anamealreadyinuse Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 My mixing skills still need some work. I thought I had mixed my Devcon 2Ton epoxy thouroughy but 2 days later there are some "sticky' areas when I run my hand lightly over the bait. Most of the bait is rock solid, just a few areas are sticky but still covered totally. Will this eventually harden? Do I try a second coat? How do you all handle this situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 If it's not hard in 12 hrs, it never will be. Cover it with a second coat of D2T and that will cause the soft epoxy to harden too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anamealreadyinuse Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Thanks Bob! Is this common when using Devcon in this way or what I suspect in that I did not mix properly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Sometime the mix maybe just abit off. It is a 1:1 material and if there isn't enough of the hardener you get sticky spots. Like Bob said mixup another batch and keep an eye on the puddles, have them come out as equal as possible. That's it in a nutshell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) It's only common if you don't measure and mix properly . Soft spots are almost always mixing problems. You have to mix the heck out of it and make sure the mixing container has no recesses where unmixed resin can hide during the process. I do mine in a small jar cap covered with HD tin foil and mix it with a plastic strip cut from an old credit card. If you add a FEW (4-5) drops of denatured alcohol, it thins the mix and makes it easier to get the components blended well. It also extends the brush time by a minute or more, which should relieve you a little of the "Hurry Up!" feeling. I mix Devcon vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Edited March 14, 2012 by BobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 That stuff is very funny about ratio. Its a 1.2 to 1 resin/hardener by weight. Look it up on their site. I bought a jewelers scale that goes to .01gram on ebay for 20 bucks. No more lolly pops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anamealreadyinuse Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 okay, good advice...thanks guys! Last time I mixed up a batch I ended up stirring in a bunch of bubble but it was the 5 min. epoxy which was a terrible experience LOL...talk about rushing. I tried to not mix as much of the 2 ton this time so that definitly was the problem...no way the 2 ton is a half hour cure though, I am guessing I had 15 min. max to do 2 baits and when you still are feeling your way around best way to do it, I need every minute ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Don't worry about the bubbles. Mix the hell out of it. By adding a few drops of denatured alcohol it will thin the mix just enough that the bubbles will rise to the top and burst. I mix mine in the little plastic pill cups like you get at the hospital. Sometimes the mix is so full of tiny bubbles it looks cloudy. Again!! Don't worry about the bubbles! After mixing it thoroughly (be sure to wipe down any epoxy that gets up on the side if your using a cup) I hold the cup up to my mouth and breathe on it several times. The combination of carbon dioxide and the warmth of your breath will help pop the bubbles. I had the same problem your having and until I learned to not worry about the bubbles while mixing I continued to have the same problem. Did I mention Don't worry about the bubbles? #1 Mix the hell out of it. #2 Don't worry about the bubbles. #3 Breathe on it like you breathe into your lovers ear while whispering sweet nothings to her. #4 Apply with a soft bristle brush. It will help pop any remaining bubbles. (a soft bristled, natural hair brush works best for me) #5 Clean the brush with denatured alcohol. (I've been using the same brush for over a year now) $6 Kick back, pour yourself a beer, a shot or a glass of wine and relish in your flawless work. (or get your lover a drink and whisper sweet nothings in her ear) Ben Edited March 14, 2012 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crankpaint Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Don't worry about the bubbles. Mix the hell out of it. By adding a few drops of denatured alcohol it will thin the mix just enough that the bubbles will rise to the top and burst. I mix mine in the little plastic pill cups like you get at the hospital. Sometimes the mix is so full of tiny bubbles it looks cloudy. Again!! Don't worry about the bubbles! After mixing it thoroughly (be sure to wipe down any epoxy that gets up on the side if your using a cup) I hold the cup up to my mouth and breathe on it several times. The combination of carbon dioxide and the warmth of your breath will help pop the bubbles. I had the same problem your having and until I learned to not worry about the bubbles while mixing I continued to have the same problem. Did I mention Don't worry about the bubbles? #1 Mix the hell out of it. #2 Don't worry about the bubbles. #3 Breathe on it like you breathe into your lovers ear while whispering sweet nothings to her. #4 Apply with a soft bristle brush. It will help pop any remaining bubbles. (a soft bristled, natural hair brush works best for me) #5 Clean the brush with denatured alcohol. (I've been using the same brush for over a year now) $6 Kick back, pour yourself a beer, a shot or a glass of wine and relish in your flawless work. (or get your lover a drink and whisper sweet nothings in her ear) Ben if i do #3 will it smooth out and lay down better??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 That stuff is very funny about ratio. Its a 1.2 to 1 resin/hardener by weight. Look it up on their site. I bought a jewelers scale that goes to .01gram on ebay for 20 bucks. No more lolly pops. Yeah, it is funny stuff, because it's 1:1 resin/hardner by volume. Why would there be a difference between weight and volume as mixture goes?