RayburnGuy Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Is anybody mixing MEKP in with the Solarez when coating lures? The instructions for use describe two methods of applying Solarez and both of them say to use MEKP in different amounts according to which application method you use. I'm still having getting Solarez to level out and I'm wondering if the MEKP would help solve the leveling problem. I tried using it on a gun stock as a sealer and as a way of leveling out any imperfections in the wood. I figured there would be some sanding needed much like what is done to level out repaired areas on a car when using Bondo, but I ended up sanding the gun stock back down to bare wood to get a smooth surface. I tried brushing it on and that didn't work so after sanding back down to bare wood I tried spraying it on. When it was brushed on it looked like peaks and valleys (think of a pair of corduroy pants) and spraying it on resulted in it leaving dimples like on a golf ball. I'm just about to the point of pouring over half a quart on a fire ant bed just to get rid of it as well as kill a few ants. Considering the number of failures with this stuff I'm doubting whether it will even kill a fire ant. With my luck they'll probably love the stuff and grow to the size of armadillos. thanks guys, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) I only dip and hang my lures in Solarez, with nothing added. I use an artist's brush to get any small areas that seem thin, and the hanging, dripping back into the container, levels and smooths out the finish. I don't know how I'd coat a big thing like a gun stock except brushing it on thick, and hanging it butt down to let the stuff smooth itself out. I'd probably do it over some plastic, so I could squeeze the dripping back into the container to use again. But Solarez is rigid. I don't know if I would even try to use it on a large wood surface like a gun stock. The video on the Solarez website shows a guy coating a surfboard by adding the MEKP, and then brushing the Solarez onto one side of a surfboard, with the bottom half masked off so the drips wouldn't get on it. He used a brush to level it out after he'd applied it. Once he'd taken the board out into the sun to cure, he brought it back in, and did the other side. I'm working from memory here. I saw the video when I first started using the Solarez. You should probably go to their site and check it out for yourself, to see how he did it. Edited November 23, 2014 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 There are a thousand things I don't know about Solarez but I read about adding MEKP to cure it and if memory serves, that's in very small amounts of a few drops. I think you're suggesting using MEKP as a thinner. I'm doubting you want to add enough to make a difference in the viscosity and leveling. But I don't know for sure. I feel your pain! It's too bad a finish that cures so quick and easy has so many limitations. My fall-back is to use Solarez only as an undercoating on raw wood. I can get it to smooth out OK as a topcoat on a bass bait (a very small surface) but I just can't get beyond its dull low gloss look that seems to muddy up underlying details on the paint job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thanks Mark. I've seen the video at their website and he does use the MEKP. I was just wondering if anyone here had first hand experience with using it. I hate to throw good money after bad since I've got other top coats that work extremely well albeit with much smaller applications than a gun stock. Truthfully I was trying to use the Solarez up without actually wasting it, but so far all it's done is give me grief and aggravation. There's enough sanding dust in my trash can to build 2 Rogue's, 3 Tiny Torpedo's and a Zara Spook. Times like these are when I wish I still lived at the lake. Nobody thought too much of it when you took the firearm of your choice and "killed" anything that didn't live up to your expectations. After you "assassinate" an alarm clock for not waking you up they don't even look up unless they hear screams. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thanks Bob. It says on the instructions on the container that adding the MEKP in the amounts specified will help with the leveling. Now exactly how much I don't have a clue. When spraying it acetone was added until it reached a viscosity that would allow spraying through the large nozzle in the Paasche airbrush. As fast as acetone flashes off I figured it might work, and it did. To some degree. It took leaving it out in the sun for the better part of a day for it to set up. What it did on a chemical, or molecular, level I have no idea. When it eventually set up it seemed as hard as normal with no ill effects. Spraying it mixed with acetone did leave a much smoother finish than brushing, but still not suitable for painting over. All I can say for right now is that the ants in my yard had better duck and cover. thanks again guys, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 I think I read that you can nuke it in the MW or place the container in hot water so it heats up to make it thinner. I don't know if you are using the right solarez if you have to use mekp, because the one I use works just fine without, just sunlight. Try heating it up and brushing thin light coats and curing them quickly, that's what I do for sealing and my base coat and it works fine. I don't use it as a topcoat but rather Etex just cause I like shiny lures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted November 24, 2014 Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 The thing you run into on topcoating a large piece of wood is that most thick topcoats will not really level out to look good over a large surface. That includes epoxy, which looks fine on small surfaces but only levels out if done with a pour-on product on a big flat surface. If you want a really tough high gloss finish, you might try wiping on tung oil in multiple coats over several weeks with fine sanding between coats as required. I did a cabinet with it years ago and the stuff is hard as nails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 Thanks for all the advice guys. As it is right now I believe the Solarez is going on the "wishful thinking" shelf to gather dust. If I can finish my friends gun stock it's most likely going to be a one time thing and no more experimenting, at least with Solarez, will be necessary. Thanks again to everyone that replied. