bobv

I never had trouble with D2T but etex would always fish eye with the silicon rubber syringes.

A lot of the syringes have a black end on the plunger. More times than not it is silicon rubber and silicon and epoxy do not like each other.

Does that type of salt help the bait remain translucent? The floured salt definitely changes the color clarity.

Yep!

I buy sea salt with no iodine added and put it in the blender if I'm out. Usually just buy ultra fine salt from Bear.

Did you buy their thinner and use it? It was my understanding it had to be thinned?

That would be awesome Jim. I'm not sure of how much I take off but I drill two 1/8" holes in the ballast so by the time I paint,clear and put hardware on, it very slowly sinks.

I've painted a bunch of the LC Pointer knock offs which sink slowly. I drill out some of the ballast weight to get it to suspend. Seems easier than adding weight?

Here's the one I have used.....TU_Order@dicknite.com

DN starts curing in a hurry when exposed to air, the more humid the faster it cures. If you are brushing be sure to make it quick and not to thick. I always wait 24hrs for a follow up coat, however I only dip my baits because it is nearly foolproof!

Usually overnight, however when the weather gets warmer I'll cut it down to 8hrs. Don't want to get in a hurry as the first coat can "melt" if you re-coat too soon. Bob

Your process will work fine with DN. Some of the guys like the glitter suspended in the clear so epoxy works better. I dip in Dn and after one coat with glitter I dip again. I still use Etex on cranks and other baits that changing the ballast won't matter but I still dip them in Dn before using them. I've had too many epoxy coated baits crack and pull the finish off with it.

Jann's fg shallow diver is a good one but smaller. The best thing is the Academy H20 version. You can only buy them already painted but the do look and run as close to a 1.5 as you will find.

It only takes a quick spray to do the job. Using a narrow jar makes it last longer as it takes even less gas to protect the DN. You don't need to fill the empty area with argon just need a layer on top of the Dn to keep oxygen from contacting it. How long a can last would depend on how many times you open and dip from the jar.

I tested the new water based DN and wondered about long term adhesion problems. I use the original because I like the fact it bonds with the paint and the lure. I use it exclusively on my top waters and jerkbaits because you can easily control the finish thickness and not negatively affect the lures action. Plus unlike epoxies it won't crack when you hit a rock or a fish throws the bait and it nails the boat. I do like epoxies for my cranks and jig heads though for the high build. Etex and System 3 work great. I did a submerge test on the DNWB, the original DN, and epoxy. After 24hrs the DNWB turned whitish and soft, the original and the epoxy baits stayed under water for 3 days and I could see no change.

Depends on a lot of things. For one how much you actually get in the tank. I used one for a couple years before buying a compressor. I filled it up in the garage off my big compressor. Usually got half a dozen baits done if I had everything ready to go and shot right through them. Leaks are inevitable some where so longer it takes to do you painting the fewer number you get done. I got a Paache air brush compressor at a yard sale for $5 two years ago and it still runs great, no more trips to the garage.

I have painted a bunch of those and occasionally I get a few that won't track. I fixed a couple by gluing one of the big balls that are inside to the top to the screw in part so the ballast won't move around. Also make sure you screw in all the way so the o ring doesn't show. I don't use that much clear, I usually dip twice in DN which would be maybe one coat of Etex. You definitely have to tie onto a split ring, very few baits run true tied to the ring itself. As far as your line, braid does float so crank baits don't work as well with it as mono or flouro. Those baits also work much better at a slow to moderate retrieve, they always flip over at high speed. I use them over submerged grass or shallow flats and work them around rocks and weed slowly.

I tried using epoxy to do a photo finish and found that epoxy won't soak into the paper.

I get mine from Captain Hook's Discount Warehouse. He also owns Shorty's but you have to have a tax ID to buy from them. My link

That is one just about everyone has, Jann's, Barlows, and Stamina all have it and it probably comes from the same place. This is one of the few KO's that generally performs very well compared to the original.

My test sample of DN2 has the brown crud around the lid. Any build up of the original is clear.

DN2 is short for the new Dick Nite clear coat. The new clear won't cure in the can as easily as the original. However, many of us prefer the original over the new for it's moisture resistance after curing.

Don't sweat the details as much as the colors. I found out a long time ago if you have a good color combo the rest is just for looks.

www.mudhole.com

I know a couple of guys have mentioned Mudhole in the past, but I just got the new catalog and there are several cool new things epoxy guys can use. They have some stops for epoxy bottles that are self healing so you can stick your syringe in and fill up without bothering with the screw cap. They carry syringes, mixing cups, sticks, and just about anything else the epoxy user might need. They also added some lure making supplies.