chisum Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 are you guys sealing the bare wood prior to adding anything else to your lures? i have always thought to seal after i had glued in the plastic lip and wire in the belly of the bait - leaving a thin strip of exposed dry glue which fills the cut slot. i need some sealer that is very thin and will really sink into the wood to keep the water out but it must also adhere / dry if it comes into contact with a substance other than the wood. it would be nice too if it could be applied just a few times to efficiently waterproof the wood but not clog up the precut wire/lip slots. maybe i should only apply sealer to the bare wood before any glueing of lips or wire take place? most of the fishing i do is for longer periods of time away from home - like a week maybe 2 weeks - so i want my lures to work even if the topcoat is penetrated until i can get home and refinish them - this is why i won't use any waterbase paint - only enamel because i have fished with lures that had no clearcoat and the enamel stays on pretty well and it doesn't dissolve away. i understand that a sealer over the wood is very important, but it seems pointless for me to apply a hard finish similar to a topcoat over wood and not a sealer that soaks in. this type of finish will just get penetrated the same as the topcoat right? thanks for any help. scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Many of us paint with water based paints so waterproofing does double duty - it adds a layer of protection against water infiltration (which water based paints don't) and as importantly, it prevents the wood grain from rising when hit with water based paint. With enamel, you don't have the latter problem so if you are satisfied with the durability of the enamel and clearcoat you use, I don't necessarily see any reason to change. If you'd like to add a waterproofer, I'd suggest Devcon Two Ton epoxy diluted to a thin consistency (as much as 50/50) with acetone or virgin lacquer thinner. When dry and cured, D2T is pretty inert and will rarely react with solvent based paints. Using other solvent based waterproofers and then painting with enamel is a crap shoot. It may work, or the enamel may react with chemicals in the waterproofer and wrinkle. I can't guarantee no problems with D2T but think it's your best chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you want a sealer that soaks into the wood, the best choice would be the propionate solution. There are tens of threads in this forum about this subject. The epoxy can also be used as a sealer, but it won't penetrate the wood. Anyway, it will adhere very well to wood. But not even propionate solution will penetrate the wood too deep. If you have enough patience to use the search function of this forum, you will have all your questions answered. You say you use ename paints because they are waterproof and do not need a clearcoat on top of them. Well, you need to change your way of thinking, especially if you fish a lure for a week or two, as you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you want a sealer that soaks into the wood, the best choice would be the propionate solution. There are tens of threads in this forum about this subject. The epoxy can also be used as a sealer, but it won't penetrate the wood. Anyway, it will adhere very well to wood. But not even propionate solution will penetrate the wood too deep. If you have enough patience to use the search function of this forum, you will have all your questions answered. You say you use ename paints because they are waterproof and do not need a clearcoat on top of them. Well, you need to change your way of thinking, especially if you fish a lure for a week or two, as you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 chisum.... go to the rona or hardware store. get sanding sealer. immerse lure, let dry then prime it. that will help your baits last.. with temerature fluctuations here in ontario, that will help out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 You might also try Minwax Wood Hardener. It's designed to penetrate, and seal out water. Just be sure to let it dry for at least 24 hours before you prime it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverdoctor Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Confused? me too I have started using propionate coupled with sanding between some of the dunks. Neat stuff, however the balsa is still grainy in some spots that would probably show in the final condition. Therefore, I also use D2T thinned with D-alcohol. (I tried thinning with acetone; can't do that again! pock city.) Open to suggestions as well. ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisum Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 thankyou guys for all your help. much appreciated. scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 another thing you might try is tung oil. it soaks into wood, drys quickly and won't swell the grain. i have used it a lot for furniture finishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I realized I had two quarts of this stuff in the shop when I went to move all my paints the other day.....Do you guys think this would work as a sealer for wood baits before painting?....It says right on the can that it can be used as a sealer for wood, but I wanted some opinions from you guys before I wasted my time with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Ok, I decided to go ahead and seal a few topwater plugs with the above posted poly, and I learned two things real quick.....its thicker then what I expected right outta the can and worked ok for dipping, but I think it might of worked better if it had been a bit thinner.....and secondly and probably the most important thing I learned was DONT shake the can of poly right before you dip your baits.....unless you want them covered in bubbles.....lol8O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