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 24, 2014 Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 Just be sure he's real happy before you give him back his gun. Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 Just be sure he's real happy before you give him back his gun. Hahaha I've only got the part that doesn't shoot Mark. He might be thinking ahead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) MEKp will work but I think you are looking at it in the wrong way in that it isn't really thinning the product. He isn't adding enough to change the viscosity. MEKp works as a catalyst to "drive" the reaction and work as a fail safe if not exposed long enough to UV (will continue to harden). The surfboard is getting flooded with product even when brushing it out a ton of product is left over. If yours isn't leveling could be several issues, UV light exposure during the process, thickness of the coat (too thin potentially), or some catalyzed product present (fresh Solar EZ may work fine). I would more likely approach it by adding a non catalyzing solvent to thin the product so it can lay flat. The issue will be how this will effect the coat when exposed to UV light. Some testing would be in order. Try several of the easily accessible solvents. Based on the video if he is using acetone for clean up that is where I would start. Could contact them and inquire if acetone would be an acceptable additive to decrease viscosity for better surface layering or if they could recommend something else but never sure what type of response you get from companies as they often answer to cover their rears. I guess I should have searched their site: You may thin Solarez very simply by heating it in a paper cup for a few seconds in a microwave oven. (microwave ovens vary widely in strength so check your resin every 5 seconds to see that it doesn't’t get too hot --hotter than drinkable coffee 130°F). This Solarez cannot have any MEKP catalyst in it!!! At this temperature, Solarez will be as thin as water and can instantly wet out fiberglass cloth. As soon as you pour out your resin onto a cool substrate, it will return to normal viscosity. If on the other hand, you want to add a thinning agent, you can add a little styrene monomer. It is not advised to add any more than 3% because adding styrene will soften the surface and cause premature yellowing. The adding of acetone or alcohol should be entirely avoided because these are not reactive diluents i.e. they do not become incorporated into the resin like styrene, they just boil out and cause pinholes. Edited November 25, 2014 by Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I would still try the acetone and just let the test piece set in a dark space for some time and see what happens. Also may look at gently warming the gun stock first before applying product along with the heated product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 The more I read about this stuff, the more I question its use.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I think your probably right Fatfingers. In all truthfulness I was just trying to use up what I had on hand so it wouldn't feel like a complete loss of time and money. For those of you that it's working for the more power to you. After having tried multiple procedures to get it to work I'm pretty much done. There are just too many alternatives that are easier and IMO do a much better job. thanks to everyone that tried to help, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I find Solarez is great for my build today, fish today process. Sometimes I get a bug up my a$$, and want to do something right now. But I am finding I like the AC1315 concrete sealer for most of my lures. It is thin, strong, clear, UV protected, and relatively fast. Dip today, and fish tomorrow. I found that I can use the Solarez to make really intricate molds of soft plastics, and they work really well. It fills all the spaces between the smallest fins and ribs, and is strong when it's set. I haven't made any two piece molds yet, but that's next! P.S. It works really well for surfboard repairs. Who knew? Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 If anyone is interested I'll post a pic of the finished product along with the process I ended up using. That is if it's OK to post a pic of a gun stock on a tackle building website. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Throw it up here Ben..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Thanks Nate. After trying a bunch of stuff that didn't work (and wearing out about 10 pounds of sandpaper taking off the mistakes) I ended up sanding the wood as smooth as possible and just painting over the bare wood. My concern was that the paint would only highlight any imperfections in the wood. Luckily the paint pattern acted as camouflage to hide any blemishes. My friend wanted black and silver so I sprayed a black base and once that was cured the silver, with a little retarder added to it, was sprayed on in a heavy coat. A wadded up plastic bag was then used to dab the wet paint. This left the mottled silver pattern behind. My buddy also wanted a spider web pattern on the butt stock so it was done just like we do scale patterns on lures. For sealing the paint I sprayed somewhere between 15 to 20 coats of the acrylic Future floor polish on it. Giving time for each spraying to cure. After the final acrylic coat I thinned some DN down with acetone until it could be sprayed and applied another 15 or so coats of the DN. The pictures aren't the best quality and some of the spider web details are hidden by the glare from the flash, but I think you can get an idea of what it looks like. thanks for the help everyone, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 That is beautiful Ben!!...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Nice can I get a lure in that pattern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks Nate and Jdeee. Trust me Jdeee, if I can paint it anybody can paint it. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
