basskandy Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hey everyone.. So I have used devcon in the past.. and am currently using envirotex but it has gone from about a 4 hour dry time up to 9 hours or so.... not sure if they changed there formula or if just the humidity has changed and effected it that much? anyways was also wondering if anyone has a good dipping clear coat.. and dry times... thanks everyone in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 I generally clear coat my lures at night and let them turn over night. I use bob smith epoxy and it dries in 3-4 hours. Etex generally takes 8-9 hours, occasionally longer! gst is probably my favorite clear (for now). It takes a week to really get hard though! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Dick Nite S81 moisture cured urethane is the best dipping clearcoat I've ever used - tough, glossy, slick, thin like a factory finish. BUT it is difficult to store without hardening and takes a lot of preventative care to keep it liquid. If you dip a lot of lures in 4-5 months, I think it's acceptable. It dries to the touch in a couple of hours but requires several days for the moisture cure to develop. You can dip lures, let them dry and then mail them the next day to cure en route A late entry into the clearcoat race is Solarez, a UV cured polyester resin that cures in 3 minutes under a UV light. Some guys report they like it a lot, some say they get a milky haze which is especially noticeable on dark paint. It is dip-able but I got sheeting when I tried it. I feel the jury's still out on Solarez but if you want quick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 @basskandy Adding heat should shorten the dry time with the envirotex. This can be done by heating the room where your turning or heating the envirotex before applying. Some experimental test runs will be required if heating the envirotex before applying. Too much and it will harden before you get it applied. Just seconds in the microwave goes a long way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskandy Posted October 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 thanks guys! little river never thought of that idea.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I've tried heating Etex in a 750 watt microwave and anything over 4 seconds and your screwed. It will start to set up before you can apply it. Heating for 3 seconds was where it did the best for me. It thinned the epoxy enough that the bubbles rose to the surface and easily popped. I've quit using Etex because I didn't care for the multiple coats it took to get a thicker surface coating though. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskandy Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Thanks @rayburnguy! I will try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Your welcome. And here's something I forgot to mention. Exhaling onto the warmed Etex will help pop the bubbles that rise to the top. I've been told it was the carbon dioxide in your exhaled breath that does the trick. good luck, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 I roll my lures at night also...with Etex. The nightly temps here (s Louisiana) have gotten maybe 8-10 degrees on the average lower than they were during late summer. It has really caused the "drying" time to change. Where it took 2-3 hours before I could remove from the wheel and hang a month ago...it now takes prolly 5-6 hours. I just let 'em roll all night. Envirotex works best for my particular needs, so, I can put up with these minor changes. I've found that, on my foiled lures, I can control the rate of fall on some lures by the amount of Etex I use. Usually, the "sweet spot" is a matter of one more (or less) thin coat. The thing with this epoxy is...you can make the coats as light as you want w/o compromising the makeup of the epoxy by using too much thinner. For the final coat...I use KBS Diamond Finish. I've tried all the rest and it works best for me. Dick Nite without the storage issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aydensdad82 Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 (edited) Which version Envirotex are you guys using? Edited October 26, 2013 by aydensdad82 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 I don't use Etex but a very similar product. Here is more about the product I am using. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/topic/26819-another-epoxy-topcoat/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskandy Posted October 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 I've tried heating Etex in a 750 watt microwave and anything over 4 seconds and your screwed. It will start to set up before you can apply it. Heating for 3 seconds was where it did the best for me. It thinned the epoxy enough that the bubbles rose to the surface and easily popped. I've quit using Etex because I didn't care for the multiple coats it took to get a thicker surface coating though. Ben I have tried this and it thinned it down good but did not set faster... The search continues!! Lol I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAboveThe49th Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Any suggestions for epoxy for a first time user? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Any suggestions for epoxy for a first time user? Depends which type of epoxy your talking about. A decoupage epoxy like Etex or a bonding epoxy such as D2T? The epoxies like Etex are mainly designed for doing bar tops, counter tops, tabletops, etc. They don't set up as hard as the bonding epoxies and some of the guys who fish for toothy critters, such as pike and musky, prefer this. The bonding epoxies cure to a much harder finish and, from reports I've read, can crack from the concentrated stress applied from something like a single tooth. These epoxies also have a much thinner viscosity than bonding epoxies so multiple coats are generally needed. Bonding epoxies, such as D2T are used for gluing things together. They are generally thicker and usually only need one coat for lures designed to catch bass or similar fish. Epoxies like Etex have a longer working time than bonding epoxies. This means you can coat more lures from each batch than you can with the bonding epoxies. For an epoxy such as D2T you have to have your ducks in a row to get 3 baits top coated