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DoubleT

Debris In Topcoat

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I am having a terrible time with debris in my topcoat epoxy. Every lure I make seems to have a few bumps in the topcoat. It doesn't look like dust but appears to be possibly dried epoxy. I have been reusing my epoxy brush. I rinse it after every use in acetone and clean it up the best that I can. The bristles are a little stiff when I go to use it again but they loosen up fairly easily. I wonder if that isn't where my problem is coming from. Have any of you guys experienced this. I'm thinking next time when I loosen the bristles that I will rinse it in acetone prior to applying the epoxy in hopes of washing out any debris that may be in the bristles. Any thoughts. Thanks 

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15 minutes ago, DoubleT said:

I am having a terrible time with debris in my topcoat epoxy. Every lure I make seems to have a few bumps in the topcoat. It doesn't look like dust but appears to be possibly dried epoxy. I have been reusing my epoxy brush. I rinse it after every use in acetone and clean it up the best that I can. The bristles are a little stiff when I go to use it again but they loosen up fairly easily. I wonder if that isn't where my problem is coming from. Have any of you guys experienced this. I'm thinking next time when I loosen the bristles that I will rinse it in acetone prior to applying the epoxy in hopes of washing out any debris that may be in the bristles. Any thoughts. Thanks 

Me personally I wouldn't reuse the brush. You are probably getting old resin in your topcoat from not a complete cleaning of the brush.  

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I always wet the brush in solvent and stroke it against a clean cloth before using it and I clean it vigorously after use, bending the bristles in multiple directions while submerged in the solvent and then stroking it dry on a cloth.  Takes less than a minute and makes the brush last years instead of months.  I prefer the fine bristles of an artist’s brush instead of the coarser bristles of flux or cheap throwaway brushes, so good cleaning is a must.

Edited by BobP
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I reuse my brushes all the time, and have no problem with hardening or debris. I use denatured alcohol for cleanup as the vapors are less harmful. 1)Use a blunt, straight object to squeegee remaining epoxy from the brush. 2) Place a small amount (1/8") of DNA in the bottom of a mixing cup. 3) Alternate working the brush in the cup and drying with a paper towel. 4) When brush is clean, replace the DNA with fresh. Use just enough to saturate the brush. 5) Work the brush, then wrap bristles with a small section of paper towel. Leave it on till the brush is needed again. This draws out the remaining epoxy and DNA. The paper towel will harden instead of your brush. If the brush has hardened - it is too late for that brush. Breaking the bristles will soften them. But it also breaks up the epoxy coating the bristles. Hence the lumpy finish.

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3 hours ago, Chuck Young said:

I use denatured alcohol for cleanup as the vapors are less harmful

 

Thanks for all of the info so far. Does denatured alcohol remove epoxy from the brush any better than acetone? I like the idea of less harmful fumes.

I tried using cheap chip brushes and would throw them away after each use but it about drove me nuts with all of the loose hairs getting into the epoxy.  I would try to remove them prior to use but it was still a hassle.  

I'm using a 1.5" wide fine bristle brush that I got from the hardware store. I clean it in three different jars of acetone. This the method I have been using. 

 

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I will try using the air compressor between the cleanings and see how that does. Sounds like it should help. After the brush dries the way I am doing it now the bristles are a little stiff but free up easily. I am afraid that is where my trouble is coming from though. 

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Acetone is a very volatile solvent compared to lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol, so you really have to get after agitating the brush and spreading out the bristles in the solvent.  The acetone will evaporate quickly and leave behind any epoxy that isn’t removed while submerged.  I don't use acetone because I can’t store it for long in any jar or container except the can it comes in.   

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7 hours ago, DoubleT said:

Thanks hazmail. I have some lacquer thinner at the house that I plan to try since I already have it on hand. If I'm not happy with the results I will give the alcohol a try.  

Remember that Epoxy is considered a solvent for epoxy, it thins and removes it.  100%, not the thinned down versions using water.

The other solvents will all work, but they work by breaking down the chemical bonds of the epoxy to remove it, while epoxy separates the molecules into free floating particles in solution.  I am not sure that this will help you figure things out, but maybe.  

I am not saying one way is better then the other, but like was mentioned above, I use cheep flux brushes I got at Harbor Freight, use a little supper glue at the base of the bristles to hold them in the metal base, then toss it when I am done.  If I get a bad batch, I squeeze the metal base first with a pair of pliers to clamp the bristles better.  I do a package of several I get at once and that way I don't need to worry about it when I use the epoxy and lure turner.

I seldom get any debris or hairs when I do it this way, but I have migrated to other clear coat methods for most of my lures.

I hope you get it figured out.  Even if you do everything perfectly, if the environment you are in is dusty or has debris in the air, you will get the stuff on your epoxy lure as it cures.  That is one of the problems with slow cure epoxies, it is a dust trap for several hours before it is tack free.

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On 1/29/2018 at 6:15 PM, BobP said:

Acetone is a very volatile solvent compared to lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol, so you really have to get after agitating the brush and spreading out the bristles in the solvent.  The acetone will evaporate quickly and leave behind any epoxy that isn’t removed while submerged.  I don't use acetone because I can’t store it for long in any jar or container except the can it comes in.   

Try Clausen dill pickle jars.  They have a gasketed lid that holds up to acetone fumes.

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