Adding color to epoxy

I just looked at job to repair an entry wood door. This is a raised panel door that I think is mahagany. The panels (5-6 boards wide) have spilt and are starting to separate at the glue joints. There are only 2 panels in the 8' X 3' door. The client ordered a replacement door that was too thick and will not work. So now they want to repair the panels. The only way I can think of to make a lasting repair is to use epoxy. I have some MAS epoxy, but am unsure if the epoxy can be stained. They want to keep the original color if possible. Is there some colored powder or other system to color the epoxy to match a stain? What is the shelf life of the MAS epoxy. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Dave,
Contact the people at Epoxy.com - They have many epoxy-based flooring resins. Their tech support is excellent and worth the call to get the right product for what you want to do.

-B

Dave,
Brady may be right in that it could be faster to get a true color match by going to that page. I've played around with MAS epoxy for years, and can give you a few hints if that's how you wind up going with this.
Most epoxies will let you add/blend just about any colorant once you have thoroughly mixed the resin and hardener . Since the MAS stuff is pretty clear you don't have to factor in the amber tints some others show.
You could use the old favorite of sawdust/epoxy, but when you sand it flush to your repair it may still need some "help"in color matching after it dries.
A lot of us have mixed in paints and stains to get a colored solid surface , when we do parts of signs such as raised letters as well. Again the key here to be sure that your glop is totally stirred before you add the color, because if you take a "shortcut"and pour it all in the jar at the same time, you will usually get a glob of colored Vaseline that NEVER cures because the resin/hardener couldn't cross link with one another because they were diluted by the color before they could create the bond that turns the two into epoxy...
You CAN mix up a very small batch and just see what you get if there's any room for a "test" swatch on the doors too.
I've had bottles of MAS on the shelf for a few years, and it was still usable when I needed it. If you store it in a cool area it may crystallize in the bottle, but soaking the bottle in a small tub of hot water will bring the resin back to liquid form again.

Thanks Brady and Bill. I will contact Epoxy.com for some advise. If I don't get a good match I could just coat the entire door. I have only used the MAS epoxy for one project and it was just as a finish. I used a squeege on the first try and got air or debris (small bumps). Sanded and recoated using a brush, same results. Is there a way to avoid the bumps or do they disappear with more coats.
Thanks again,
Dave

Dave:

The issue you may well run into is that without being able to put any clamping pressure on the panel you just won't get a great bond with the epoxy. Essentially you are only using it as a crack filler and the same natural forces that moved the boards in the panels before may well do it again. If you go that route make very sure that the cracks are as clean as possible before filling.

If it were at all possible to move the stops on the jamb or remove them and put new ones in and install the new door I would do so.

Since the new door is thicker is it possible that the old one is 1 3/8? If so it is an interior door and shouldn't have been used in the first place.

Solid surface epoxies come in many colors and since they come out of a mixing tube you get a good mix right off the bat and can "push" it into the crack with the dispensing gun. In Texas is a company called Domain Industries that carries a line of solid surface supplies that will sell to you direct if you are not set up to buy from the distributors of Corian, etc. You may want to check that out if you decide to go that route. Their catalog is on-line. Also check out their sister site just for color matching adhesive:
http://www.matchmyadhesive.com/

I have found that in using any wood filler it is better to have a darker color than a lighter one if the match is not perfect.

Thanks Dave, I am familiar with Domain Ind. I had not thought of the solid surface adhesive, because of how brittle it is. Are you saying that the adhesive would work? I may have to strip the door of stain and finish before I attempt the repair. I would prefer not to use the color match caulk but will keep that in mind. I have contacted Epoxy.com and have not heard back, so I will have to wait until Monday. They have an epoxy that they call wood filler, that sounds like it will work. In the mean time I will check out your site.
Thanks

As long as it bonds, and probably should, the wood would rip before the epoxy broke. The polyester solid surfaces are more brittle than the acrylics but the epoxy is an epoxy and not polyester based.
I saw the "mahogany color" wood filler in the list at epoxy dot com too. My problem with any of that is simply trying to glue joints without pressure. Maybe you could get a better joint bond if you drove in a couple pinch dogs and then filled the holes after the repair set up.

Just an idea. Similar to the idea Dave Rosenbleeth had.

You could drill or rout holes through the edge of the door frame to gain access to the grove. Then you could insert something into the hole and just use bar clamps to apply pressure to the tongue of the panel. I would do this from both sides to keep the panel centered as is.

If you drilled a hole patching would be as simple as a face grain plug. Since it would be on the edge of the frame nobody would see it.

Thanks Dave and Michael. Both are excellent ideas. Will decide on method once I choose the filler. Still waiting for response from epoxy.com.