Stick With D2T Or Try Mcu?

[Kasilofchrisn]

So I have been toying with these foiled jigs and I'm really liking them.
What I now considering is different clear coat options. The D2T works well and I like it.

That being said MCU would be thinner and possibly easier with just dipping instead of brushing.

I haven't yet penciled out the cost factor yet.

I know MCU has storage issues and would require a can of Bloxygen which would add to the cost.

What have you guys tried on jigs?

Would it even be woth trying the MCU or is the D2T( which I currently have plenty of) be the way to go?

Durability is a factor as well and I think the D2T would get the nod for that.

So whats your opinion on clear coats for jigs that will require it?

 

 

[cadman]

I have tried D2T and Envirotex. For durability D2T hands down in my opinion is the best. I have dragged many jigs across lake bottoms, and the only abrasion I have seen, was the gloss of the D2T was worn off. Dragging jigs along rocks is a whole different story and nothing can withstand that. Also I like the one coat application. The only drawback to D2T, is when you put it on a white jig, it does subdue the white color. Now onto Envirotex (E-tex). As far as clarity all the colors and especially the white just pop. However, E-tex to me is softer and definitely needs 2 - 3 coats. I personally like D2T for my application and have no complaints. I can't comment on other clearcoats, as I( haven't used them. 

[RayburnGuy]

I've tried multiple ways of storing DN and the only thing I've found that works is the "tap the can" method and it is not conducive to dipping. You pretty much have to brush it on when using this method to store it. If you decide on dipping in DN you will just have to accept the fact that your going to lose a good bit because no matter how much Bloxygen you use it is going to start setting up in the container after a couple months.

 

Ben

[Kasilofchrisn]

The only reason I thought MCU would be better is that I was thinking the dip process of MCU would be simpler and easier.

I am planning to send 100+ jigs out to a couple of remote villages. Some to friends in Bethel and some to a school teacher on one of the yukon villages for his class project of fishing.

These will be between 5/8 oz and 1 oz slab jigs for pike fishing through the ice.

They will be mostly powder painted which only needs the eyes sealed but some will be foiled jigs that need an entire topcoat.

I like the D2T but thought the MCU would be quicker and easier.

I'm leaning more and more towards the D2T as I have a bunch of it in stock already and I know it works well.

I may just have to stock up on epoxy brushes.

[RayburnGuy]

Dipping in an MCU is definitely easier and quicker. No doubt about that. And it may be that with the number and size of the jigs your coating the waste might not be that much. If you could find a container that was long and slender, and just wide enough that your largest jigs would fit into you could use that for a dipping jar. Something along the lines of a large test tube with a flat bottom. That way you could still use the "tap the can" method and draw out only what was needed into the dipping jar. If the MCU in the dipping jar got too low to get a full dip on your spoons as you were getting close to then end you could brush that on the last few jigs so you wouldn't be wasting a lot of the MCU. And by keeping the DN in it's original container and just drawing out what was needed whatever that's left in the container would stay fresh.

 

I've had the last can of DN I ordered about 6 or 7 months now and it's still just as liquid as it was when it got here. Tapping the can has been the only method of storing DN that has worked for me. It really is aggravating when it starts setting up prematurely and you end up losing about as much as you've used.

 

good luck........................

Edited September 27, 2014 by RayburnGuy

[Kasilofchrisn]

Well I ordered some DN MCU to try. As suggested i will look for a small cylinder to dip in .

My stepson has agreed to help me and so either way it should go quicker with his help. He is 14 and has been wanting to learn to make jigs for awhile now.

It's hard to let him help with customers jigs though as mistakes get spendy fast especially when you consider I make some mistakes myself and I sometimes think I know what i am doing.

If one works significantly better than the other I will let you know. This will help me decide what to use on future projects like this.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Kasilofchrisn

[smallmouthaholic]

Dragging jigs along rocks is a whole different story and nothing can withstand that.

The absolute truth-without question.

[Kasilofchrisn]

These jigs will mainly be used ice fishing in freshwater lakes and jigged vertically.

They will not see the abuse my powder painted saltwater jigs will see.

While nothing can truly withstand the rocks I have seen pictures of my vertical saltwater slab jigs where the bottom is mushroomed out pretty badly and yet the rest of the paint is holding up fine with no chips or missing paint other than where it is actually mushroomed.

That bottom eye is stainless.

[Basseducer]

When I was still wet painting, I would spray on my D2T. I used a cheap siphon badger airbrush and would thin the mixed D2T about 50%. That cheap brush was very easy to clean.

[Kasilofchrisn]

Just got an email from DN that they can't ship to AK so they sent me a refund.

So it looks like D2T is what I will be using afterall.

Thanks for all the replies and advice guys.

[RayburnGuy]

You might read up on Solarez. Mark Poulson uses it and says he's quite happy with it. It can be used for dipping and has no issues with premature curing as long as it's not exposed to UV. It's a lot cheaper too. Think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of $27 a quart not including shipping. Not sure if it can be shipped to Alaska, but that would be easy enough to find out.

 

Send Mark a PM and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to share his experiences with it.

 

Something else you might check into is the concrete sealers some of the guys are using.

 

good luck................

Edited September 28, 2014 by RayburnGuy

[Kasilofchrisn]

Since I have plenty of D2T and can get more locally if I run out I think I'll just stick with it.

Ordering it is cheaper but in a pinch I can buy some locally if needed. 

I have thought about having it sent to my sisters house in Iowa and having her send it to me. But why bother when I already have a workable alternative?

[mark poulson]

I dip into my black plastic Solarez container, and let the excess drip directly back into the container, before I UV set the lures, but I can really only do one lure at a time, because the jar mouth is on 2"+- in diameter.  I ordered another quart, and it came in metal can, so maybe they don't sell the black plastic container anymore.

If I really wanted to do production, I'd probably paint a long, tall, trough-like plastic tupperware container black, and use it for multiple dippings, so lots of lure could be dipped and dripped at the same time.

Solarez itself is great over lighter colors, but it has kind of a haze over black, or darker colors.  Once the lure is in the water that disappears.

But I would look into the concrete sealers, if I had a bunch of lures to do.  I've used them in the past to seal concrete and brick, but never tried one for lures, so I'd suggest you check out the threads here on GST to hear what people who actually use it have to say.

Edited September 29, 2014 by mark poulson