scrubs Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I did a search on this but all I came up with is a few drops of denatured alchohol. I've been thinning with more than that and the first 4-5 baits were fine. But the last one just won't set up. I know the other thing to thin 2T is heat but I need what working time I can get. Can too much alchohol prevent setting up? I'll try another coat on the bad one. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 Well while not practical for lures you can thin devcon until water consistency to coat lure molds without issues of it not setting. I would look more towards wrong amounts of the two components as you cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don-Art Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I would also suggest that both the resin and the hardener should be thoroughly mixed prior to thinning the epoxy. Don 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted October 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 Thanks guys. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) One thing I've done with Devcon is mixed up a batch and then had to 'scrape the barrel' for the last lure - which failed to cure because I had not really mixed ALL the components in every crevice of the mixing container. Sounds like that may have happened to you. Personally, I don't ever thin a batch with more than a few drops of denatured alcohol. You need some clearcoat thickness to really protect the lure and make a beautiful finish. If I wanted thinner, I'd use Etex and be willing to wait extra hours for the cure time. Edited October 21, 2013 by BobP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted October 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Could have been any of the reasons, bad proportions, bad job of mixing or using the last bit of it. I'll need to be more careful going forward. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 I've found that, with any 2 part epoxy that I've thinned and then had it not set up, it's that I haven't mixed it thoroughly before I add the alcohol. One part or the other will take up the alcohol and not bond with the other epoxy part if it's still separate, so be sure you mix both parts together really well before you thin it with alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I added way too much alcohol by mistake to a batch of epoxy one time and the only thing I noticed was that it took an exceptionally long time to cure. There was no doubt the epoxy was mixed well. Both before and after adding the alcohol. And like Bob mentioned the coat was not as thick as normal, but it did eventually cure. I'm not sure what excessive amounts of alcohol will do to the strength of the epoxy though. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I think the issue likely isn't the alcohol but the water that gets left behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCAngler Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 I did a quick experiment one time to determine what I thought was the best viscosity/cure time and it worked pretty well. Just set up 3 or 4 cups and measure how much premixed epoxy and alcohol you pit in each one. Start with a small amount of alcohol and end with a substantially larger a mouth. If you were to graph these findings you could pretty easily predict what ratio will give you the viscosity/cure time your looking for. Sounds like a lot of work BUT the effects of inconsistent sealing coats will change the action of your baits. I spent along time trying to figure out why 2 out of 10 swim baits I made were swimming differently and this was the reason. Dipped versus brushed on is another cause if inconsistent weight which ultimately changes the CG. I guess what I picked on was no matter what you choose stay consistent. Just my learnings from the school of hard knocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted November 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Thanks for the interesting comment. I've been using an eye dropper for the alchohol but the amount of epoxy is not as consistent. It would probably help if I mixed larger equal sized batches and did multiple lures at a time. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 The more you thin epoxy, the thinner the film that's applied, so the weaker it becomes, too. Less is less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
