Stripping Paint From Crankbaits

[Jbfive55]

How can I get paint off a crankbait so I end up with a clear bait? If I sand I end up damaging the bait before I get all the paint off and the chemicals I've tried turns the plastic milky. I figured if any body knew it would be you guys.

[BobP]

If you sand it, ending with 400 grit paper and then clearcoat the bait, the clearcoat fills in the scratches and turns the bait clear again. Some guys recommend torching the paint off but I haven't tried that. There's no solvent I know about that will work without clouding the plastic.

[Jbfive55]

So if I'm planning to add some color I need to go ahead and paint the color then clear coat it and it will look clear on the unpainted part? If so cool I haven't cleared a bait yet. I've just started doing this and I was trying to get the bait to look like I wanted it to before I cleared it

[BobP]

Yep, pretty simple! I like to use "transparent" Createx colors for that.

[mark poulson]

So if I'm planning to add some color I need to go ahead and paint the color then clear coat it and it will look clear on the unpainted part? If so cool I haven't cleared a bait yet. I've just started doing this and I was trying to get the bait to look like I wanted it to before I cleared it

I wet sand with 400 grit, mostly to break the initial strong surface of the factory clear coat, and to remove whatever that can remove. But I sand lightly. I don't want to get into the actual plastic body.

Then I scrape the majority of the old paint off with the back of an exacto knife.

I use the point of the knife to pick out paint from any details that might have some left.

Then I dip the lure quickly in clean acetone, once or twice, until it's clean and smooth. Most clear crank bodies are made with a hard plastic whose surface can be "remelted" with acetone, to get rid of small scratches and imperfections. I dip quickly, so I'm not soaking the lure and risking damaging it. I am just trying to get a clean, clear surface.

I can just paint my waterbased paints, like Createx and Wildlife Colors, right onto the acetone cleaned surface, without primer.

It works well for me.