ChampionBoatGuy Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I tried searching for this but couldn't quite find what I was looking for. I'm using cedar bodies for my baits. I cut my lips from Lexan. I fit the body/lip together for a trial fit before painting. Once I paint the body, I use medium CA (from model airplane building) to secure the lip in the painted body. Then I mask it off, keeping my blue painters tape about 1/8" from the body. If I let the bait dry completely before removing the tape, normally the epoxy cracks where it's thin at the tapeline. I tried removing the tape today while the epoxy was tacky thinking it might self-level and give a better result and I had little 'stringers' of epoxy fall onto the lip where I didn't want epoxy! I'm lost. I can't quite get a good mask on the lip so the epoxy makes nice contours to the bait. Does anyone have a good method for lip masking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I think BobP's solution was best, as discussed just a few days ago. Remove the tape before the finish coat is applied. The epoxy is eased onto the lip with the end of the brush. This overlap settles down while curing, leaving you with a very nice radius and a perfect seal. I am now considering painting the bait before fitting the lip, then use the above method for the top coat. I'm still learning and will try several methods before deciding on the best for me. The best solution for you may be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishThanks Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 When I epoxy in my bills in muskie size lures I apply the epoxy to both sides of the bill following the shape of the slot. You will get a feel of how much to apply so that when you slide the bill in the excess epoxy will make a nice bit of a bead where the body radius and bill meet. It will almost look like it was caulked in. I take a tooth pick with a little more epoxy and fill in the sides of the bill slot blending in to the bead. You can take a pencil and make a scribe line to get a good idea of the shape to apply the epoxy to the bill for your first few times. If you have a decent cut it will not take a lot of epoxy on the bill to create the effect. I do this after paint. If there is an area that does not come out as well as you like you can take the tip of a tooth pick and touch up quite easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benton B Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I install all my lips prior to painting and just remove the masking tape before the clearcoat step. 1 thing you can do is put a small piece of tape on the end of the lip so no epoxy marks get on the lip from you fingers. It really sucks to find you finger prints on lexan lip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeHeron Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 If I set a bill first I want to mask off just to keep my nasty fingers off of the bill especially when epoxying. I have two methods. The first is time consuming. Tape the outer portion of the lip first..this will stay on till the finish. Mask off the very small remaining portion. This area will be pulled and replaced after each time the area gets painted. Pull the tape when the paint is wet. Before clear coat place the small area of masking just outside the paint line so the clear comes out just over the paint. Peel the tape while the clear coat is wet. Wipe off the tape with a Q-tip before you pull the tape and hold the tail down while you do so. The second is a old modlers trick. Mask off starting at your paint line first then start wraping building up layers gradually working out away from your paint line. Gradually means about 1/64th of an inch. The more the better.It will look like a beehive when your done. This can stay on the whole time and even thou it sounds stupid it works great! It takes a lot of tape. I hope this helps . I hate doing it but sometimes it's necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrydabassman Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I add the lip before sealing the wood or painting. i've tried all the different ways and for one reason or another this works best for me. Another thing is I do not remove the white film covering the lexan untill after the top coat is set up. I use a razor and cut it just enough to have an 1/8 " of clear lexan showing once the lip is installed. I also drill a hole in the lip and rough it up so the epoxy has more to bond to inside the lip slot. Even though I don't remove the white film, I still mask it to keep paint from the edges. I ALWAYS remove the masking tape before top coating. Once it's all set up and safe to handle the lure I remove the white film on the lexan and buff the sides. The lexan is clear as can be and the lure just looks better with a nice clean lip. imo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 On lures that I make myself, I see no advantage to installing the lip before painting and then having to mask it. Before I put my final clearcoat on the lure, I install the lip. I know of no other way for a hassle-free and clean, sharp, installation. When I redo a lure with the lip installed, I mask only for paint, and then clear coat with no mask. I can't figure what I'm missing... DeHeron, good tips on masking! Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionBoatGuy Posted April 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Thanks guys. I've got some new ideas to mess around with. Hopefully I'll figure this out sooner or later. I hate spending all that time making a lure just to end up with a bad lip/epoxy finish! Maybe I'll just stick with plugs...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I don't mask unless I want paint to hide the sides of the lip slot or when repainting baits, and I take it off before clearcoating. However, it makes a neater line if you take off the tape immediately after applying the clearcoat (something I learned building rods). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waterlogged Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 To remove unwanted epoxy from a Lexan lip: If you remove your masking tape and find fingerprints or light epoxy that has slipped under the tape, I've found that rubbing alcohol on a q-tip will clean up most mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjbass Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 After you have painted the bait and then installed the lip, I don't understand why you are then masking the bait???? When you apply the epoxy it will not run onto the bill, it will only go where you put it..... Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionBoatGuy Posted April 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 I guess where my problem has been, was between the painting and epoxying. Normally, I have been painting the lures 100%, then installing the lip with some CA. Once the lip is set, I mask it off with blue painters tape. I only masking the lip to keep the epoxy from going everywhere. That is where I have my issues. The 'over-brushed' epoxy dries on the bill and the tape, so when I remove the tape it cracks the epoxy on the bill. I think I need to just be more careful when applying the epoxy and not use tape on the next one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
