HELLO ALL
in the past i have used krylon fusion to change the color of a blank but this time
i want to try to tint the permagloss.
i tried the pigment from testors and it was like trying to mix oil and water !
what paint do i need to get ?
did a search once before but now i cant find what i am looking for
any help would be appriciated
thanks

david williams

David,
I asked Ralph the same question. I questioned the use of house hold paint tint, it worked but set the bottle up.


This was his reply. Hope it helps.

Myles
Sorry old chap, but you absolutely cannot add anything organic to the bottle of Permagloss. It (Permagloss) being a moisture curing urethane, will merely pout a little while then to show its independence --will proceed to harden in the bottle depriving you of any further services. Just about anything you add, means you are adding moisture which the stuff needs to harden.

You can draw off a bit into another container ( shot glass etc.) and add coloring to suit. Be careful because Permagloss is only 28% solids, so when all the solvent evaporates you don't want to have to much tint, as it will remain tacky forever. I've had the best luck using Titanium Dioxide for a brilliant white tint, and Iron Oxide for browns and yellows. Testor tints, and the paste they use for coloring the gel coats on boats works pretty good, but you have to tint sparingly to avoid tacky films.

cheers
Ralph

Putter & I have been experimenting with tinting permagloss. Lately he more than I. For me the flake or powder additives work ok - likely because no moisture is added that way - but still not EXACTLY what I'm looking for. My endeavors were interrupted for a few months at a time since Charlotte last year but I'm back fooling around in the "dungeon laboratory" - keeping in mind all the previous warnings from Ralph on handling and ventilation. As noted above DROPS of pigment to a half ounce of Permagloss seems to be plenty or you wind up with a wallpaper paste consistency that never cures properly. I have a rod that I tried in Charlotte last year (one of three that we experimented on) that is still not dry and likely never will be. The other two came out just fine.

That experiment was a hoot, Ken!
If you've never met Ken, just call him Mr. Experiment. He'll try nearly anything once, just to find out if it works. Never, ever tell this guy, "You can't do that!"

Putter
Williston, ND

Putter, this is what happens when you two get frozen in. You go out and play with the home chemistry set.

Chemistry is a warm thing Myles! Oh, no wait a minute let's not go there

I have alot of respect for what Ralph, Ken, and Putter have to say. I have my own chemistry consulting business in my dungeon laboratory and rod building shop. 1st-Ken got me started into this with his demo in Charlotte. I never knew it was a flop. All I know is he had that expensive glitter that was too rich for me and Mike Barkley. I have gotten best results with the TAPS pigments. These things have tremendous covering power! (Very fine particle size pigments.) I use about what I can get on a 0.25 inch of tooth pick. I have use the jig head pigment once with good results. It does not take much pigment. I have given up on the glitter. Still can't get it to work satisfactorally. Myles, thanks for telling us what the % solids are in Permagloss. Now I can start making my own. All I need is xylene.

Look forward to seeing everyone in Charlotte! A true learning experience for all!

Ed Smith

Ed -
It wasn't a "flop". Not really. Remember at my booth we had several (at times two at a time) people sort of glopping on different "stuff" mixed in with Permagloss and at least one area that had two part epoxy (I believe LS Supreme)with pigment. On retrospect what happened or "flopped" was the area that suffered from cross-contamination and an area that had a liquid tint (obviously now we know better!). The dry powder and flakes turned out just fine as did the area that only had epoxy - where the two crossed over into each other simply didn't set ... Too many cooks in the kitchen or too many fingers in the "mix". The rod that I did at the demonstration table - which was more controlled turned out perfectly. The second day 'experiment' was a one-of f "challenge". At one of the seminars that I did someone asked me if I had tried changing the rod blank color using Permagloss because Ralph and either Tom or Andy correctly noted that Permagloss is a harder finish - and someone else asked Putter to re-do the marbling.... So --- of course we couldn' t turn down any reasonable request ! Everyone learned something so there were no "flops" just a need for further experimentation and careful monitoring of the application. Now, as you too have discovered in your own chemistry setting FLAKES or POWDERS or minute measures of TAPS pigments work while other tints do not in Permagloss and thus, as in and experiment , we've all, as a group, overcome some barriers and pushed farther ahead for everyone. That's what sharing is about a couple of folks playing around then demonstrating for others to save time/money/effort for everyone. Knowledge is only valuable when it's shared.