MuddyCreekFisherman Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 so ive been reading about how super glue is a good sealer for balsa and ive recently start using it and since im on a ship where supplies are limited i can only brush on paint. now my problem is that when i paint my lures some times the paint just peels right of after drying!?!? does this have anything to do with the paint or the process im doing? -thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Have you tried lightly scuffing the sealed bait with 400 grit sandpaper before starting to paint? That will give the paint something to "bite" on. Also you didn't mention what type of paint your using. Are you making sure each coat is thoroughly dried between coats? Another thing that can happen is if your applying a thick layer of paint it may appear dry on the surface, but still remain wet under the surface. Multiple light coats is the best way to go. They will have a much better bond than thick coats. hope this helps, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I have not worked with wooden baits as extensively as most of you but the GST sealer is an awesome sealer for wood if you are not in a huge hurry...I use 3 dips and fully cure for paint in 2 weeks...very thin adds almost no weight. Just my opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 D2T as a sealer does not give me much time to apply when I am doing an 8" wood wake bait but as a sealer and as a top coat it gives me that great wood knock when the bait walks. I have good results with the same hardness using a "sealing epoxy" I bought at West Marine. It is mixed 2:1 instead of 1:1 and it worked great with much more soak time on the bait before final hardening. However it was way too expensive at about 60 bucks for the two parts of 5 and 10 oz respectively. At tap plastics they seemed to know the product and they sell it for about 50 bucks for 16 and 32 oz package. Gives me the hard knock and has a longer working (soak) time on the raw wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 D2T as a sealer does not give me much time to apply when I am doing an 8" wood wake bait but as a sealer and as a top coat it gives me that great wood knock when the bait walks. I have good results with the same hardness using a "sealing epoxy" I bought at West Marine. It is mixed 2:1 instead of 1:1 and it worked great with much more soak time on the bait before final hardening. However it was way too expensive at about 60 bucks for the two parts of 5 and 10 oz respectively. At tap plastics they seemed to know the product and they sell it for about 50 bucks for 16 and 32 oz package. Gives me the hard knock and has a longer working (soak) time on the raw wood. Barry, Have you tried PVC for you wake baits? It works great, and there is no sealing needed. PM me if you want more info. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sallystrothers Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 In my opinion, the unquestionably best wood sealer is clear penetrating epoxy sealer. This is also a toxic product which probably scares people away. It is often used for sealing wood hulls for ocean-going boats. Someone did an experiment with striper plugs and tested all kinds of wood sealers and the winner by a long shot was CPES. I have used it on enormous wood swimbaits and it soaks up like crazy. When cured the bait is rock hard and no water will penetrate for 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Like Sallystrothers said, I think thats the same stuff I used from West Marine. Said to stabilize and strengthen deteriorated/dry rot type wood problems. And thanks Mark, I am currently trying pvc and am on the learning curve, may get ahold of you to help me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 When I used to make wood baits, I played around with Minwax Wood Restorer as a sealer. It also is used for strengthening rotten wood, and is absorbed. But I found that the solvents took a long time to off gas, so I had to wait a week before I tried to use heat dried paints over it, and, even then, it sometimes bubbled out from the end grain. But it was, by far, the best sealer I ever found. It got into every hole and detail. Sounds like the CPES is a better version of wood restorer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sallystrothers Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 When I used to make wood baits, I played around with Minwax Wood Restorer as a sealer. It also is used for strengthening rotten wood, and is absorbed. But I found that the solvents took a long time to off gas, so I had to wait a week before I tried to use heat dried paints over it, and, even then, it sometimes bubbled out from the end grain. But it was, by far, the best sealer I ever found. It got into every hole and detail. Sounds like the CPES is a better version of wood restorer. CPES soaks deep in the hollow veins of the wood. Some types of wood actually require more than one application. It then creates a 1/8" to 1/4" thick solid barrier within the wood itself. Teeth marks and dings don't affect it because of how far it soaks in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 CPES soaks deep in the hollow veins of the wood. Some types of wood actually require more than one application. It then creates a 1/8" to 1/4" thick solid barrier within the wood itself. Teeth marks and dings don't affect it because of how far it soaks in. Sounds like the way to go for wood lures. Does it add much weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sallystrothers Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Sounds like the way to go for wood lures. Does it add much weight? I am not entirely sure. I have been making 12" wood baits and they were not affected by the added weight. Not sure how a smaller bait would react. