smallmouthaholic Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 I have been airbrushing CS water base,2 part epoxy for years.Yes you have to mix it ,add 10%+/- water by volume and let it sit 20 minutes before spraying. It holds up much better then their seal coat. I use a custom made drying wheel when coating painted,wooden plugs w/ the CS- 2 part epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Awhile back, a TU poster reported that epoxy has a density of 1.1 while water has a density of 1.0 - so yes, epoxy will add weight to a lure and ANYTHING you do to a lure changes its performance to some extent. I never use more than one coat of Devcon applied at room temperature - which makes for a fairly thick coating compared to most other topcoats. That said, I don't hesitate to use Devcon on a topwater bait because most of them have enough buoyancy to easily overcome the added weight. If that's a concern, I switch to a different topcoat like Dick Nite Moisture Cured Urethane or a solvent based concrete sealer. I don't heat epoxy once it's on the lure because bitter experience taught me that the more gimmicks I try, the more screw-ups I'm gonna have. a little patience is a great asset to crankbait building. Envirotex Lite is an epoxy pre-mixed with a solvent so that it can easily flow out on a flat surface and expel air bubbles. Flexcoat is a rod guide epoxy and it is formulated to go on thin so that it penetrates the threads on a guide wrap before beginning to harden. All of these are two part epoxies and for most guys, dipping lures in epoxy is a big waste of the product. Flexcoat or another rod guide epoxy can be found at online sources that sell rod building supplies, like mudhole.com or Jann's Netcraft. All the back and forth about new topcoats here on TU has been great, but I think it boils down to this: There is no perfect topcoat for every lure, for every builder. You have to choose according to the specific performance you are looking for and the specific process by which you want to build your crankbaits. And you have to realize that there are going to be trade-offs regardless of which topcoat you choose - Faster but not as durable; harder to store but more durable, dipable but expensive, durable but slow to cure, etc etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveG Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 An article you might find interesting... http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=85364 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I use Etex and love it. It's easy and I don't get fish eyes or bubbles. I use the plastic throw away brushes you can buy at wolly world. I've noticed that if I stir slowly and fold the epoxy, the bubbles are minimal. Also when I apply the epoxy, I first make sure the lure is covered and then I run my brush lightly over the lure from head to tail in even strips rotating the brush to reapply any epoxy that builds up on the back side of the bristles. I would also recommend a small lamp to use for checking the lure for dry spots. I typically apply 2 thin coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joetheplumber Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 2 coats of etex works like a champ. I can coat 14 lures at a time per batch of etex before it gets to thick. As stated above you need to check it in the light to see for missed spots, especially when doing the second coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I forgot to add that I use the small 2 oz plastic containers you find at fas food places. I just grab 5-6 extra whenever I stop in to eat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
