Tinting Epoxy for FG Tub surround repair

[Evan Showell]

Got a cheap fiberglass tub surround that has a hole in it. Needs patching. Got the Devcon repair kit. Color is off. Devcon says the epoxy can be tinted with a "non water-based dye." They weren't more specific than that. Need to go from Almond/Bisque to Mocha -- maybe two shades darker than the kit materials. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Replacing the surround is not an option.

[Thorne]

You might try a local supplier of epoxy products -- many have the ability to tint the epoxy various colors.

Of course getting the tub into the truck for an exact color-match might present a challenge.....

;-0 )

[Thorne]

You might try a local supplier of epoxy products -- many have the ability to tint the epoxy various colors.

Of course getting the tub into the truck for an exact color-match might present a challenge.....

;-0 )

[Thorne]

You might try a local supplier of epoxy products -- many have the ability to tint the epoxy various colors.

Of course getting the tub into the truck for an exact color-match might present a challenge.....

;-0 )

[Wild Wassa]

I tint epoxy.

If I'm tinting 100 mls of epoxy to red (for example) to repair fibreglass I'm only adding a bit more than a match head amount of pigment to the epoxy at a time. I also use a non yellowing hardener, otherwise as normal epoxy yellows over time the colour that you mix will go many shades darker after a while. Then I will coat with clear polyurethane to protect the epoxy and make ajustments to the clear if I'm still out with the shade. The poly is then cut with Farecla G-3.

With the tints, I only buy the smallest amount of tint possible, which is about 15-20mls. Epoxy tints are concentrated you wont need much more than a match head amount.

Perhaps you might do better to tint polyurethane white, as your top coat, which I often do. To this I add acrylic tints. Any paint store can tint to mocha if they know what mocha is ... if all mochas are consistent in colour that is. There will be a tint formula for mocha again if mocha is a consistant hue and value, or off a colour card.

Also see what flow coats are available closest to the colour you need. If you can buy a small amount of flowcoat in a mocha colour that could be another option, 100 mls is the smallest amount I can buy.

When matching colours on fibreglass, firstly cut the old fibreglass with 'clear' T-Cut this will show you the real colour of the fibreglass to be matched. Then clean the area to be repaired with acetone to get the T-Cut off. Don't use a colour based T-cut this can give the wrong impression of the base colour.

The finished surface is cut (with the Farecla G-3 as mentioned), then I use Ronstan's boat polish or Starbright on racing surfaces. After T-Cutting you need to coat with a polish to stop the surface from going chalky again, which can happen within weeks ... then the boat will look many years younger. It is amazing what a T-Cut and then a polish will do to old fibreglass.

Warren.

[ 03-28-2006, 04:34 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

Here are a few shots of tinted epoxy repairs that I did to an Ian Farrier designed Haines Hunter Tramp/Eagle. The repairs were then coated in a clear polyurethane to protect them from UV ... after the fibre glass surface had been rejuvenated and lots of old polyurethane clear removed.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid203/p12d09cb821cb91bb54d9b8977b88cc08/ef9439d4.jpg

The top photo shows the chalkyness that had to be removed from the fibre glass before the actual colour needed for the repairs, could be worked out. The red patch at the top of the photo is the tinted epoxy, which was the final colour I settled on.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid203/p9c3cc30caa654f7941d3934c9fb12a5a/ef9439b8.jpg

This photo shows the tri before the star'bd pontoon had been T-Cut and you can see how dull it is. On the port pontoon, the transon repairs can bee seen before they were cut and polished. The rudder has been painted but not cut and polished. This photo was taken after the majority of the boat had been T-Cut but before she had been polished and waxed. I'll put the boat on the hoist this week and fair the centre lines on each of the hulls. One thing that allowed a reasonable attempt at repairing her surface is that Haines Hunter put the gel coat on very thickly ... they sure built the gelcoats sturdy in the olden days. Unlike today's average gelcoat, you only have to touch them and you will discover a void from an air bubble caused by shabby workmanship.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid203/p8db2fdeb38bd287b1a6560b91a38f186/ef941c92.jpg

This 25 year old skin has come back to life quite well ... which I'll be honest, has surprised me. The previous owner has painted over the algae with clear poly, in the photo above. No wonder the fibre glass acid etch I originally started with didn't work, it's not meant to work in polyurethane. The previous owner's attempt to dress up the boat to make her more salable by making her glossy ... the new owner is now paying for. Don't ever do something you can't undo just to save time or have to pay someone like me to undo for you.

Warren.

[ 04-03-2006, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Todd Bradshaw]

Gee, there's a blast from the past. The Eagles over here were built by a company in Texas and our boat had three layers of gelcoat. The outer layer was white and under it was a layer of black and then another layer of white. I haven't seen that on any other boat but have heard that companies sometimes do that sort of thing to keep light from shining through the hull and making it look cheap. It was a fun little boat.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid28/pd77245b0abeb29c99fe3b2a5d946e446/fd6533a9.jpg

[Kermit]

In building custom furniture ("gallery furniture" to some), I regularly tint System Three 5 minute epoxy with artists acrylic paints. Get 'em from any art supply joint. Just use VERY little paint to tint. We use the stuff to fill pin knots--and other things we are supposed to be too skilled to let happen. :D

[Kermit]

In building custom furniture ("gallery furniture" to some), I regularly tint System Three 5 minute epoxy with artists acrylic paints. Get 'em from any art supply joint. Just use VERY little paint to tint. We use the stuff to fill pin knots--and other things we are supposed to be too skilled to let happen. :D

[Kermit]

In building custom furniture ("gallery furniture" to some), I regularly tint System Three 5 minute epoxy with artists acrylic paints. Get 'em from any art supply joint. Just use VERY little paint to tint. We use the stuff to fill pin knots--and other things we are supposed to be too skilled to let happen. :D

[ssor]

when I need to tint resin I go to my friendly neighborhood paint store with some condimint cups from a fast food place and ask for a few squirts of colorant in the colors I need. For Batches as large as a couple of tablespoonsful picking the color up with a tooth pick is about right.

[Ian McColgin]

In homolytics we learned that the three point sermon is:

First you tell them what you're gonna say.

Then you say it.

Then you tell them what you said.

This thread is like that proverbial:

We know that a one-l lama is a Tibeten holy man.

And a two-ll llama is an Andean pack and wool animal.

What's a three-lll lllama?

A big fire in Southie.

(Boston)

This thread is a three-lll lllama.

[Kermit]

A three alamah? It's a fire in Boston.