a question for greg loher: is it posibble to do deteiled pigment and tint work such as splash’s ,swirls etc… with epoxy resin ? doesnt epoxy have a longer set up time ? it would seem that if you could use colors at all that the longer set up time would allow the colors to run into one another and not be as sharp. can you tint or pigment it at all?
Patrick: I’ve done 5 or 6 epoxy boards with Greg’s Resin Research using opaques in swirls and splashes. Very predictable and with the longer gel times you can do some pretty complex jobs with time to spare. Just cut up some EPS scrap into 8" squares and do a bunch of lam/swirl/splash/stripe samples. In the long run this will save you loads of headaches and heartbreaks. Tom S.
This isn’t Greg Loher (sic) answering you, but I did do a variety of color work with Resin Research Epoxy. And like Tom, all work was met with success. We did cutlap multi-tint swirls, foam tints, and all sorts of epoxy pinlines (Pinlines were easier than Poly, the stuff acted like paint more than resin)! We even did epoxy glosses and polished them to a high luster. So, knock yourself out; the product is robust. Tip: when doing multi-color swirl work, mix a single batch of clear; resin, hardener, F, then microwave about 15-20 seconds and stir thoroughly. THEN, separate the batch into several smaller cups and then add the individual colors and stir each cup. Throw your resins and have some fun… There is NO gel time so you have enough time to do it this way; which saves on the mix/measure step(s). Good Luck.
POS- Are you microwaving 15-20 on High? Sounds like a good tip to loosen up that stiff stir stick. I just cleaned out my barn and found an old microwave that still boils water. It’s going into the glassing bay for a trial. Tom S.
Yes, on HIGH. Specific oven wattage will vary the amount of time. I have access to a laser thermometer (about $50 on sale locally) looks like a mini radar gun. You want the core temp to be about 90F; no hotter. Our 600watt oven gets a good temperature in 12 to 15 seconds. I played “mad scientist” and really nuked the stuff: be warned- NEVER go over 30 seconds. The stuff is downright unmanageable at 160F!!! and it kinda burns too… Microwave ovens heat things by causing molecules to align with a radiation field then the field is oscillated to another alignment which results in inter-molecular friction. Bottom line, it won’t take much time to excite a long-chained hydrocarbon like the polymers with which we play; probably 1/5th the time it takes to heat water to the same temp. Be prepared for some of the nicest flowing epoxy (or poly) to saturate those multiple layers. The molecular size of the epoxy (ie. visco-elastic properties) will keep the epoxy from soaking into the blank if you are using PU or extruded PS (too bad the same is not true for Poly). I’m sure if you seal an expanded PS well enough you will also see benefits. Good Luck.