from them. The rest I've got from Barnes.

Russell.

[NewLondon88]

You'd have to charge $12+ a blank to make it worth using if you ask me.

True.. but then you don't use it for everything.

.. right tool for the job, and all that. :D

[BoomerangInfo]

True.. but then you don't use it for everything.

.. right tool for the job, and all that. :D

All I have is a hammer, so everything looks like a nail to me :p

Russell.

[MBUMIK]

i was in the bathroom last night looking for something under the sink and i found all the wifes nail polish, reds galore

has anyone tried nail polish for a color addative to resin???

i will try it in a couple of weeks if no one has tried it previously

MIK

[Dorno]

being only new to this stuff I was unaware what to use also but i went to my local fibreglass shop because of another project and spoke to the guys there. The made of all things surfboards and told me that the pigments they use and sell in thier shop. So I bought 5 base colours and tried them. I also bought online some of the perlex range. Then set about trying to see what happened and to my surprise it all worked fine so I dont think it is that hard to at least get started with some different colours.

I hope this helps
Cheers Ian

[NewLondon88]

i was in the bathroom last night looking for something under the sink and i found all the wifes nail polish, reds galore

has anyone tried nail polish for a color addative to resin???

It will work just fine. Especially since you already have them. But they'd be an
expensive colorant to use on a regular basis if you went out to buy it.. There's some
neat colors out there, too. Lots of pearls.

[dj_pnevans]

i was in the bathroom last night looking for something under the sink and i found all the wifes nail polish
Or was it your wife who found your nail polish. :U
David

[Dorno]

Please Help !!!!!
As I have said in an earlier thread I am only new to blank making and pens in general but am enjoying it very much. My problem putting some sort of design into the blanks. I am using pigments that I have purchased from the local surfboard manafacturer (fibreglass shop) and they seem to be working fine when I only want to do single colours. I am now trying to mix other colours or pearlex mica into my blank but seem to be having trouble getting the second colour to go all the way through to the bottom of the blank. Is there a special (or best ) way to do this ?
I have noticed others talking about pigments from barnes and what i would like to know is does the barnes pigments come as a paste and not a powder.
I have just ordered some more resin from barnes so i am ready to have a crack at some more blanks. Don't get me wrong I am happy with what has turned out so far but have just been unable to get very exciting blanks.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks eveyone
Ian

[BoomerangInfo]

Please Help !!!!!
As I have said in an earlier thread I am only new to blank making and pens in general but am enjoying it very much. My problem putting some sort of design into the blanks. I am using pigments that I have purchased from the local surfboard manafacturer (fibreglass shop) and they seem to be working fine when I only want to do single colours. I am now trying to mix other colours or pearlex mica into my blank but seem to be having trouble getting the second colour to go all the way through to the bottom of the blank. Is there a special (or best ) way to do this ?
I have noticed others talking about pigments from barnes and what i would like to know is does the barnes pigments come as a paste and not a powder.
I have just ordered some more resin from barnes so i am ready to have a crack at some more blanks. Don't get me wrong I am happy with what has turned out so far but have just been unable to get very exciting blanks.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks eveyone
Ian

First off, what type of mould are you using?

Mixing is an art which takes lots of practice. I've done about 10 litres of resin so far and still and trying to get it correct and repeatable.

The type of pigment is not going to make much difference to how well you can mix, as it's the resin properties more than anything which cause the result. My big problem is not mixing, but stopping the different colours separating again after being mixed, with the heavier pigments sinking and making a layer on the bottom, with no colour throughout the blank. This problem is mainly with the barnes Polyester pigments, which are a thick liquid with consistency like honey. The pearlex powders I don't think I've had as much problem with, although I'm usually not trying to mix two pearlex together very often.

Others will have different methods. Those who I've seen do things well, to date I haven't seen much posting of techniques, apart from the ones I do which are not working well.

Russell.

[dj_pnevans]

Ian with resin it takes so long to set the colours mix to much I have been told that alumilite can set in about 90 sec's which would give you the nice mix between colours. But the down fall is that it is about twice the price. Best of luck.
David

[Dorno]

Thanks Russell for your reply to my problems. I am using a self made silicone mould which I am having no problems with. The problems begin when I am colouring my blank.Not meaning to bore you to tears but it may help if i list my process step by step.

1 I pour the resin into a cup to the required level

2 then add some liquid pigment that I have purchased from a fibreglass shop (no problems yet) single colours are fine

3 Here is where it goes astray I am not sure how to make swirls and the sorts stay in the blank without it blending into the prime colour and disapearing.

I do have some of the pearlex colours but up untill now i have then mixed then pearlex in resin to give me a liquid. Is this where i am going wrong should i leave it as a powder or as i stated in earlier threads should i use the barnes pigment (which i believe is a paste not a powder)
any help would be appreciated and I know practice makes perfect but i want to practice the right way

Cheers Ian

[BoomerangInfo]

That's similar to what I do. Say for a two-colour swirl.

1. Mix colour #1 in one cup (80% of the total volume)
2. Mix colour #2 is another cup (20% of the total volume)
3. Put catalyst in cup #1 & cup #2
4. Here's the trick - wait until the resin almost gels. Get it wrong, too early, colours separate, get it wrong, too late. You end up with a set mess that you have to throw away. Window of opportunity to get it right, about 10 seconds.

I always go early since I don't want a lumpy mess.

4a. I pour a little from cup #1 in the bottom, then driblle some of cup #2 across the surface
4b. Pour more of cup #1 in, dribble more of cup #2
4c. Repeat 4b until cups empty and mould full

5 (optional) - use a toothpick/paddlepop stick or some other thin disposable item and GENTLY drag it through the filled mould once or twice.

6. Wait for it to set and hope that colour #2 hasn't all sunk to the bottom of the mould in a single layer.

Also, search Youtube for Resin casting, I think there's some sample videos.

Hope this helps. Russell.

[NewLondon88]

I like Russell's answer, but I'll add just a little bit to it.

You can usually tell before the resin is about to gel because it will start getting warm
and thicker. With Pearl-Ex, your two colors should 'go off' at about the same time.
With pigments or dyes .. that may not happen. Makes it a bit more difficult. Some colors
make the resin gel faster, and some slow down the reaction.

If you're mixing your colors in small cups, you can feel the warmth through the cup and
you'll start to notice it thickening a little bit. That means it's getting ready to gel.

When the resins get thicker, they're less likely to separate or sink.. and more likely
to hold any pattern you move them into. I glued a bunch of toothpicks to a stick to make
a comb. I can drag that through the resin to twist, swirl, pick, poke etc.. to get texture.

If you mix the Pearl-Ex with the resin first (even before the catalyst) you can make
sure that it mixes well so you don't get any hidden clumps. That's harder to see once
you've put in any dyes. That gives you time to mix it in without 'watching the clock'.

Clear as mud? :p

[Dorno]

Thanks to you both .You have no idea how much you have helped me.

Cheers Ian

[resin guru]

I make resins and colours for all types of resins.....

including PSTF
polyester colours
Epoxy colours
Rubber colours
Ureathane colours
Silicone colours
etc.

Much cheaper and higher quality then anything else on the market.


Regards,

Luke.

[Dorno]

I am by no means an expert in this field or any pen field come to think of it but When I started attempting to do resins I bought some resin tint from a local fibreglass shop at about 8 bucks for a small jar. So i purchased about 5 primary colours and then purchased a pearlex starter kit and have just got bits an pieces from there and it all seems to be working fine although I am still looking for something to do the main solid colours that works best with the perlex.

Cheers Ian