Repainting Wood Lures

[Net Man]

I know it has been on here before but I need some help. I am painting a Triple Trout Swim bait for a buddy. It is a wooden bait. I am having problems with the paint cracking. The bait was sealed but still cracks. Why is this happening and what can I do to fix it.

Thanks,

[mark poulson]

Net Man,

Typically, wood bait paint jobs crack because of water getting in and expanding the wood, which then swells and cracks the paint and topcoat.

Jointed wood baits are the hardest baits for me to waterproof. That's why I stopped using wood for them.

Depending on what wood the TT is made from, if I were going to repaint it I'd tear it down into individual sections and start from scratch.

I would take the hinge pins out, so I could get to all the spaces on each individual section, and take the sections down to bare wood,

Next I would soak them in wood hardener, or some other penetrating sealer, for at least an hour, and then let them sit and dry for at least a day.

I would hit each section with my hair dryer, just like I would if I were drying a coat of Createx, and see if the lure bubbled at the end grain from trapped solvent/sealer. If it bubbled, I'd let it hang another day and try again, and repeat until no more bubbling occured.

Then I'd coat the lure parts with 2 coats of thinned D2T, sand them, prime them, and then reassemble the lure and paint it as a whole, so the paint scheme was fluid from one section to another.

After the painting was complete, I'd disassemble it again, and coat the inside faces of the joints with straight D2T, lapping it out onto the faces 1/4"+- for a good overlap with the face topcoat.

At that point, I'd reassemble the bait, put it on my drying wheel, and coat it with either Etex or Nu Lustre. I would put on three coats total, a day apart.

Then I'd let it cure for a few days before I fished it.

But, to be honest with you, I've never been completely successful in protecting a jointed wood bait. Something always fails eventually, and water gets in to the wood, expanding it and causing the paint and topcoat to bubble and fail.

That's why I went to PVC as a construction material.

Hopefully, there are builders here who have had more success than I with wood baits, and who can help you more.

Good luck.

Edited February 10, 2011 by mark poulson

[Net Man]

I have dipped this bait in sealer 4 times waiting a day between each dip. I have not taken it apart because I am not sure how the pins come out. I guess I can try it and see. Thanks for your advice. Maybe letting it soak is the key.

[benton B]

You may be shooting the paint too thick. Water based paints need to sprayed in thin layers and make sure you heat set each coat of paint.

[woodieb8]

first off what wood was used to build the lure?

we would dis assemble. strip, sand and then use a sanding sealer. let dry and then primer. use of a good epoxy for clear coat. as i originally stated some woods are not very acceptable for water immersions.

[Vodkaman]

I am starting to think what we are dealing with is crackling rather than cracking. Is the fault after use or while you are doing the work? Maybe a photograph would help.

Dave

[boomah21]

Hey not that it really means much but are you sure its a triple trout? They are not made from wood they are a resin body.

[Net Man]

I will take a picture of it today and post it.

[Net Man]

[benton B]

Looks to me like you spraying the paint too thick or the primer coat is still wet. Try using a hair dryer to heat set the paint after each coat.

[mark poulson]

Looks to me like you spraying the paint too thick or the primer coat is still wet. Try using a hair dryer to heat set the paint after each coat.

I agree with Benton.

Those look like shrinkage cracks.

It looks like your paint coats were too thick, and shrank afterward. Because the cracks are so deep, I also agree that it probably starts with the primer, but, since the cracks are all the way up to the surface, I would suggest you strip it again right down to the sealer, and begin the painting process all over again.

I spray two coats of primer, kind of thick, and then, once they've flashed off, but are still soft, I use the hair dryer to speed up the solvent offgassing and drying. The primer I use, Rustoleum, says I can wet sand after an hour, or once it's dry to the touch. So I do that, to get it smooth, hit it with the hair dryer again, and then I let the bait hang overnight.

Once it's hung overnight, I hit it with the hair dryer again, to be sure it's completely set, and to warm it up to accept the Createx, and then I start layering on my paint in thin coats, heat set well after each coat.