BobP Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 I cracked a new can of Garco moisture cured urethane and dipped a batch of lures in it last night. Here are my initial observations: The Garco can be found on the internet for around $25, which is cheap. It's designed as a floor finish. Like DN, it is a very light amber color but it is slightly thicker than DN. It still dips OK but there's a bit more drip-off after dipping due to the viscosity.. Garco's initial drying time is much slower than DN; the lures are still just slightly tacky this morning after 14 hours of air drying. Not so tacky that you can't handle them, but tacky nonetheless, while in comparison DN is always bone dry and slick to the touch after 2-3 hours. Since MCU takes several days to cure and get really tough, I don't know yet whether this is a show stopper. I'll let the lures hang for several days to see if the tackiness goes away as it cures. Garco is also less glossy than DN; I'd say 'satin' versus DN's 'high gloss'. That's a plus or a minus, just depending on your taste in topcoats. If the Garco cures out hard and slick, I'll be satisfied and will continue using it. Will toss it if it doesn't. Will report back after a few days of curing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shade_skyhi Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 hello friend please keep us informed have a great day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 I used a moisture cured urethane on my living room floors 15 yrs. ago and it dried over night. Really wish I could remember what I used. Can't remember like I used to. I just had to go back and reread what I had written to remember what I said. Shucks, forgot again. Musky Glenn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 The Garco cured hard and slick so I'm satisfied on that count. Other observations: the gloss is similar to epoxy, not as much as DN. It did not seem to level out quite as well as DN when dipped but that may be because the baits had overall scale net paint which had a slight 3D effect. The first dip was fast, maybe a bit too fast, which might also have contributed to the leveling problem. After 36 hours, I decided to do a 2nd dip and that seemed to level out the topcoat. The 2nd dip did not cause any bubbling or other problems, which sometimes happens with DN. My supposition is that Garco employs a different set of solvents than DN. Whether Garco has the good quality of penetrating acrylic paint to form a monolithic tough finish like DN does is TBD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakotalakestackle Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 I use Garco now instead of DN, I am very happy with it. I recommend it to everyone that asks about MCU. I dip my baits and let them dry for 3 days. After that they are rock hard. I also like Garco because it does not seem as sensitive to oxygen in the jar. I always seemed to have to throw DN away because it jelled up inside the jar. At first I thought I was being to stingy with Bloxygen, but I spray the same amount in the Garco jar and have no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Further observations: I've had the Garco for 2 months now, decanted into 2 Ball canning jars with rubber seal lids and using a wine saver aerosol containing nitrogen and CO2. My Garco began to "go off" within a couple of weeks and now has a jelly-like skin whenever I open the jar. I could keep DN under the same regimen for up to a year without a skin appearing in the dipping jar. The Garco is a little thicker than DN and I believe it uses a different mix of solvents or at least less of the solvent contained in DN. This is significant because DN would tend to soak through acrylic paint to form a monolithic finish to the wood or plastic substrate, while the Garco may not do this. On the other hand, I've re-dipped a dozen lures in Garco after 18 hrs and none of them developed problem areas like can happen when multiple coats of DN are tried. Bottom line: I probably won't be using Garco again because of the quick hardening in the jar. Although DN is more expensive, I think it is still the 'gold standard" MCU if you dip hardbaits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Thanks for the follow up info. Bob...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_man7 Posted May 6, 2022 Report Share Posted May 6, 2022 Good info, what is DN MCU referred to? Dunhams? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Fisher Posted May 6, 2022 Report Share Posted May 6, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2022 The DN referred to is Dick Nite Fishermun’s Lurecoat, type S81. In the decade since the post, another MCU option has also become popular, a MCU sold by automotive online stores (can’t remember the product name -a little help please!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 7, 2022 Report Share Posted May 7, 2022 8 hours ago, BobP said: The DN referred to is Dick Nite Fishermun’s Lurecoat, type S81. In the decade since the post, another MCU option has also become popular, a MCU sold by automotive online stores (can’t remember the product name -a little help please!) Bob, Are you talking about KBS? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2022 Yes! Thanks for the assist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenlures Posted May 12, 2022 Report Share Posted May 12, 2022 Small lures KBS and musky lures ETex lite that's what I stick with I don't chase finish coats anymore; this is works for me. wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
