milrtyme24 Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Im mostly on the soft bait forum but Ive been making a few a rigs lately and I used Dick Nites top coat for the final clear coat. I like the stuff its very easy to use but I cant seem to keep it in the garage for over 2 or 3 days and it turns hard in the bottle. I have bought three 2 oz bottles and 1 of them even arrived in the mail already rock hard. I put the lid on tight and even put tape around the lid and it still goes bad after a few days. I sent them an email a week ago and got no response so I was just wondering if you guys have a tip on how to store the stuff. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Seriously it is good stuff but Im just having problems keeping it in liquid form for more than 2 or 3 days. Im also pretty much a rookie especially with painting and clear coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Dick Nite, like all moisture cured urethanes, is hard to store. When exposed to the humidity in air, the cure process begins. Most hardbait guys buy it in pint or quart quantities and take heroic measures to keep it liquid - regarding both storage and use. Storage: I decant a quart into 2 or 3 smaller jars with good airtight lids, then spray Bloxygen finish preserver into the jars every time I close the lids. Covering the lid with foil and a rubber band may help if there's ANY possibility that the lid will leak air. Jars that have minimal air space filled with an inert gas like Bloxygen will keep indefinitely. Use: you want to minimize the time that DN you will want to store later is exposed to humid air while applying it. Pour the amount you will use out into a separate container if you are brushing it on. When finished, throw the unused finish away because it will be contaminated with moisture. Do not pour unused finish back into your storage jar. If you dip lures, minimize the amount of DN you allow to drip off the lure back into the jar. Some guys just can't bear to 'waste' DN by allowing much of it to drip off a lure onto a newspaper instead of back into the storage jar. But If you don't, your jar will begin to cure much more quickly. I don't know how this applies to your situation with small 2 oz jars, but hope it will give you an idea of the measures that need to be taken with Dick Nite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milrtyme24 Posted February 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Thanks BobP, I dont know what bloxygene is but I will find out. I didnt know what the problem was but you pretty much explained it. I had been just opening the jar and coating about 15 baits and then putting the lid on the jar with tape around it. So I will from now on just pour enough to do the job and spray some bloxygene Preserver into the jar then put the lid on with aluminum foil and A rubber band to preserve it, got you. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Here's what Bloxygen is: http://www.bloxygen.com/ Not cheap, don't know if I'd bother to buy/use it unless I planned to purchase DN in larger quantities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 If you've been using DN in 2 oz. bottles then you must be brushing it on. If brushing it on is how your doing it then do a search for "tapping the can". (include the quotation marks) Capt. Sully was the one who told me about this method and claims that after using an entire can opened it up to see if there was any spoilage to find there was none. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Bloxygen is argon in a can. I bought some and thought the can was empty but its not. That is some light stuff. But it works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassnbrad Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Dick Nite, like all moisture cured urethanes, is hard to store. When exposed to the humidity in air, the cure process begins. Most hardbait guys buy it in pint or quart quantities and take heroic measures to keep it liquid - regarding both storage and use. Storage: I decant a quart into 2 or 3 smaller jars with good airtight lids, then spray Bloxygen finish preserver into the jars every time I close the lids. Covering the lid with foil and a rubber band may help if there's ANY possibility that the lid will leak air. Jars that have minimal air space filled with an inert gas like Bloxygen will keep indefinitely. Use: you want to minimize the time that DN you will want to store later is exposed to humid air while applying it. Pour the amount you will use out into a separate container if you are brushing it on. When finished, throw the unused finish away because it will be contaminated with moisture. Do not pour unused finish back into your storage jar. If you dip lures, minimize the amount of DN you allow to drip off the lure back into the jar. Some guys just can't bear to 'waste' DN by allowing much of it to drip off a lure onto a newspaper instead of back into the storage jar. But If you don't, your jar will begin to cure much more quickly. I don't know how this applies to your situation with small 2 oz jars, but hope it will give you an idea of the measures that need to be taken with Dick Nite. Ditto What Bob said, but I use Private Preserve wine preserver instead of Bloxygen, does the same thing, get more uses per can and cost less... http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000DCS18/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1330322786&sr=8-1&condition=new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter334 Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 How do you guys even get this stuff? Ive been trying to order this clear coat forever. They dont respond to emails nor answer a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Someone said on a previous post, to email dick nite on his real website. Personally, I had th same issues and just gave up. Went back to etex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmonger-ef Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 New member here, what a great site. I pour my own bodies into silicone molds that I make. I have made a vacuum chamber to degas silicone before I pour a mold. I was thinking a vacuum chamber might be a good place to store DN, has anybody tried it? FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Woodcraft stores, and Woodcraft online are good places to buy Bloxygen. The "tap the can" method works seamlessly also, as Ben mentioned. I use a couple of wraps of "Parafilm M" laboratory film to seal around the top of my jar lids after I add Bloxygen...a roll of it lasts a long time. Google is your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 New member here, what a great site. I pour my own bodies into silicone molds that I make. I have made a vacuum chamber to degas silicone before I pour a mold. I was thinking a vacuum chamber might be a good place to store DN, has anybody tried it? FM Using a vacuum to store DN has been discussed before. Along with just about every conceivable storage method that could be thought of. It's not the air that starts the curing process, but the moisture in the air so unless you have a vacuum chamber that is capable of removing 100% of the moisture laden air your wasting your time with a vacuum. If your willing to either brush or spray DN then storage isn't a big hassle because the "tap the can" method will work. All you need do is draw off the amount you needed into a small container and go at it. Don't for one second think you can put any that you have leftover back into the storage container though. That in itself will start the curing process and you won't like the results. