best goop for inlay

[Dave Cullen]

I'm wanting to try using powdered or crushed media of different types as embellishments on my turnings. I'm looking for what kind of goop to mix the stuff into. My concerns are that I don't have a vacuum or pressure pot, so if there is a material out there that has minimal bubbles that would be a plus. Then there's working time, needs to be long enough to spatula a ring in the lip of a bowl for instance.

I've heard that fiberglass resin works well for this, and I have a can of it left over from some automotive bodywork projects. Is that worth a shot?

Thanks.

[John Keeton]

System Three epoxy is excellent. Depending on the media, you might consider tinting the epoxy black. That will accent most aggregates nicely.

[Terry Murphy]

My favorite is Epoxy and instant coffee.

[Dave Paine]

Fibreglass resin would work. I think it is the base of the commercial product In-Lace based on the smell being the same as fibreglass resin.

I have recently started to use System Three epoxy as mentioned by John Keeton. Low/no odour, and about 30 minutes working time with the Medium hardener. Should be more than enough time to fill a ring.

The System Three flows well. Build a hot glue dam around the ring so you can get the epoxy a bit higher than the surface. If you go slow and careful in mixing the epoxy and hardener you can minimize bubbles.

I use acrylic oil based for pigment, but it should work with crushed solids. Do a test first to see if you like the look. My local woodturning club had a demo on mixing epoxy with various pigments. The demonstrator mentioned that some solids which are bright and reflective become dull and do not reflect in epoxy. For these he prefers to use CA glue since they keep the brightness. Works but this is a LOT more expensive than epoxy.

If you did use CA glue, you would fill the ring in many small batches due to fast working time.

[John Altberg]

System Three epoxy is excellent. Depending on the media, you might consider tinting the epoxy black. That will accent most aggregates nicely.

What do you use for tint, John?

[John Keeton]

System Three has a black tint that comes in a small container - maybe 2-3 ounces, and it takes a very, very small amount to tint epoxy opaque black. They also have other colors. It isn't cheap - about $10, but it is truly a lifetime supply. I use it in 5 minute epoxy, as well.

As I recall, System Three is also compatible with universal tints that the paint stores use to mix paint.

[Dave Cullen]

Thanks, guys. Is the System Three product that you're recommending their T-88 variety? Not much info on their web site regarding setup times etc.

Thanks.

[John Keeton]

I use the General Purpose Resin and #2 hardener.

[robert baccus]

I keep several epoxies and polyester(fiberglass) resins about. Like any tool each has it's place. For small things I prefere syringe type 5 minute--it's thicker than most resins and 5 minutes helps reduce leaks. I have some 1 minute that I can hold in place by hand if necessary. The bigger the project the bigger the can I reach for. Remember temperature! I steer away from CA as it is so hard to sand out--cuts slower than the surrounding wood leaving a hump.

[Dick Strauss]

John,
Does the System Three General Purpose Resin with #2 have an amber cast to it when it is dry? Every other resin mix that I've seen is kind of amber to yellow when mixed but I prefer to have something without color if available. In other words, I don't want to use a blue pigment and get green epoxy (due to the amber base color).

I used to use Stick Fast 20 minute epoxy because it dried almost colorless. Unfortunately the 20 minute version was discontinued. I liked having the extra working time with the 20 minute version. As you tinted the SF20, you didn't have to try to offset the yellow cast to achieve a particular color. In other words, what you saw was pretty close to what you got.

By the way, the universal colors used for paints are very inexpensive except for red IIRC. They may even give you a little if you bring a container and ask nicely.

Thanks in advance,
Dick

[John Keeton]

Dick, the resin is fairly clear, but the hardener does have an amber hue. I understand the "green" issue with using blue, as that is always a challenge when using dye on any wood with an amber cast to it. I have not used any pigment with the resin other than black, so I can't comment on whether the opaque pigment would overcome the amber, but I suspect it would as using solid pigments is a bit different than using solution dyes.

You are right about asking for a bit of tint from the paint store. Our local hardware did that for me once - white, though I ended up not using it. And, as noted previously, it takes such a very small amount of tint with the epoxy, all one needs is about 1/4 teaspoon to do a LOT of epoxy.

[robert baccus]

The pigment stuff will work well. Also the standard wood finish dyes work well. Even black shoe dye.