CMARTIN269 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 What causes dimples in thr clear coat.I've tried everything,two coats helps but I still get dimples in some not in others ,it gets aggrevating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 I think it's usually caused by contamination of the lure surface with something containing oil, like your fingerprints. Moral - don't eat potato chips while clear coating baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMARTIN269 Posted March 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 if I wipe my baits down with alcohol will it evaporate or will I have to wipe it off with something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesehead Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 if I wipe my baits down with alcohol will it evaporate or will I have to wipe it off with something? You're better off to avoid touching your baits between paint and clear coating. whiping them with a solvent may cause paint issues such as dulling, smearing, or even whiping it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom in Sweetwater Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 if I wipe my baits down with alcohol will it evaporate or will I have to wipe it off with something? You can do a test to see if it interferes with your paint, but alcohol should not effect anything. It will evaporate almost instantly. I regularly use a lint free cloth and alcohol to prep for painting and clear coat. Also tack cloth to remove any lint from the lint-free cloth (no such thing, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 @ CMARTIN269 It can also be caused by not keeping the accurate mixing relations of resin and hardener ! I also have issues like that with the epoxy topcoat that I use , ........after having mixed and stirred the two parts THOROUGHLY I'd start topcoating my lures , ....usually a bunch of 6 to 8 lures . On the first two lures these dimples might slowly evolve , when sthe stuff starts to set on the lure's surface , ....no problems on the rest . I use fast curing epoxy , so on the last lure it has already turned a bit jelly like , only has a processing time of 15 to 20 min , depending on room temps . So what I have found out , is that the epoxy mix should be left alone for a few minutes after stirring , just to set for a while inside of the mixing jar . But when doing this , I could topcoat less lures with one mixture due to the fast curing time . So I actually start immediately after stirring and have the first lures evolve dimples , but when I'm about to get finished with the batch , I would pick just a little more epoxy on my brush and spread it all over these lures , the dimpled coat is still just liquid enough to be able to be spread again , ............after no dimples would evolve anymore . good luck , diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zolja Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) Maybe it's your epoxy. When I started building plugs I used some no name marine epoxy my friend gave me. Pro stuff. Finish was super clean, tough. But every now and then whole batch came out with dimples. Just couldn't find out why. I guess epoxy was too sensitive to room temp., humidity etc. Switched to different one, it has a little red-ish finish to it, can't even see it if doing one coat. But no problems with it, cures smooth every time. In winter it needs more to cure, about 48 hours, during summer it takes only over the night to cure properly. But every time it's smooth. Stick to hobby epoxy program, i find that more expensive stuff, although shiny and very hard, is very problematic, much more sensitive to differnet temperatures, humidity, contamination.... Zoran Edited March 22, 2010 by Zolja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) What kind of epoxy are you useing? And are you turning your baits when drying? Edited March 22, 2010 by jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMARTIN269 Posted March 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 I'm using E-TEX, I measure with syringes,and if I'm not getting dimples Iget oily or tacky feeling baits .I have bought two different batches thinking maybe one was bad . I am starting to get really aggrevated trying to get E-TEX to work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 @ CMARTIN269 Years ago a Belgian friend sent me a pack of E-Tex , that I had used up on lures back then . He had warned me before to mix and stir that stuff REAL thoroughly for a couple of minutes before applying it . Think to remember , that there was a thread on the subject in here a longer time ago , .......guess , that some other guys had the same problems with E-Tex . greetz , diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 I'm using E-TEX, I measure with syringes,and if I'm not getting dimples Iget oily or tacky feeling baits .I have bought two different batches thinking maybe one was bad . I am starting to get really aggrevated trying to get E-TEX to work for me. Sounds to me you not mixing enough. you can mix a 50/50 exactly but if you dont proper mix propper it wont all come together. Mixing smaller amounts is easier, enough for a few baits. mixing larger batches leaves more room for error. Ive used etex for years and rarely have I ever had issues like that. My mistake when I first started was mixing too large of batches that I didnt mix all the way. Mix exactly what the box says to, not what looks good and set aside and cover for 10 minutes and you will see better results. Also dont be tempted to put too heavy of a coat on, go thin and layer when the bait start to become tacky(to get the two layers to bond). You must also use a turner when useing etex, there is no way around that if you want a good finish. Im thinking that fat fingers had a tut on finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 I had problems with Etex when I first started using it. Looking back it was all due to improper mixing. Don't think you can mix Etex too much. It's not like D2T which seems to perform well with minimal mixing. The instructions on Etex say to mix it for two minutes. I would say that's the very minimum. Especially with larger batches. Seems like I also read somewhere that you shouldn't use anything made of wood to mix it with. A cut off piece of a welding rod with a crook bent into the end of it works for me. I also mix in the same cups I measure it into. If you use one thing to measure it into and then try to pour that into something else to mix it you may not be getting the exact 50/50 mix that's required. Some of it will always be left in whatever your pouring it out of and who can say your not leaving more of one part than the other. One way to tell if your mixing it thoroughly is by the amount of bubbles. If it doesn't turn almost milky looking from all the bubbles in it then, in my opinion, your not mixing it enough. And don't worry about the bubbles. You can get them out by microwaving it for 3 or 4 seconds. My microwave is 750 watt and 3 seconds is enough. Any more and you take a chance of it curing in the cup or at least becoming so thick and sticky it becomes unusable. After zapping it for a couple seconds let it set for about 5 to 10 minutes occasionally exhaling on it. This will help pop the bubbles as they rise to the top. Another thing that Etex is touchy about is it needs to be as close as possible to a true 50/50 mix of resin and hardener. Several people say they weigh each part, but everything I've read about Etex is that it should be measured by volume. Not weight. If you are indeed mixing it thoroughly then it's possible you could have a bad batch. Unlikely, but possible. Try the steps above and give it one more chance. If it still doesn't work then it might be time to look for another top coat. RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
