Colouring two part epoxy glue with paint?

[Glyn Green]

Does anyone have experience of colouring two part epoxy glue with paint? From the little googling I've done it seems using acrylic paint isn't recommended as it can weaken the bond, though some do anyway. Others suggest expensive resin colourants, oil paint, chalk dust, etc but I'm not sure what's best for wargaming models.

I want to model hundreds of flying models in my armies on DIY flight stands made using different thicknesses and heights of clear plastic acrylic rod, glued into holes part drilled into thin ply or acrylic bases.

I previously painted a base and model and then epoxy glued the flight stand to both, but in time what happened was the layer of paint stayed glued to the acrylic rod but the paint layer pulled off the base. Paint understandably isn't strong enough to hold the weight of models.

Rather than gluing on top of paint I'd like to try colouring the glue appropriately to the colour of the base or the colour of the part of the model it'll contact and then using the coloured glue to stick the acrylic rod directly to the bare material of the base or model. Hopefully this would work better and be strong enough? I can't just use the clear glue as the bare resin/metal/wood would be visible then.

 

[Torn blue sky]

Good question and a mixed bag. I've known people use two part epoxy as a water effect which has been coloured using paint but often wondered myself... If I had to hazard an attempt i'l most likely roll with pigments given what you've already stated about paint potentially weakening the whole thing and possibly mixing unevenly... I'll need to check back on this. Curious myself now!

 

[Zab]

i would use inks or washes to tint the color of the epoxy. paint is too opaque and will kill the transparent effect. When affixing them you have to make sure that the piece you are fixing them too is free of paint as well, so blu tac over the part of the mini you will be attaching to the rods so that the plastic meets the epoxy with no paint in between. That should forma nice bond, regardless of more epoxy or super glue being used

 

[Glyn Green]

Opaque would be desirable I'm not looking for transparent as then the bare metal of the mini I'm gluing to would be seen through it.

I'm thinking more of gluing the flight stands before painting and then covering them with masking tape which will come off at the end. Either way could work though.

 

[Naukhel]

I've sprayed the epoxy with a matte finish, then painted over that with no ill effects.