Possible New Clear Coat

[KevinHanses]

Kevin - it is hardness that you are talking about. To resist a sharp tooth and remain unblemished, the topcoat must be extremely hard. But, if the bite of the tooth overcomes the limit of the topcoat, the failure will be total, with the complete collapse of the material around the bite. Also, if you strike a rock or hard object, the topcoat will fail by fracture. There are no half measures with such a brittle material, either the coating survives without a blemish or there is total failure.

 

Scratching is a different thing, hook rash is not going to cause a failure, but the material will be susceptible to hook rash. Also, the fine scratches will make the material weak and a lighter rock shock will shatter the coating.

 

Doubling up on the coating of a brittle top coat would add a little extra resistance, but minimal. If the coat was 3 layers, it would still shatter on the rocks.

 

A less hard topcoat will have more flexibility and the ability to flow and deform. All sharp bites are going to leave a mark, but only the strongest of bites could pierce the material and then the damage would normally just be a pinhole. Double thickness coating would give double the protection. A rock hit may leave a mark, but only a razor sharp rock would have a hope of penetrating the coating.

 

We all do the thumbnail test and smile when it is impossible to leave a mark. But, I would say that the best result would be just the faintest of marks from the thumb. This would indicate that the bait will be good on the rocks and will not shatter under extreme tooth loads.

 

It is my opinion that D2T is too hard and easy to crack/shatter. But D2T does look and feel good and I like it. Etex (I have not used) is designed for covering table tops and so must be able to take the shock loads without cracking. It is this quality that makes it a good lure coating. It won't shatter on the rocks and it won't crack under tooth load.

 

For a comparison; pour a 1/8" (approx) strip of each coating material and allow to fully cure for 72 hours. Now try a bend/flex test to see how stiff the material is and to see if it snaps. Put a few scores across the material to represent hook rash and repeat the flex test. Try a tooth test by striking a blow with a centre punch, does the material fail with a crack, shatter or just dent.

 

Dave

 

Guess I never thought of it like that. Thanks for the input. I'm fairly new at this. Only have around 30-40 baits under my belt.

I know D2T chips easily. I've taken a few chips off from a blank just clearing the hook eyelets.

[Vodkaman]

Kevin - We the majority, including I, love D2T. To love D2T, just like a 40 year marriage, you must know and accept the faults and imperfections. BUT, if a new, perfect topcoat comes along, even if it is slightly more expensive to run, a few will PROBABLY jump ship

 

Dave

[21xdc]

I jumped ship from e-tex, D2T, BSI, Seal Coat, Concrete sealer,.............. To KBS Diamond Clear.... After thinning it 20-30% with Zylol/Zylene,  I have never worked with a better product....

 

Anyone want all my 2 part epoxies? LOL...

[mark poulson]

Here's my experience, from finishes I've used:

Clear and flexible ( stays soft), E tex.

Hard and rigid (can be brittle), D2T.  

Strong and hard (but not as high gloss) Solarez dual cure polyester resin.

All have their strong points and their weak points, but they are the most user-friendly finishes.  

Everything else has fumes that are nasty, and I use one of them, AC1315, sometimes.  

Even clear nail polish, which is a quick strong finish, has nasty fumes.

You pay your money and you make your choice.

Edited February 8, 2016 by mark poulson

[jonister]

I have yet to really fish this stuff hard but I will say, it is strong, hard, and flexible, like envirotex. The one thing that is unlike any other epoxy or resin or whatever you use, that makes this stuff special, is it doesn't smell and has no VOC's. If you put your nose right up to the epoxy, it has a light smell, but other than that, I can't smell it. It also smells kinda pleasant. I should also note that I did this in my bed room and no one else in the house could tell!

[tanderson4]

Hey Dave, would love to try this product. What do I do now?  

[SW Lures]

Like human beings, no top coat is perfect. It's up to each one's preference. This is what I get from reading material from here for about a year (I read months before joining).

Set your criteria' s that you want and pick the one you need. As stated above, do you want a clear look, matte, hardness etc. Let me put weight in here to. This goes for more dense wood species.

Also Dave said it, if a tooth, rock or whatever breaks the clear coat it's over. Time and water will do the rest. This goes more for wooden baits especially.

Yep, it's a lot to think about. Any of the popular coats will do.I'm waiting on time and usage of some baits that I coated with something else that is not named here. I'm the type that will not say nothing until I feel that I have proven the worth of a product. That hasn't happen yet.

Dale

[RayburnGuy]

Hey Dave, would love to try this product. What do I do now?  

 

http://www.artresin.com/

 

Ben

[ravenlures]

Has anyone looked at the Garco stuff the other deck finishes Marine Paint      www.poolandmarinepaint.com    looks like I might try some out.

[Muskie Tamer]

Here's my experience, from finishes I've used:

Clear and flexible ( stays soft), E tex.

Hard and rigid (can be brittle), D2T.  

Strong and hard (but not as high gloss) Solarez dual cure polyester resin.

All have their strong points and their weak points, but they are the most user-friendly finishes.  

Everything else has fumes that are nasty, and I use one of them, AC1315, sometimes.  

Even clear nail polish, which is a quick strong finish, has nasty fumes.

You pay your money and you make your choice.

If your etex is staying soft or rubbery you're not mixing it right.

[RayburnGuy]

If your etex is staying soft or rubbery you're not mixing it right.

