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Hey guys - Finishing up some baits and am having trouble with Etex still being tacky after a couple days. I know this has been discussed before, but I wanted to share my process to see if you guys and see any flaws in my system. I always put the two containers in warm water before mixing, and then mix thoroughly. When I measure out I always use a touch more hardener, so it's not quite an exact 1:1 ratio. Brush the epoxy on and breathe on the lure to get rid of the air bubbles and then put on the rotisserie. After 10-15 minutes I take a torch to them and try and remove any other air bubbles that may have popped up. Then the lures rotate for a day or so....will letting the lures sit untouched for a few days help the hardening process? Sometimes they turn out hard, other times it's tacky...pretty hit or miss. I never cover the rotisserie to protect from dust or anything, I do run a dehumidifier in the basement. I was thinking of trying out some True Coat in place of Etex, anyone have experience with it? Any tips are appreciated!

I love the idea of a hidden ballast. Natural baits look so nice, especially if there's an interesting grain pattern, so having a way to hide the lead while adding visual appeal is really clever.

I understand experimenting to pass the time, seek better understanding of materials and procedures, or whatever. But I agree with Anglinarcher. It probably won’t result in a better bait than simply using one body material. Experience taught me that keeping things simple while building a bait results in fewer problems, less variability, and baits that work and catch fish.better. Just my opinion.

Thanks! So looks like rpm wise 20 to 25 is ideal from reading posts. Can anybody else share what model motor they are using.

It's been years since I used Etex, so I forgot to mention that I would mix it well, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then use a hairdryer on the bottom of the mixing cup to help the bubbles rise to the surface and burst. I'm guessing that the extra time it took to get the bubbles out helped to let the two parts fully mix.

I agree with above too but even when i used syringes I had problems until I actually timed how long I mixed. I found If I use syringes and mixed at least 5 minutes taking my time and getting it thoroughly mixed it worked fine. Shoot now I mix decoupage(i get the one at home depot or lowes by the gallon) all by weight 1:1 and in large batches sometimes up to 10 oz and never have an issue as long as i mix it good. I do not really use it for lures anymore I use it for making micarta knife handles

When I had that problem, this is what the tech at Etex told me to do. Mix up another batch, exactly 1/1 by volume, and recoat the tacky bait. It will solve the problem, and save the bait.