Help! What Is The Most Durable Clear Coat For Plastic?

[reallison]

I use Createx paint and apply two thick coats of D2T. I am not at all satisfied with the durability. Could someone please advise. If I have bubbles, which I always do have one here and there, then I sand them and reapply a second coat. Breech is occurring somehow and chunks come in missing at times...

[mark poulson]

I use Solarez, and used to use D2T and E tex, on wooden baits, to make them harder and stronger, because wood is not hard by itself.

For me, plastic baits are different.

The clear coat is there to protect the paint on a plastic bait, not the bait itself..  The bait is already hard, and water proof.  I use two coats of a thin top coat, like a concrete sealer.  It protects the paint well enough that it doesn't fail when it gets nicked by rocks, or hooks.

I make mine even tougher, but not any heavier, by using clear nail polish, if I think it needs more protection, and to keep soft plastics from melting the sealer.

I think two coats of D2T would add too much weight to a plastic bait, and kill the action a little.

And, as you said, it is prone to coming off in chunks because it is a glue, first and foremost, and designed to be rigid, at the expense of flexibility, so it is brittle when spread over a surface, instead of filling a small gap for anchoring.

[reallison]

Mr. Paulson, thank you so much for responding. Ive read every post on here and not one has given dead on advise like you just did. I only do plastic baits, and work in a back room in the house. I do have a makeshift exhaust fan. I think I could get by with the nail polish fumes, but I am not familiar with concrete sealer so could I use this inside the house?

 

Also, to be clear you said 2 coats of concrete sealer OR clear nail polish? What kind of curing time with the 2 products?

[Richard Prager]

You might try BSI (Bob Smith Industries) 30 minute slow cure epoxy.....Very similar to D2T but much better in my opinion. Very forgiving in mixing amounts. I mix it up with a drill and a piece of spinnerbait wire bent at 90 degrees at the bottom. I don't even measure it. I squirt a 5 count of each part and mix with the drill for about 15 seconds (warm up the bottles with a heat gun or hair dryer so it flows out the bottle easier. AFTER mixing the 2 parts I dip my entire brush in Denatured Alcohol and stir it around the mixture. This temporarily thins the mixture and all bubble will disperse. Do not dip the brush back in the DA for the 2nd bait or you will contaminate the DA and you will be brushing on chunks. The DA evaporates and does not affect the integrity of the epoxy. One coat is all you need. I use a 65 watt indoor flood light after about 45 minutes when the epoxy levels out which both raises the temp and lowers the humidity which I find is key. The first bait goes on pretty fast as the epoxy flows faster. The second bait will be slightly thicker and the time to do any lipless baits or baits with sharper edges. It will not pull away from these as D2T does. It also does not flake or peel off, turn yellow and is waterproof. Brushing is a bit time consuming but until I can find an odorless clear coat this is my only option....This is what works for me....if anyone knows of something similar (odorless) clear that can be dipped, please let me know....Hope this helps

[Centigrade]

I use Createx paint and apply two thick coats of D2T. I am not at all satisfied with the durability. Could someone please advise. If I have bubbles, which I always do have one here and there, then I sand them and reapply a second coat. Breech is occurring somehow and chunks come in missing at times...

Hit the bait with a small torch lighter and it will clear up any bubbles

Edited November 18, 2016 by Centigrade

[BobP]

I like epoxy on wood baits but on plastics, I opt for moisture cured urethane. Dick Nite S81 Fishermun's Lurecoat or KBS Diamond Coat are the two most popular. Either will give you a thin tough high gloss topcoat that is very similar to a factory finish.

[RayburnGuy]

I'm with Bob on this. After trying many different top coats I have narrowed my choices down to either 30 minute epoxy of DN S81. For smaller baits like the 0.5 style I like DN. It goes on much thinner than epoxy and doesn't weigh down the smaller baits like epoxy will.

 

Ben

[Centigrade]

I'm with Bob on this. After trying many different top coats I have narrowed my choices down to either 30 minute epoxy of DN S81. For smaller baits like the 0.5 style I like DN. It goes on much thinner than epoxy and doesn't weigh down the smaller baits like epoxy will.

 

Ben

 

Epoxys don't make the baits much heavier in water since the buoyancy is almost neutral.  The only major issue is the thickness that Devcon 2 ton renders.  Most I know that use devcon thin it for two coats.   Envirotex is by far better then devcon.  Its much thinner and holds up much better to chipping.   You have to measure it perfectly and it takes a long time to dry, so you need a turn wheel but once you build/pay for the initial set up its very easy.  

[RayburnGuy]

Epoxys don't make the baits much heavier in water since the buoyancy is almost neutral.  The only major issue is the thickness that Devcon 2 ton renders.  Most I know that use devcon thin it for two coats.   Envirotex is by far better then devcon.  Its much thinner and holds up much better to chipping.   You have to measure it perfectly and it takes a long time to dry, so you need a turn wheel but once you build/pay for the initial set up its very easy.  

 

Not sure why you would thin D2T and then apply 2 coats, but I can tell you that on a small bait, such as the 0.5 series, 1 coat of 30 minute epoxy definitely makes the bait sit lower in the water than DN S81. I spray DN and get a thin, uniform coat that holds up well without adding much weight.

 

As far as Etex being "better" than D2T that would depend on what criteria your basing your decision on.

 

Ben

[woodieb8]

the absolute best is 4to1 automotive urethane,clear coat. it can be dipped if your worried about airborne . its also uv protected.