[jflures]

As I stated in my last thread I am a newby bait maker. Just wondered if anyone has used Spar Urethane as your clear coat. It is what I used on my baits. I like it because it comes in a spray can. It goes on very smooth and dries pretty fast. It also leaves a more subtle finish than epoxy. Has anyone else used this or is it a waste of time?

[mossy maker]

It may yellow on you over time. Before I went to Devcon I used spar and polyurethanes. Some baits I still have and they are great, others didn't make it through one day. IMO if you are serious about your baits I would make the move to epoxy.

mossy maker

[jflures]

I wondered about that. It says on the can that it not suppose to yellow. It is used on outdoor furniture and marine parts. I have used it on some patio furniture I made and it did not yellow. I wonder about the durability? Will it hold up to toothy fishes?

[Dean McClain]

There are a lot of good baits that have been made over the years, and cleared with spar urethane. It used to be too, that spar urethane yellowed over time, guaranteed. That possibly may no longer be the case, as "thane" technology has significantly advanced, as in the field of automotive finishes. You used to not be able to buy a can of anything "Spar" that said on the can that it would not yellow either.

Will it hold up to toothy fishes? If you're asking if it will repel teeth marks, uh, no. however, if you're using a fairly hard wood, or wood that has been enhanced by good penetrating sealers, you may well get a lifetime of service from the bait with little significant damage. This may not necessarily be the case with an epoxy clear coat, which will sometimes delaminate after it has been voided, rendering the lure unfishable in some cases.

There is a lot of information on this site about clearcoats, and you've just added another piece. If you build a good lure, with good adhesion through all coats of finish, and top it off with two or three light coats or so of non-yellowing spar urethane properly applied with a light touch, you will have built a nice lure that may well outlive you, and you'll be sleeping well at night, while a lot of other builders are burning the midnight oil in their quest for the perfect topcoat.

Learn as much as you can while building the best baits that you can, and then if you want to try some different clearcoats, you'll do so with the foundations of your lure building in place, having eliminated most of the headaches that cause problems with various clearcoats to begin with.

Good luck, welcome to the site, and enjoy your bait making!
Dean

[jflures]

Thanks Dean, That was the answer I was looking for. I have found a ton of great info on this site. When I get home I will post the name of the urethane. And I swear it does not yellow.

[The_Rookie]

JFLURES... Dean's advice was right on... That is why I bug the crap out of him all the time..! But if you ever want a 2nd opinion.. I got a friend name MIKEY you might just want to talk too!!! He is not a lure legend.. He is a LURE GOD.. Mikey would tell you to dip your lures in the paint again after every cast!! That way you would save money on the clear and not ever have to worry about durability... I bet you never thought about trying that now did you...