TIPS

Mixing Dark Colored Adhesive

Idea by Lloyd Warner

When building a plank on frame model, many small pieces of wood are carefully glued together. A dozen pieces of wood are often used to build a single frame. If the work is done carefully, the joints may be almost invisible. But you may not want the joints to be invisible. The solution to this problem is usually the use of color in the adhesive. Traditionally, the color is provided by mixing black India ink with the adhesive. Use of India ink in aliphatic carpenters glue will result in a thin black line at the joints, and there will be little or no bleed. Nonetheless, there are problems with the use of India ink for the black color, primarily a major loss of strength, and an extended drying time.

Lloyd Warner has shown that addition of a very small amount of aniline dye powder will impart a suitable dark color to the adhesive. The amount of dye is so small that it will have no effect on the strength of the adhesive. Examination of sample joints under magnification does not show any bleeding. The process is as follows:

• Pour the entire contents of the glue container into a mixing cup.
• Mix very small amounts of aniline powder in until the desired darkness is reached.
• Return the dark colored adhesive to the original container.

One source of aniline dye powder, is the Woodworker’s Supply at 1-800-645-9292. They have 75 colors. A one-ounce container, which is probably more than you need for a lifetime of modeling, costs $4 to $6, depending on the color.