Dick Nite Lure Coat

[.dsaavedra.]

i want a clear coat that has got strength similar to epoxy, but without all the bulk of 2 coats of epoxy.

does Dick Nite fill the bill?

also, where can i buy a lot of Dick Nite? on Fishing bait, fishing lures, spoons, tackle - you decide what to call them! Manufactured by Dick Nite Spoons. Also Fishermun's Lure Coat fishing tackle paints, it only shows 2oz bottles. if this lure coat is thin enough, i wont have a problem brushing it on, but if not, i want to be able to dunk a lure in a can.

thanks for any info!

[VANNDALIZER]

I have only found one product thats better than Dick Nites. Its made by Dupont and its 200+ dollars per gallon.DN works absolutely wonderful if your spraying it. Dont know about dipping or brushing. Give Dick a call and he can give you the quantity prices. Good Luck! MAV

[BobP]

If you catch one of Dick Nite's ads here on the site, it leads you to a page were he discounts clearcoat to TU members. I dip lures in Dick Nite and like it - nice tough thin clearcoat. But moistured cured polyurethanes do have stringent handling requirements to keep the stuff from curing in the can. I advise reading up about DN before you crack that lid!

[.dsaavedra.]

thanks guys. you're a big help.

so dick nights is tough and thin? thats great, thats exactly what i'm looking for.

how many coats does it take to get a nice, hard, glossy finish? 2 or 3?

also, does this stuff dry pretty quickly? the reason i ask is because i dont have a drying wheel like what is used for epoxy to keep it from running. if i put Dick Nites on, will it dry before it has a chance to run?

thanks guys!

[rotorhead]

I think the rest of the guys hit it pretty much on the head with Dick Nites coating. I have used two coates and it works well. I also use a drying wheel to turn the lure while it is drying. Do read the instructions, it will actually dry in its own container and ruin the whole batch. I have seen it in quart cans from Dick Nite. I am also trying a new clear top coat and will report my findings in several weeks. Rotorhead

[Lure--Prof]

I've used Dicknite's topcoat for 2 years now, and I'm very happy with it. I generally use 3 or 4 coats. I brush mine on with a 1/4 inch oxhair brush. It is quite different from brushing epoxy, and much faster after you get the hang of it; you really just paint it on as opposed to applying it. Overbrushing it will make a mess of it as it begins flashing very quickly.

I use and highly recommend a product called BLOXYGEN Leftover Finish Preserver www.bloxygen.com that I purchased from (I think) Golden Witch, a high end fly rod component shop in Pennsylvania. It keeps Dicknite's as fresh as the day you opened the can.

Dicknite's stays where you put it on the lure which means that it works much better on lures with edges such as poppers,etc, which are nearly impossible to coat evenly with epoxy. It is also very clear, and scratch resistant.

If using over top of Createx, the Createx Must Be Thoroughly Heat Cured with a hair dryer, or a heat gun with a low setting and a careful touch. I use Createx and Parma Fascoat this way, and have no problems.

Dean

[.dsaavedra.]

thanks guys.

i saw on dick's site that he offers free samples, so i requested one to try out and see if it is what i'm looking for

[BobP]

On bass baits, I usually dip once. I've sanded cured DN and epoxy from lures and found the DN soaked into the paint and created a very tough surface that's harder to remove than epoxy. So I figure multiple dipped coats are gilding the lily unless you are looking for a thick coating for esthetic reasons or are dealing with toothy fish. That's JMHO, of course. Another reason to dip once - the more DN you apply, the more chance something will go wrong. When dipping, it's important to let the excess DN drip off the tail of the lure before you put it on a lure turner to dry (and NEVER drip back into the DN container!). The surface of the DN skins over very quickly and and liquid DN underneath the skin can run back and forth on the lure, causing wrinkles and bubbles. Also, when I use multiple coats of DN, I wait 24 hrs between dips. I don't know the actual minimum time between dips, but 24 hrs has worked OK for me.

All said, it may well be better to brush on the DN if you don't use a lure turner. That way you can brush it on very thin and avoid some of the aforementioned problems. BTW, DN looks and acts like a standard polyurethane when its solvent has flashed off (usually within an hour). But it takes days before the moisture cure takes hold and the DN becomes really tough. So patience is a virtue. Several days minimum, better a week to cure is my rule of thumb.

