Dying Epoxy

[Brian Brown]

What is the best way to dye epoxy with out losing glue strength? I need some black epoxy, Deep dark black. and I'm not sure how to do it. I'm short on time, so I would like to find a method where I can get the ingredients in a small town. TIA

[Terence McGee]

For a solid, opaque color, I go for acrylic paint. A few drops usually do the trick.

Before using it on your entire project, make sure to test first. Mix a batch and apply on a patch of wood to see how it cures. Good luck

[John Keeton]

I have dyed epoxy many times and used universal tint used by paint stores to mix paint. Stop by your local paint store with a small condiment container and ask for a couple drops.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I prefer dry powder. Graphite powder makes a lovely black.

https://www.wisebond.com/products/graphite-epoxy-colorant-powder-5g-15g-50g?variant=28588347064425

513717

[Bill Howatt]

If you have access to consumed laser printer cartridges, there is usually recoverable black toner powder remaining you can salvage. It is very fine.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I tried Lock Ease graphite lube from Ace. It worked but had a very slippery feel and a grey tinge.

[Steve Demuth]

Finely powdered charcoal, or as others have mentioned, black ink toner work fine. I generally add a few drops of trans-tint black as well, just to get the dispersion down to the molecular level, but it's not really necessary if your mineral pigment is sufficiently finely powdered.

[Steve Jenkins]

I use black leather dye.

[Brian Brown]

These are some creative and great suggestions. I have to wonder about the solvent for some. Acrylic paint, and leather dye are usually water or alcohol based. Will that cause a problem mixing into the epoxy, or causing the epoxy bond to be weaker?

[Brian Brown]

John, Do you get the tint for latex paint or oil based, or are they the same?

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I’ve been using the same very small container (less than a couple ounces) of System 3 epoxy colors for about a decade now - a little goes a long ways. Been looking for it online lately and they still make it. Time to reorder…this time I’ll get some of the brown along with the black. I use it with West System epoxies and only mix what is needed to fill cracks and voids. If I’m using a single pump from the metered pumps a single drop gives a solid, opaque black.
I spent - or possibly mis-spent) several years rebuilding wooden boats, so have a stock of West System stuff. Their microlight filler is a nice medium brown while the fairing filler is a little lighter. Both sand well and a container roughly about a liter sized has lasted me forever. It’s good stuff for filling cracks and voids with something that looks a lot like wood.

[John Keeton]

John, Do you get the tint for latex paint or oil based, or are they the same?They are the same.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Over 40 years ago, my wife made the mistake of buying a jar of instant Folgers crystals and bringing it home. I detest instant coffee. I have that jar in my shop and have used it to tint epoxy black on a lot of projects. I just crush some crystals and mix them with the epoxy.

[Tim Elett]

Ken,that's a great idea for instant coffee.

[Derek Kessler]

Both acryclic paint and black ink toner worked fine for me before. They're very easy to find too.

[George Yetka]

I have had no issue with transtint. But totalboat Pigment dispersion works great too
https://www.totalboat.com/products/pigment-dispersions-epoxy-resin?variant=43151638560992

[Dwayne Watt]

In a small town, your two best options are either paint tint or rit dye powder.

[Brice Rogers]

I'd suggest taking a black ink pen and nipping the end off and carefully blowing out the black ink. I suspect that the old-fashioned ink cartridge would work better than a gel pen ink.

[Don Frank]

I also like black powder pigments. Mortar dye is super concentrated and comes in a variety of colors however it's difficult to find small quantities. Industrial arts supply in Minnesota has sample packs that have an assortment of 8 colors for $9.95. A little goes a long way. They call them powder pigments #80PP. Their catalog has a lot of interesting items. 952-920-7393

[richard shelby]

Tempera powder - comes in many colors. About 1%-2% by wt.

[Brian Brown]

Wow! I never thought there were so may ways to color epoxy. Thank you all for your responses. One question, do any of these weaken the bond of epoxy?

[Dwayne Watt]

Most epoxy instructions will indicate the maximum amount of colorant or additive that should be added to that particular mix. The amount of dye or mica powders that are typically used are trivial quantities relative to the maximums allowed.
Wow! I never thought there were so may ways to color epoxy. Thank you all for your responses. One question, do any of these weaken the bond of epoxy?

[Mike Henderson]

I prefer dry powder. Graphite powder makes a lovely black.

https://www.wisebond.com/products/graphite-epoxy-colorant-powder-5g-15g-50g?variant=28588347064425

513717

For black,I use graphite, also.

Mike

[Don Frank]

Good someone finally found a use for instant coffee because you certainly can't drink the stuff. Another really good powdered colorant is mortar dye. Comes in a bunch of colors and looks like powdered tempura but is super concentrated. A little goes a long way.