Thinning Devcon 2T

[CHROMEDOG]

Can you thin it with regular rubbing or isopropyl alcohol or does it have to be denatured?

Isopropyl Alcohol

[BobP]

Shoot, you could probably thin Devcon with spit and it would still harden. But the isopropyl alcohol I see is usually 30% water, so I haven't used it. I've used denatured alcohol, virgin lacquer thinner, or acetone. Of the 3, lacquer thinner works the best. First, it extends the brushing time reasonably but doesn't prolong the cure time. Acetone flashes out of the mix too quickly. Denatured alcohol works OK for extending brush time and the results when you use it as a top coat are fine. But when I use it to thin Devcon as a waterproof undercoating on raw wood, the alcohol causes wood grain to rise, a definite negative. So I stick with lacquer thinner and don't have to worry about the incidental problems.

[CHROMEDOG]

What is your mix ratio with the lacquer thinner? Assuming you are doing just one bait, say 4-5"? You are probably dealing with a nickel or penny sized amount of Devcon, how much thinner? Is there a consistency that you are trying to achieve or just a thorough mixture?

[BobP]

When I thin Devcon topcoat, I mix up the epoxy then dip my brush in lacquer thinner and shake in a FEW DROPS. Mix it in and shake in a few more if that isn't enough. You just want it thin enough to brush smoothly on the lure, anything more and you get a thin, weak topcoat. It also extends the brush time by a couple of minutes and requires rotating the bait for a little longer than with unthinned Devcon - say, 1 hr 15 mins. The lacquer thinner flashes out of the Devcon after a couple of hours and the cure progresses as normal - hard enough to handle lightly in about 6 hrs, very hard in 24 hrs.