gldnbear93 Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I have read through a number of threads regarding sealing wood plugs with thinned devcon and still am a little unclear on a couple of things. What ratio of acetone to devcon does one use to thin the epoxy for sealing? I know someone who uses flexcoat and just thins to a watery consistency, is this ok for devcon? How about envirotex? I seem to recall also that some folks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranker Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I only use devcon 2t so dont really know about the other stuff but I thin the devcon a little bit with denatured alcohol,not acetone.usually thin to more of a creamy consistincy instead of the gel like you get without thinning.I have read here lately where some have had a concern with the denatured alcohol eventually yellowing the devcon but personally I have never had any problems with it and I am getting a super clear,slick finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 For sealing wood, mix Devcon Two Ton 50/50 with acetone. It will be very thin but will still cure to a shiny coat. The acetone is to make the epoxy soak into the wood. I "deglaze" it with 400 grit before applying paint. You can dip in polyurethane or in propionate disolved in acetone for the same thing. If propionate, it usually takes 3-5 dips to get a good coat so it's not really faster than brushing. Envirotex and Flexcoat (or other rod epoxies) already contain solvents. I don't see any advantage over Devcon in application or price, but the end result is the same. Some guys have started using an off-the-shelf "sanding sealer" which sounds promising but I haven't tried it. The sealer's main purpose is to seal the wood so later water based paint won't raise the grain. That's mostly true on hardwood baits but on balsa, I'm also looking to reinforce the wood itself to make it more durable. 5-8 dips in propionate/acetone do a great job on balsa and leave a very smooth hard surface to paint, so IMO it's worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoodaddy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 You are exactly right about having to mix a lot of EL to dip baits before it sets up. I when using Etex have always brushed it on although there are some that mix D2T with acetone and wipe it on to seal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I use Envirotex, and thin if I want to with alcohol. I only use it for my clear coat, and I would be afraid acetone would affect the water based paints I'm coating with the clear. I'm thinking about trying Envirotex as a sealer with acetone as a thinner, to see if it penetrates, and dries faster. I'm impatient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldzoller Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I am just starting out so please take my advice with a grain of salt... I seal my baits with 4-5 dips of propoinate, I think it dries quick enough, especially if I'm doing a few baits. Then, I base coat with flat white spraypaint and paint my colors with waterbased paints. Then, I clear coat with Devon 2-Ton straight, no thining. I either rub it on with my finger or use a brush. I do two to three coats, depending on how the previous coat looked. I guess I'm not overly fussy with my clearcoat, I just want it to cover completely to protect the paint. For me, this is the simplest system with the shortest amount of down/drying time. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gldnbear93 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Thanks for the answers and input. I am going to experiment a bit w/ acetone a denatured alcohol as thinning agents. I have some propionate that I have not tried yet. Maybe mess around with that as well. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Hint - disolve the prop pellets in acetone. Denatured alcohol won't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