 

I think what Mark was saying is that Etex doesn't get hard and brittle like D2T, BS or other epoxies of that type. Etex is designed as a bar top epoxy that is used to cover wood surfaces. Wood expands and contracts and the inherent flexibility of Etex is designed to expand and contract with the wood so it doesn't crack or loose adhesion to the wood.

 

Ben

[BobP]

Raven,  assume you are talking about the Garco moisture cured urethane.  In my experience, it is not as clear as Dick Nite and it has a higher viscosity.  The can I tried also 'went off' faster than Dick Nite and I assume that was because it doesn't contain as much solvent as the Dick Nite.  You can find Garco on the web for cheaper than DN but I wonder how fresh the finish is.  Your experience may differ but for me, the extra cost of DN is worth it.

[Lipz]

I jumped ship from e-tex, D2T, BSI, Seal Coat, Concrete sealer,.............. To KBS Diamond Clear.... After thinning it 20-30% with Zylol/Zylene,  I have never worked with a better product....

 

Anyone want all my 2 part epoxies? LOL...

 

What kind drying/fully cured time are we talking about with the KBS Diamond Clear? I don't want anything that dries any slower than 2-part epoxy. A Gloss finish and quick drying time is what keeps me going back to 2-part epoxy.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Lipz

[nedyarb]

The kbs dries overnight, but it takes 4 to 5 days to get rock hard.

[jonister]

KBS is quite glossy. I use it too. AC1315 did not work at all for me, 2 part epoxy is nice, but it adds too much weight to some lures, and Solarez isn't my favorite for tolerating. KBS dips nice, drys fast enough that I can dip in the morning, put in a heat box, and when I come home in the afternoon it is dry enough to handle. Nedyarb is right on with the dry time. It also has some, but very very little flexibility. The kind Vodkamen has talked about as being very strong. 2 coats of it for bass baits works just fine for me.

[andy1976]

Does anyone know if the kbs will cover Wtp tape with two coats. Looking for something I can dip and hang. 4 to 16 oz lures.

[jigginpig]

Neat. I recently moved out of a house into an apartment, so a lot of the tackle building has shut down due to not having a garage. Things with no VOCs would be a godsend. 

 

Interested to try it. 

 

SS

[Mad Moose Baits]

Okay. I got my Art Resin and after building a turner I tried it out. I really really like it. The gloss and clarity are beautiful. 

Looking over one of the lure today I noticed a few tiny bubbles. This is a known by-product of the Art Resin and they advise you to use a small artist's torch to get rid of them. I didn't have one. Also they say it is touchable after 8 hours. My basement is pretty cool right now so at 8 hours they were still a little tacky. 

 

[nedyarb]

I run a hair dryer over the lures to remove the bubbles

[DJoseph]

Neat. I recently moved out of a house into an apartment, so a lot of the tackle building has shut down due to not having a garage. Things with no VOCs would be a godsend. 

 

Interested to try it. 

 

SS

 

try it!  we use it on artwork and photos with our 2 year old running around and no worries whatsoever. also we sell to schools and workshops all the time because they don't have to outfit every student with a respirator in order to use the product!

 

- Dave

[DJoseph]

Okay. I got my Art Resin and after building a turner I tried it out. I really really like it. The gloss and clarity are beautiful. 

Looking over one of the lure today I noticed a few tiny bubbles. This is a known by-product of the Art Resin and they advise you to use a small artist's torch to get rid of them. I didn't have one. Also they say it is touchable after 8 hours. My basement is pretty cool right now so at 8 hours they were still a little tacky. 

 

 

Great video! For something small like lures you can even just take a long neck lighter and run that over the surface and it'll take care of the bubbles. it's the high heat you want (that works the best), also a flame doesn't push out any air (unlike a hair dryer) which is ideal. thanks for the video, it's awesome and your lures look great!

[DJoseph]

What kind drying/fully cured time are we talking about with the KBS Diamond Clear? I don't want anything that dries any slower than 2-part epoxy. A Gloss finish and quick drying time is what keeps me going back to 2-part epoxy.

 

ArtResin dries in 24 hrs, beautiful glossy finish to it. FYI.

[law651]

That was a great review..  The fish eye from touching the baits is what I didn't like with the etex... Art Resin seems to cure that problem...  The product seems to be the best of the epoxies. .Just need to see what real world use, performance will be.

[RayburnGuy]

As far as fish eyes, if you guys are handling your baits with your hands then you need to wash your hands in hot water and Dawn dish washing liquid. This removes the oils on the skin which are the cause of the fish eyes. I routinely handle my baits and never have trouble with fish eyes. Either in the painting or top coating process.

 

Ben

[Lipripper508]

Hello Everyone, 

I have been using the water based CS clear coat on my saltwater pencil poppers, it great stuff but i have been having issues with the paint cracking as the clear coat cures.  I have also been using the JB weld marine epoxy thinned with acetone and it work great but need to be thinned a lot to get a nice even clear coat on my lure turned.  I have also used the Devcon 2 ton epoxy but it goes on way to thick for me and i tend to get sags on the finish even though i use a turner.  I am interested in this art resin though has anyone used this finish in a saltwater application? We get tormented by bluefish a lot in my neck of the wood so durability is key!  Also i have been sealing all my plugs with a spar urethane and mineral spirits cocktail but have had some issues with the combination seeping out of the wood after the paint and clear coat is applied. Am i sealing them too long or should i try something else.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Most of my lures are through wired with .062 wire and the belly hook hanger is a AFW 500# swivel.

 

Thank you,