Nathan Posted December 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 I've used other brands of concrete sealers to seal wooden baits and it works great.Let the baits soak for about 3-4 minutes and hang to dry for 2-3 days...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 14, 2014 Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 AC as a sealer: It might depend on what you're planning to use as a topcoat over it. Shouldn't have problem with an AC topcoat, or epoxies, but might with a solvent based topcoat like a urethane. Personally, for undercoating lures I'm looking for something that will armor the wood so it's tough and waterproof. If it's also fairly thick so that it can level out over minor wood imperfections, all the better. I prefer using an epoxy, Solarez UV cured polyester, or multiple dips in propionate. The AC seems a little too thin for that but I suppose it would work OK if the wood is perfectly smooth to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Bob, Does the Solarez add enough weight to a balsa crank to affect it's performance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Mark, well, anything you add to a bait changes its performance in at least a small way - but I regularly undercoat baits with Solarez and topcoat them with epoxy and both coatings are fairly thick. I don't think it has noticeably changed their performance from when I used epoxy to both undercoat and topcoat balsa baits so I guess my answer is a qualified "no problem". Of course, changing the weight distribution of the bait also has effects but all you can do is try it and see how it works. If you are switching from AC to Solarez as a topcoat, the difference would be greater because AC is much thinner than Solarez. But except in the case of building a suspending lure, I doubt it would be a deal breaker. Is that response wishy-washy enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfk9 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks for the replies to my question concerning AC as a pre-seal , i've been using two ton...BobP has some good points concerning toughness/waterproofing that i feel are characteristics that maybe i was taking for granted....thanks again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPFLiTE1994 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Glad I stumbles on this thread (and forum..). Just ordered a quart of AC, looking forward to trying it on the wake rat I'm carving. Will be working out of town for the week so it should be at the door when I return! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks Bob. I was concerned about the effect of thicker sealers and top coats on small balsa cranks, like the 1.0 size square bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kustom Krankz Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 anybody had colors bleed with this stuff- I have been using it for a little while and this weekend I had a bait with a yellow belly bleed a little- not noticeable on the bait bout what drips off the rear hook hanger has a yellow tint to it- tried spraying another one with krylon clear before dipping- still bled a little but with no adverse effects- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 I find that solvent-based sharpies will bleed unless I really heat set them, or spray a coat of gloss Createx clear over them as a barrier. Once the sharpie has been well set, so all the solvent has off gassed, it's not a problem. Solvent-based paints might be a problem. I would shoot a sealing coat of the Createx over it first, just to play safe. On a tangent, I fished an Orbit 80 jerkbait, coated in "In The Spotlight" nail polish and then dipped once in AC1315, hard for the last three weeks. I noticed, when I was cleaning up the boat, that the single coat had become scarred and opaque in places, due to bumping crap on the retrieve, and being slammed by stripers. I also noticed that the #2 split rings holding the trebles had been ovaled. So I took off the hooks and split rings, including the one on the line tie, and, without doing any other prep, I dipped the bait in the AC again. It came out perfect, with all scaring and clouding gone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutbum2live Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 Hello! I have read many threads on this forum, they are extremely helpful and you guys rock! I am on the east end of Lake Ontario in NY and I have been painting my own cranks for about a year. I have always used D2T on my repainted cranks (Hot shots, Kwikfish, Rapalas, Hot n Tots etc...) but decided to give AC1315 a try. Well I dipped 2 coats, 4 hours apart, and then let them dry for 48 hours + and the finish can be scratched with my fingernail. Any idea what I am doing wrong? I am using createx paints, spraying them on plain finish lures (Chrome, Gold...) Could the factory finish be keeping this top coat from adhering? Any suggestions? Sorry if this is a foolish question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 troutbum2live - if you can still put your fingernail in it then it is not cured. I put mine in a hot box because it is cold here and it takes about 4 days before I can't put my fingernail in it. Hope this helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tritonchin Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) Has anyone tried this on harness blades and what where the results? I normally do repaints on cranks has the success been on the repaints been good also ,currently using solarez and like it but would like the ease of use of just dipping and letting hang. Edited January 12, 2015 by yarcraftman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 If you can still scratch the actual top coat because it is soft, it's not cured. Maybe it needs to be warmer when you cure it. I hit my lures with a hair dryer after about 15 minutes, and then again