SOF: tinting polyurethane white

[Meeko]

Hi. Just finished skinning my SOF kayak with 9 ounce nylon. Have Cory’s Goop polyurethane to apply and want to keep the skin white (on my last one I used rare earth powder pigments and it came out fine, but I do like the look of white better). Have been advised that tinting the goop with titanium dioxide powder will work. Does anyone have any experience with this or other ways to get a decent white tint for two part polyurethane? Am I asking for trouble with a white SOF in terms of longer-term discolouration? Thanks for any thoughts/advice/tips on this.

Tony

 

[mick_allen]

If no input I would look at auto 2 part paint urethane methods for ideas of tinting types and quantities. I think there are several pple here who have the expertise and will speak up.

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

Folks in Greenland would have used white oil house paint, so that would be an option - just paint over the Goop (assuming paint will stick to it).

Or chat up your paint store or auto paint person and buy some white tinting colour, though I think the white is often in the base, not an added pigment ??

I have used iron oxide powder (black and yellow) to tint epoxy fill coats and fillets- it's used in pottery glazes. It's pretty gritty stuff, and I think it would show 'specks' in poly. I don't know what grade of titianium dioxide people are using. If you buy artists pigment ($$ ?) it will be more finely ground.

Something like this would probably work, but it would be expensive, I think...
https://www.amazon.ca/Deco-Art-DMM298-71-White-Tint/dp/B016QUG26S

Please post pictures of your project here!

 

[Tangler]

Maybe check out Cape Falcon Kayaks to see if they have any info on tinting?

 

[Meeko]

Thanks for the input. No idea if paint will work over this particular polyurethane - it is kind of rubbery when cured and doesn’t take to sanding very well so probably not much grip for paint on top, plus paint likely won’t last very long (but maybe worth an experiment on a scrap piece). Brian at Cape Falcon seems to favour acid dye to colour the cloth before applying Corey’s goop -his boats look great in the earth tone colours but don’t see how that can work to get a white final finish under polyurathane resin. I will probably just go ahead and try the titanium dioxide powder on a scrap piece, and touch base with Corey at Skinboat School to see what he has to say. In the mean time any other thoughts appreciated. Thanks

Attached is a photo - basement project to pass the winter of COVID (and while I wait for spring so I can finish the cedar strip canoe I started as last fall’s COVID project - there’s a theme here somewhere).

 

[rider]

Where are you located? If you are from lower mainland, try calling either a Lordco Auto Parts with a Paint&Body department(not all of them have one), or White&Peters/Color Compass(though I can't remember if they sell to public,but probably do). Try to stick with general product info without getting into kayaks or else auto people will think you're weird I work in the autobody industry but tbh paint specifics are not my forte. I have a strong hunch that a tinter (that's what we call them) meant for a 2 part solvent based paint will work, a tinter meant for a waterborne paint may not.