New process 1st attempt

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GEdward
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New process 1st attempt

Post by GEdward »

This is a new process to me anyway. In addition to my first attempt using it this is also my first post on this site.

I stared out with a relief I carved using PhotoVCarve. I cut is at 0.060 max depth and the result looked pretty good in terms of detail but "bland" would be a conservative adjective to describe its appeal. I searched some forums, including this one, for options to enhance the contrast but I found nothing that made me excited. What I envisioned was coating it with something that was translucent in a way that would filter/absorb light dependent on the depth relative to the substrate (in this case the relief). I hit on the idea of using clear epoxy resin, one could use polyester as well, and dyeing it in a way that would control its transparency. This is what I ended up with so far. I am going to work on a black transparent formula in short order but I am asking for any comment in the meantime that might help my experimenting along.

After I had produced this piece I did see a post in the gallery of a similar process where the author used clear polyurethane that he had stained. His pieces were excellent. He used a much shallower relief but the result was very good. My take on his process is that controlling the saturation level might be a bit tricky given that the entire contrast range has to happen in a much thinner coat. With that said, I am sure his method is much quicker.
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angelandthebear
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by angelandthebear »

wow! first attempt??? very nice, wish I was that good and knowledgeable of methods!!

well done and hope to see more of your work. :D :D :D

the bear.

GEdward
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by GEdward »

I actually had to toss out two batches of epoxy resin because of saturation and color issues. The third batch looked pretty good so I went with it. I say first attempt because I did not ruin the relief with either of the spoiled batches. When I get a a recipe or two nailed down I will post the "how to" on the formulation.
Ed

GEdward
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by GEdward »

Gray scale version.The epoxy has not yet set up and I am having a little trouble with the surface not wanting to remain flat. Small dimples want to form here and there so I find myself having to baby sit until it begins to thicken to the point that I best leave it alone for fear that my fiddling will make matters worse, I did not seal this piece prior to pouring on the epoxy and that might be a factor. I did not seal it because the product I use, Birchwood Casey Sealer & Filler, darkens the wood a little and I wanted as much contrast as possible. With that said, it seems to be working out.


G Edward
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Beltramidave
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by Beltramidave »

I think it looks REALLY good! Please post your step by step process and recipe when you get a chance.

Thanks
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by mtylerfl »

If you don't seal the wood, air bubbles can be much more plentiful when applying an epoxy overcoat. The open pores of the wood allow this to happen more freely than if the wood was sealed first.

Applying two or three very thin layers of epoxy in stages might minimize the problem.

Whatever the case, what you've done looks beautiful!
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GEdward
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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by GEdward »

Here is how I did it. I cut the relief using PhotoVCarve with these settings: 0.25mm radius tapered ball end mill, 30% step over, .060 max depth of cut, 40 ipm and 15 degree line angle. I set the Z zero .035 below the surface in order to machine a border that will contain the resin and give the finished project a photo like appearance. I do this in one pass and the only prep work I do after that is to remove the fuzzy and loose stuff with a stiff nylon bristle brush. The 15 degree lines are visible but they do not seem to distract in the finished product. Machine time was 3:16.
Next I seal it if I need to. Sealing is necessary if you take this step: Make sure that the project is level Take a syringe filled with water and fill the project with the water to determine how much epoxy or polyester you are going to need. It helps to put a drop of dish soap in the water first in order to break the surface tension of the water which will give you a better result.
Now for the dye. I used Castin' Craft Transparent resin dye. This is the kind of dye that is used to make resin jewelry and the like. When mixing the dye colors to get your desired finished color, in my case brown/sepia and black, it is important to note that you will be using the CMYK color scheme. CMYK color generators are available on the web. The caveat is that cyan, magenta and black are not available colors in this particular dye family so I had to make my own. Cyan is an equal mix of green and blue while magenta is an equal mix of red and blue. Black is made by mixing equal parts of red, green and blue.
To make the brown that I used I mixed 1 part magenta, two parts yellow and one part black (roughly). This particular project uses 30 cc of epoxy mix. I found that one drop of dye per CC worked for me. So it went like this: 8 drops of magenta, 16 drops of yellow and 6 drops of black into 15 cc of resin. Mix thoroughly. Add 15 cc of hardener and mix very thoroughly and pour the mix into your LEVEL project. I helped distribute the epoxy using a small piece of stiff paper/cardboard and there she be. Black is pretty straight forward; 30 drops of black in 15 cc of resin, mix, 15 cc of hardener, mix and there it is.
The brand of epoxy I used is Famowood Glaze Coat. I suspect any brand will work but I am very happy with the working time you get with this product. I don't get to vigorous, but make sure to be thorough, in the mixing process in order to keep the bubbles down. The extended working time does give any bubbles that are in the mix plenty of time to rise to the surface so they can be dealt with. I use a syringe to measure my components in order to assure accuracy. It is important to note that after you add the dye to the resin the volume of the resin component is necessarily increased. DO NOT consider the increase in volume when measuring the hardener. If you use 20 cc of resin then the measure of hardener needs to be appropriate for that volume; in most cases 1 for 1.

G Edward

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Re: New process 1st attempt

Post by stevelod »

I found an easy way to calibrate the tint in the epoxy for a pretty good contrast. First I cut a diagonal groove about 1/2" x 3" into scrap wood with one end a little deeper than the carving and gradually rising so the other end is at the top surface of the wood. Then mark the spot outside the groove where it is at the maximum depth of your carving (for this to work correct your image must contain some area with black). Then mix a little tint into the resin and mix with hardener. Fill the groove with the test mix and you will see a gray scale that goes from clear on one end to dark on the other end. Adjust the tint so the spot you marked is the spot where the gray scale turns to black and you should get a near photo quality result. Here's a link to some of my epoxy experiments: https://thestuffimade.com/product-categ ... ngravings/

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