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I went looking during lunchtime for stuff to make my epoxy black. I struck out trying to find lamp black and black food coloring in our neighborhood. I guess our neighborhood just isn’t chi-chi enough to support people who make their own tires or bake high-end cakes.
However, at our local art supply store, I found Gamblin “Mars Black” powder, a synthetic black iron oxide used to color both paint and construction materials. And I found some India ink.
I mixed my epoxy product from Advanced Repair Technology, which was recommended by several readers who restore rotted wood (this is the stuff they use at Colonial Williamsburg). It is structural and has a 30-45 minute open time.
Then I colored it. I started with one drop of India ink. Then two. Then three. It stopped getting blacker after two drops. It looked good, but the epoxy retained some of its yellowness and translucence.
Then I sprinkled a wee bit of the “Mars Black” on a second glop of epoxy. It instantly turned jet, tar, coal, pit-of-Kurt-Cobain’s-soul black. And it was dark, too.
I went with the “Mars Black.”
I forced the epoxy into the cracks with my putty knife. It wasn’t difficult at all. The stuff is just a little thinner than peanut butter. Then I scraped off the excess. Now I have to wait for 24 hours. Then I’ll finish planing the top and see what it looks like.
– Christopher Schwarz
