TrophyFishR

I scuffed up the clearcoat & it looks like garbage now. Lol Not what I was expecting. I'm totally out of clear coat, so I ordered D2T & Etex is small sizes. I'm really going to give solarez a good look. I just want to make sure that I buy the right product.

I was told that automotive clear is the only thing close to matte. I haven't tried scuffing up the Etex, will do that now.

BobP, you're not using it as a clearcoat?

Mark, can you provide a link to the proper solarez product that I need? There's way too many options. Thanks

Do you need a blasting cabinet to soda blast lures? I've got about 50 chrome pre Rapala wiggle warts that need sanding.

I need the cliff notes explantion on how to dip, store & cure with UV light.

Yes, the matte is a request from a friend. Mark what advantages does solarez provide? drying time? I really like Etex but it takes forever to cure.

I've been searching thru all the old solarez threads & decided to call the owner myself. He told me that if I wanted a true matte finish on my crankbaits, that I would need: Solarez Matte Finish Doming Resin Have any of yall used this product, or do I need a different one of the solarez products? I'm currently using D2T or Etex, but I need a matte finish crawdad pattern. Any input or advice is greatly welcomed. Thanks

Actually, transparent black mixed with reducer and sprayed fast and light, looks good on craw shell stencils. I agree about the Auto Air candy paint, its awesome but doesn't like Etex at all.... loves D2T though

I finally got the D2T exopy in the mail. Very good results!!! D2T exopy-The bait only had 1-2 fisheyes Etex- the entire bait had enough fisheyes to make you cross-eyed. Im yet to try the flexcoat, will do that this weekend.

I tried the clear gloss. It sprays on super thin!! Its been 24hrs, so I might let it sit a couple more days before adding the etex. Im going to try flexcoat, etex and D2T epoxy on 3 baits that are painted identical. That should solve any of the epoxy questions.

I never had any problems with regular createx and etex epoxy. The chameleon paint and the candy color paint don't like etex for some reason. Ive tried to thinnest coats that I can spray and I still have problems. I totally understand the moisture part, but thats not the case here. In fact, a ran a test on monday. Painted a wiggle wart with only 1 very thin coat of chameleon and the other with regular createx. The chameleon dimpled and the other bait was perfect. Im going to try 2 other types of clearcoat on the chameleon painted baits. D2T and Flexcoat. If I get this fixed, then I will post the results with photos and all. Am, I the only painter using auto air chameleon?

Is this the "clear" that ya'll are referring to: 5604 Gloss Top Coat - Protective top-coat best used on fabrics and leather. Dries glossy. Apply in light coats with a higher PSI setting.

Thanks Bob, Ive ordered some D2T epoxy this week. I hate that stuff, but if it fixes the problem then im going to be real happy. If that doesnt work, then I might try flexcoat epoxy for rod building. Something has to work, the recommendation from Createx Customer service didnt work. They said I was applying too much chameleon paint and it was trapping moisture. I know, this aint the case. I let a couple of wiggle warts set for 3 weeks before applying etex. Its my luck that Ive found a killer color combination with the chameleon paint only to be jacked up by the epoxy. I had a thin fin that didnt get any epoxy to settle on the sharp edges it receeded to the middle of the bait leaving the belly and back dry as a bone. Oh well, I guess I can always give them away!

Well, Im still having problems with the etex and chameleon paints. It dimples everytime. I tried to apply the lightest coat of paint possible and clear coat, but it still dimples. Ive let the bait set and dry before heat setting it, still same problem. theres something about Auto Air chameleon paint that doesnt jive with etex. has anybody else had the same problem with this paint? The etex is pefect if I paint with regular createx, so its not the etex. #graspingatstraws

I made a phone call to createx. They told me that I needed to allow the auto-air brand paint to "air dry" before hitting it with a blow dryer. Also, I'm pretty sure that candy paint was sprayed too think. Both of these factors allowed moisture to be trapped under the paint layers. Thus causing the dipple effect with etex. They told me to be more patient and spray thinner coats.

I've recently started using the Auto Air candy colors as a mid coat over the createx base coat, then sprayed chameleon auto air over the top. The problem occurs when clearcoating with etex. Some of the baits are smooth and some have a dippled appearance. I think the baits with a createx base and chameleon auto air topcoat are fine. It seems to be the candy painted baits that have problems. I've had zero problems with etex until now. So, its got to be the paint causing this. I just don't understand why the chameleon is fine but the candy colors are the problem. They're all made by the same company and are water based. Can somebody explain what I'm doing wrong?? I just spent a chunk of money on candy colors and chameleon.

These are some of my current colors with plastic stencils. Notice theres no overlap across the back. Ive basically got 1 good shell section, the others are just lines.

I've read quite a few threads about stencil making on TU. I've used vellum. Its great for easy cutting and it bends around the bait easily, but it warps after the first coat of paint. Not durable at all. Business cards are good for shad dots and gills. you cant see the bait thru them, so I get off center a lot. Ive got some plastic sheet stencil material from hobby lobby. Its basically like the plastic the comes with a crankbait package. I like that its clear, but its hard to cut out curves. Im cutting these stencils with an exacto knife, but I can't make a good curve for gills or shells. What do I need to use for cutting complex curves? the straight blade exacto knife isnt working out. Ive been doing the entire craw shell on the plastic sheet but it doesn't go over the back of a round bait. Do I need a stencil for each section of shell on the crawdad? I almost bought some frisket, but didnt know if I needed the transparent or semi transparent film. Ive learned that making stencils is tougher than painting the actual bait. Ugghhh, the options are endless.

Im hunting for the similar type mold, no luck. I just started pouring, but Im willing to make my own mold if necessary. I don't even throw an A-rig. My game is river smallmouth and that smaller size is more efficient with smaller jaws.

I clearcoat my baits in a spare bedroom, maybe 8 at a time, twice a week. Is this harmful? I really don't know.

Thanks for the tips and video. I successfully tied my first bunny jig last night. It looks surprisingly good and the second looked professional. This was not as hard as I thought, thanks to ya'lls insight.