Smooth-On question

[bowalaska]

I am building my first take down recurve, Bingham kit.  About to glue up the first limb and notice the lable on the Smooth-On says it dries almost clear, I pause a second but proceed to glue up the stained gray actionboo laminations.  Got on the Smooth-On website while the limb is in the oven and check the technical bulletin for color, clear amber.  Sure enough 8 hours later I have brownish green limbs.  I mixed epoxy 1:1.  I was hoping for gray colored limbs.  Please advise.  Thanks.

[macbow]

I guess your talking about the limb color under clear glass? I've only built a couple but the smooth on did not effect the limb color.
Ron

[bowalaska]

Yep, I used clear glass.  The smooth-on is the color advertised so what is done to get correct look that one wants from the wood laminations?

[traditional beagle]

Smooth-on has an amber color when in a thick form but is clear when thin. On wood it will inhance the color and grain configuration.

[Fritz Brown]

This is just a guess,  but I wonder how color stable the stain you used on your limbs was.  Many colored compounds are pH sensitive and will change color depending upon pH.  For instance I had a shirt once that if I happened to splash a little acid on it it would have pink spots, but when I washed it it would return to blue because of the high pH of the laundry detergent that I used.  It is also possible that the stain chromophore has been altered by reaction with the reaction products of the curing epoxy.

Just a thought.

-Fritz

[bowalaska]

Good thoughts.  I used the powered stain that mixes with water from Binghams.  Should have better results with the next set as they are to go with an osage or zebrawood riser.  I like the idea of thinning the amount of epoxy used, I wasn't shy when I applied the glue.

[OconeeDan]

I am thinking that Fritz may be right.  The smooth-on is VERY thin when you glue up a limb, providing you squeezed it together with an air hose or clamps. Should be perfectly clear when that thin.  The stain may have "bled" or changed tones in a chemical reaction with the epoxy.
I have only made a few sets of limbs using smooth-on, but never experienced a color change.
For what it's worth, last set of limbs I used an alcohol based stain without problems.
Dan