RamblinWreck Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 New here. I live in the Daytona Beach, FL area and fish inshore. My most productive lure has been Yo-Zuri's SS Minnow in black back with silver sides. Problem is that Yo-Zuri has discontinued making them. They do have some inventory of other colors left to sell so I bought some and have repainted the backs with an air brush. Once painted I seal them with Devcon 30 min clear epoxy and dry on a rotisserie. Works pretty good but there are 2 problems. 1) The epoxy increases the weight of the lure by approx. 11% which causes it to run slightly deeper and it also decreases the wobble of the lure. 2) The epoxy adds a slight brown/orange cast to the lure. In a recent post I think someone suggested to the poster that he should add denatured alcohol to the epoxy to thin it. Did I read that correctly? Sounds like that might work for my problem. How much alcohol do you add? Thanks - any help will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtx Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 If you are mixing epoxy for one bait, then i would add 2 or 3 drops. I would use etex or a different clear coat if the added weight of the epoxy is creating issues for you. Sure someone else will chime in soon with a better idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 All epoxies tend to yellow with exposure to UV light, as do most clearcoats. Measuring accurately and mixing really well tends to retard yellowing and it makes for the strongest epoxy coating. I mix enough Devcon to coat 2-3 bass baits at a time, which is about the maximum I can do before it begins hardening. For bass baits, I'll measure the components with epoxy syringes, 1 cc of each component per lure to be coated. To extend the brush time by about a minute, I simply dip my brush in DA and shake a few drops into the mixed epoxy, blending it in. It thins the mix slightly and makes brushing a little smoother but will require about 50% more rotation time than un-thinned Devcon. However, the overall cure time will be about the same as virgin Devcon - hard enough to handle lightly in about 5 hrs, hard enough to fish in 24 hrs. I'm unsure about how to remedy the extra weight problem as long as it's epoxy. One remedy is to remove all the existing finish on the bait, which may or may not be possible on a specific bait. There's a tradeoff you have to make between a thinner epoxy topcoat and more durability with a thicker coat. You can thin Devcon further than above and get a thinner coating or you can switch to a "table top" epoxy like Envirotex Lite (aka Etex) which comes pre-thinned with a solvent. I prefer to avoid the hassle of multiple coats so I stick with Devcon. Where thickness is an issue, I switch to another type of topcoat, especially moisture cured urethane - which is very tough but tricky to handle and store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 Yeah only other possible weight reduction would be to change the hardware to lighter versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonoman Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 Find some shorter shank trebles, possible even a slighter lighter wire, VMC perma steel hooks I believe are made in many different strengths...good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 If weight is a issue you may want to consider using a Moisture cured Urathane (MCU) as a top coat.It comes with it's own issues on storage but it may take care of your weight problem..Use the search feature at the top of the page and you will have hours of reading on the subject ..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joetheplumber Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 I use etex on Mirrolures with not to many issues. I feel the lure is slighly heavier but I haven't noticed an increase in the sink rate. I apply 2 thin coats unless it's one that I have foiled. Sometimes they require 3 coats. Not sure if it etex would mess with the action on the YoZuri lure though. I love all my old 3-D minnows so much I haven't bothered trying to paint one a new color...LOL I would try the etex and see how it goes. To me it's the best clear coat for "my" saltwater lures. Specks, Reds, Flounder and Stripers are my inshore fish of choice and etex holds up very well for those fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchilton Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 I've used sealcoat when I need a thin but durable top coat. It's a bit pricy but goes a long way and being water-based it requires no special handling like mcu's. Yozuri's are well made and fully sealed so all you really need in this case is to protect the new paint. I've had similar experience coating repaints with epoxy and having the extra weight change the action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamblinWreck Posted September 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Thanks "wchilton" -- this sounds promising Wasn't sure though what "sealcoat" is so looked it up. There is some for asphalt and then there is "SealCoat Universal Sanding Sealer" that is sold at Home Depot. I assume you are talking about the sanding sealer -- correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 If you thin the D2T, like Bob said, and brush it on, you can hang the lure from the line tie, and let the excess drip off. You'll get a thinner topcoat, but it will be lighter in weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krash7172 Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 I came to this forum doing this exact thing. I was refinishing P-line laser minnows last year. Scuff the factory clear coat, airbrush your acrylic color, MCU topcoat. (I upgrade the eyes and use 3 coats MCU for