spoopa Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Howdy there I just started to make my own lures a few weeks ago and i have been using epoxy for my base and top coats. My dad got some propionate and I have been experimenting with it lately. My most common problem with the stuff is that after it dries it turns a mikly a milky blue color and it just looks horrible on the lure. So i was wandering if you guys know how to actualy use the stuff. had to do a smiley, they are just so tempting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Welcome to TU Spoopa. I don't really like smileys, but they do help sometimes, as people do not have a face to read. So maybe I will have to start using them . Swede and Palmetto are the experts on prop. Here is a link to a post by Palmetto with the relevant information and lots more for you. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/classified-ads/14010-propionate-wood-sealer.html Read it all, but your answer is in post #4. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted November 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 thank you much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted November 8, 2008 Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 Vodkaman to the rescue yet again... Dave, were you born with a photographic memory or a gift for using the search function? Ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Howdy thereI just started to make my own lures a few weeks ago and i have been using epoxy for my base and top coats. My dad got some propionate and I have been experimenting with it lately. My most common problem with the stuff is that after it dries it turns a mikly a milky blue color and it just looks horrible on the lure. So i was wandering if you guys know how to actualy use the stuff. had to do a smiley, they are just so tempting Spoopa, Welcome to TU. I believe your father got the propionate from me a few weeks back. The milky white finish is caused by the acetone evaporating so fast. It will evaporate so fast that it cools the body of the lure and then condensation forms on it before it dries all the way. This is called blushing (the milky white look). I know of 3 ways to solve this problem. You will not need to worry about this until the last dip because every time you re-dip the problem goes away until it starts to dry again. 1. Take a clean rag and dip the corner in acetone and rub the lure lightly. Don't let the rag sit on the lure or it will get messed up. The other 2 are better solutions. 2. Use a high speed cotton buffing wheel to buff the lure and this will clear it up because the blushing is only on the surface. 3. Last and best way I have found. On the last dip pull the lure out of the propionate and then suspend it in a jar with a few drops of acetone in the bottom. The acetone vapors are very heavy and cool. This will evaporate and push the moist air out of the top of jar so that when you suspend the lure in the jar it will be near 0 humidity inside the jar. You lure will take a touch longer to dry after the last dip but it will dry with a crystal finish. Other quick tips are, to make sure you are using kiln dried or good stack dried wood. Don't let moisture contaminate the jar of propionate. I have been using the same jar for a year and a half with only adding acetone when needed because of evaporation or adding a few pellets when needed to keep the consistency right. Good luck and feel free to follow up if you have any other questions. Someone on here is sure to have the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted November 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 one more question..... On the base coat are you suspose to leave the lure in the propionate until the bubbles stop comming of the lure? I know when you sent the stuff it had instructions, but i think they got thrown away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 one more question.....On the base coat are you suspose to leave the lure in the propionate until the bubbles stop comming of the lure? I know when you sent the stuff it had instructions, but i think they got thrown away. Yes, try and keep the lure body submerged until the bubbles from the wood stop escaping. The best thing to do is make a contraption to hold the lure down for 15 min. or more. I used to keep mine in over night for the first dip. Now I use a food saver vacuum sealer with the adapter for the wide mouthed jars. Now the first dip takes about 30 seconds. The reason you should wait until the bubbles stop escaping is because, the propionate will fill all the little pours in the wood and then the sealer will be bonded to the wood. Each dip after that will etch into the prior layer and create a bond between every layer top to bottom that is rock solid but not fragile. I will send you a PM with the instructions so you can save them. If anyone else wants a copy of the instructions, just ask and I will be glad to send them to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 I think I have discovered a 4th way of avoiding the blushing. Since the acetone evaporates so fast, causing condensation, I simply do not use acetone to dissolve propionate. This solution was found simply because there is no acetone available in shops here, so I had to find an alternative. And the alternative was to use a thinner which is designed for "nitrocellulosic products", which contains acetone, toluene and something else that I cannot remember now. Anyway, this thinner works very well with propionate stuff. Takes 2-3 days to completely dissolve the propionate, and the thinner does not evaporate so fast as acetone. But you have to take care not to use the propionate solution on lures when there is very much moisture in the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 (edited) oops sorry i did the wrong thing Edited January 9, 2009 by spoopa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
