How To Use Powder Pigments With Woodworking Projects
You can use powder pigments in various creative projects, including woodworking ones. There are techniques you should use with powder pigment to stay safe and ensure the powder works correctly. You must also consider specific safety measures when storing this powder. Keep reading to learn how to use powder pigments with woodworking projects and stay safe while doing so.
Pigment Powder and Epoxy Resin
As videos of river tables and ocean-wave-effect tables fill the internet, more and more people are becoming interested in using pigment powder and epoxy resin to create beautiful and functional furniture pieces. While many creators also use mica powder for a shiny finish, pigment powder gives your piece a bright pop of color that’s sure to catch the eye. You can mix them together for the perfect combination of colorful and iridescent qualities as well.
To safely mix pigment powder with epoxy resin, you need to follow these steps:
- Put on protective gloves, ideally ones that you can throw away, such as rubber gloves. This way, you don’t have to worry about spills.
- Read the manufacturer’s directions on mixing the epoxy resin, and then measure the resin by the appropriate volume for accuracy.
- Pour the resin into a cup of your choosing, which can be disposable or reusable as desired.
- Measure the directed volume of hardener. Then, gently mix the hardener and resin together with a spatula or similar device.
- Measure three to five ounces of pigment powder per gallon of epoxy resin and gently mix with the same device until they combine, adding more pigment powder or mica powder for the desired color or effect.
- Pour the colorful epoxy resin mixture into the desired wood mold, following the manufacturer’s drying instructions.
If you want to use multiple colors of epoxy resin, follow the same directions above. But pour the resin-hardener mixture into different containers before adding the desired color to each container and gently mixing until they combine. You don’t need to measure the pigment powder for these small batches. Simply add tiny amounts of powder to the epoxy resin until it becomes the desired color, then pour them individually into the wooden mold to create your desired design.
Wooden Molds
You can use any type of wooden mold you like for the epoxy resin designs. Many people enjoy the aesthetics of a river or ocean design, which involves creating or buying a mold to hold both your wood and the eventual epoxy resin mixture. To create a river design, use a piece of wood with a gap in the middle, or place two pieces of wood several inches apart inside the mold. Wood with live edges creates a more natural effect, but you can use machine-cut pieces if you want. After that, pour the epoxy resin into the gap resembling a river cutting through the wood. To make an ocean design, place a piece of wood with at least one live edge side into the mold and pour the epoxy resin along the live edge so that it looks like ocean water lapping the shore. You can use machine-cut wood. However, the effect will look more natural on a live edge, just like the river design.
Machine-cut designs can also look beautiful with resin. You can make a wooden coaster with an epoxy resin top, a checkerboard pattern with wood and resin, or any other design you can imagine. You just need a mold to support the design as it dries.
Pigment Powder and Paint
You can do creative projects with pigment powder and woodworking other than using epoxy resin. You can mix pigment powder with various materials to create paint or use the powder itself for a topcoat over a paint base. This is another opportunity to use mica powder as well if you want to add color and shine to your finished product. You can mix the mica and pigment powders together or use them separately.
To safely mix pigment powder into the paint, follow these steps:
- Pick a binding medium that will help you achieve your desired texture, which can be anything from an acrylic binder to linseed oil.
- Pour your desired amount of binder into a container that allows easy mixing, such as a cup. You can measure this amount if you want to be able to recreate the same paint in the future, but you don’t have to.
- Add a small amount of pigment powder to the binder with a small spoon or another device, measuring for future recreation as desired.
- Use a spatula to mix the pigment powder and binder until they thoroughly combine. Add more pigment powder as needed until you achieve the desired effect.
Once you’ve created your paint, you can use it on furniture you’ve made or bought. Remember to sand down the wood surface so that the paint sticks well. You should also add at least two coats for an even effect.
Powder Topcoat
Another way to use pigment powder in your woodworking and painting projects is to dust the pigment powder on top of your paint layers. You can do this by dipping a dry brush into the pigment powder and gently brushing it onto the painted service during the drying process or after it dries, depending on the desired effect. If you want it on during the drying process, then you can blend the paint and pigment powder together on the furniture. The pigment powder will stand out more if you wait until after it dries. To keep the pigment powder on your furniture and prevent staining, you should add a clear sealer on top.
Safety Measures
Like all art supplies, pigment powder requires a certain amount of safety measures. While our pigment powder is nontoxic and safe to touch with bare skin, you should still use gloves when handling it to prevent stains. If you’re using pigment powder from another manufacturer, it may not be safe to touch directly. So check the prescribed safety measures when you buy it.
If you’re mixing large batches of powders with epoxy resin, paint, or another medium, you should wear a face mask. Powders can give off some dust that isn’t safe to inhale, especially in large batches. Therefore, protecting your airways is an important precaution to take.
Lastly, keep your pigment powders in the airtight containers they come in or similar containers to safely store them. We suggest using glass jars since pigment powders can easily stain plastic. Keep your powders in a cool, dry place away from sunlight to preserve them for as long as possible.
Now you know how to use powder pigments with woodworking projects and do so safely. If you need pigment powder or other types of art supplies, such as black mica powder, for your next woodworking project, head to Eye Candy Pigments. We’re your one-stop shop. We provide safe, nontoxic, cruelty-free powders that will add color and shine to your work.
