Why Does My Paint Yellow

[Jaw]

Here is the scenario I made a few baits last winter and hung them on a rack in my shop after testing then, never really fished them. Now after hanging in my shop for a roughly a year my clear coat has yellowed.

These are balsa baits mostly but I do have one PVC bait that looks to have yellowed some. They were sealed using superglue and clearcoated with 30 min epoxy (2ton) (no I didn't use 5min) . So what am I missing or do you guys believe it's from uv rays or maybe my wood released air that got through my sealer. Any suggestions are appreciated thanks

[ute]

All epoxy that I have used will yellow.

[BobP]

UV light makes epoxy yellow over time.  It happens more quickly if the epoxy was not measured and mixed as well as it could have been.  There are several brands of epoxy that contain "UV filters", whatever that means, including Flexcoat UV and Nu Lustre.  They cost more.

 

Virtually all clearcoats yellow over time from UV exposure.  I think it shows up more on epoxy because it's a thicker topcoat than most others.  Maybe I'm just used to seeing a little yellowing, but I have epoxied baits in my garage that are 10 years old on which I can't detect it. 

[Jaw]

Thanks bob maybe my mix was off. The white bellys on my baits are more than just a little yellow. Back to the drawing board but I'm using more solarez now although it is not as glossy

[benton B]

Bob is right, most two part epoxies yellow, some faster than others.   I've been using flex coat ultra v for awhile and I'm very happy with the results.I was using devcon but I noticed the yellowing on white/pearl baits and switched.   I like the flex coat for two reasons, the uv filters and it's a softer finish so it's more impact resistant than devcon.   These are the only two products I can speak about, all I've ever used.

Edited December 5, 2014 by benton B

[fishnart]

Ok I 've had the same thing happen, its very frustrating. So the Flex coat, is that a two part epoxy? Brush on?

[Travis]

I have have used Devcon for most of my cranks.  I have used countless other no name epoxies on projects around the house and they all significantly yellow in comparison.  Some of the Ace Hardware stuff I used to repair some of the kids (interior used) toys and furniture yellowed in weeks.

[Jaw]

I've used Devcon , bob smith , some others I can't remember, etex, cs systems clear ( not an epoxy) , famawood, now solarez ( I've also got concrete sealer I haven't tried yet) just wasn't used to my white colors yellowing so fast. I'm usually pretty good at mixing my ratios but maybe that batch was a little off. It's getting colder here now so I won't fish as much so maybe I'll have time to build more and try out the solarez more although I know from one bait that I have finished recently that it's not as glossy but it sure is less temperamental than Devcon

[RayburnGuy]

Your post is exactly why everyone has to find a system that suits them Jaw. As an example my experiences with Solarez are completely opposite of yours. I've had way more trouble with Solarez than I have with any of the 2 part epoxies I've used. That's why when a first time builder asks "what is the best....fill in the blank here......." it's sometimes hard to make them understand why you won't tell them to use a certain product in a certain way. Different things perform better for different people. I've tried multiple different ways of applying Solarez and I just can't get it to work for me (and at this point don't care to) and yet there are a lot of folks who love it.

 

just my

 

Ben

Edited December 7, 2014 by RayburnGuy

[mark poulson]

Water borne urethanes are the top coat that yellows the least.  That's why floor finishers use a finish like Bona Traffic on maple floors, and other woods they don't want to yellow.  It is a two part material, so I don't use it. 

I've had good luck dipping lures in Solarez, letting the excess drip back into the black container, and then hanging them in a UV finger nail light box for three minutes, rotating them every 30 seconds.

I haven't noticed any "fogging" except on black baits.  Maybe it's because I let them hang until they stop dripping, so the finish is thinner that if you brush it on.  The thicker the top coat the more any yellowing will show.

Lately, I've been using AC1315 concrete sealer, and, so far, it hasn't yellowed at all.  It does have UV protectors in it, and the coats are very thin, but really tough.

[Jaw]

Mark the baits I've used solarez on do have a black back that will look a little foggy but I can accept this when I'm limited on time and still want to try and tinker around in the shop I plan in using it more this winter to see how it holds up

Ben I am not as seasoned a bait maker as most of you guys and even though I had used Devcon for clear coating for years prior to finding TU I still have learned a lot from all you guys and really appreciate the feedback and info you guys put in. Devcons not dead to me yet but I'm hoping I have found a quicker if not better option in solarez I'm sure both will have there place with me thanks guys

[RayburnGuy]

Mark the baits I've used solarez on do have a black back that will look a little foggy but I can accept this when I'm limited on time and still want to try and tinker around in the shop I plan in using it more this winter to see how it holds up

Ben I am not as seasoned a bait maker as most of you guys and even though I had used Devcon for clear coating for years prior to finding TU I still have learned a lot from all you guys and really appreciate the feedback and info you guys put in. Devcons not dead to me yet but I'm hoping I have found a quicker if not better option in solarez I'm sure both will have there place with me thanks guys

 

Finding something that works for you is what it's all about Jaw. An open mind and a willingness to experiment with new things until you find your system will carry you a long way. It's understandable that people don't want to "waste" money, but sometimes we have to pay for our schooling. We just need to be sure we learn from our experiences even when they don't turn out so well.

 

Ben

[fishnart]

How's the concrete sealer applied, brush on or spray through gun?

[mark poulson]

I dip my baits in the AC1315,  and let them drip back into the jar, with no issues.  The stuff doesn't seem to be bothered by either exposure to the air, or by the dripping of material back into it.  The sun doesn't seem to bother it, either.

 

I did notice that, when I took my Solarez-dipped baits out into the sun to cure, instead of using my UV fingernail light box, they did seem to fog more.  I have no idea why.

[barrybait]

Mark,  The Solarez fogs more when you take it outside because it is over-reacting.  Too much UV.  I am having very good cures with Solarez (near gloss) but I only take them outside and roll them around so the sunlight hits all areas and back inside in 5 seconds!  Indoors for 1/2 to 1 minute, outside for 5 seconds.  Doing that several times and you can see it starting to haze over.  Do it a few more times for gradually longer times until you leave it outside. 

 

Jaw,   About the yellowing with D2T.  I haven't seen it so much and I'm sure we all get some inconsistencies in the 50/50.  Only thing I wanted to add is that I talked to customer support a year or two ago about the product and the guy cautioned me to make sure to get it mixed very well.  He said that causes some problems because it is clear people think it is mixed well but it is not.  The 2 part epoxies that have more color variance between the two parts are easier to see when they are mixed properly.

[mark poulson]

Barry,

That was my experience, too.  I only take a bait outside after I've cured in the UV light box.  Glad to hear I'm not crazy (at least regarding that).