Tuff-Tackle Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 I've been using Devcon for 2 years now and really only have two complaints with it. One is...I can only clear 3 or 4 bass size lures before remixing because it sets so quickly and two....because my local Wal-Marts don't restock very often. I finally broke down and went to Hobby Lobby and bought some Etex Lite. I only used it on one lure as a test and was real impressed with how it went on....also I believe I could have cleared at least a dozen or more lures before remixing. My question is....it's been about 30 hours now and it's still tacky.....is this normal??? Thanks, Tuff-Tackle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coley Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Etex requires an exact 1 to 1 mix, if not, it will not cure. Coley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 It should start to tack up in about 3 hours and be nearly dry in about 10 hours at room temperature from my experience. You can speed this up a bit by warming the room up to the 80-90 degree range. Go to any animal feed store and buy two plastic syringes, they are about a dollar each. Use the syringes to very accurately measure out equal amounts of the epoxy. You can reuse the syringes but make sure you remember which one was for the resin and which for the hardener...I mark mine. Mix the stuff in dixie cups making sure you go around the edges and bottom....keep mixing for a couple of minutes. I use small coffee stirring sticks or wood shishkabob sticks that I can throw away. Now set the stuff aside for about 10 minutes, this lets many of the bubbles rise out...exhale once or twice on the bubbles and they will pop. The mix is now ready to paint on. You can then run a propane torch lightly over the bait a couple times and this will pop most of the bubbles. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatchingConcepts Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 I suggest going to a discount store and paying a dollar from a pack of cheap small glass bowls, like sauce sized bowls, mixing in paper cups can have bad effects if you use waxed ones you can scrape small ammounts of wax into the mix, and I do think that the chemicals in the etex can also possibly react with the wax. if they are paper cups, if you pour one half in first and its soaks a little of that ammount into the paper it will distort the mixture ammounts and cause drying problems, as will stiring with a wooden stick. Use something plastic like a cheap pack of plastic utensils and use the handles, or if you throw away your used brushes with plastic handlesm cut them off. Looking at pictures of coated baits drying I would say I average just around 40 to 50 bass sized cranks before it is too thick to apply. I do differently than most and set my glass bowl on an simple frozen ice pack as mixture statrts to heat with reaction, this slows reaction in bowl and allows me more working time, then I apply heat while they are on the drying wheel to get good even coating as they turn. As the chemical reaction takes place they also heat on their own and epoxy flows and self levels, even an hour after it has been applied. Definately takes over 12 hours to be handlable, 24 hours to start finish assembly. Breathing and the torch both submit the etex to carbon dioxide, which pops the bubbles, no need to actually put the flame on the bait, if you are trying to actually heat the bait to move the etex around use a blow dryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Some of you guys are just making it to much work. It is real easy to work with, you must just be exact with it. Bubbles mean you are doing things wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwoodie Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 I just go to the local keg shop and pick up a tube of beer plastic beer cups. The clear ones with all the ridges on them. Set them side by side on a level surface and you have it. Wooden or plastic plant stakes work well for stirring. You can normally pick them up cheap at a garden center. As for the drying times, in a warm room (75+) I have had them dry enough to handle in well under 12 to 16 hours, but the coating isn't as thick as I would like. Under 70 degrees it will be thicker but can take 48 hours. 30 hours and still tacky doesn't sound good, but don't give up yet. I have some turning right now in about 50 degree air to see how thick it stays and how long it takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 The points CC brings up about the wax cups and wooden utensils could happen but I have never experienced any of these problems and I am doing about 40 baits per month each with three coats of etex. I like the paper cups as I can simply throw them away after each coat..glass requires you to clean it each time or deal with buildup. Plastic stir sticks is a good idea if you can find them for next to nothing. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuff-Tackle Posted November 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 I just checked the lure.....it's been about 42 hours since coated....it's not tacky but will imprint easily with fingernail. When mixing I used a plastic dram cup and stirred with a wooden craft stick. I feel sure that I mixed equal parts but will pick up a couple syringes to make sure. I have no doubt that it was mixed thoroughly but I didn't let it stand for 10 minutes before applying...I only waited about 5. Mixing did create bubbles just like the directions said and they went away after exhaling on them. Thanks for all the suggestions....I plan to try again on more lures. Tuff-Tackle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 The only reason I choose to "wait" 10 minutes before applying E-tex is I have found it seems to chemically "react" less when doing so. If you sign your baits for example you will find that Etex immediately applied to the ink will often make it smudge but if you wait 10 minutes it will be perfectly clear. The extra wait also allows the Etex to thicken slightly which I find to be an advantage in that allows me to put on a thicker coating. Buy the syringes....that's very likely the problem. jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Tuff-Tackle, If you've lost the tackiness it sounds as though you are on the way to good cure. E-tex will fingernail dent when cured, but will heal somooth after a short while You didn't mention what the humidity was like; that will slow your cure also of course, just like it will Devcon. It is just more exagerated with E-tex. For what it's worth, I use syringes for measuring, 5-oz. plastic cups and a craft stick for mixing. I cut off enough of one end of the stick with side-cutters to square it and sand it smooth (takes about 2 minutes); this way you can really "clean" the bottom of the cup for thorough mixing (Devcon or E-tex). As soon as I'm through mixing I wipe it off with a dry rag or paper towel and it is ready to go again for whichever epoxy is next, and as a bonus, the business end of the stick soon has a nice epoxy finish. Rich, How do you mix without getting any bubbles in the mixture? Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
