fishnut7 Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 My most recent batch of Etex covered baits didn't do so well. I fished a couple of my lures pretty hard and realized that after some time the Etex was peeling off...Does anyone know what my problem was, or what I may have done wrong? How many coats do most of you "hard core" lure builders put on your lures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtx Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Had that problem last summer. I was using foil tape and when it got hot, the glue on the tape failed. When the foil shifted around the top and bottom of the bait the epoxy failed. Could be oil from you hands or another source, that got on the baits before u put the eyed on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bass Man Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 My most recent batch of Etex covered baits didn't do so well. I fished a couple of my lures pretty hard and realized that after some time the Etex was peeling off...Does anyone know what my problem was, or what I may have done wrong? How many coats do most of you "hard core" lure builders put on your lures? Here you go Fishnut, maybe this link will help you out!! http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/12510-trying-to-achieve-a-flawless-finish/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnut7 Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 (edited) Thank You! Very helpful link....I'll have to try it again. It's a little discouraging to put so much time and prep into a lure to have the seal/finish coat come off, but I'm excited to make some more. Edited June 6, 2011 by fishnut7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bass Man Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Thank You! Very helpful link....I'll have to try it again. It's a little discouraging to put so much time and prep into a lure to have the seal/finish coat come off, but I'm excited to make some more. Your welcome bud!! That link help me out on my clear also and has some great info on it. I know what you mean by putting so much time on the lures and then the clear messes up!! 50/50 mix and stir for about 3-4 minutes with the etex. Good luck with your next batch of baits and dont forget to post some in the hard bait gallery!!A BIG SHOUT OUT TO FATFINGERS for posting the tutorial, the TU folks are great!! Edited June 7, 2011 by Big Bass Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Thank You! Very helpful link....I'll have to try it again. It's a little discouraging to put so much time and prep into a lure to have the seal/finish coat come off, but I'm excited to make some more. When I started using the Flexcoat syringes to measure my epoxy parts, so I always had the exact same volume, I stopped having problems. I mix in a solo salsa cup, and use a metal paper clip to mix. I let the mixture sit for 5 minutes after mixing, to make sure the two components are really blended. I use a hair dryer to remove most of the bubbles after the mixture has sat for the 5 minutes, and then apply with an artists brush, which I clean in denatured alcohol after each use. The fine bristles help me get a smooth, even, thin coating that doesn't drip on my turner. I put three coats on my swimbaits, and let the finished lures cure for a few days before I fish them. Etex is a decoupage epoxy, so it's designed to stay slightly flexible to allow for the movement of the large surfaces it's put on, like table tops and bar tops. That means it will never be as hard as D2T, which is a glue epoxy. You may find that putting a coat of D2T over your foil first, before you paint and top coat, will prevent the problems with the Etex top coat later. You can get a good bond to the D2T by scuffing it with a scotchbrite pad before you paint and/or top coat. Last, wearing gloves when you handle your baits before you epoxy also helps. I use the cheap latex gloves from CVS Pharmacy. Fingerprints are a sure way to have fish eyes. Edited June 7, 2011 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Your welcome bud!! That link help me out on my clear also and has some great info on it. I know what you mean by putting so much time on the lures and then the clear messes up!! 50/50 mix and stir for about 3-4 minutes with the etex. Good luck with your next batch of baits and dont forget to post some in the hard bait gallery!!A BIG SHOUT OUT TO FATFINGERS for posting the tutorial, the TU folks are great!! I'm glad to read that my tutorial is still helping people tame the Envirotex beast. If you want to try something new, try the EX-74 from Envirotex. Now hold on a minute...there's a catch...the stuff is expensive and can only be bought in gallons. But, if you're willing to lay out about $115, you'll get an epoxy that I feel is even better than Envirotex Lite. You might consider get a buddy or two to split a gallon with you to lower the cost. A gallon is an awful lot and the stuff has a shelf life of about one year, so splitting the cost with others can be a good move. The EX-74 has several advantages in my opinion. It is slightly harder, but not at all brittle. It also goes on thicker. You will still need to use a drying wheel. Disadvantages? Price, but only because you must buy the stuff a gallon at a time (1/2 gallon of resin, and 1/2 gallon of hardener = the gallon "kit" you purchase for about $115 or so). The only other minor disadvantage is that it seems to be just slightly more prone to dust boogers in the finish than Envirotex Lite, but all in the all, the difference between the two as far as dust is negligible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