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Ben, Are there storage issue with the automotive clear you use? Is it easy to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Ben, Are there storage issue with the automotive clear you use? Is it easy to use? I've been using it for quite a while now Mark and haven't had any problems storing it. Being a 2 part coating means there's no reaction until the 2 parts are mixed. It's real easy to use. Since I only build a few lures at a time I spray it through a cheap Harbor Freight airbrush instead of a larger HVLP gun. You also don't waste as much of the clear spraying it through the smaller airbrush. Cleanup is easy as well. I use acetone to clean the airbrush using regular cleaning techniques. There are health hazards you need to be aware of and they have been discussed on several posts before so I won't go into that again. I don't think the auto clear is as tough as some of the other popular top coats, but I really like the thin, crystal clear finish it gives and it's ease of use. I just spray a good wet coat and hang the bait up to let it cure. And if I want to really make it shine I go back and lightly sand the finish once it's cured with some 600 grit or finer sandpaper and give the lure another coat. Not exactly sure what this does, but it makes the bait shine like a diamond in a goats rear end. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Sorry to take so long to get back to you Ben. I was out chasing my goat to check. Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Like Ben, I use auto clear. I usually spray 5-6 coats. I still use epoxies but I spray the Dupont for the top coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Sorry to take so long to get back to you Ben. I was out chasing my goat to check. Hahaha You let your goat run around loose with a diamond stuck in his rear end? Dang Mark, you must have enough money to burn a wet mule. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Actually, once I shoved that diamond up there, the little bugger just took off, and I haven't been able to get near him since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thread hijackin' in progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowFISH Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Try to get it back on track here.... (to some degree) After having a can of DN harden on me after storing a few months (with Bloxygen) I tried most of the other coatings mentioned on this site including the water based DN. Needless to say I'm back to othe orginal DN... but this time tapping the can and spraying. I bought a real cheapo airbrush from Harbor Freight - "Quick Change Brush" and drip a few CC's of DN out at a time from the can... thin with Acetone and spray. Seems to be working well but you will definiely use/waste alot compared to the other methods of using DN. When I tapped the can I did two things.... one - grind a portion of the tap screw away so when I back it out to that portion it dips faster/more.... otherwise it can be painful waiting to fill a few CC's of DN into a jar. Second is I drilled and tapped a second smaller screw into the top of the can that I open as well when I need product. I sprayed Bloxygen into that hole as well. My thinking is with a small hole up top... as the product dips out the bottom, air is brought in up top and not forced to "burp" through the botttom pour hole and then rise through the DN to the top. This provides a faster pour and with the bloxygen being on top.... hopefully the air/oxygen I let in the top will never reach the DN below. Basically I vented the top like they do with big water jugs and stuff like that. So far so good but it's only been a month. And FYI on spraying that mixture with the cheapo airbrush.... 1st you'll have to remove the small o-rings on the jar tops under the metal venturi (they melt) - and you'll want to use a glass jar from an airbrush instead of the styrene ones it comes with (they melt as well) - third - I found drilling the metal venturi hole in the jar top slightly larger (I think I used .025" or .030") will provide a much more forgiving spraying action as it will not clog easily, and sprays alot more product. I use a 50/50 ratio of DN to Acetone which is more than Dick Nite recommends, but it's very watery like this, sprays almost like a thick paint and doesn't harden in the jar/brush during the short time I use it, you will not have air bubbles after shaking to mix and I aviod the "cotton Candy" effect you'll have if the DN starts to kick whie airborne from the brush tothe bait. When it hits the bait it gets real tacky fast (like syrup) with all that air pushing it, so minimal to no runs (within reason) and you can hit second coats (a few mintues later) if need be if you notice you missed a spot somehow. Hope this helps. J. Oh yeah.... do it outside or with a filter system and make sure to wear a good mask and gloves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Ok... The whole visual with this goat thing is too much ...I think I'll go gouge my eyes out now..lol..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Ditto What Bob said, but I use Private Preserve wine preserver instead of Bloxygen, does the same thing, get more uses per can and cost less... http://www.amazon.co...1&condition=new Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!You saved me some mula. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Ok... The whole visual with this goat thing is too much ...I think I'll go gouge my eyes out now..lol..Nathan Hahaha... Ben is sick, I'm just twisted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Hahaha... Ben is sick, I'm just twisted. I can't help it. It's in me and it's got to come out. heehee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty's Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 You may be able to put a layer of di-acetone alcohol on the top of the mcu to keep it from curing. I believe because the weight of the da it will "float" on top of the finish. Do not know if this will work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
