borderbasser Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 I am begining to get frustrated with D2T chipping were the joints on my swimbaits clack together. How does DN hold up to this abuse? I have tried Etex lite as well and I don't like how long it takes turn the bait. Any ideas? Thanks. TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 I think all epoxies have about the same performance once they are on the bait and cured. DN is thinner but very tough after it has moisture cured for about a week. Having sanded both epoxy and DN cleared baits, IMO the DN is hands down more durable and is more resistant to hook rash, etc. I dip baits in DN and turn them for 45 mins. It takes less time for the solvent to flash off, but what the heck, 45 min isn't too long. If you dip, you want to let the DN drip off on a piece of newspaper (NOT into the container!) until the drips slow, then clip them on the dryer. Why? It's much thinner than epoxy and will run if too thick. Plus, a heavy coating will skin over quickly but there will still be liquid DN moving around on the bait under the skin. That can cause it to wrinkle the paint. If you want a 2nd coat, wait 24 hrs before re-dipping. I haven't clearcoated any segmented baits with DN so can't say whether it has the same tendency as epoxy to draw away from sharp edges while drying. That is typical of many finishes but epoxy does it bad and I haven't noticed DN doing it. Sure-fire solution? Round over all sharp edges before painting. Some guys brush on or spray DN through an airbrush. The whole point for me was getting a dip finish. Fast and easy to use but it requires careful storage and handling to keep it from curing in the container. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I use D2T to coat the insides of my joints, and then two coats of Etex on the outer parts of the body. I've found the D2T holds up well in the joints, which don't generally get hit by rocks during errant casts, but does peel off when I use it on the body faces which are exposed to my bad cast encounters. I lap the D2T out onto the face about a quarter of an inch, to make sure the two epoxies are overlapped and then I put the lure on my drying wheel and coat it with Etex, letting the Etex go into the actual joints as little as possible. This way, I can topcoat the lure assembled, so the hinge pin flags get epoxied in, too. I've found Etex is not as brittle as D2T, and absorbs rock impacts with dents or small chips, which I can seal on the water with brush on super glue, so I can keep fishing. I try and time it so I topcoat Wednesday night, second coat Thursday night, and can take them off the wheel Friday, and fish with them Saturday. Did I mention I love to fish? I wish there were a topcoat that was as clear as epoxy, but easier to apply and tougher, easy to store and clean up, cheap, no bad fumes, and compatible with my paints. Don't want much, do I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderbasser Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thanks for the input guys. TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
