mike82

I was also going to ask those of you that have used bsi 30min. Does adding DA to the mix give you more working time? If so how much do you add and when do you add it?

Just tried my first batch of bsi 30min. Hobby lobby carried it which was nice. It is quite a bit thicker I noticed that right away. I was only able to coat 3 baits before I figured I was pushing it. Which with bsi 20min I could do 5. I might be able to squeeze 4 but it would be close. I'm not coating big baits either. #7 shad rapalas. I also noticed it defiantly goes on thicker which is nice. I would say 2x thicker than 20min. Also noticed it pulls alot more bubbles in while mixing due to being thicker I'm guessing. But the bubbles pull out really nice while brushing it on. Almost easier than bsi 20min. Which is weird because 20min is alot thinner and one would think the bubbles would rise easier but it didn't seem that way. Thanks everyone for all the input, hopefully the bsi 30min holds up better. Ill leave feedback once I abuse a handful of them for awhile.

I did quite a bit of reading on what epoxy to use before I chose Bob Smith 20min. Alot of guys on this forum are using it successfully for awhile now. Thats why I picked it. I will pick up some devcon and bsi 30min and see if it's any better.

I'm not thinning with anything. I think i may be expecting to much out it. Its probably correct. It gets hard but does not get as hard as like running your finger down glass. I think I'm going to try some devcon 30min to see if that gets any harder. Thanks everyone for your input!

Thanks gonetolong! That's a really good idea. I'm always paranoid I'm going to accidently swap them. I actually write a H and a E on each one, haha.

I actually use syringes to measure the epoxy so it's right on. I also use a hair dryer and heat the containers of hardner and epoxy before I start.

I should also add, I believe I mix it very well. I use a little mixer I made out of solid 10gage copper wire that I put in a drill. When mixing it goes cloudy then clear. I usually run the mixer on high for about a min then slow mix at the end for a min. After that I add the brush and mix a little more. At that point I hit it with a little bit of breath to release the bubbles and the way I go.

I'm sorta new to painting lures. I've finished around 50 of them or so. The issue I seem to be having with the Bob Smith 20min finish cure is its not finishing hard enough. What I mean by that is there's always a bit of drag on the finish when you pull your finger down it. This seems to be making hook rash happen faster than normal. The clear coat other than that works very well. Its crystal clear and hold up well to toothy fish. I have lures with lots of little holes from fish teeth but that's it no cracking which is good. Its hard yet flexible which is what I wanted. Is this a trade off from to hard and possible cracking? Will it not get that hard glass like finish and still be flexible? Thanks in advance for any help with this!