Devcon Hardness Question

[pux]

Hello guys,

 

I'm new in using Devcon as a top coat. What I've noticed is that after it dries i.e. about 24 h or more I can make a mark with my nail over the coat. This is with one coat applied. Is that the normal hardness or I'm doing something wrong?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Cougarftd]

It should harden up more...when fully cured it has no flexibility.

[BobP]

X2 what Cougar said.  Epoxies only cure hard if they are measured and mixed well.  Of the two, mixing is more often the culprit in failure to harden.  Mixing well means different things to different guys.  All I can say is I mix the heck out of mine for a full minute - it looks like milk when I'm through but I add a FEW drops of denatured alcohol after mixing to expel bubbles and lengthen the brush time. Never a failure to harden.

 

As far as measuring, if you don't do it it accurately, you may have excess resin or hardener that will not combine chemically and will remain soft.  It will yellow faster if there is excess hardener present.  Safest method I've found is to use syringes that are sold to measure epoxy for rod guides.  Some syringes contain silicone, which can cause fish eyes as the epoxy hardens.

 

D2T should harden enough not to sag in about 1 1/2-2 hours and enough to handle lightly in about 5 hours.

[bassguy]

Equal amounts and mixed properly is the key!

[pux]

Thanks, guys!

 

I'll try again with more careful measuring and mixing!

[RayburnGuy]

Ditto what Bob said. When mixing epoxy I beat it to a froth and then add a few drops of denatured alcohol. The mxing then continues only a little gentler this time so as not to add so many bubbles into the mix. After it's thoroughly mixed I hold it close to my mouth and exhale on it. Exhale.........Not blow. Your breath is warmer this way and the combination of the warmth of your breath and the carbon dioxide expelled will pop the remaining bubbles.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

Ditto what Bob said. When mixing epoxy I beat it to a froth and then add a few drops of denatured alcohol. The mxing then continues only a little gentler this time so as not to add so many bubbles into the mix. After it's thoroughly mixed I hold it close to my mouth and exhale on it. Exhale.........Not blow. Your breath is warmer this way and the combination of the warmth of your breath and the carbon dioxide expelled will pop the remaining bubbles.

 

Ben

 

Please tell me you don't inhale!  Hahaha

 

D2T is a glue epoxy, and will cure out hard and brittle.  If it remained flexible, it wouldn't be a very good glue.

For a more flexible topcoat, look at a decoupage epoxy, like Etex, that's designed to move with large wood surfaces as they expand and contract.

[BobP]

BTW, a second coat of Devcon can fix a problematic first coat.  I never use more than one coat of D2T for bass baits unless I screwed up the first coat somehow.  If you want a thinner coating you can thin Devcon with a little denatured alcohol.  I've tried several thinners with Devcon over the years, including lacquer thinner, rubbing alcohol, and acetone.  Denatured alcohol is the only one that gave me a reliably hard finish.

 

Mark is of course right about Etex (aka Envirotex Lite).  It contains solvents and makes a much thinner topcoat that requires longer to cure than Devcon.  Many musky lure makers like to use it in multiple coats to make a more resilient topcoat that can withstand toothy critters.  But I just don't want to deal with multiple coats of slow curing epoxy and don't feel it's necessary for bass baits.  One and done with Devcon is OK by me.  The only thing that would draw me away from D2T is a UV filtered epoxy like Flexcoat UV that will presumably give you a topcoat that will not yellow for a very long time.  I have Devcon lures that have no discernible yellowing after several years but eventually I see some yellowing on them.  It's not an issue except on white surfaces and even there, a little yellowing is not necessarily a show stopper - but occasionally I'd prefer to "keep my whites white".

Edited November 29, 2013 by BobP

[RayburnGuy]

Please tell me you don't inhale!  Hahaha

 

D2T is a glue epoxy, and will cure out hard and brittle.  If it remained flexible, it wouldn't be a very good glue.

For a more flexible topcoat, look at a decoupage epoxy, like Etex, that's designed to move with large wood surfaces as they expand and contract.

 

I don't inhale Mark, but I did get some epoxy in my beard one time when I was trying to watch TV and seal a bait at the same time. And people think chewing gum is hard to get out of hair.

 

Ben

[sonoman]

^{vinegar will take care of that uncured epoxy , breaks it up and it will wash right out.}

[mark poulson]

I don't inhale Mark, but I did get some epoxy in my beard one time when I was trying to watch TV and seal a bait at the same time. And people think chewing gum is hard to get out of hair.

 

Ben

 

Just spill some of that Jack on it instead of drinking it.  I know, I know, sacrilege! 

[RayburnGuy]

Just spill some of that Jack on it instead of drinking it.  I know, I know, sacrilege! 

 

Nope. That won't work either. Quit drinking about 15 years ago. Quit smoking about 10 years ago. Quit letting women spend the night. They have to be gone by 9:00 PM or dark. Whichever is earlier. Any longer than that and they start thinking you owe them something. Now that I think about it I'm not much fun at all any more. No wonder I'm a contrary old cuss.

 

Ben