Mad Moose Baits Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 I paint blank plastic crankbaits. I have tried epoxy and Solarez for my topcoat and my reactions for epoxy were "meh" at best and somewhat optimistic for the Solarez. This is what I want from a topcoat: 1) EASE OF USE 2) I nice glossy finish without being so thick it makes the bait look like it was dipped in glass 3) Durability and toughness 4) EASE OF USE Hey Dave, you said "EASE OF USE" twice! I LIKE ease of use! As far as wooden baits etc... I have no clue how it would work but I think most would stick to expoy etc...again, I paint plastic blanks. I will test a lipless crank at a quary I call my Laboratory (as in lah BOR a tor ee in a funny accent) last time I went I brutalized a lipless against all the rocks. I got it at Menard's for about $29 for the gallon. It is 20% acrylic solids which is a bit lower than the one rep recommended but instead of a double dip I am going to try a triple. I hope this helps! I don't like having "trade secrets" etc when it comes to this stuff..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 I like the feature - Ease of Use. No two parts to mix or special lights. Gonna have to find me some of this stuff to try. No menards where I live. No top coat is indestructible so its a matter of degrees of toughness. Ease of use makes it possible to repair more often if needed. Its solvent based not water based so lacquer thinner is needed for clean up not soap and water. I have to use this to clean up epoxy spills so no big deal. Thanks for sharing what you found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Looking forward to hear the results. How long does it take to cure? Is there any odor? Thank you for sharing and taking the hit for experimentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Looks good...what paint did you top coat? Any problems with it wrinkling or lifting your color? (problem I seem to have with Dick Nite) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 I use cheap acrylics and that poor frog has be dropped a ton of times so it he was nicked up etc already. I kept looking back at it and I really see no chips. I can feel just a bare amount of..."unsmoothness" where I beat the crap out of it, and in that video I was hitting it hard. I even opened up a knife and whacked it with the blunt side of the blade and still no paint chipping. I dipped a crank last night three times. It was less than an hour in between coats. It looks awesome. There is some odor to it until it dries being lacquer based. I just painted 5 lipless baits and will take them to the quarry. This should be a real good test because of the sharp angles. I will video some more today. HERE is the link to the stuff at Menard's. It is supposed to be non-yellowing. To say I am excited about this is an understatement. One last thing, the blob on the tail hook hanger was really minimal, especially when compared to Solarez and D2T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Thanks for the info. Look forward to hearing more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Might as well post as I make observations. While the sealer is fairly thin it seems to have a property that makes it cling to the surface and the results are very few drips after the initial dipping. I have dipped all 5 lipless cranks I painted this morning. I hung them up at first using a hook on the line tie (on top) and the bottom hook hanger. Once I had all 5 hung this way I transferred each to the tail hook hanger since I didn't see and dripping. Oh, I am storing it in a wide mouth Mason jar and covering it with foil. Will post more after the three dips are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 So your dipping and hanging them?...No spinning?...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 So your dipping and hanging them?...No spinning?...Nathan Correct and if I had a turner I would use it on the lipless. I have had a little sagging so I keep changing the hanger I am using. The crankbait was no problem dipping and hanging from the line tie just a touch of a brush early on if a significant blob forms on the rear hanger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Thanks for the update! Looking forward to how it sticks to the edges. Solarez was an epic fail on edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Thanks Mad Moose...have you tried submerging a bait over night to see if it softens?....Just some stuff I throw at top coats when I'm experimenting...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Mad Moose What are you dipping into? You said, "Oh, I am storing it in a wide mouth Mason jar and covering it with foil." Do you pour out of your gallon can over into the wide mouth Mason jar and dip plugs right out of this storage jar? Thanks. John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 OK I look at the specifications and it says water repellant not water proof. Also noted the statement to not use where hydrostatic pressure is possible. I read hydrostatic as water pressure. SO-O-O how well will the coat stand up to being submerged in water for a while? TIme will tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 OK so I didn't get to fish the lipless cranks yesterday. I wanted to give them a full 24 cure first. I did however put a crank I triple dipped earlier in the weekend and that poor frog in water. I will check on it tonight after 24 hours. I am really curious about how the frog will hold up since I didn't top coat the head. I will video and post so everyone can see what happens. The finish it put on the crankbait is the best finish I have ever done, bar none. One note, I did shad dots on my lipless using 1/4" black vinyl dots that I bought. On two of the baits I notice the edges of the dots curled a minuscule amount, but still noticeable. I am not sure if I didn't press them down hard enough or the sealer penetrated under them via the molded scale pattern on the side of the lure.. John, yes I poured it into the jar and cover the lid with foil. I dip the baits right in. I haven't noticed