Coffee grounds and fiberglass resin

[Ron Fleice]

I have seen posts where coffee grounds and resin is used to fill voids or cracks...Is there a special way of doing this...how fine should the grounds be?
Ron

[Jim Becker]

The grind depends on how you want the piece to taste...LOL

Seriously the grind depends on what look you want. Coarser grounds are going to give a more "textured" look as the resin (or CA as an alternative) will fill the larger gaps. Finer grounds will become more of just a "colored" filler.

I've seen a number of pieces that use coffee grounds for filler and it really does look nice when done well and in the right places.

[Dennis Peacock]

Mark Cothren told me about using "Instant Coffee" as the grounds can be made quickly into a fine powder, mixed with epoxy and used to fill cracks / voids in turned pieces.

[Don Hein]

Used coffee grounds or unused coffee grounds?

[Bill Bolen]

Either one. If you use used grounds just let them dry out first. A piece of paper towel set in the sun behind your shop window will do the trick.

[TYLER WOOD]

I used a variety of grain sizes from powder to typical ground size of Foldgers. (can't stand Foldgers, might as well use it somehow!!) I use a spice grinder and add some at different intervals to give me a variety, we'll see how it turns out later today. My first time so I'll post again tomorrow. The results look promising though. I even though seriously about leaving the excess all over it for a finish, it would look something like an old rusty piece of cast iron. Pretty cool looking if you ask me!!!

[Mike Vickery]

I have always done the used coffee grinds that have been dried out when using coffee. Other methods I use is embossing powder (from craft store) or epoxy mixed with artist ink or airbrush colors thinned with a touch of DNA.
We grind our coffee fairly fine in a coffee grinder and I just use what ever is in the filter when I need some.

[Dennis Peacock]

Oh....you can also crush up some small piece of charcoal as well for a nice black color. ;)

[Jim Becker]

Oh....you can also crush up some small piece of charcoal as well for a nice black color.

There are SO many possibilities of "stuff around us" that could be used similarly...from in and around the house through in and around the barnyard... :eek::o:p:):D

[joe greiner]

I've used fresh (i.e. unused, straight from the can) ground coffee with epoxy to make sort of a "mortar." The epoxy dissolves the part that would ordinarily pass the coffee filter to produce a dark brown matrix. When sanded, a lighter-colored core from each piece of coffee "aggregate" presents itself to make a terrazo-like appearance.

For a really, really black filler, photocopier toner works well. Best to mix it outdoors, wear proctologist gloves, and try not to sneeze.

Joe

[Dennis Peacock]

and around the barnyard... :eek::o:p:):D

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!

Talk about a smelly turning!!!!!! http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/sawdustar/staff_muttley.gif

[TYLER WOOD]

Ron, check out my post for first hf. It will show you haw much the grounds.resin mix can do. This piece was REALLY cracked up. But with the mis it worked very nicely. I mixed the resin and usual (don't think I used enough hardener, but that was by mistake) and then just mixed in the coffee grounds. Once mixed up I just used my fingers to push the mix into the cracks as much as possible. Hope this helps. It's really easy!!!

[John Shuk]

I actually prefer tea from a cheap plain tea bag to coffee grounds. I can get it masshed up nice and fine in a mortar and pestle and the color seems to match better for me.