Thembonez Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I recently top coated some plastic cranks. Did two coats, waited 24 hrs In between. It's been 13 days since last coat, and I can still make an impression on my bait with my finger nail. How long does this stuff take to cure?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Mine always hardens within a couple of hours as the solvent off-gasses. Then it takes several days for the coating to moisture cure and get tough as nails. I have to ask - which Dick Nite topcoat are you using? I'm talking about the S-81 moisture cured urethane. If you're using another option, can't comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I am using the s-81. Don't get me wrong, the finish is hard to an extent, it's not tacky or anything. Just if I wanted I could take my finger nail and press into the finish and leave a mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I fish these baits trolling for walleye. So im hoping this top coat will hold up to the abuse of a toothy critter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) If the DN cured hard, maybe the paint underneath is thick and soft enough to be causing the effect. Or if the paint was solvent-based and not water based acrylic, that may cause problems. I found the DN to be the hardest and toughest topcoat I've tried. Its durability is only offset by the fact that it is thinner than some topcoats, like epoxy. I also think it is much slicker than epoxy so the bait tends to slide off obstructions and teeth a little easier. Edited August 20, 2013 by BobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted September 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 So after letting my top coat cure for more than two weeks I tested my cranks out on the water. After several several sauger and walleye and banging around the bottom all day, I found my top coat had chiped and peeled back off the lip! And I had tooth marks that went all the way down to the paint! This is after two coats and more than ample time to cure!? In a little lost on what went wrong with my top coat here? Should I apply more than two coats or be trying a different clear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Did you wait at least 24hrs between the two coats? Is this a new can, as in have you had any successful batches from the same can on DN yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted September 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Yes, I waited at least 24hr between coats. It's a new can. First time I've ever tried this top coat. I've heard great things about it. Just wish it'd hold up better. Curious if more coats = a tougher finish? As stated before its been well over two weeks for curing and I can still "dent" the finish with my finger nail. I'm not sure if humidity comes into play with this coating or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 That doesn't sound right at all Thembonez. The lures I've coated with DN sure weren't going to be dented by a thumbnail. Have you tried contacting Dick to see if he could shed some light on this? Humidity shouldn't matter as the moisture in the air is what starts the curing process. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffond Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 So really random question how high and how much humidity in the weather have you had lately... I know in Minnesota there was a couple weeks there it wouldn't have paid to use any kind of two part epoxy the humidity was so high nothing would dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted September 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 We've had some extreme humidity the past couple months. But with a moisture cure urethane you'd think this would do nothing but help the process. I'll have to contact Dick and ask him for his insight. It was mentioned earlier that it could be due to "thick" paint. Only problem is I can dig my finger nail into the bill and peel the top coat back till it chips. Maybe waiting longer between multipil coats? Heat setting between top coats to help speed the process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 I would try painting another lure using the same process as you did with the one that gave you trouble. Only this time just use one coat of DN and see what happens. I can't see humidity being a problem as Dick is located in Lake Stevens, Wa. and they have some pretty humid weather up there. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted September 11, 2013 Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 How thick are you putting it on? Two thin coats are the way to go, if you put it on too thick it will give you problems curing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted September 11, 2013 Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 After giving this some more thought, I bet the culprit is the paint itself. If you put a couple of heavy coats on and they aren't cured fully the clear will harden over it but as hard as it is DN is still flexible you would be able to dent the finish and it would explain the de-lamination of the finish. Also DN doesn't like to stick to some bills, 1.5 square bills in particular. Light coats of paint heat set should fix this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thembonez Posted September 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 As much as I wish it was the paint, I don't think it is. I had a few baits left over that I did not clear. I tried to leave an impression in the paint like I can on the cleared baits to no avail. For some reason it just don't feel "hard as nails" like some describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
