Request for Epoxy color work tips

[SixtyGrit]

All my mixing cups etc finally arrived, and I'm ready to do my second glassing job. First one came out alright, but this time I'm doing cutlaps + color. I have a plan to keep it clear down the stringer, and do white, then seafoam green out to the rails. Both colors are pigment, which apparently is different than tint.

Anyone care to give me some tips that might help me out? Am I biting off more than I can chew? Looking for tips like, "don't use more than a teaspoon of pigment per gallon", or "if you think a dark color is saturated it never is and you should go over it 16 more times". I made both of those up, but you get the idea.

What are some ways I'm probably going to fvck this up?

 

[Swallow Tail]

Have a look/do a search on swaylocks.com

their search function sucks. Easier to use google, this shows a number of relevant threads
Google search: epoxy tint swaylocks

 

[ghostshaper]

I did my first color swirl attempt a few months ago. Just make sure you mix your pigment in w the resin before mixing in the hardener, but measure your resin before pigment (I weigh). I don't think I saw any difference between mixing color in w pe vs epoxy.

http://instagr.am/p/B4FoAaHHbAh/ Mods move this the foil forum

 

[SixtyGrit]

Have a look/do a search on swaylocks.com

their search function sucks. Easier to use google, this shows a number of relevant threads
Google search: epoxy tint swaylocks

Great tip. trying to even navigate that sure has kept me away.

 

[GromsDad]

All my mixing cups etc finally arrived, and I'm ready to do my second glassing job. First one came out alright, but this time I'm doing cutlaps + color. I have a plan to keep it clear down the stringer, and do white, then seafoam green out to the rails. Both colors are pigment, which apparently is different than tint.

Anyone care to give me some tips that might help me out? Am I biting off more than I can chew? Looking for tips like, "don't use more than a teaspoon of pigment per gallon", or "if you think a dark color is saturated it never is and you should go over it 16 more times". I made both of those up, but you get the idea.

What are some ways I'm probably going to fvck this up?

With epoxy its always the same fuk ups over and over and over again.

1. Sloppy measurement of resin and hardener.
2. Temperature of work space.
3. Contamination of resin or surfaces due to stupidity, carelessness or lack of understanding of epoxy.
4. Misuse of or incompatible additives.
5. Cleanliness of work space.

 

[twinzerfan]

Obviously if you’re trying to do clear, then white you may not see the white, personally I’d do what was called a coke bottle tint then get darker towards the rails. The clear stringer area will essentially be white anyway.

Add A couple drops of your seafoam to a clear batch for the coke bottle look.

the only way to be sure of the color is to have some foam and fiberglass scraps together, then rub your mixture into the fibers on to foam scrap. It always looks different in the bucket than over the laminate.

I agree with making your color batch before you catalyze it. Otherwise you run the risk of not getting the right color. Plus I suggest making more than you think because color takes way more resin than a light and tight clear.

if you’re weighing it, this is much easier. Make a dense 1/2 pint of your color and add it to the clear resin as needed then weigh it.

timing your cuts is a pain with epoxy, but you can also just grind-trim once it’s kicked if you’re good with a sander.

 

[SixtyGrit]

@Swallow Tail there are some good tips in here: https://www.swaylocks.com/forums/epoxy-pigment-tips

 

[twinzerfan]

Also, depending on what brand of epoxy you’re using, you can get extra fast catalyst. I used to use this for color work so I didn’t have to wait all day to trim. If you’re nervous about that, you can mix your regular medium or fast with the extra fast to adjust your cure times.

the longer it sits on the rack, the heavier the laminate gets as the foam sucks in the resin. You want to balance enough time to saturate the lam, but not have it swimming in resin.
Also get cleaner cuts with a faster kick because the tape doesn’t bleed as much.

pigment delays cure times too

 

[twinzerfan]

@SixtyGrit awesome screen name

 

[Swallow Tail]

Great tip. trying to even navigate that sure has kept me away.

Yes, it’s a shame. There’s a LOT of info there - close to impossible to find via the search function on Sways. But fortunately using google is a reasonable work around.

 

[One-Off]

"clear down the stringer, and do white, then seafoam green out to the rails". I can't vizualize what you're trying to do,

 

[GDaddy]

Buy a digital kitchen scale and measure your epoxy mix by weight. It's far more accurate than you can possibly get with measuring cups. You can get the accuracy of your mixes down to the gram. If you were doing a 5% mix of tint or pigment you could do 100 grams of part A + 45 grams of Part B + 7 grams of pigment, and you could reliably resize or repeat that ratio as often as you needed to.

You can buy a scale for $20 or less. It will pay for itself in maybe 2 boards by reducing your waste with small batch mixes and by allowing you to reuse cups (and skip the more expensive marked measuring cups altogether).

 

[One-Off]

Buy a digital kitchen scale and measure your epoxy mix by weight. It's far more accurate than you can possibly get with measuring cups. You can get the accuracy of your mixes down to the gram. If you were doing a 5% mix of tint or pigment you could do 100 grams of part A + 45 grams of Part B + 7 grams of pigment, and you could reliably resize or repeat that ratio as often as you needed to.

You can buy a scale for $20 or less. It will pay for itself in maybe 2 boards by reducing your waste with small batch mixes and by allowing you to reuse cups (and skip the more expensive marked measuring cups altogether).

I've never had a batch not go off, and sometimes I'm measuring 1/8 of an ounce in those little cups with markings I can barely see.
.

 

[ghostshaper]

I just had my first small batch of epoxy not go off in 15 years. Used a balance, squirted hardener into the cup, and the new kitchen scale wasn't registering the small amount of hardener. Ended up w too much hardener and never got past the b stage. Was topping off holes so just ended up picking out the gum and re doing. My cheap HF balance never did this. Wife stole it and replaced it w a kitchen one from bed bath beyond. Sucks.

 

[GDaddy]

I've never had a batch not go off, and sometimes I'm measuring 1/8 of an ounce in those little cups with markings I can barely see.
.

Marked cups are a bit spendy. I buy sleeves of unmarked plastic drinking cups, 50ct for $5 at Smart-n-Final. I often reuse them after the resin sets up. No cleaning involved. I mix with the wooden paint stirrers, except I cut them in half so they won't tip my cups over. I just wipe those off - no cleaning involved.

 

[One-Off]

Marked cups are a bit spendy. I buy sleeves of unmarked plastic drinking cups, 50ct for $5 at Smart-n-Final. I often reuse them after the resin sets up. No cleaning involved. I mix with the wooden paint stirrers, except I cut them in half so they won't tip my cups over. I just wipe those off - no cleaning involved.

I use my marked cups over and over and over. ... I wipe them with a paper towel when I'm done. Contamination? What's that? I've never had the felling that epoxy is so sensitive and/or requires surgical precision...

I should shut up before I get "bachi-ed"

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