When I used the Hardener, I dipped my bait for five count, and hung it to drip dry for 24 hours.
Then I hit it with my hair dryer on high, and watched as the end grain had solvent seep out and bubble.
I repeated that process, hanging to dry and then hitting it with the hair dryer, until no more seeping or bubbling occured.
At that point I hung it again for 24 hours, and then started my primer/paint/topcoat process.
I never got it to work perfectly. That's part of the reason I switched to PVC to build with. Totally waterproof from the beginning. I could shape, add my hdwe, ballast weight, prime, paint, and topcoat with Solarez UV in one day, and fish the bait that same day, if I'm in a hurry.