# using Transfast and epoxy



## dclark1943 (May 30, 2012)

I'm trying to make a monogram in the top of a jewelry box, I had the initials laser engraved in a nice piece of "tiger" maple. purchased some T-88 epoxy adhesive from Woodcraft along with a bottle of Black Transfast water soluble dye (powder). mixed the powder in the resin added hardener, and applied it to the engraved initials. Ok, now its dry, and I'm finding that I had bleed out into the grain of the maple. In sanding it down, I'm finding that the powder is blackening the wood as well. So, I'm in over my head and need some experienced help. Should I have sealed the wood prior to applying the epoxy? and how do I keep the sanding dust from darkening the surrounding wood?

Dave


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## RogerBean (Apr 25, 2010)

Hi Dave,
I would try providing a barrier between the wood and the colored material. Something that would not be dissolved by the epoxy. Shellac would probably be my first try. I would experiment on scrap. Any remaining shellac could probably be removed, if necessary, with alcohol or by sanding or scraping.
Roger


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I did this exact procedure for a missal stand I was working on earlier this year. You can see the result in the picture below.










You are correct that the wood needs to be sealed and Roger is correct that shellac is a good finish to use for this task. It took 3-4 light applications with a spray gun to get the job done. Basically, every bit of end grain inside the engraving needs to be completely sealed. The epoxy was applied by dabbing little drops in place with a toothpick. Some people use a syringe but I found the one I had didn't give me the same control as the toothpick.

After the epoxy was 100% cured most of the shellac was removed from the surface with alcohol and ScotchBrite. After that I leveled the surface off using a sharp scraper to keep the dust to a minimum. Any sanding done afterwards was done carefully and I took the time to blow or vacuum the dust off the sandpaper frequently.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Whew!! A lot of tedious work there. The finished project looks well worth the effort


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## dclark1943 (May 30, 2012)

Roger, Jacob; thanks for the replies. You both gave me the nudge I needed to beat this bad boy : ) While cleaning up in the shop tonight I grabbed a scraper and gave it a go and that pretty much eliminated the dark smudging caused by the sanding, So tomorrow, another trip to the engraver and back to the bench, I'll post the result. 
tnx again guys !


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## dclark1943 (May 30, 2012)

Jacob, 
My apologies for not recognizing your tremendous talent; what a great looking missal stand. ( I was so wrapped up in my issues, I failed the first rule of relationships - focus outside ones self - )


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Dave, 
While not on par with what you are doing, I made a 'Lady Bug' foot stool for my wife's office chair a couple of years ago.
My method was just to spray a bunch of Cheap Dollar Store enamel into the epoxy and stir it together.
It's been holding good for two years. I suppose I can call it a success.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

A lot of detail work indeed but not tedious. I enjoy that sort of thing too much to ever consider it tedious. It's the big cabinetry jobs that fall into that realm.

No need to apologize DClark. Also, if it makes you feel any better, I ruined my first attempt too due to black epoxy getting into the wood grain. I knew I needed to seal the wood and I did. However, I only put one light coat of shellac down and I filled the engraving to the point of over-flowing. The epoxy sitting on the surface got through the thin sealer and stained the wood gray.

That's why I went heavy on the sealer the second time and used a toothpick to ensure the epoxy stayed inside the lettering. I put just enough in to let a rounded bead of epoxy protrude above the surface. There was enough sealer on the wood that it didn't soak in and drop below the surface of the board. I still checked the epoxy every half hour or so to make sure I didn't need to add any more until it set enough to become like gel.


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