Bulldog primer

[bobv]

Hey guys-

I just did a couple of repaints for some guys in my club. I decided to us some Bulldog adhesion promoter on the baits after sanding. I let it dry according to directions then painted with Createx, heat set and finished with etex. For the first time I had fish eyes in my clear after drying, it went on great and looked good when I put it on the wheel but came off looking like crap. My question is it possible the Bulldog requires a longer out gassing period before painting or any other ideas. It sucks to have to remove a clear like etex but it was so bad no way a second coat would fill the craters. Thanks Bob

[blackjack]

99% of the time fisheyes are the result of contamination of the painted surface if and I say if the epoxy was mixed properly. How are you handling the baits during priming, painting and clear coating. if you happen to touch a bait with your finger or hand the primer is contaminated with the oils produced by your skin. Do yourself a favor and get a box of latex gloves and wear them whenever you are handling the baits, from primeing to the final clearcoat

[Frank]

Boy there has been some fisheyes lately. Maybe they came from something from the shop you are working in. Most people think you need to have direct contact with something to contaminate. Fisheyes come from silicone(silica). These can get air borne if you say, use WD40, Armor All,Windex on rags that just lay around after waiting for you to put finish on. I only use these examples cause they have a very high silica content and most come in spray form.If you didnt touch it, than this is just another idea. If the fisheyes are that bad that coat must be a very thick coat. I dont use etex but I would try another coat before removing all your work.Just a thought.Hope this helps.

[mark poulson]

I didn't think Windex had silicone in it. I use it for airbrush cleaning, and to thin some airbrush paints, so that would not be a good thing.

[bobv]

I paint inside with a vent fan pulling air out of my spray box. These were crank baits and I hold them by the bill with a gloved hand. I don't use etex much but the few times before I had no problem. I mixed for 2 min and let stand for several minutes before applying. It went on perfectly so I was surprised to see such bad results. Anyway the Bulldog adhesive promoter was the only new variable so I was curious if anyone else had this problem.

[Frank]

I know that the label does not say it but being in a trade that specificaly says not to use windex cause the silicone in it will not let the urathane adhere to the glass. That is also why they state in ads that it cleans and shines . The silicone is the shine part of that statement. Never use it.

[bobv]

I use an off brand of glass cleaner that say cleaner with ammonia, nothing about shine. I wonder if it has silica in it? I've been using it to clean and thin createx for a couple years and it doesn't seem to cause any problems.

[mark poulson]

I know that the label does not say it but being in a trade that specificaly says not to use windex cause the silicone in it will not let the urathane adhere to the glass. That is also why they state in ads that it cleans and shines . The silicone is the shine part of that statement. Never use it.

Frank,

That's really good to know. I guess I've been very lucky so far, and, even though I wash out with windex between colors and thin some of my paints with it, I've not had any problems, so far.

I'll watch for it in the future.

[Frank]

It is not impossible to paint over silicone but the andesion is not as good as you get if it is not presant. Back in the day when we had a problem like that we would add silicone to the paint and turn it all into small fish eyes thus giving the illusion of problem sovled. Thus the turm "if you cant beat them join them". The real trick is light coats. Hard to do with some of the clear coats we use. Thats why the second coat comes out so good. If you are not having problems Ill bet you use real light coats . Think about it .

[fatfingers]

While your problem may be caused by any of the above referenced factors, it could be as simple as how you mixed your envirotex lite.

Failure to mix it properly or transfer it to a new container prior to application (because sometimes unmixed portions of the etex stick to the sides of the original container) will most definitely result in fish eyes.

[CL Rods]

I really can agree with fatfingers, the unmixed/undermixed portion of the Etex can be the sole problem with epoxy. Transfering it to another container will certainly aid in avoiding problems.

[mark poulson]

I can't stress strongly enough how easy Flexcoat syringes make mixing Etex, and all two part epoxies. Equal amounts by volume, per the instructions, plus thorough mixing, is the key. And no finger prints!

Flexcoat 3CC Color-Coded Syringes (Set of 2)

Dummy easy, thank goodness. Look up posts by Border Bass, and you'll see how to do it.

Basically, since the tips of the syringes are slightly tapered, you drill a snug hole in the caps, and leave the syringes in the bottles when you're not using them. Then, just hold the syringe tight in the cap, turn the bottle over, and pull out the plunger to get the correct amount.

Turn the bottle back over to the upright position, withdraw the syringe and squeeze the epoxy into a salsa cup, or other mixing container.

I mix the epoxy with a small, bare paper clip for about a minute, and then let it sit for another minute or two, until the big bubbles rise. I worry more about getting it mixed completely than about air bubbles, which can be dealt with. Rolling it around in the mixing container and blowing on it will help to break up the smaller bubbles, and brushing it on with a fine artists brush will also help break up the bubbles.

[bobv]

Well I'll double check my process next time. I've had no problems with etex before this bait, hence the question. The bait I got from you Charlie came out perfect!