bassbandit25 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hey guys im starting to paint baits and i can not for the life of me find a good clear coat. Ive read alot about auto grade clear coat??? what is that lol and if you paint lures if you wouldnt mind shareing what you use and where i can get it because the stuff im useing just doesnt cut it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steest Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 I am another 18 year and I am also new to tacklemaking! I am planning to make a few crankbaits, and I would like to assemble my parts BEFORE I start. I am all set up for airbrush painting, but as for a wood sealer and top coat I am at a total loss. Many people seem to use Devcon 2 Ton, but do you spray it on with an airbrush or coat it on with a traditional brush, or even dip the entire lure? As for sealer what seems to work the best? What is the best bang for your buck? If someone could please take the time to educate some young bucks, I know I would greatly appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifish2 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hey Bassbandit25! I have used envirotex lite, devcon 2, flexcoat, & auto clears. All seem to be good clear coats. Epoxy type clears are brushed on & you must have a turning wheel to keep the baits turning at a slow speed to allow the epoxy to flow & smooth out. The auto clear I use is a 2 part polyurathane that mixes 4 parts clear 1 part hardner. you should be able to buy it at your local auto parts store. Don't use the ready to spray clear coat......must be the 2 part! the 2 part is much more durable & i think most people spray about 6 coats. The epoxys usually only require 1 to 2 coats. I use them on smooth baits that I want a Norman gelcoat look. On baits with detail like scales, mouth, eyes, & gills molded into the bait I like to use the auto clear because it doesn't fill in the detail of the bait. Use caution when spraying 2 part auto clear, very harmful to your health, a proper respirator & paint booth are a must for spraying indoors! You can do a search & find all the info you are looking for. There are many knowledgable people on hear & you should have no problem getting your questions answered. Do a search first though because most of your questions will have already been asked & answered. Hope this helps! Good luck! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philB Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hey guys im starting to paint baits and i can not for the life of me find a good clear coat. Ive read alot about auto grade clear coat??? what is that lol and if you paint lures if you wouldnt mind shareing what you use and where i can get it because the stuff im useing just doesnt cut it! Etex lite and Devcon 2 ton should give you first class finishes. I shall not go into massive detail as all the info you need for finishing is right here on the board but what are paramount in the finishing process is cleanliness, preparation and above all patience . My own choice is Etex and I also use 2K auto clearcoat. philB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotorhead Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 In addition to auto sprays there are a lot of water based paints that work very well and are less toxic to your lungs. Createx is one that comes to mind. It sprays well, is water based and comes in a multitude of colors and best of all it is cheap and easy to use. There is a wealth of info on this site use it and if you pull up the gallery you will see some lures that are works of art, to pretty to fish with. I guess the best info I can give you is get a good airbrush and practice, practice and practice. Rotorhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genekickinit Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I am another 18 year and I am also new to tacklemaking! I am planning to make a few crankbaits, and I would like to assemble my parts BEFORE I start. I am all set up for airbrush painting, but as for a wood sealer and top coat I am at a total loss. Many people seem to use Devcon 2 Ton, but do you spray it on with an airbrush or coat it on with a traditional brush, or even dip the entire lure? As for sealer what seems to work the best? What is the best bang for your buck? If someone could please take the time to educate some young bucks, I know I would greatly appreciate it! I too am a newbie,just started this winter---only older. Search "stripersonline.com" in their (fishing forum). Scroll thru the "lure building" posts. This site TU & SOL have a vast wealth of knowledge & tutorials. Don't be insulted when members suggest using their search engines,there are many ways to create your art. Members in these sites are very willing to help. YOUTUBE will have some useful videos...wooden luremaking---airbrushing lures,etc. ENJOY your new interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steest Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I too am a newbie,just started this winter---only older. Search "stripersonline.com" in their (fishing forum). Scroll thru the "lure building" posts. This site TU & SOL have a vast wealth of knowledge & tutorials. Don't be insulted when members suggest using their search engines,there are many ways to create your art. Members in these sites are very willing to help. YOUTUBE will have some useful videos...wooden luremaking---airbrushing lures,etc. ENJOY your new interest. Thank you for your reply I had no idea about stripers online, I will have to check them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genekickinit Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Thank you for your reply I had no idea about stripers online, I will have to check them out! Check out "crankbait central"...tips on divelip shapes & crankbait bodies....what each shape will do....flat bodies compared to round sides. Square lips or round lips & the attaching angles,how it changes the diving depth,etc.....Quick read info Lurecrafters.com has freedownloads for dive lips & some simple bodies...Haven't compared their prices to other suppliers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) Best clear coats that i have discovered are just plain old devcon 2 ton. Its easy to use