thogan6 Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 what do you guys use to seal the edges of circuit board bills to keep them from fraying. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 All I do is sand the edges with some 220 or 350 grit sandpaper after cutting them out with a pair of tin snips. To make sure you keep the edges of the lip straight just glue some sandpaper onto a tongue depressor to make a cheap sanding block. Haven't noticed any fraying of the edges on anything so far. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurenerd Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 thogan6 asks an interesting question. To take it a step farther lets consider what, if anything, might be done to seal and protect a circuit board diving lip and the effect on a lures action. I've recently started building my own balsa diving crank baits and settled on circuit board as the best, and easiest, material to use for constructing diving lips. At this point, I follow RayburnGuys methodology and don't seal the circuit board diving lip with anything. But I'm wondering if some type of sealer or epoxy over the lip might not be a good idea. Some vendors claim that circuit board diving lips enhance the action of the lure due to its thin and flexible properties. Begs the question: Would using a sealer or epoxy on a circuit board diving lip have an effect on the way the lip functions? I'm sure someone on this site has experimented around with this and can offer up some insight on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwfflipper Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 I haven't sealed my fiber lips in 14 years of making baits and see no reason to seal them. You have to remember epoxy is a encapsulating material and it will stiffen the fiber to some extent, to what extent I don't know and I doubt anyone has taken the time to test the theory. Plus if you use the crankbait as it should be ie; deflecting off on rocks, trees ect the epoxy will be ground off the edges anyway. Hope this helps. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 Every little thing you do to a crankbait affects its performance one way or another. I've never applied anything to a circuit board lip to protect it from fraying on rocks and have been satisfied with its durability. I have painted epoxy on a badly worn plastic lip to improve its look and it looked worse afterward. MCU will work fine on plastic lips to clarify them when scratched. It will not Bond well to polycarbonate. I don't think you'll find a coating that's tougher than the fiberglass and phenolotic resin of circuit board and think anything you try will wear off pretty quickly. To me, it's trying to gild the lily. Unnecessary and won't help the look or performance of the lip. If you are concerned about its durability, you can make the lip from a more durable circuit board like G-11 (at higher cost) but G-10 works fine for me. You will never make a crankbait that will not wear during hard fishing; it just goes with the territory. Fortunately, we can build more! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 X2 BobP, I have seen adding weight, water tempertures changes will make a floater become a sinker. I fish in rock a lot....no problems with circuit board yet. Trolling I'll use lexan. Need to find some lexan by the way. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 I get polycarbonate (aka Lexan) sheets from McMaster-Carr on line. They have a wide variety of thicknesses and ship it in convenient 12x12" sheets at a good price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted January 12, 2017 Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 I'm not sure I see a benefit from adding epoxy to a circuit board lip. What is used mostly for lips is g10 and not really micarta. G10 is formed with epoxy and fiberglass fibers, so I don't think you gain much since it's already epoxied. thickening the lip would have a slightly negative effect on action, both due to hydrodynamics and from add weight away from the center of pressure. clemmy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkNY Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 I sometimes use etex clear gloss spray to seal the lure after foiling or between paint coats. I've sprayed circuit board lips with it too. Gives a nice gloss finish to lip with little buildup. Not sure how much durability it would add to the edges of the lip but might be worth trying. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
