Waterproof

[pikeman]

Here we go again

Devcon - DickNites - plastic cups + thinner

My question , how do you seal your wooden lures? ( don't take the shortcut on this ) explaining the whole process will be useful ( does it take days, hours? do you rush it using hairdryers or other heat sources? how many layers? do you brush the solution or submerge the lure into it?

Sorry for not using the "search" function , but I think it will be useful to get it all here

[LaPala]

Well if u're lazy about doing a search, I'm kinda lazy to type out very detailed process.

Propionate pellets disolved in acetone, soak, dip, dip, dip, dip. Wait a day. Done.

[BobP]

Here's my experience and opinion:

Note: I build bass baits, not for pike. I feel undercoating's main function on hardwood is to prevent raised grain when I paint with acrylic latex. IMO, take care of finish durability with your topcoat, not the undercoat. Soft balsa is different - the undercoating also strengthens the wood.

1) brush on Devcon 2T epoxy thinned 1/1 with acetone. One coat. Hang it to cure 6 hrs or overnight. Lightly sand to remove gloss before applying color. Advantage - penetrates well; levels well to fill small sanding imperfections; quick to apply.

2) cellulose propionate pellets disolved in acetone - These are Swede's 'prop pellets". The solution needs to be thin, NOT thick. Dip the bait, hang it to evaporate the acetone. Repeat. I dip 3-5 times on hardwood, 7-8 times on balsa. Time between dips is 5 mins. The coating is soon touchable but not really dry for some hours. Allow to dry overnight, then lightly sand. Comment: a hard resilient waterproof coating but multiple dips are more work than a single brushed coating of epoxy/acetone. Good leveling properties.

Dick Nite - JMHO, a superior topcoat but not ideal for waterproofing as it has zero leveling. When I tried it, some areas absorbed the DN completely, others had a glossy coating.

I use a hair dryer to flash dry acrylic paint but not undercoats. If you want fast epoxy, you need to construct a heat box lined with foil and a couple of 100W bulbs to speed curing time. I'm not in that much of a hurry. Also note, I don't build with cedar or wood containing oils that can leach through an epoxy undercoat and ruin the finish.

[pikeman]

I use lime or linden tree , don't know which term is used in USA ... I think it is somewhere between cedar and balsa as density , doesn't contain oils kinda soft ....

I thought that only one night ain't sufficient for drying ... a friend of mine says that if u heat the lure after one day u will see water coming out from different parts , seems that I'll have to go for propionate in this case ... THX to Palmetto Balsa

[LaPala]

Water coming out? That would mean the wood is not really dry or humidity level where you are is really high. Maybe you should consider baking ur blank b4 you seal to get rid of the extra moisture. Seal immediately after baking else the wood will re- absorb moisture from the air.

Oh, weight your wood b4 & after baking, if theres a big difference then you definitely have a high humidity or green wood problem

[pikeman]

I have the wood for over an year in the house, and it was a dry season in my country with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius ... did a quick test with the hairdryer on the blank it started to get brown without water coming out, I BRUSHED the lure with solution , used the hairdryer over the lure for 5 minutes and it looked dry , after that I put the hairdryer in the same place ( near some carved details - channels ) and the water ( from the thinner I guess ) started to come out and boil .... thats why I am wandering if U do 5 dips and let it dry , naturally the last layer ( the one from the top ) will dry faster since the thinner evaporates in air , you will have a hard layer on top but what happens with the thinner trapped underneath it in the wood , it will dry in one night ? !!!

[LaPala]

Maybe it's your thinner or your solution is too thick at the channel part? I use the consistency of juice or even thinner. I use acetone too. Acetone evaporates much much faster. Prop also goes on better with multtiple ultra thin layers, dipped. Never had that moisture problem. Although prop does continue to cure and harden for up to a week or more, a day is enough to proceed with painting. I do it one warm days here too, 40-45

[RiverMan]

In my humble opinion:

What really saves a lure from water damage is the final clear coat. A sealer of course helps but the best sealer around probably won't save the lure if water gets under the clear coat. The main reason I even bother with a sealer is because it makes the primer coat over it much smoother. If you don't use a sealer the wood pores will remain open and leave a rough finish to the primer.

Dip your lures in a coat of sanding sealer or polycrylic. Let it dry over night and then put on a primer, paint, and clear coat.

RM

[BobP]

If your wood is dry and the acetone has not been contaminated with water, you should just air dry the undercoating. If you blast your undercoated lure with a hair dryer when the top of the coating is dry but underneath isn't, you will boil the underlying solvent - bad result. If you're using prop/acetone, let it dry and harden overnight. It will be ready to sand and paint tomorrow. If your prop coating isn't drying overnight, it's too thick. It will look and perform better if you mix it thin - not much thicker than water.

[pikeman]

I think is the thinner ( low concentration means more water ) , I should go for acetone , although think I'll try devcon mixed with high concentrate thinner ... THX for the advices

[benton B]

use super glue to seal the blank, it's the fastest method I've tried so far. I let it dry 30 min sand with 150 grit to get rid of the roughness and recoat with super glue. Prime and paint the blank after second coat. Don't worry about your finger sticking to the bait, use a light rubbing motion and you won't have any problems.