and it comes out looking great! I also like to use crystal sheen.... its the same as e-tex. Only draw back to using the crystal sheen is that you have to get the amounts of the A and B just right or you get a fouled clear and ruin the bait. Goodluck, Jacob Edited March 11, 2010 by spoopa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbandit25 Posted March 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 thank you everyone this really helped i think im gonna try devcon 2 ton and hopefully itll work and wont chip as bad as my last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBlaze Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 thank you everyone this really helped i think im gonna try devcon 2 ton and hopefully itll work and wont chip as bad as my last I am no expert but I think that D2T 30 min epoxy is a good choice, it is easy to brush it on. and it will work as a sealer and a clear coat. Thin it with denatured alcohol to the consistency of milk and it makes a very good sealer for the wood baits. Before clear coating your painted baits, make sure your baits are clean and no finger oils on them or the epoxy will draw away from it. I use cheap hobby paint brushes to apply it. I also thin the D2T 30 minute epoxy with a few drops of denatured alcohol and am able to clear coat several baits before it starts to thicken and set up. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steest Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 I am no expert but I think that D2T 30 min epoxy is a good choice, it is easy to brush it on. and it will work as a sealer and a clear coat. Thin it with denatured alcohol to the consistency of milk and it makes a very good sealer for the wood baits. Before clear coating your painted baits, make sure your baits are clean and no finger oils on them or the epoxy will draw away from it. I use cheap hobby paint brushes to apply it. I also thin the D2T 30 minute epoxy with a few drops of denatured alcohol and am able to clear coat several baits before it starts to thicken and set up. John Awesome I did not know you could use D2T as a sealer! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaMan Posted March 13, 2010 Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 i am sixteen and i have been making baits for a year now and i have tried polyurethane finish, and now i am using an autograde clear coat finish that is a moisture cure( very cool and efficient). i started airbrushing about ten months ago and it is really fun and this place helps alot. i really apreciate it. my main focus is swimbaits and i have already sold some to neighbors and friends of neighbors but man it is really fun. you are going to have a blast. with the auto clear it dries thin and you don't loose alot of the detail in your carvings unless you use a lot of coats. good luck and try the autoclear, just dip the crankbaits. Sly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevenwxly Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 (edited) Hey I am a professional lure maker - Little Bit Lures - and use a one coat clear coat called - Deft Wood Finish - Gloss Brushing Lacquer. I got it at Lowe's , or Home Depot should also have it. It runs about $ 10.00 a quart can, and I dip my lures in it to finish them. Sometimes just one dip will do the job....other times I will dip them and allow at least 3-4 hours to dry, then redip them another time or two. The quart can will do perhaps more than 100 plugs. They also have a similar made by Minwax at Wal-Mart ( about $ 12.00 a quart) but I have not used it, so don't know how it does....but the Deft stuff above works great and give a smooth, hard, and durable coat for your (wood) lures. After dipping your lure hang it up on a drying rack and put a paper plate or something under the lure to catch the drips. It will drip a few drips for a few minutes before it starts to set up. Your lure should be fairly dry in about 2-3 hours.....but wait some longer before redipping for a second coat. Good luck....hope this helps you. Keep making those lures........ Edited March 23, 2010 by Stevenwxly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 If you can find it use Rapala's clear coat. I heard good things about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrykerLures Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 if you don't want to spend $50-$80 or $100+ on a clear coat (as in if your just fixing up a few lures) I use "Power Poxy: Sportsmans Epoxy" I get it at Farm & Fleet for about $2.00. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE CLEAR ONE (obviously, But I've made that mistake) If you don't want spend a lot and you want something that will hold up pretty good and is as tough as most of the others, Use that. You only get 1 oz per package, but at $2.00 you can afford a few. 1 package should cover a medium size Musky Lure, maybe 3-4 bass lures. it really depends on what kind of lure and how thick of a coat you want, Grab a few of them and slather it on and make sure you wipe off that drip! - Bryan StrykerLures@yahoo.com E-mail me if you have any questions or just wanna talk lures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbandit25 Posted March 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 i add fleck to my clear coat is that going to matter with other clear coats or is there one thats best for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrykerLures Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 i add fleck to my clear coat is that going to matter with other clear coats or is there one thats best for that. It shouldn't matter if you use flakes/glitter, U might Just have to put on an extra coat or 2 so it makes it smooth. But from all the clear coats I've used it doesn't seem to make much of a difference, like I said you just have to coat it enough times. I don't know if that will help very much, but I tried! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 I have been making lures for about a year now to. Awesome advice from these guys. The only thing i would add is safety. You guys starting out pretty young, make sure you follow directions and use proper ventilation. You got a lot of years ahead of you, make your brain cells last ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