any skinning on top and I wondered about mixing so I looked closer. I have seen no layering to indicate it separates much if at all, if any. I have to admit it is kinda cool looking, while it is clear it has neat swirling patterns in it as it sits in the jar. If I did drugs I would have been mesmerized! Guys, I am very new to this so any questions you have will most likely be things I haven't thought of, so fire away. I will learn from them and if we get the answers we need via experimentation on my part, we all win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 No Menards within 3 states of here but a quick look showed Home Depot had a similar product. Also noticed a water cleanup one. Since I'm a beginner at this ease of use trumps extreme durability. And I tend to change lures constantly so soaking in water for hours isn't a consideration. I remember Menards from when I lived in Wisconsin. Going in a store drove me nuts with their jingle constantly playing in the background, "you save big money you save big money ...". bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 No Menards within 3 states of here but a quick look showed Home Depot had a similar product. Also noticed a water cleanup one. Since I'm a beginner at this ease of use trumps extreme durability. And I tend to change lures constantly so soaking in water for hours isn't a consideration. I remember Menards from when I lived in Wisconsin. Going in a store drove me nuts with their jingle constantly playing in the background, "you save big money you save big money ...". bill Bill, the rep I spoke with from Artcrete said to make sure I did NOT get a water based sealer...just FYI. There was no real cost difference and at $30 for a gallon this stuff is super cheap for a topcoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Thanks for the FYI Moose. I have a lot of water based potential top coats so that saves me some experimenting. Think I may cruise over to home depot and lowes. Has anyone ever used dope, the stuff for model airplanes not the stuff for "recreational purposes"? My Sig Litecoat dope is dippable and I've got a quart around. It's laquer based and I use that or laquer for an anti tarnish coat on brass spinner blades and bodies. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 OK I look at the specifications and it says water repellant not water proof. Also noted the statement to not use where hydrostatic pressure is possible. I read hydrostatic as water pressure. SO-O-O how well will the coat stand up to being submerged in water for a while? TIme will tell Ed, When hydrostatic pressure is mentioned in concrete const. materials, it's referring to water pressure from the opposite side of the concrete surface from the one that's coated. These coatings are supposed to keep water out, not hold pressurized water back. For example, with a concrete retaining wall, the waterproof membrane is put on the side of the wall facing the soil it's retaining. Otherwise, if you put it on the opposite inside face, the hydrostatic pressure of the water behind the wall will eventually saturate the concrete and cause the waterproof coating on the inside face, away from the soil, to bubble and fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Ed, When hydrostatic pressure is mentioned in concrete const. materials, it's referring to water pressure from the opposite side of the concrete surface from the one that's coated. These coatings are supposed to keep water out, not hold pressurized water back. For example, with a concrete retaining wall, the waterproof membrane is put on the side of the wall facing the soil it's retaining. Otherwise, if you put it on the opposite inside face, the hydrostatic pressure of the water behind the wall will eventually saturate the concrete and cause the waterproof coating on the inside face, away from the soil, to bubble and fail. Awesome info there, Mark! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdentAngler Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 just my 2cents is this the new way to make balsa baits more durable? Does this add significant weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I will try some this weekend...sounding good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 just my 2cents is this the new way to make balsa baits more durable? Does this add significant weight? The best way I've found to toughen the surface of balsa is with runny super glue. The balsa will absorb it to some degree and add quite a bit of rigidity to the surface of the wood. After applying the super glue and letting it cure I give the bait a light sanding to remove any rough spots. A coat of epoxy is then applied over the lure and the bait is put on the lure turner until the epoxy cures. The epoxy is just added protection and it also gives a smooth finish to paint on. The weight of the super glue is negligible since it's such a thin coat and the epoxy weighs close to the same amount as water so your not gaining much weight there either. This is by no means the only way to seal a lure. It's just a method that's easy for me and one that I've had good results with. Not sure how efficient this method would be if your building baits for sale, but since I only build for myself and a friend time management is of less importance to me than building the best bait I can build. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Moose Baits Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 just my 2cents is this the new way to make balsa baits more durable? Does this add significant weight? No clue on balsa...I work with plastic blanks that I paint. I can't see this adding any significant weight because it is so thin....however I will do a before and after on my next lure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Has anyone tried the Lowes or Home Depot sealers? It doesn't look like GST is available except at Menards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I would suspect that Lowes or Home Depoy would have a similar product...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
