Devcon II working time

[Joe]

OK Guys, I'm not trying to get the topcoat war started again, but wanted only to pass along a little trick I came up with. I use only Devcon II for all my baits. When topcoating wood baits, I mix enough for two baits at a time and have no problem with that. I have also been making a lot of spinnerbaits and buzzbaits and topcoating with Devcon II and my problem was having to keep mixing so many batches of Devcon II to get the job done because it sets up so quickly. I got the idea of using a small metal cup, not much larger than the plastic cups many of us use. I purchased a coffee cup warmer and after mixing the Devcon II and putting the metal cup on the warmer, I've found my working time has doubled. Again, I did this only as a means to extend my working time and this may as a side result solve the bubble problem some have had.I find I can topcoat about thirty heads before mixing a new batch and I am using about 3/4 " from the tube at a time. Joe

[RiverMan]

Great idea, wish I had thought of it. I used to run for the hairdryer when things started setting up a bit too quickly.

Jed

[redg8r]

hmm

Ive heard of using an ice bath to retard cure time, but if heat works, do what works best for you.

thanks for sharing.

[woodsac]

I don't do the hard bait thing, so bare with me

It seems to me that heating is only thinning the epoxy. And I remember in the past, reading that extended heating of epoxy weakens it?

[bass ackwards]

I read somewhere on another site that if you pack your mix in dry ice it can extend the working time up to 24 hours!!! I think that was what redg8tor was touching on. As far as the heat goes I have to agree that it is thinnig out the mix rather than prolonging it. It does not make sense that heating it up and cooling it down would have the same effect,(at least not logically).

[Joe]

I think what happens with the warmer is that the little bit of heat does not really retard the setting of the Devcon, I think it just keeps it soft enough to be able to work it a little longer. Last winter I was having a problem with the Devcon being too stiff right after it was mixed. This had to do with the temp. of the material before it was mixed. I started putting the tubes of Devcon on a shelf which had a light mounted below it and the problem went away. The little extra heat from the light helped to keep it soft. Some might say the heat is no good for the Devcon, but If the product is shipped all over the country in trucks and by rail, I'm sure the temps. in those shipping containers is far greater tahn the little extra heat I'm using. Just my thoughts. I don't know what effect this process would have on a wood bait, as I usually put in on pretty thick, but for the spinnerbait and buzzbait heads it's easy to make a second pass while the bait is in your hand and only takes a second. To date, I haven't noticed any loss in strength to the topcoat by doing it this way. Joe

[Skeeter]

Devcon is a resin based epoxy. If it gets cold it gets like really thick maple syrup. The perfect operating temp. for Devcon is 70 - 75 deg. Above 75 the stuff starts to set fairly quickly. Below 70 deg. for every 5 deg. lower add 10 min. of spin time on the wheel before just hanging it to dry. Raising the heat makes the Devcon more runny. But it will set faster. What Red is talking about is that you can store mixed Devcon at 40 deg. (like in the fridge) and it won't start to set for about 24 hrs. However, it is too thick at that temp. to work with.

Skeeter