Removing Imperfections In Epoxy

[Jdeee]

I sometimes get small bubbles or flaws in my Etex coats. Has anyone found a way to buff them out without sanding and having to apply an extra coat?

[DaveG]

The best solution is to prevent it happening before the etex sets, 

a couple of things that help with preventing bubbles are,

 

1. Warm the etex up before mixing by standing the two bottles in warm water

2. after coating the lure waft a heat source over the lure to burst the bubbles, I use a cooks mini blow torch

Edited May 22, 2014 by DaveG

[Jdeee]

Thanks Dave

I do both of your suggestions, but stuff still happens and sometimes I don't want to apply another coat so I was wondering if anyone had any tricks they had found to fix this problem after it's too late.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Jdeee

[saltwater]

Years ago my job was coating commercial bar tops with thick pours of epoxy. I mixed equal parts of 5 gallons each of A and B with an electric paint mixer, this produced a consistency close to that of a foam.

 

I used a propane torch to remove the thousands of the tiny bubbles. I assumed it was the heat from the propane torch that removed the bubbles. I was wrong.

 

The distributor of the epoxy told me "The heat from the torch lowered the air pressure above the surface of the liquid epoxy". Like taking the top off of a soda bottle. 

 

More trivia for bait builders....

[RayburnGuy]

Since Etex is so slow to cure you can let it sit after mixing for 5 to 10 minutes before applying. This gives the bubbles a better chance to dissipate.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

Since Etex is so slow to cure you can let it sit after mixing for 5 to 10 minutes before applying. This gives the bubbles a better chance to dissipate.

 

Ben

And if you mix in a salsa cup, try heating the bottom of the cup with a hair dryer to heat the epoxy, and then breath on the top and hit it with the hair dryer, too.

A slow set/long working time epoxy like Etex should give you plenty of time to eliminate the little bubbles.  An artist's brush with fine bristle also helps.

[saltshaker]

Exhale through a drinking straw right into the mixture. I learned that right here and it works great for me. Never a need for a torch/hair dryer.

[Travis]

You need to identify the cause of the bubbles.  The two common sources are as everyone above has pointed out mixing in air (most common) but a second source can be the lure itself.  Make sure your baits are sealed well.  Any "pinholes" in the undercoat and resulting paint layers can add a lot of aggravation down the road.  Even more so when you go to warm baits with a lamp or other heat source to remove bubbles from mixing as the trapped air in the "pinhole" expands and pushes up into the epoxy.  

[fishnart]

Yes this happens to me also, drives me crazy. What I've noticed also is there are certain baits that have small raised scale texture, on smaller baits, that always get air bubbles. Must be the surface texture itself that causes it.

[Travis]

I believe it is usually caused by end grain being severed.