bloodhound Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 I know there are a lot of threads on finishing lures, but I was having trouble finding an answer to my question. I am building wood musky lures, sealing with a mix of spaurethane and mineral spirits, priming, air brush painting with createx, and then looking for a final sealing option. Fitting a turner in my shop will be very difficult at the moment. Is there a decent finish that I can either dip or brush on and then hang to drip dry, from what I understand this will not work well for most apoxy finishes. Any ideas? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) I don't make muskie lures, so I can't say whether this will work for you or not. When I made wood lures, I used Etex, and then Nulustre 55, because they were more flexible and moved with the wood. They are both decoupage epoxies, designed for moving with large wood surfaces as the wood expands and contracts. They also dented when I hit rocks with my lures (purely in the interest of testing) instead of cracking, like when I used D2T. If you're really secure in the sealer you use, so tooth penetration and water intrusion aren't an issue, either Etex or Nulustre 55 will work for you. But you will need a turner for either of those finishes. I've since switched to building with PVC, so water intrusion isn't an issue anymore. I used a water borne urethane as a topcoat, because it didn't change the colors on my lures, even the metalic paints. I've just begun using Solarez, and it seems to be a very hard, tough finish. It also doesn't need to be put on a turner. You can dip with it, clean off the drip buildup once it's stopped dripping, and hang it in a UV light box to cure in 3 minutes. There are several Solarez threads in the most recent forum section with lots of details for how to use it. But, even though it is "tougher" than D2T, less brittle, it still chips if I try to clean it up with knife. So far, I've used it on cranks, and it's terrific. I just made a couple of 3 piece swimbaits, and finished them with the Solarez. I'm taking them swimming Saturday. Hopefully, a 20lb striper will give them a ride, and I'll find out how the finish holds up on swimbaits. More to the point, I'll find out how the banging of the sections affects the Solarez, which is where D2T failed. I'll post the results. Edited January 23, 2013 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 I use etex, it works well for me as I too build musky lures. I brush it on and let it hang overnight. The next day I will put another coat of etex and hang it from the opposite end. I wait a couple of days, then wet sand with 120 grit to get all the imperfections out. I then apply a final thin coat. I'm really happy with the end result. s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 If you can't or don't want to use an epoxy, that leaves 3 alternative topcoats. Moisture cured urethane like Dick Nite S81 Solarez UV cured resin Auto 2 part urethane finishes. I can't speak to how any of the alternatives will work with the coatings you have already selected. An epoxy would almost surely work OK but if you have discarded that possibility, then you just have to experiment. I suggest you do some searching and reading on the alternatives before you jump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Another option to add to Bob's 3 is Dick Nite's Liquid Plastic Top Coat, LPTC S-83. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crzyjunyer Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 i have been using 2 part auto clears for about a year now and have been pretty happy with it overall, but it does have its disavatanges too. I have learned that its better to do more layers of it (i do 7 now from 3 orig) to keep it from chipping as bad on rocks. You need a organinc vapor respirator to spray and a place to, as well as warm tempuratures to get it to flash off and cure. I just ordered some solarez myself last week to try it after so many positive reveiws of it on here. I decided to try it since i do alot of paint during the winter months and am tired of trying to find a warm day to clear coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 I had to remove some ballast from two of my jointed swimbaits that I had coated with Solarez. I wanted slow sink, like ROF 5 at the most, but the Solarez added enough weight to make them ROF 10+, so I drilled out 3 grams to slow their fall. The Solarez drilled out fine, without the chipping I would have had with D2T, so it is a different animal than a glue epoxy. I was able to pack the drill holes with paper towel, seal with two drops of runny crazy glue, and then add enough Solarez to fill the holes flush. I put them in the sun to start the cure, and then hung them in the nail UV light for two minutes, and the patches were hard. Amazing stuff. I'll know how they hold up to swimming on Saturday, and I'll post the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 epoxy as etex. does a fish truly inspect a little drip on the end of a musky bait lol.. seeking54 has a solution.. one thing to remember a lot of clearcoat can affect buoyancy/swim actiom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
