REFLECTOR: Epoxy Dye

[Ken C. Baker]

Brooke,

There are tinting chalks that are available. I believe that Jamestown
distributors sells them in different colors - at least they used to.
Carpenters chalk will work as well in smaller quantities.

Zeke Smith wrote a book on composite techniques, and he swears by tinting
his epoxy - says that it consistently produces the most visually verifiable
mixing of resin/hardener.

Best,

-Ken

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Brooke Wolf
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 1:31 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Epoxy Dye

I like to use epoxy/microballoons for fillets and general filling because of
the light weight of the substance.  However, because of the light color
(almost white) of this mixture, it is very difficult to see air bubbles when
glass is laid on top.  Air bubbles and epoxy/microballoons are about the
same color.

Flox or Cab-o-sill yield a much darker mixture and consequently it is much
easier to differintiate the light colored air bubbles from dark fill. 
But....the fill is heavier.

I had the brilliant idea that I would solve this conundrum by simply dyeing
the micro with food coloring.  But then I thought food coloring is water
based (I think).  Water and epoxy would probably not do well together!

That brings me to the question, does anybody know of a dye or some other
method of darkening the epoxy/micro mixture without adding weight?

Brooke




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