after another 15 minutes, and they are dry/hard enough after an hour to put the split rings and trebles on. I can fish them the next day. If you can dent the lure through the top coat, the paint under the top coat is still soft, because isn't truly dry and cured. Multiple, thin coats of paint, dried really well with a hair dryer between coats, is the only way to insure everything is truly dry. I can paint much faster with multiple thin coats than with fewer, thick coats, because thick coats take three times as long to dry as thinner ones. Then let the lure hang in front of a light for a couple of hours before you coat it. In cold weather (for me that's high 40's) I heat my lures with my hair dryer before I start painting, to try and insure that the paint dried thoroughly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutbum2live Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thank you very much for your responses! I will try applying heat as well as letting them cure longer and see how it works out! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I made and painted an 8" glider, and dipped it in AC1315 the same day. I fished it the next day. It wound up with hook rash on the side of the bait in one place, and several small chips, right down to the Wicked White base coat. I should have let it cure more, I guess, because cranks I had done the same way on the same day had no problems at all. I'm guessing the larger glider pieces didn't cure as fast because they didn't get as hot as the smaller cranks. I didn't sand the margarine top tail that I colored with sharpies, and then coated with the AC1315, and you can see some of it pealed off, too. I haven't had to sand this kind of tail before, but I did let the top coat cure longer the other times. I'll touch up the paint, and redip the glider in AC1315, and this time let it hang for a day to cure. Here's a couple of pics of the damage: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bois d'Arc Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Painted up 4 baits today and dipped them. All wrinkled you certain degrees. Any possible reasons why? I heat dry all coats with a hair dryer before dipping. Should I try the Pledge first? If so how long after doing in pledge before dipping in AC1315? THANKS I had similar issues with wrinkles. Started dipping the clear blanks in acetone before painting and later hanging the painted lures in a dehydrator for a few hours each day for 3-4 days. When the paint feels chalky rather than sticky I dip them in Pledge Acrylic Floor Finish once, then let them hang in the dehydrator for about 3-4 hours. After that dip them in anything ...Eagle, MCU, AC1315...the finished product is wrinkle free and hard as nails after curing out. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 From what I've experienced, and what boisarc just posted, it looks more and more like having your paint really dry, and letting the top coat cure a day, are the keys. I've been fortunate in having only to base coat my sanded PVC lures with Wicked White, paint with Createx, Wildlife, and Folk Art paints, and then dip once in AC1315. I only dipped the smaller two piece glide bait I made once, but I let it cure for several days before I fished it. It's held up fine to this point. So far I haven't experienced any wrinkling. Famous last words, I know. Hahaha I do hit my top coat with a hair dryer a couple of times, once it has hung for 15 minutes, to help it set faster. Maybe that has something to do with it. The solvent may flash off before it has a chance to penetrate and soften the paint, so it wrinkles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saugerman Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I am just starting to paint hardbaits, I have really enjoyed the discussion on the top coats. I have been using D2T, but would like to try something different. After reading this thread, I think I will give the sealers mentioned, and see how they work for me. TU is a great forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Has anyone tried to see if this stuff reacts to plastic/rubber? I read through the posts but didn't see anything on this. I know the other concrete sealers I have tried do react to plastic worms and such so i can't really use them as a top coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) I'll go lay a worm across a crank I coated two days ago right now, and let you know. Edited January 16, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'll go lay a worm across a crank I coated two days ago right now, and let you know. How did the test go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 No problem at all. The crank is fine, and so is the worm. Letting the bait cure a day worked wonders for my S waver copy. I fished it with no damage or hook rash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 No problem at all. The crank is fine, and so is the worm. Letting the bait cure a day worked wonders for my S waver copy. I fished it with no damage or hook rash. Thanks Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Just be sure to either dip and hang it outside for five minutes before you bring it into your ventilated shop, or open the back door of your garage, like I do, and have a box fan blowing from back to the open front overhead door, so the fumes blow out. I don't really smell it too badly, but I have an old nose, and I'm not as sensitive to smells as I used to be. But my eyes could feel effect of the fumes later on, when I tried dipping inside with no moving air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 I hate you Mark....errr well....uhhh ok I don't hate you my wallet does!!! In all honesty thanks for testing that and everything else you do! If you don't mind me asking where did you order it from? Any trouble shipping to CA? Cheers, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
