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Bob Smith Epoxy

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I'm using it on musky lures and two thin coats is more protection. I brush it on thin and just hang to dry. Every bit as good as d2t.  Get the 30 min type. I buy the 9oz. size which is two 4.5 oz bottles. Not overly crucial about exact mixing proportions. I just eye ball amounts, works for me. Good luck.

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Been using it for awhile now and I really like it.  I primarily use the 20 minute but have some 30 around too.  Kind of counter intuitive but the 20 minute gives you more work time than the 30.  I have started doing 2 coats of the 20 and so far am pleased with it 1 was fine to fish with, but 2 really is rock solid.  

 

I do thin it a bit with DA.  I will take one of the little hobby brushes and dip it in the alcohol and then brush up against the rim of my disposable epoxy cup.  I usually do about 1 swipe of DA per bait and usually do 4-5 baits at a time with the 20.  The DA does slow down the cure time a bit, I find it tacks up around the same, but stays slightly sticky longer so keep that in mind.  

 

Another thing that helps me get nice thin coats is to hit my little disposable cup of epoxy with a hair dryer after it has been mixed.  Its nothing crazy just maybe 30 seconds or so on high and hot.  It seems to help the bubbles escape and in general helps thin out the product. 

 

I mix like maybe 3 cc of each part to do five baits something like that.  I just use a gradated mark disposable cup to measure, nothing too scientific for me, but i believe im very close to equal. 

 

Something I just started doing is clear coating the bills.  Im doing not so much to clear the bill (which it does) but to avoid the inevitable lifting of the epoxy at the tape.  When I was keeping the bills taped and epoxying up to the bill I was never comfortable with the buildup that developed at the edge of the tape.  Honestly haven't had a chance to fish any of the baits that I have cleared the bills on so it may or may not be a permanent step in my process. 

 

Also I definitely do use a turning wheel (BBQ rotisserie).  I  guess you could do it without it, but it would be much harder.  If i have to mess with something else while I have a bait on the helping hands getting cleared, I have a definite noticeably thicker section at the lowest point of the bait when I get back to it. 

Edited by ayetti
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I've been using the BSI 30 Minute Slow Cure Epoxy for about 6 years. I love it! I first tried the 20 minute Finish Cure and like Ayetti states you do get more working time maybe 6 baits than the 30 minute slow cure, but I find it requires 2 coats.  It's very forgiving as far as mixing as Musky Glenn said. I squeeze a 5 count of each in a plastic medicinal cup. Hit it for 10-15 seconds with a drill using a wire from a spinnerbait with the end bent at 90 degrees. I dip the epoxy brush in DA poured into a glass shot glass type of thing. Mix it AFTER mixing the 2 parts and all bubbles disperse immediately. I do 2-3 baits per batch but never dip the brush in the DA after the first bait. I found that dipping it in the DA with epoxy on the brush contaminates it and I would end up with little bits of epoxy that look like bubbles in the finished bait.  The DA does not compromise the integrity of the finish at all. The only reason I use it is to disperse the bubbles. I also find that humidity is key. When I cleared out side in the garage I had about 75% success rate. Inside 99.9%. I warm the bottles with the heat gun to about room temp, I guess just to get it to flow better out of the bottle. The RC guys have been using this for like 10K years....One plus over D2T is that if you are doing any lipless with sharp corners, I also remove the tape from the bills before clearing. I will do them as baits 2 and 3 once the BSI starts to thicken. It will enable you to do sharp edges without it pulling away. Also, whatever I'm clearing, I will hit with some color shift paint or top coat prior to clear coating...anything really to cover any oils that would normally cause the epoxy not to cover from contamination.  I'm sure there are other clears like dipping KBS or whatever, but because of lung issues I find this allows me to keep breathing....I also use the  Breathe Cool Fresh Air System which pumps air from another room into my mask  Hope this helps....because of health issues I have found this to work best for me.  It doesn't peel, crack or flake and takes a beating! 

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19 hours ago, Musky Glenn said:

I use water based paints and Bob Smith epoxy which have no odor, so I took the breath cool system money and bought another fishing rod. lol

Just because it has no or little odor doesn't mean it's ok to to breathe it in.  Nobody is more stubborn than me.  I poured plastics for years without proper ventilation and designed ,made and polished jewelry  breathing in gold and silver dust with the same mindset. Even with the fresh air system, I tend not to walk over and flip the switch just for one or two quick colors. I also have a paint booth with exhaust, but when you're coating a dozen lures in Createx White, the particles are just floating around and being breathed in. Well, I'm not painting this week because I'm sitting here with the oxygen on 24/7 since last Tuesday evening and needless to say I did not fish the Saturday night club tourney. I do use it as much as possible and always when clear coating because my kids need a father. For the first time in my life, if someone asked me if I could do it all over, would I do anything different....I would say yes!  Smoking for 40 years gave me the Emphysema..so much for being bullet proof.  I have nobody to blame but myself and do what I can to protect what lung capacity (30+total%) but still fall short. Not looking for feedback or any sympathy but passing along the knowledge I've acquired  from first hand experience as well as recommendation from those that came before me...

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7 hours ago, Musky Glenn said:

Mr. Prager, I apologize for my arrogant attitude and was mainly being sarcastic concerning buying another fishing rod. I hope your health improves so you can get back to those tournaments. Good luck.

None necessary...I didn't look at it that way at all....but I thank you for your concern. The only tourneys I fish is my monthly club tourneys...we average 1/2 dozen boats or so.  That's about the max amount of people that are willing to tolerate me!

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1 hour ago, Richard Prager said:

None necessary...I didn't look at it that way at all....but I thank you for your concern. The only tourneys I fish is my monthly club tourneys...we average 1/2 dozen boats or so.  That's about the max amount of people that are willing to tolerate me!

I'm sure that's just because they know you.   Hahaha

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I did go buy another 7' fishing rod today. I'm a 72 year old kid that never got over a child hood of having to make do with one, half good fishing rod all the way through my teen years. Now that I can, kind of, afford a few extras, lures, reels and rods just make me sleep better at night.

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I've been using BSI 30 minute for everything.  It levels out great and I get a really smooth finish.  I recently bought some BSI Finish Cure(20 min) last Wednesday just to try it out and I don't like it nearly as much.  It's much thinner than the 30 minute and way easier to apply.  I'm getting a lot of dripping and very uneven results.  I had to do a lot of sanding for my 1st and 2nd coats.  I'm using a turner, but my baits are all 6 inches plus, not small crankbaits.

 

I also use a respirator while applying the epoxy or sanding it while having an  exhaust fan running in my garage even if the garage door is open.

 

 

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On 6/22/2017 at 5:44 PM, Musky Glenn said:

I did go buy another 7' fishing rod today. I'm a 72 year old kid that never got over a child hood of having to make do with one, half good fishing rod all the way through my teen years. Now that I can, kind of, afford a few extras, lures, reels and rods just make me sleep better at night.

Ha ha...Since I retired I've been keeping my habit well fed too!

I wondered why I was sleeping better.

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BSI 30 min with one coat is a pretty substantial thickness coating.  Highly recommend a real camels hair brush to lay this stuff down.  Use Acetone to clean the brush after and can be reused over and over as long as you clean the brush well. It's a 93 gloss coating. IMO one of the best to use on home builder baits. 

 

Sensitization is a problem with any epoxy resin. Gloves are highly recommended also. PPE first.

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