Thread: Epoxy Tinting

I used die stains for timber. seemed to work ok. you can mix the colour you want

I read on a site somewhere, after being asked this question at work a couple of weeks ago, that you can tint it with acrylic artists paints.

Mike, I found a few threads for you here and here.

Gawd you lot make hard work of things. Just mix a pinch of sawdust from the timber you're trying to match. It won't be perfect but it'll be as close as you'll get and it works a treat.

Richard

Originally Posted by Daddles

Gawd you lot make hard work of things.

Yep daddles I've got a bad habit of making the simplest task complicated but I don't like the pink colour of the filler I'm using.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Mike, I found a few threads for you here and here.

Thanks Groggy, I have mixed oxide in epoxy to use with veneering but wondered about the effect on a fillet joint.

Originally Posted by scooter

I read on a site somewhere, after being asked this question at work a couple of weeks ago, that you can tint it with acrylic artists paints.

Hm.. passed some in the hardware and wondered about that. I can't find any reference to tinting and its affects in the epoxy how to book.

Cheers Mike

Originally Posted by m2c1Iw

Thanks Groggy, I have mixed oxide in epoxy to use with veneering but wondered about the effect on a fillet joint.

Mike, I only realised this was in a boat forum after posting. I know zilch about boat building and my references were intended for normal woodworking. May be best to listen to Daddles and the other boat guys advice for this application.

cheers

There are superfine oxides available from BASF and 3M as pigments for varnish and paint. Those are OK. But anything that has seems like a "grain" (eg sand) rather than a powder will weaken the mix.

Same with Sawdust - from a saw it is way to coarse and will also weaken the mix, but fine sandings from a belt sander are fine. Make sure it is a wood that glues easily - if you choose an oily wood like teak the strength may be a little ... unpredictable.

Michael Storer

Thanks Michael,
Tried some tests today with plain old Diggers oxide only need the tiniest amount to get a colour so I doubt if there is any affect at all on the bonding strength.

Cheers Mike

Sorry to drag this one up

I know that you can get specific epoxy tints in all sort of colours (was thinking a nice yellow for a kayak), but I can find out if you still need to protect the tinted epoxy from UV. Once the epoxy is tinted do I still need to varnish it?

Your collective help would be much appreciated.

Cheers......Nick

Most paint supply stores sell wet and dry pigments for adding to paint. There's two varieties oil and acrylic base. If it is a powered pigment then either will do, both being held in suspension in the epoxy matrix (like dust or dirt in motor oil) and will do little harm to the epoxy, unless you use enough to effect the viscosity substantially. If you get the liquid type, use the oil based stuff which will mix with the epoxy. Acrylic liquid pigments will not mix readily and can cause substantial weakening of the matrix (cured goo).

What works especially well for most folks is fabric die. Yep, the stuff you get at the local craft store for tie dying tee shirts and the like. It's a powder designed to be dissolved in water, then the fabric is soaked in it to die it. It's acrylic based, but because it's a powder it's fine to use in epoxy. A little goes a long way so use carefully. Mix it into the epoxy until you get a perfect match, as it will dry pretty much the way it looks when you're mixing it.