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbxr400 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I try not to over think this. I tend to lose lures, so I don't get too hung up on them having to last forever. I'll usually knock out a dozen at a time. I use Minwax sanding sealer - dip the lure, use a wire or disposable Oral-B dental brush dipped in the sanding sealer to work it in all the hardware holes. I probably dip each one for 2-3 minutes. I'm more interested in making sure I have the sealer in the holes thoroughly, rather than the exterior. I let them dry about 12-24 hours, lightly sand and start my painting. After painting and installing eyes and hardware, I coat with a single coat of E-Tex, and turn 4 lures at a time for 8 hours on a simple rotisserie. I let them dry 48 hours total, clean up the eye hooks, install the rings and hooks and go fishing. I notice you don't have a rotisserie - Lowes is clearing them out for $22 now. I just screwed two 1x4 boards about a foot long standing up off a 3rd 1x4 board about 30-36" long (depends on the rotisserie you get). Mount the rotisserie, add 8 alligator clips, one to each rotisserie prong, and then use wire and a rubber band to mount the lures to the alligator clips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddl Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 there was a recipe for aa good sanding sealer that was made out of epoxy and denaturate alcohol i don't remember the ratio for the mix i think it was 30 % of alcohol but im not sure does anyone know ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted February 8, 2021 Report Share Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) Great thread! Anyone use spar urethane for a sealer? I've been using the thin CA glue from Hobby Lobby mentioned earlier in the thread, and it does work great! The other day I was at Walmart and they had the Spar Urethane on clearance for $3 per quart, so I picked up a couple. I'd be painting with airbrush acrylics afterward. I have used wood hardener too, and I like how it seals and hardens the bait. I found a shorter soak time is better, as it penetrates very quickly. I turned a couple blanks that were supposed to float into rocks by soaking them too long. Edited February 8, 2021 by Big Epp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastman03 Posted February 8, 2021 Report Share Posted February 8, 2021 I've used spar urethane cut with thinner before. It seemed to do the job. I can't remember why I changed away from it. Stinky? lol That wood hardener is crazy, how it makes the wood like a rock. It is hard to even sand afterwards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD_mudbug Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) In the past, I have used spar urethane cut with 20-25% mineral spirits to help it penetrate a bit better and get into through-wire shaft holes. I saw that formula in an old saltwater/striper magazine. I dunk the bait for a couple of minutes with an occasional stir of the bait, lightly brush off the excess with a cheap brush to prevent pooling on the end, and hang to dry overnight. I use a tennis ball tube container to dunk big baits. I stopped using spar because of the dry time and residual smell. Back in the day, a lot of people used spar urethane as part of the ‘Old Timers formula’ for a penetrating sealer. 1 part spar urethane, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 2 parts mineral spirits. I never tried it because rags soaked in boiled linseed oil can spontaneously combust as they dry. I didn’t want to be the guy on the news who burned his house down because he threw some wet rags in the trash. I still use wood hardener from time to time. The off-gas time on wood hardener is long. I soaked a body for 2 days once. It was still off-gassing 2 weeks later. The body was 2.5 oz before the soak, 3 oz after the soak. I don't think there is anything out there that will penetrate into wood deeper. I mostly make baits in the winter. To be sure the wood hardener has fully off-gassed, it almost feels like I should dunk a bunch of bodies in one winter, hang them to dry in some out of the way corner of the shop, and finish the baits the following winter just to be safe. I mostly use thin superglue now for the quick dry time. Edited February 9, 2021 by JD_mudbug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD_mudbug Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 ddl, I do not use epoxy as a sealer but I have seen posts where people use up to 50% denatured alcohol. 1 part resin, 1 part hardener, 1 part DN. Mix the hardener and resin first. Then mix in the DN. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/32034-thinning-enviro-tech/?tab=comments#comment-261587 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted February 11, 2021 Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 Just for grins I sealed a bait yesterday with super glue and took some notes... It was a 7.25" bait made with redwood. Before sealing the blank weighed 40g, after sealing it weighed 42g. I also sealed a piece of wood with the same super glue and then split it this morning to see how deeply the super glue soaked in. It doesn't look like it soaked in very deep, not much deeper than the surface. I'd be curious to repeat this test with some other sealer options for comparison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
