PondBoss Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I recently got a couple of Sebile Magic Swimmers to paint. When done what will be the best way to clear coat them? I'm worried about dipping them in MCU and since they are jointed I see issue with epoxy and spinning them. All help is appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bass Man Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 Auto clear is great to use on swimbaits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PondBoss Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 What is that, and why is it so good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 Auto clearcoat is the stuff they spray on your car after the color coat, to make it very durable. The problem is that really durable auto clears are 2 part finishes and they contain hazardous isocyanates that you never want to breathe. So if you go that route, make sure you are wearing a mask rated for solvent protection when you spray it. One way to immobilize the joints on a swimbait is to wrap a rubber band tightly into the joint. It prevents the body from flopping around and blocks finish spray from gumming up the joint. You have a range of choices for clearcoating, some can be sprayed, some need to be brushed or dipped. Personally, I really like Dick Nite MCU on plastic baits since it's very similar to a good factory clearcoat - thin, clear, and durable. Another option is Solarez UV cured polyester resin, which can be brushed on and cured hard in a few minutes - but it is less glossy than most of the alternatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PondBoss Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 I also use MCU but was curious about gumming up the joints. I'll try wrapping with rubber bands that's a neat idea. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAWGFAN Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 I've epoxy coated these baits. I was careful to only use a very thin coat, and use two coats. I hang mine from the head/tail, manually turning every few minutes until the finish quits running. My drying wheel doesn't allow me to hold baits from each end, parallel to the axis of rotation. I clamp my lures from the bill, perpendicular to the axis. Guys that can hang baits from each end on a wheel probably don't have much issue. I would think that with enough tension, the bait would stay straight. A little bit of clear in the joints can be scraped off after curing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 I use Solarez now, so I would coat one section at a time, and UV cure it, and then do the other. Because it cures so fast, I can switch ends, and hang the coated section at the bottom so the top coat doesn't reach the hinges. I'd probably brush it into the joints, to keep it clean, and dip the body parts, and then let it drip off the excess, before I cured it out. That method will work with epoxy, too, but it takes a lot longer, since epoxy takes a while to cure out. When I used Etex or Nulustre on my jointed swimbaits, I'd coat the inside of the joints with D2T, lapping it out onto the section face a quarter of an inch, and let that cure out. I used a small artists brush, and took my time, so I only mixed the D2T up in small batches on a piece of duct tape on my work table top. And I always had a cup of denatured alcohol next to me, so I could clean the brush immediately between batches. Once the D2T was cured, I'd suspend my baits horizontal on my ferris wheel turner, and coat just the faces with the other epoxy. Then I'd rotate them overnight, and apply a second coat on the faces the next morning, and rotate them again. A single coat of D2T on the interior joint faces held up just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 we use auto clear. a flash coat then when tacky a final coat. use a blower system though...be safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bass Man Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 What is that, and why is it so good?Goes on thin, self leveling & doesn't have to be turned. Definitely have to be safe spraying it. Don't have to worry about it clogging up the joints. A lot of clears will work with different preparations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 On that blank I take the bait apart. Use an awl and pierce the plastic where the rod is on one side and then flip it over and push the rod out with the awl. After you clear coat simply put the rods back in and a dab of D2t on each end of the rods. Here are some pics of a couple I did last year. The top one is done with Solarez and the bottom is with D2T 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 On that blank I take the bait apart. Use an awl and pierce the plastic where the rod is on one side and then flip it over and push the rod out with the awl. After you clear coat simply put the rods back in and a dab of swimmer1.JPG The top one is done with Solarez and the bottom is with swimmer2.JPG Smart!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PondBoss Posted May 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 Thanks Bass100 that's how I was wanting to do it, but didn't really see how to take it apart easily. My next ones will be done that way for sure Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b75nweav Posted May 23, 2014 Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 (edited) I had good results with glisten pc high gloss auto clear. Like mentioned before though, you do not want to breath this stuff! Very nasty but works great. I used a filter respirator, sprayed with a small auto sprayer and sprayed outdoors.. Very nice results... Edited May 23, 2014 by b75nweav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b75nweav Posted May 23, 2014 Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 light coats over and over.. Never had a problem with the joints..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
