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/gr...28588347064425

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[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.