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gunnie3035

Gelcoat Lure Finish

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All right boys I'm seeing this gelcoat finish showing up more and more on crankbaits. Are we talking about the same gelcoat use for boat repair or clear gelcoat used on surf boards? For all I know it is the same stuff. I ran a search and suprisingly very little info came up on it. Anyone care to share the wealth?? If you dont want to say it out loud send me a PM.

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Sorry Gunnie.. Im just making fun of this other house painter .. he uses gelcoat and I have others send me his baits to have repainted.. So my advice to you is.. forget gelcoat.. try Dick Nites or some other mositure cure urethane clear. You will be better off in the end.

The Rookie

Edited by The_Rookie
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I brush acrylic latex glitter (thinned with a little water) on after painting. If you use small enough glitter, putting it in the clearcoat shouldn't matter much but I just prefer to brush it on because I can control where and how much goes on the lure.

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Benton, I cleared the first baits I built a few years ago with Flexcoat Lite and they yellowed badly within a year. Sort of put me off rod epoxies for crankbaits. "Beauty is as beauty does" so if the Flexcoat Hi Build is a new formulation that yellows less than Devcon, it might be a good alternative.

What I'd really like to know: What is the best solvent based polyurethane that will crosslink to form a very durable non-yellowing, crystal clear top coat? One that's not super sensitive to moisture contamination like moisture cured poly. One you can use to dip crankbaits in 1 or 2 passes and get a coating as thick as a factory wood bait? Automotive or otherwise. PLEASE tell me! Please!

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BobP, I have no experience with the old flex coat. I used devcon 2t and would not even consider switching. Then I got tired of pearl white baits turing yellow in a matter of days so I switched to the flex coat high build and it has some uv stuff in it now. My first baits coated were pearl white and are still pearl white today. It handles the rocks really well, unless you smack one point blank.

When you find that perfect clear coat please don't share it with anyone else. I do not want to spend the time learning a new system. I think as long as this many people are building baits then there will be differences of opinion on which top coat is best. The new flex coat works for me.

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Benton,

I guess I have to say that I haven't tried the new flex coat, didn't even know one existed. The problem I had with it years ago was that it did yellow and would not withstand Musky teeth....if it's improved thats great....

Rod

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Well being new around here my opinion may not hold much water but as for as finish goes I have been in the automotive refinish trade for about 27 yrs. These finishes are used for many purposes other than just autos. Most new ones are not as hard as you might think because they need to be able to flex and absorb impact of small rocks. Most of them use a two part system which is toxic when mixed so I do not recomend these for home use. The epoxy family which is mostly a 1to1 mix seem to have the least amount of offending fumes because of the high solids and the absence of reducers. If you want to experiment with products let me help with a few that I have not seen mentioned on here lately if ever.

1 System three Mirror Coat /thin long pot life prone to comtamination

2 System three clear coat /same as above

3 U-40 perma gloss urethane rod finish/thin but very user friendly.

4 Thread master rod finish/ Just like flex coat but set up time is about one hour as opposed to four with flex coat.

5 Automotive clear [two part systems] Most can be dipped just watch for drips around eyes,corners. Most can be done in one sitting.Example Mix to the ratio from the manufacturer then dip and let flash off for recomended time then dip again,a third time may be needed to achieve the desired result.Dirt and other imperfections can be sanded out and polished. Draw back what you mixed is all going to be wasted.

As for as product not made for this job I think that if it works for you don't be afraid to post it . The only way to learn is to try it and see. Most people dont believe that this is as good as it gets. We all can learn from trial and error.

Sorry for the long post hope it might help at least one person.

Frank

Edited by Frank
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Frank, I work in my garage with good ventilation but I never spray solvent based paints or clearcoats, nor am I willing to start. I'm looking for an alternative to Dick Nite moisture cured polyurethane that would not be so sensitive to ambient air moisture. Something that would have a pot life of weeks or months that you can dip baits into and will harden at room temps in a reasonable amount of time when put on a lure turner or hung to dry, and which will not yellow substantially for a year or two like most epoxies. I think there's something "out there" that meets most of those requirements but have no idea what it is, what brands are available, how much it costs, or what handling/storage it may require. Maybe no such animal exists but like most bait makers, I'm always looking to improve my product and clearcoat is a biggie for most of us.

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Well said Not suggesting that people try any of the solvent based product without the proper safety equipment at all. You may get an answer from a local paint rep from one of the local auto paint stores.All paint manufactures have these people. One tip if you dont like the answer from one rep find another. You will probably have to tell them it is for an industrial use. Good luck.

I believe that the urethane family is all sensative to moisture. Im guessing that you are refuring to humidity.

Edited by Frank
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Anything I use for Bass is likely to get bit by something with teeth where I fish. So Im going to stand by my original statement of not using Flexcoat for lures. Not bashing the product by any means. I love it for its inteded purpose. But the amount of time spent on making and painting one of our hard baits warrants better protection than that in my opinion. But like was stated above. Everyone has their own opinion.

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