anyone ever tried to mix anything other than the standard pigments (from foamez or FS, for example) into RR epoxy. as a backyarder I’m wondering if there are any cheap alternatives that can be picked up at a local paint supply shop or hobby shop…
probably not, but figured someone might have tried…
I haven’t tried it, but you might get away with using powdered Tempera pigment. Not sure I’d want to lam with it, as the particals would likely interrupt formation of polymer chains. Color panels on foam, prior to lam, would be a possibility. Try a small test panel.
There’s a thread on here somewhere that talks about the great options available to those “rolling their own” from pigments (or was the term “dyes”) bought online.
Someone please correct me if this has been tried and won’t work.
There is a set of dyes available from woodworkers supplies called “aniline” dyes (I think the spelling is correct). They have very small particles and are used to dye woods with very tight grains like maple (which blotches with stains). I’ve used these dyes with various woods with great success, perhaps they will work in Epoxy.? They typically come as a powder that you mix in warm water, and are pretty potent, but not toxic.
I have heard that carpenters chalk line colors are the same base ingredient that resin pigments are made from, just in a powder form. I tried some white in a epoxy fin box installation and it worked ok but a little off white. made a small test panel with epoxy and blue chalk line chalk. It wouldn’t make a solid blue but may work for a tint. The price is cheap. I may try some other colors on more test panels before I actually try it on a board.
ive used it making 2 different fins, results were beautiful, can be a very transperent or highly opaque depending on the mixing ratio, wonderful colors,
Many moons ago when we first started I think we used tester model acrylic paint. A really light tint would be one jar, a darker tint would be 2-4 jars, and if you wanted opaque you better buy about 10 jars. I have also heard you could go to your local paint store find a colored swatch you like and instead of having the paint pigment put into the paint can just have them dispense the pigments in a cup. Instant pigment color of your choice. We have never tried it though.
I used to run the Tinting machine at Taubmann’s paint factory in Brisbane OZ. But that’s 35 years ago, while I was surfing around down under…
Anyway good to know about paint tints, you can buy them in tubes as well at HD and Lowes… But like you mentioned they can color match with their computers so you can get any shade you want out of the machines.