Epoxy Resin Guide (5)
How can Epoxy Resin be Colored?
Epoxy resins are usually colorless and absolutely transparent. This is why they are so often used for applications where objects or collectibles are cast in resin. But transparent resin is also very often used for the manufacturing of self-built aquariums or terrariums. There are, however, many other conceivable applications for which you might want to color the resin.
Which Colors are Suitable for Coloring Epoxy Resin?
The following different types of colors are suitable for coloring resin:
- Powdered color pigments
- Alcohol Inks
- Color concentrates in liquid form
- Airbrush colors
Do not use paints that contain water. The water contained in the paints could prevent the epoxy resin from curing completely or cause other undesirable effects on the resin.
It is always worth buying high-quality products when coloring epoxy resin. Only if they are of the right quality can the colors be impressive in the long term due to their light fastness. Hardly anything is more annoying than to notice the fading of a small work of art made of epoxy resin just a few weeks after production.
As an alternative to coloring the epoxy resin mixture, work-pieces made of resin can also be painted afterward with a high-quality car paint based on 2 components. However, this effort is usually only carried out under the special requirements for the construction of aquariums and terrariums.
Frequently Asked Questions About Epoxy Resin
Can Wood be Easily Sealed with Epoxy Resin?
Different types of wood can be sealed very well with epoxy resins. This is even one of the main applications of epoxy resins, as it can effectively seal the sometimes quite soft and porous wood surfaces and thus protect them from any kind of moisture. The following projects are examples for the various applications of epoxy resin in this field:
- Repairs of boat parts with topcoat or gelcoat
- Sealing of table tops
- Sealing wooden kitchen worktops
- Sealing all other wooden surfaces
How can Epoxy Resin be Removed from Unwanted Areas?
The pronounced adhesive properties and the indifference to mechanical loads of all kinds are usually classified as definitive advantages of epoxy resin as a material. However, these properties also make it relatively difficult to remove epoxy resin after curing. Since it is so difficult to remove resin by mechanical means, we recommend that you rather use other means in such a case: in doing this, you can re-liquefy the resin and then scrape it off the surface.
You have to wet the surface in question with the solvent acetone in a well-ventilated place and then wait for about an hour. After this time the surface should already be slightly softened. You can then heat the area with a heat gun up to a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius. When you reach this temperature, you will notice that the resin liquefies again and can be scraped off.
However, heating should be done very slowly and carefully, as other parts of the work-piece made of plastic or wood could otherwise be damaged or burned. You can find detailed instructions on the subject and further information in our text on the subject of removing epoxy resin.
Tip: When solid epoxy resin is liquefied with hot air, harmful vapors can sometimes be released. For this reason, you should always wear a suitable breathing mask when working in this way!
What Does the Term Resin Stand for?
Particularly in the field of contemporary art, resin is often used when referring to all kinds of resins. However, it is just another name, in most cases resin is used in English or German language only as a synonym for, in particular, epoxy resin.
How can Cured Epoxy Resin be Further Processed?
After epoxy resin has cured, you actually hold nothing else in your hands but a piece of hard plastic. You can therefore rework the material in the following ways:
- Sanding (manually or with a machine)
- Drilling
- Polish to a high gloss (manually or with a polishing machine)
Are Epoxy Resin Coatings Waterproof?
After curing, epoxy resin is and remains waterproof, provided it is not penetrated by holes or cracks. This versatile material remains waterproof for many years, even in the long term.
What is Meant by the Term Pot Life?
The term pot life is sometimes used as a term for the maximum time span of processing epoxy resin. The exact length of the pot life depends on the following parameters:
- Which resin (from which manufacturer) and type was used
- Of the resin quantity processed in one operation
- Temperature values of environment and work-piece surface
- The temperature of the mixed epoxy resin
In the course of the pot life, the consistency of the epoxy resin mixture changes from relatively thin to thick. At some point, the resin mixture can no longer be processed and eventually becomes solid. Depending on the amount processed and other factors, it is possible that only relatively little time is available for processing after the epoxy resin has been mixed. For this reason, you should only ever mix as much of it as you can realistically process without major stress.
How to Get Your Epoxy Resin Bubble-free
- Do not shake the containers of the components even before mixing
- A steady hand during mixing prevents the increased mixing of air bubbles
- It can be helpful to pre-warm the resin and hardener in the container in a warm water bath before processing
- Some objects can sometimes release air bubbles into the resin during the casting process. You can prevent this by sealing these objects in advance with a thin layer of epoxy resin.
- In difficult cases, the air bubbles can sometimes be removed with a vacuum pump
This Information from fluid-painting
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