[.dsaavedra.]

THANKS BOB!!!

that was VERY helpful.

one question, why not drip the excess into the can? does that cause the can to start to dry? seems like you could waste a lot if you dont save the excess.

[Predator Bass Baits]

DSV, yes it will ruin the rest of DN if it drips back in.

I brush mine on now because I had too many problems dipping it.

Ever since I stored my DN in a wine bottle I have not ruined it as well,

If you leave the lid off the original container to long it will start to cure as well.

I lost a couple quarts learning the hard way as well.

[BobP]

Yep, the drips have lots of surface area and pick up moisture as they fall through the air back into the container. Getting the idea yet that DN is touchy about storage? Oh yeah! You REALLY NEED to decant it from the can into something with a constricted throat and a good screw-on lid. You can't keep a can lid air tight, tamping it down repeatedly to reseal it. Dick Nite uses wine bottles. I use 16 oz salsa jars with the fluted necks so I can dip in them. And I wrap aluminum foil around the lid before storing it.

About waste - most hobby builders buy Devcon 2 Ton in 25 ML double syringes for $2 ea. A quart's worth of syringes costs more than $75. A quart of DN is alot cheaper. I doubt the drips from dipping waste any more DN than is wasted in mixing sufficient epoxy for several baits. I always have epoxy left over in the pot when I brush it on - the last thing you want is to run out of epoxy before you get that last bait coated!

[Lure--Prof]

Bob, you wouldn't believe how well BLOXYGEN works. It replaces the oxygen in any container with an inert gas, and DN stays as fresh as a newly opened can. I even use it in my little ounce or so size bottle that I work out of--just a little shot in there upon finishing each time and I can use literally 100% of the contents. And DN is so much user-friendly when it remains thin--it coats thinner and doesn't begin drying quite so immediately. Bloxygen goes a long way also; using it in a salad dressing, or wine bottle, it would last a long long time.

Tip: A wrap of Teflon tape around your bottle or jar threads will give a positive seal for your DN.

[BobP]

Dean, Bloxygen sounds like a great idea. I vaguely remember that wine afficionados sometimes inject an inert gas (nitrogen) into partial bottles to keep wine from oxidizing. I think any dry gas including CO2 would do the job. Pressurized CO2 - from a can of Propel airbrush propellant for instance - is also moisture free and would probably work too.

[nugene]

mavrick....would you share the name of the finish that dupont makes and where do you find it???? thanks nugene

[.dsaavedra.]

bloxygen sounds like a pretty general purpose product. would a place like walmart have it? if not where else could i get some?

[Lure--Prof]

I've used Dicknite's topcoat for 2 years now, and I'm very happy with it. I generally use 3 or 4 coats. I brush mine on with a 1/4 inch oxhair brush. It is quite different from brushing epoxy, and much faster after you get the hang of it; you really just paint it on as opposed to applying it. Overbrushing it will make a mess of it as it begins flashing very quickly.

I use and highly recommend a product called BLOXYGEN Leftover Finish Preserver www.bloxygen.com that I purchased from (I think) Golden Witch, a high end fly rod component shop in Pennsylvania. It keeps Dicknite's as fresh as the day you opened the can.

Dicknite's stays where you put it on the lure which means that it works much better on lures with edges such as poppers,etc, which are nearly impossible to coat evenly with epoxy. It is also very clear, and scratch resistant.

If using over top of Createx, the Createx Must Be Thoroughly Heat Cured with a hair dryer, or a heat gun with a low setting and a careful touch. I use Createx and Parma Fascoat this way, and have no problems.

Dean

I ordered from Golden Witch.

Dean

[Downriver Tackle]

bloxygen sounds like a pretty general purpose product. would a place like walmart have it? if not where else could i get some?

The only thing I can think of that you could get at a Walmart or such, would be helium. Nitrogen is the prefered gas. Don't try Co2!!! Anything with oxygen will cure the urethane.

[BobP]

Dean, Thanks for the tip about Bloxygen, I ordered some today.

A few questions about brushing DN:

You brush on 3-4 coats; how long do you wait between coats?

Why so many coats? Do you brush it on very thin, does it just look better to you, or is there a performance reason?

Do you do anything to the bait between coats?

