fishnart Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 I epoxied a bunch off baits the other day only to have half of them not cure all the way. I mixed the heck out of the epoxy, used a little alcohol to thin it and mixed again. I don t get why they didn t cure. So I go to put a second coat on (qith new bottles) and for some reason I could only get one bait done out of the batch before it started curing, wierd cause I can usually get two or three. Well one part of the two part epoxy was must have been bad because I noticed when I was squirting it into the cup it seemed thicker...harder to squeeze out??? Old maybe? Im just venting...I loath epoxy. I ve ordered some diamond coat to try and am hopeful. Have I told you I hate epoxy lol. Thanks for listening, came here cause I thought you guys would understand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Let us know how you like the KBS diamond finish clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingerBaits Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 I had that issue a while back with eTex. Turned out to be a mixture of two things. Temp of my drying area and the age of the epoxy. The epoxy actually started to turn white at the bottom of the bottle. For the temp issue I put a 60w light bulb and a mechanical thermostat in my drying box. Keeps the temp around 80 and haven't had an issue since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ichthus Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 I had two baits not cure with epoxy. I feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Let me ask you guys this, how important is room temp? I do them in my basement, its not that much cooler than the rest of the house. Is warmer better? Maybe a space heater on low in the area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Epoxy cure is a chemical reaction, the higher the temperature (within reason) the better the reaction. A low temperature will give a slow reaction. There comes a point were it is too cool for the reaction to take place at all. This information should be on the box. The reaction is actually exothermal, which means it creates its own heat. This is very noticeable on 5 min epoxies, but the slow cure epoxies that we use, this heat is hardly noticeable and is not going to help. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) 21xdc, fishnart might be referring to Diamond 2 epoxy and not KBS. Prior to shutting down their operation, Sylvia @ Bullard Int'l sent me a sample of their Diamond 2 epoxy. After trying it I placed an order and now Etex, which I swore by, finds itself parked on the shelf. D II is just as user-friendly as Etex...maybe even more. considering the "set" time is much less. I can get 4-6 lures coated before I have to thin (depends on temp). After thinning I can usually end up with 10-12 lures with that single 4 tsp batch. Sets hard, smooth and uniform....ready for the KBS. No complaints so far. Btw, Bullard's brushes are the best quality I've ever used. Not throw-aways here, tho. Edited March 28, 2015 by saltshaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Not sure about other epoxies, although I have a feeling they're similar, but BS epoxy states on their packaging that their epoxy must be cured at 70 degrees or above. I've gotten away with temps a little cooler than that, but not much. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncustered Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 I've done a bunch of civil projects using some serious epoxies and I worked with the Virginia transportation research council setting up the original specifications in the early 90's... Primary reasons for epoxy failure: 1. Improper purportions. Make sure you used a graduated vessel and closely monitor amounts, some epoxies are less tolerable then other of volumetric changes. 2. Improper mixing. Make sure you don't short cut mixing times. 3. Temperature. It can matter. Putting cold epoxy on a hot surface will accelerate cure times. 4. Storage/ shelf life. Once opened some materials are not tolerant of severe temperature fluctuations during storage. 5. Unclean surfaces. As seen on the big dig ceiling panels. The epoxy mated to the dust in the holes rather then the concrete, therefore they did not get adherence to the concrete. There's more I'm sure. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 All of this does help, thank all of you sooooo much...seriously. I went down today and it seems as though the baits that hadn't cured, had actually cured a little more. So this leads me to believe that the temp had more to do with it than I thought, just took longer for them to cure. So, for the next batch they'll get a little heat and we'll see how that works. Still not sure about that one bottle of epoxy though, it seemed harder to squeeze out than normal 30 min stuff, and doing what I normally do and getting a few baits done, I would only get one. I think something was up with that bottle. I noticed right away that it was harder to get out, it was that noticeable. Again thank you guys so much! Your time to respond is so appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mark poulson Posted March 28, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 I usually hit both parts of my D2T with my hair dryer in cold weather, so they become more runny and easier to squeeze out and mix. The resin is always thicker than the hardener, at least for me. An associated question. Is there an epoxy that will prevent me from dropping a freshly coated lure onto my garage's carpet strip? Hahaha 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingerBaits Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Mark, steady hands will cure that... Cut back on the caffeine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 I feel your pain Mark. Nothing looks as nasty as a freshly epoxied bait that you've just dropped on the carpet. I've often wondered if it would be easier to go ahead and let the epoxy cure and then just shave all the little fuzzies off the bait. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 I usually hit both parts of my D2T with my hair dryer in cold weather, so they become more runny and easier to squeeze out and mix. The resin is always thicker than the hardener, at least for me. An associated question. Is there an epoxy that will prevent me from dropping a freshly coated lure onto my garage's carpet strip? Hahaha I do this when one part of my epoxy starts looking "milky". Another optiion, if the container is water tight, is to run a pan of hot water to set the bottle in for a few minutes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted March 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Also good ideas and yes...I've dropped baits before ugh lollol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'l Robzilla Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Also good ideas and yes...I've dropped baits before ugh lollol Ya, I've come back to one stuck to the floor falling off the drying wheel. But, I used a plumbers torch gave it a little heat and it helped out a lot. actually saved my ass, and the baits too! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted March 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 omg, that's crazy. Mine just dropped on the basement floor and had a bunch of debris all over it...ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty's Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Commenting on the crystalling of epoxy.. This is a normal thing. Put your epoxy into warm water and let sit for a while. All the crystals will disappear. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc-Drew Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I usually hit both parts of my D2T with my hair dryer in cold weather, so they become more runny and easier to squeeze out and mix. The resin is always thicker than the hardener, at least for me. An associated question. Is there an epoxy that will prevent me from dropping a freshly coated lure onto my garage's carpet strip? Hahaha Here's a suggestion, Mark. Pick the bait up, then drop it on the other side. Now you have symmetrical carpet fuzzies. It even adds texture to the finish! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdojet Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Let us know how you like the KBS diamond finish clear. Is KBS Diamond finish and automotive clear coat? I heard someone is using an automotive clear that is suppose to be excellent and cures in a few hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBehr Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 My cat and I just made up a really nice cat hair deep diver....I'm hoping it will catch....(do I dare say it???) catfish! New Rule: The cat is not allowed in by den while finishing baits! Anybody know how to get Devcon off a black cat??? Actually I'm lucky I saw him rub against it. Imagine if he went upstairs and laid down in his bed. He'd be running around with a cat pillow stuck to his side!!!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 KBS diamond clear is a 1 part moisture cure that is used on auto applications... Let google do your searching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ichthus Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Auto clear coat is highly toxic and releases very very harmful fumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnart Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I'll be brushing it on, sure to be safer??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I'll be brushing it on, sure to be safer??? When you develop a splitting headache then ask yourself if brushing auto clear is safer than spraying. You need a respirator that is rated for inorganic vapors and plenty of air movement to mess with this stuff. If you can spray outside with a breeze at your back you might get away with it, but you'll need to leave the baits outside at least as long as it takes to get dry to the touch since they will still be off gassing. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