before it becomes unworkable. Etex, and similar epoxies with a thinner viscosity, require more time to cure than bonding epoxies which means more time on the drying wheel. When I use epoxy I use Bob Smith 30 minute epoxy. It's just a personal preference as it seems to give me a little more working time than D2T and the bubbles that form when mixing seem to dissipate better. I started out using Etex and found I didn't like the amount of time it took to apply 2 or 3 coats and wait for each one to cure. There are also alternatives to Etex. Vic (littleriver) has been using an alternative tabletop epoxy for quite a while and seems very pleased with it. And of course there are many more epoxies than the ones I've mentioned. If you decide to use a bonding epoxy such as D2T, or Bob Smith, be sure to get the 30 minute variety. The 5 minute epoxies are not UV resistant and will yellow. The 5 minute epoxies are fine for gluing bait halves together, gluing hook hangers, gluing in diving lips, etc. but should be avoided anywhere it will be exposed to sunlight. I realize this doesn't give you a definitive answer as to which epoxy to use, but I try to stay away from saying "use this" or "use that" because a lot of the materials and techniques we use to build lures is based on personal choice. What works for me here in East Texas may not work as well for someone in Arizona or Oregon where the climate is different or where the type of fishing they're doing isn't similar to what I'm fishing. I also don't want to start another "Top Coat War" saying "this" or "that" is the "best". That's why Baskin-Robbins makes 31 flavors of ice cream. So everyone can get their favorite. Top coats are the most talked about topic on this forum. You can find enough material on this subject to keep you reading for quite a while by using the search feature. hope this helps, Ben 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAboveThe49th Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 I'd be using a Bonding epoxy, because I'm a little impatient but also I think its too cold most of the time where I live for decoupage epoxy. Its fall right now and for the last week its been extremely cold (35-40° every morning), colder then it should be. Also I strictly fish for bass, only because pike do too much unwanted damage to my baits/line. I'm going to try a few bonding epoxies before I choose one to use selectively, I might even try urethane if epoxies aren't doing it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Epoxies have a recommended curing temp. The Bob Smith epoxy I use claims their epoxy must be cured at 70 degrees or above. I have no doubt that other epoxies have similar recommendations. Does that mean the epoxy won't cure below those temps? No. Will it reach it's full potential if cured below recommended temps? Probably not. Companies that make recommendations for their products have usually spent a lot of time and money testing their products so that when it gets into the hands of the consumer they will know what to expect and have a set of guidelines to work from. If heating your entire lure building area is not an option then a small space heater that would raise the temp where your curing your baits could be an alternative. Just be sure your not trying to warm up anything flammable. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAboveThe49th Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Thanks for the advice, man I Love this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinman13 Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Has anyone used concrete sealer before? U can get it at Home depot or lowe's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Has anyone used concrete sealer before? U can get it at Home depot or lowe's? http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/topic/26712-gst-international-lacquer-based-concrete-sealer-as-a-topcoat/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joliepa Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 I've done some looking and asking at the local Lowe's. They seem to have almost nothing. Walmart has more, but their sealer called "SEAL-krete" said something about it not being compatable with 2part expoxy paints and I immediately feared it would ruin my what devcon I managed to uskillfully get on my lures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinman13 Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I went to home depot last night and they had some concrete sealer that was an oil based product. It was a gloss finish acrylic sealer, non yellowing. The Brand was Eagle and someone had returned it cause I guess they bought to much and the man said that it was a product they didn't normally carry. I wanted to buy it but didn't know if it would work or not. Has anyone tried this product and had good luck with it? Cause I am gonna go back and buy it if it works. They had it for 20 dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I went to home depot last night and they had some concrete sealer that was an oil based product. It was a gloss finish acrylic sealer, non yellowing. The Brand was Eagle and someone had returned it cause I guess they bought to much and the man said that it was a product they didn't normally carry. I wanted to buy it but didn't know if it would work or not. Has anyone tried this product and had good luck with it? Cause I am gonna go back and buy it if it works. They had it for 20 dollars. You can start reading about Eagle at post #190 in the link below. There are 2 different types of Eagle Concrete Sealer that are discussed. Nathan tried one and A-Mac tried the other. Ben http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/topic/26712-gst-international-lacquer-based-concrete-sealer-as-a-topcoat/page-10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Welcome back Tater! We missed you! I'm glad you finally listened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 TATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I missed you. Haven't had anybody to gripe at or make fun of since you left. I am a little miffed you didn't answer the emails I sent. By the way, did you get the bill for those calls to China I had billed to your phone? Welcome back buddy. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Who posted bail for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
