InLace Dyes must be thoroughly stirred. Do not merely shake the bottle. It is very important that the pigment, which will settle heavily, is fully blended with the carrier (unpromoted resin), and this is best done with one of the stirrers included with the Kit.
Then, pour the amount of Clear resin needed for the batch in one of the measuring cups.
The dye is concentrated so only add by drops. Stir the drops of dye into the resin. When the desired color is obtained, add the Hardener and proceed with the inlay.
Manufacturer's quotes: ....."they should be added by the drop. " ..... "Too much dye will cause the InLace not to harden as the carrier is an unpromoted resin. Unpromoted resin will never harden and adding too much dye will cause the mixture to not harden."
Sometimes, users will have difficulty with the inlay fully curing and hardening, with a 'tacky' surface that refuses to harden. The two most common causes of this phenomenon, which is primarily an issue with only the dyes, are using too much Dye, and/or too much hardener. It is our opinion, if not the manufacturer's, that too much Dye is the primary culprit. The amount of Hardener added for the Dyes is based on the same formula as with any other InLace recipe - tied directly to the amount of resin used. The use of additives has minimal effect. Too much Dye is primarily an issue with the Pearl Dyes because the color is so very subtle and not strong enough in color for many users. That is, for example, they get the Pearl effect of the Blue Pearl, but inadequate color - and wind up using too much Dye. Consequently, the inlay will not harden correctly or fully.
We have used the Pearl Dyes extensively, and work closely with artists that specialize in using InLace products as well as the Pearl Dyes specifically. The best solution to this 'problem', is to use the Pearl Dye as the 'base additive' to assure the Pearl effect, and then to add 1, 2, or 3 drops of the appropriate Metallic Dye. The much stronger pigment and color of the Metallic Dye will strengthen the color - but the Pearl effect will be retained. This custom mix greatly reduces the amount of Pearl Dye needed and almost entirely eliminates the problem of the inlay not fully hardening. It is so simple once you learn the tricks, and InLace Book .com is the go-to source for the InLace community.
The manufacturer states that temperature and humidity affect the curing process and time, but it has not been our experience, or the experience of the artisans with whom we work, that this is in anyway a significant consideration.
We do believe, and have the benefit of considerable experience, that a thicker or deeper inlay is beneficial when working with the InLace Dyes, i.e., a thin or too shallow inlay, when using the Dyes, is much more likely to bring on the problem of the inlay not hardening fully.
When 'tacky' or 'sticky' inlay surfaces result after making an inlay with the Dyes, the manufacturer recommends sanding the tacky surface down to the hardened layer and then proceeding to finish as usual. While this technique may be a handy fix, we highly recommend adjusting the InLace recipe with subsequent batches. We simply do not have this problem unless the recipe is flawed. Experience is an important factor of course. One must be willing to do the work and experiment with the product. If you are consistently sanding off a tacky surface of a Dye inlay, the flaw is most likely a result of the recipe not being quite correct.
If concerned about a likelihood of an inlay that will result in a tacky or sticky finish, the manufacturer also recommends ..."You can spray some hairspray over the applied InLace right after you put it in and that will help with the stickiness."... The manufacturer does not work much with the product, freely admits this to be the case, and does not pretend to have much direct experience with the product. They primarily repackage and brand existing commercial products to InLace. After all, InLace is but one 'solid surface material' brand, much like the better known Corian®, a Dupont™ product.
The manufacturer has been unable to respond effectively to our requests for detailed information about why 'hairspray' is considered to be an effective shortcut to a quick fix, or identify the specific chemical or ingredient that provides the 'benefit'. It's not something that we or our the majority of our top customers use, but mention as an officially suggested option for saving an otherwise 'nearly correct' recipe. The most important thing is to continually keep notes and make adjustments as necessary to prevent the need for the shortcut.
Always keep clear notes of your recipes as they develop. Once you've got 'a winner', you can recreate time and time again.
The Clear resin is thin, much less viscous than the other InLace resins, and it may be advantageous to add some Thicken-It if working on a curved or round surface. This step, if needed, should be done just before adding the Hardener. We highly recommend having a jar of Thicken-It on hand. At some point you will need it and wish that you had it on the shelf.
