BillyBadBassCustoms Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 Alright ya'll I've been a member on here for sometime but I've neither been active on here or in lure making so I'm sorry for not contributing. I was wondering if ya'll could point me in the direction of a good high gloss finish for blank plastic lures. I bough some epoxy from hobby Lobby on the cheap which was a mistake because come to find out it softens and peels off in water. Long story short should I use Devcon or is there some kind of automotive enamel ya'll might suggest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 There are various brands of epoxy that guys like: Devcon Two Ton, Envirotex Lite (aka Etex), ACC, Nu Lustre, and Flexcoat to name a few. There is also Solarez UV cured polyester resin, Dick Nite moisture cured urethane, and two part catalyzed auto urethane clearcoats. I've never heard of a standard one part enamel or urethane that is considered adequate for use on crankbaits and which you can buy at your local home improvement center. All clearcoats have their pluses and minuses, you just have to use the search function to investigate each one and decide which suits you the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 BobP is right. You just need to experiment with the ones he has mentioned and see which method you like best. There is tons of info about all of them on this site (with the trails and errors). The search function is your friend! I would suggest either an auto clear coat, Dick Nites, or Solarez. On a hard plastic lure, there is no need to have a thick clear coat (like an epoxy), which if applied too thick can alter the action. Envirotex Lite (etex) is a thin epoxy if you decide to go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBadBassCustoms Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 awesome, thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted June 28, 2013 Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 Ive tryed my first clear coat with Solarez, i like how fast you can cure a bait but no matter what i did I couldn't get the couldiness out of it, some guys have had great success with solarez though, I also tryed Envirotex, it lays on really smooth, great gloss but the downfall for me was that it took forever to cure and it lays on kinda thick i know it can be thinned down, and the mixture part has to be pretty accurate or else it's gonna have a tacky feeling result, One last thing ive tryed is Auto clear, I will say that i like auto clear much better than the rest, but thats my personal opinion, it lays on thin and gloss like no other, it does take about 24hrs to fully cure but you can touch it in about a few hrs. and the good part is you can coat alot of baits at once and the mixture doesnt really have to be dead on, although auto clear is my favorite im still looking more into it, ive yet to find the right auto clear for me lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toadfrog Posted June 28, 2013 Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 Try Klass Kote two part epoxy . If you call the company he will help you work out issues before you get the product . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PondBoss Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 None of the hardware stores in my town carry Devcon so I use Gorilla Glue that I get at Wal-Mart. It's only 5 minute so you gotta be quick, but it dries clear and is tough as nails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 PondBoss, I think you are lucky if the Gorilla Glue epoxy has worked for you. In my experience, 5 minute epoxies are very prone to turn an ugly brown from exposure to UV light. That's a function of the different hardener they use. And they cure too quickly to level out like slower cure epoxies. Even if you found one that doesn't have these bad qualities, I wouldn't look forward to "panic application" sessions with an epoxy that cures so fast. I even wish Devcon Two Ton would cure a little slower - just not as slow as Etex! That's why I add a few drops of denatured alcohol to my D2T mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 I've tried most all of 'em and the one I like best is Etex, as epoxies go.. Like Bob said, there's the lengthy cure time, but, I like how thin it is. Allows me to put an added coat without altering the performance of the lure. After the epoxy I always use KBS Diamond for the final finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCC Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 Anyone looking to try Solarez I have some that I painted 5 plastic crankbaits with. It is about 4 weeks old and I'd take $10 plus shipping for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 (edited) Devcon is carried by Ace hardware. Your can go online and have it delivered free to your local Ace. E-tex you can get at Michaels with a 40% off coupon. BSI can be purchased is you have a local hobby shop Mine closed down so I buy everything here: http://www.hobbylinc.com/ Edited August 1, 2013 by 152nd Street Baits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