salt). Use search for details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchilton Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 Thanks "wchilton" -- this sounds promising Wasn't sure though what "sealcoat" is so looked it up. There is some for asphalt and then there is "SealCoat Universal Sanding Sealer" that is sold at Home Depot. I assume you are talking about the sanding sealer -- correct? The "sealcoat" I use is a lure topcoat. I think it's an acrylic. Sold at Lurepartsonline as well as other tackle stores. Sold in a 4-oz jar, and there's also a UV version (I've never tried that one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamblinWreck Posted October 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 Bought some of the sealcoat from Lurepartsonline and tried it on a "trial" lure I had just painted. Even though I let the last paint added (black back) dry for a day there was some removal of the paint while I brushed on the sealcoat. Not bad though. So I assume I need to heat dry the paint before applying the sealcoat or let it dry longer. It worked very well and only added about 3.5% to the weight. I need to field test it now to see how it holds up under use. Thanks for everyone's help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimP Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 I like "SealCoat" real well, it gives a factory like coat that is not too thick or heavy. Someone in a earlier post mentioned the 4 ounce container, however you can buy pint, quart and gallon sizes as well. If you are brushing and having a problem distorting your paint job try dipping or spraying. You can thin with plain water. Make sure all of the sub coats are dry. You can not cure any top coat with a wet sub coat. As with most top coats this stuff gets harder with age. I have fished them next day but a longer wait is better. This works for me but there is always room for improvement, be glad to hear anything that you might come up with. In a small container that just large enough to completely submerge the lures that you make start with 10 parts "SealCoat" to 2 parts of water, this mix will probably be a bit rich so consider this a starting point and adjust for personal choice from there. Don't completely fill the container, the lure will displace a large percentage of space if you chose the correct shape of container for the lures that you make. Dipping: Dip and withdraw slowly to allow the surface tension to pull the most of the excess off of the lure. Then allow to remain vertical for a minute and dab away any runs from the bottom side with a paper towel just sucking away the droplets and not actually touching the lure. You might get a two or more drops depending upon mixture dilution and lure size then pop it on to a drying turner. It will dry in a couple of hours in warm weather. Humidity will impact drying time also. Spraying: If you spray with an airbrush you do not need to put it on a drying turner, just apply and dry. Experiment a bit and you will know when you have the maximum application that you can get by with without turning on a drying turner. Practice in some junker lures at first. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Have you tried speeding the drying process with a hair dryer? How many coats do you apply, and what's the recoat time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimP Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Have you tried speeding the drying process with a hair dryer? How many coats do you apply, and what's the recoat time? Mark: I hope this helps. Speeding cure time: I have tried to sped up the drying process with a heat gun with mixed results, I have had much better results just letting it dry. Cure time is quick when compared to other top-coat products most of us use. Lacquer is only thing that is a quicker cure that I have experience with. Number of coats: Depends on what you expect from the final finish. Just a couple of coats will give a lure protection from everything except the very toothy critters. Number of coats and drying time also depend on how much you dilute the original product. I usually apply five or six coats and it will rival an "ETex" finish without the thickness and weight. Re-coat time: The local weather will control the re-coat time. In warm, low humidity weather re-coating goes quick. A couple of hours and shoot it again. I have no experience with coating lures in cooler weather but the weather man tells me I soon will. Anyone else happen onto something that works, let us know. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 Mark: I hope this helps. Speeding cure time: I have tried to sped up the drying process with a heat gun with mixed results, I have had much better results just letting it dry. Cure time is quick when compared to other top-coat products most of us use. Lacquer is only thing that is a quicker cure that I have experience with. Number of coats: Depends on what you expect from the final finish. Just a couple of coats will give a lure protection from everything except the very toothy critters. Number of coats and drying time also depend on how much you dilute the original product. I usually apply five or six coats and it will rival an "ETex" finish without the thickness and weight. Re-coat time: The local weather will control the re-coat time. In warm, low humidity weather re-coating goes quick. A couple of hours and shoot it again. I have no experience with coating lures in cooler weather but the weather man tells me I soon will. Anyone else happen onto something that works, let us know. Good Luck! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 This is a very helpful post, thanks to all that replied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