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLester Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 I had the same problem when I first started. I use the bottom of a soda can or in some cases a beer can, LOL. I have an old wooden stick I use to mix with. I have a 1 minute mixing rule, mix the hell out of it for a minute, the bottom of the can is a prefect mixing boil. Don't worry about the bubbles they'll come out. Another rule I have is, I never clear no more than two lures at a time (note I fish big crankbaits) because I mix for so long the D2 starts gitting thick about the time I finish brushing on the 2nd lure. Sence I started following my two rules I have never had another lure come out tacky. Maybe this will be some help also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 if i do #3 will it smooth out and lay down better??? Breathing on it will help pop the bubbles, but it doesn't do anything to help you lay down a smooth coat. And it's more like exhaling on it with an open mouth instead of blowing on it with clinched lips. To see the difference in what I'm talking about blow on your hand with your lips open just enough to let the air escape. Now exhale on your hand with an open mouth. Feel the difference? There's more warmth with the mouth open. As far as getting a smooth coat a good quality artists brush like mentioned above will do more to help than anything else I've tried. I've used both acid brushes and cheap nylon artist brushes with neither working as well as the natural hair artists brush. I use a 3/4" flat tip brush and it holds enough epoxy to brush an average size bass bait while only loading the brush with epoxy a couple of times. And the fine, soft hair helps pop any bubbles left in the top coat. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Yeah, it is funny stuff, because it's 1:1 resin/hardner by volume. Why would there be a difference between weight and volume as mixture goes?? Probably due to chemical composition. The difference isnt much, but enough to throw you off for very small batches, like I do. I just happened to be looking around the Devcon tech sheets and noticed an updated version that had the 1.2 to 1 by wgt. If you buy the 9oz kit and put em on the scale, you will see the diff. Someone here at TU did that and came up with the correct ratio, that way. Better to have too little hardner, than too much, I think. Lots of great knowledge given here about D2T! I still use it on my plugs, but not the customers. Too brittle. When it fails, it can break off in large chunks. Edited March 14, 2012 by markinorf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) I read that it's 1/1 by volume, not weight. Makes sense. Devcon sells their epoxy in double plunger applicators, which squeeze out equal amounts by volume, not weight. Thorough mixing is really the key. I mix by eye. I lay out what look like equal lines of hardener and epoxy (don't ask how I know about laying out lines), and then mix away. I use D2T mostly for anchoring hardware, not top coating, so I mix it with a wooden toothpick on a piece of duct tape laid onto my work bench, or in a small plastic salsa solo cup. Mixing small amounts makes thorough mixing easier. For larger amounts, I use a piece of wire with two 90 degree bends at one end, like a square U, so it gets into the edges of the solo cup. Or a popsicle stick cut square at the end. Whatever you mix with, mix like crazy! Edited March 14, 2012 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 I bought the Bob Smith 30 minute epoxy and weighed both 9oz bottles seperately on a gram scale. The resin weighed about 180grams and the hardener weighed about 150 grams. So when I mix it up to coat 4 or 5lures I mix 24 grams of resin with 20 grams of hardener. Itcomes out perfect every time. I also add about 4 drops of DA after mixing. Once I put the lures on the dryer I turn the blow dryer on each lure for about 10 seconds each and have had no problems. I know it is supposed to be measured by volume, but if you buy a cheap gram scale it makes the process fool proof. IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchilton Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 The best method of mixing I've found is to use a rotary tool that can be run SLOW. If you go too fast the epoxy will fling off the mixing rod. By "slow" I mean slow for a rotary tool, maybe in the 100 to 500 rpm range. I use a Foredom tool with a foot pedal so can control the speed. The handpiece has a small chuck (like a drill chuck) and I just chuck up a 2-3 inch piece of bamboo meat skewer. I tilt the mixing cup and then stir around through the epoxy with the spinning rod. As with mixing by hand, I "scrape" the sides of the cup with the tool and make sure to involve every bit of the epoxy. Since I've started using this method, never had a problem with curing. The two epoxy components have different densities, that's why the volume ratio is different than the weight ratio. It's like the difference between oil and water. The oil is less dense so it floats on top of the water, except for the epoxy, the two liquids will mix/disolve each other so they don't separate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 I just squeeze the epoxy bottles at the same time to get 2 equal size pools. It's not rocket science and I haven't had a failure in years. If the lure is soft all over, you screwed up measuring. If you have soft spots, you screwed up mixing. After a few lures, you get an idea of what's necessary and how long you have to brush it. The anxiety caused by hurrying causes most errors. If you shake in a few drops of denatured alcohol (specific) and mix it in after the epoxy is mixed, that will relieve some of the anxiety by extending the brush time and making it easier to brush. No, you don't want to lolly gag in getting epoxy on the lures. But there's plenty of time to do a good systematic job on a couple of lures. Note: "30 minute epoxy" is epoxy that will cure enough to form a glue bond in 30 minutes. It has nothing to do with how long it will remain brushable. Using 30 minute epoxy as a lure topcoat is a "non-standard" application for the glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Like I said in post #4 keep an eye on the puddles. I just try to get equal amounts and mix away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
