.dsaavedra. Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 what are some good sealants for wood baits before testing for action/weighting? epoxy is out of the question, just not practical enough. i want to do the plasticoat method, but i need to get some acetone to dissolve polystyrene. any other good, quick methods similar to the plasticoat method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Buy a pound of Propionate out of the Classified section. Classified Ads - Tackleunderground That will seal about 800 Crankbaits or 350+ Saltwater Plugs. The testing has been done. It is very strong and not brittle, durable, easy to use, indefinite shelf life, water proof, it penetrates, and can be used as a sealer and a topcoat. Here is the link. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/classified-ads/14010-propionate-wood-sealer.html Over the past 2 years I have sold about 200 pounds. I have shipped it to 10 or 12 different countries. There are lots of TU members using it and a bunch of guys from the top Saltwater Plug Building site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOONSDAD Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Palm... Do you dip the baits or paint on the proprionate? how many layers?? I'm just trying to get an idea of time involved. tanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Propionate is a high quality plastic pellet that is very resistant to most solvents. It can be dissolved in Acetone and Virgin Lacquer Thinner. Most people use the Acetone because it evaporates very fast and speeds up the process. Once the pellets are dissolved to a very thin solution the lure blank is soaked the first time to start the sealing process. After the first soak the bait should be hung to dry till it feels dry to the touch. Then the bait is dipped another 5-8 times until it gets a good coat and surface to paint on. The sealer will go on fairly thin and still give incredible protection from water. I will try and post a copy of the how to use instructions tonight so you will have a better idea of how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted May 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 propionate/acetone looks like a good solution but i'm real short on cash now and can't afford that. what about those cans of clear acrylic or clear enamel? would those seal the bait ok for weight testing and stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 This set of instructions. This is a simple to use sealer that is almost trouble free as long as you have a adequate ventilation. Propionate Wood Penetrating Sealer and Base Coat Items needed to start Propionate pellets Acetone (or Virgin Lacquer Thinner, not recommended) (2) 16 oz. glass jars with wide mouths. (Mason jars work good) Clip hangers and hanger rack for drying Steps to make and use propionate as a Penetrating Sealer/Base coat Jar 1 needs approximately 1 oz. of pellets and jar 2 needs approximately 2 oz. of pellets in the bottom. Fill each jar 3/4 full with acetone, put top on good, and shake for a while. (five minutes or so) To totally dissolve it will take 3 to 5 days but you can speed it up by stirring with a piece of unpainted metal, and shaking every few hours or so. When stirring dig into the clump at the bottom of the jar to break the propionate up then shake. After it is completely dissolved your solutions should be as thick as 2% milk in jar 1, and like warm honey (thin honey) in jar 2. Now you are ready to soak your wood in jar 1 to penetrate and seal the pours in the wood, and raise the grain. (Balsa is very hard to seal. [i use balsa and love this stuff]) Start by submerging your wood into jar 1 for about 30 minutes and up to 6 hours if you have a way to hold it down. Then remove it and let it dry till all vapors are gone. This should only take about 30 minutes at the most. (To hold it down: twist a stiff wire into a spiral that will fit the jar and make a tag on top to hold a few egg weights and place on top of your wood) A) If you are making fishing lures and already have the lip slot cut you need to clean the slot after each dip. This can be done with a small piece of paper cut from a brown paper bag. (If you have a way to re-cut the slots clean, then don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 P.B - I already have a few pounds of this stuff and use it for all sorts of things besides sealing lures, I was wondering how much a pound/ kilo it is. This may sound like a 'feeder' but I am just curious, as I was given mine so have never had to buy any (yet).pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 1 Pound = 0.45359237 Kilograms 1 Kilogram = 2.20462262 Pounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