Thanks for the info!

Edited August 3, 2008 by BobP

[Lure--Prof]

Bob; I wait 24 hours between coats. I'm sure it is not necessary to wait quite that long, but I like the idea of giving each coat that much cure time before the next one. I do brush it on very thin which is the product of keeping it very fresh--it really is more accurate to say that it brushes on very thin. Of course four thin coats of DN is still not as thick as a medium coat of Devcon, and I do like to achieve a little depth of finish just to pop the colors nicely on the bait. And in the case of DN, it really is that much more protection down the road, and you're adding very little weight, unlike epoxies.

The only thing i do between coats is to make sure the previous coat is dust free and untouched, so if i've had my hands on it I'll give it a quick alcohol wipe; if not, I'll just blow any dust from it and brush on a coat. I think probably because of its quickly working solvent, that each coat burns into the last enough that a chemical bond is formed. I can't imagine one coat delaminating from another with DN, it doesn't seem possible.

A note about the brush I've been using: it is a 1/4 inch Torrington oxhair brush that I got from Golden Witch for applying rod finish. It is larger than some other 1/2 inch hair brushes I've seen, and would be much larger than any other 1/4 inch hair brush I've found. I've used as big as a 5/8 camel hair brush that was only slightly larger than this brush. Anyway, it holds enough finish to do a bait quickly. I start at the head of the bait, work around the lip and down. This method allows you to keep the DN off of the lip of a crank without masking, and I don't overload the bait with finish to the point that it will run onto the lip when I put it on the dryer for a few minutes while I finish the rest of the baits. DN pretty much stays where you put it on the lure unless you're using an excessive amount...anyway, the brushing process for each bait takes maybe a minute, much faster than epoxy.

I clean my brush immediately after resealing my finish. I just dab it around in a puddle of alcohol and repeat until the puddle stays clear, which itakes usually 3 or 4 puddles in my upside-down areosol can I use for mixing epoxies. Then I'll wash it with a bit of soap and water and rinse.

The devil being in the details, I've tried to cover a few here about brushing DN, it being so different than epoxy, I'll be glad to answer any more questions.

Dean

[BobP]

Dean, Thanks again!

I went to DN to get a dip finish instead of mixing/brushing epoxy, plus DN performs exceptionally well. But I sometimes build larger lures that won't fit my dipping container, so it's nice to have good info on how to brush DN successfully I also recoat the next day, 16-24 hrs later. I've run into problems with shorter periods, where 1 or 2 baits in a batch will mysteriously develop wrinkles or blisters. No way to predict which bait it will be, or when it will happen. So a little patience is a good thing.

Mucho Gracias

[b75nweav]

I just started spraying DN and Acetone on my baits. Man I love this stuff. Very easy to apply and dries super quick (at least in this florida heat and humidity) you loose the high gloss effect but as far as applying its a breeze. Also I got the UV active DN which turns kind of a bluish purple in the sunlight, really cool looking. Just be sure to get a good respirator, atomized DN and acetone is not some you want in your lungs....I transferred my pint into a salsa jar like I read on past forums, just replace the lid and wrap with aluminum foil and a rubber band, works great.

[.dsaavedra.]

oh, i meant to ask.

how long does a pint of this last? about how many baits?

[clamboni]

oh, i meant to ask.

how long does a pint of this last? about how many baits?

A pint?????? If you're doing even large crankbaits, you'll be able to get a couple hundred baits out of it. Easily.

B75........how much are you thinning the DN? I spray mine thinned with acetone too and it's just as glossy as when I brushed it on before. You don't need much acetone for it to spray nicely. I've been good with about 25% acetone but it seems like you could even thin it a little less than that. Anyone that has a setup capable of spraying it safely, I highly reccomend giving spraying it a try.

[b75nweav]

Im using about the same as you. My first attempts brushing failed (and trust me they were heat set, almost melted the lure) I found out it was the krylon primer I was using, I switched to a etching primer and started dipping, they look great but when this stuff gets in the sunlight it really turns blue kinda changing the colors on my bait. Spraying cuts down on the blue and is really easy. I have a custom paint booth with a good vacuum and I just dont trust it. I started spraying outside. I'll put a pic on so you can see how they look.

[b75nweav]

Here it is I hope!