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luke1wcu

Issues With My Etex

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I have not had this problem before and I think I may have applied it too thin. It had started okay then quickly developed a worse than normal hook rash and has worn down through the paint. Then the paint started actually peeling in a spot that I don't think even get hit by the hooks. I have logged maybe 3-5 hours of use and 8-10 largemouth. I have others that have much more use and barely show any scratches from the hooks. I'm thinking either I put too thin of a coat of Etex on it, didn't let it cure long enough before fishing with it (between 36-48 hours) or there was some sort of contamination between the Createx and the Etex. I was hoping someone might have some experience with this.

Also wondering if I should just slap another coat of Etex on it. They are still eating it up but the finish is degrading fast. At this point, I'd rather not strip and repaint since they like are still all over it. It suspends out of the package so I am weary of weighing it down with more Etex. Any suggestions?

I know I could try Dick Nite's but I have just done so well thus far with Etex that I was hoping to just keep it simple. Trying not to fix it if it ain't broke.

Thanks guys!

I will try to post a photo when/if I figure out how to make it smaller than 500K :mad:

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Luke, is that an impact crack I spy near the tail? When that happens, water can migrate through the acrylic paint and cause the epoxy to sheet off. If the epoxy is not as hard as your earlier baits, that points to a measuring/mixing problem. Etex is pretty thin stuff and it has a density that's not much more than water, so I think another coat would not substantially change the buoyancy of your crankbait. At least it's a fast temporary fix until the spring bite is past!

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Thanks for the response. I think what you see is another spot where the Etex is beginning to peel. The mixing may be the issue. Other lures in the same batch have not had this problem but they have not seen so much action either. I am also wondering if I affected the integrity of the topcoat when I drilled to clean out the hook hangers. Maybe that created an entry point for water to get under the epoxy.....?

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I use syringes from Flexcoat that stay in a hole in the top of the epoxy bottles until I need them.

The nozzle of the syringes is slightly tapered, so I drilled a hole that's big enough to just let the nozzle slip in half way. That way I have a good seal.

Then I turn the bottle upside down, draw down as much epoxy or hardener as I want to mix, and I have a perfect 1/1 mix by volume every time.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-finishes/014394101243.aspx

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I think your problem originated from the hook rash, and that originated from a thin epoxy topcoat. Most guys who use Etex apply 2 or more coats. Etex is as good as any epoxy for durability. But what I've found when stripping baits for repaint is that epoxy forms a shell on the bait and the integrity of the epoxy shell is mostly what keeps in on there. Its adhesion to the underlying acrylic paint surface is OK but the acrylic paint itself is very weak stuff. You can slip a thin blade under an epoxy topcoat and lever the epoxy off, popping it off in strips and cleaning the entire lure in just a few minutes. There will be paint on the epoxy and paint remaining on the lure as you pop it off. Seeing that helped me understand that epoxy works well only as long as it stays intact and doesn't allow water to soak into the underlying paint (delamination is even faster on a wood bait when water seeps in and causes the wood to expand).

I epoxy over the hangers and clean them afterward with a Dremel to insure there's no gap for water to infiltrate.

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I think your problem originated from the hook rash, and that originated from a thin epoxy topcoat. Most guys who use Etex apply 2 or more coats. Etex is as good as any epoxy for durability. But what I've found when stripping baits for repaint is that epoxy forms a shell on the bait and the integrity of the epoxy shell is mostly what keeps in on there. Its adhesion to the underlying acrylic paint surface is OK but the acrylic paint itself is very weak stuff. You can slip a thin blade under an epoxy topcoat and lever the epoxy off, popping it off in strips and cleaning the entire lure in just a few minutes. There will be paint on the epoxy and paint remaining on the lure as you pop it off. Seeing that helped me understand that epoxy works well only as long as it stays intact and doesn't allow water to soak into the underlying paint (delamination is even faster on a wood bait when water seeps in and causes the wood to expand).

I epoxy over the hangers and clean them afterward with a Dremel to insure there's no gap for water to infiltrate.

BobP,

so in a nutshell, it restripping the lure would be as easy as pealing off the rest of the epoxy? If so, I may just fish this bait until there is nothing left then clean it up and repaint it. Thanks!

I usually only apply one coat of Etex unless I notice a spot that doesn't get covered. These coats are usually a bit thick; maybe that is counter productive. I'm going to experiment with multiple thin coats.

thanks again!

Edited by luke1wcu
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I use syringes from Flexcoat that stay in a hole in the top of the epoxy bottles until I need them.

The nozzle of the syringes is slightly tapered, so I drilled a hole that's big enough to just let the nozzle slip in half way. That way I have a good seal.

Then I turn the bottle upside down, draw down as much epoxy or hardener as I want to mix, and I have a perfect 1/1 mix by volume every time.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-finishes/014394101243.aspx

Mark,

I too use syringes and I believe it to be the most fool-proof way to mix accurate ratios. Therefore, I don't think that is the root of my problems. Of course it is a possibility as nothing is completely fool-proof. Thanks for the suggestion though. This hobby wouldn't be fun if it was easy. It ain't called fishin if all we do is catch, right?

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Mark,

I too use syringes and I believe it to be the most fool-proof way to mix accurate ratios. Therefore, I don't think that is the root of my problems. Of course it is a possibility as nothing is completely fool-proof. Thanks for the suggestion though. This hobby wouldn't be fun if it was easy. It ain't called fishin if all we do is catch, right?

luke1wcu,

When I used Etex epoxy as a topcoat, I found that it was only as strong as the lure body it went over. I used super glue to harden balsa lures, but I wound up using Minwax Wood Hardener for my poplar lures, to try and make the wood harder and more waterproof.

Once I switched to PVC as a lure material, I had no more problems. It's both hard and totally waterproof.

Now all I need the top coat for is to protect the paint scheme from scratches, not to protect the lure.

That was right AFTER I'd figured out how to do epoxy coating with no problem, of course. :censored:

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