69_GS_400 Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Could I use Testors one coat lacquer clear coat over createx paint? It's a spray can? I do not have an airbrush gun yet so I'm looking for something that I can top coat the bait with out a gun. I already boat the rAttle can of this lacquer clear so I was hoping it would work. Unless there is something else that could be suggested that would work better. In another thread someone suggested devcon but I assumed I would need a gun to spray it Thank Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Most guys use 2 part epoxy from a tube and brush it on.... Im wary of anything in a can, i tried poly spray and it ran my paint.. Luckily im not good at painting, so this was no loss... Dont know if lacquer would do the same or not, but i dont plan on finding out And heres an epoxy tip that some may agree or disagree with: For the 30 minute epoxy, you need a turner to prevent running.. I havnt made one yet, so i got 5 minute epoxy.. Doesnt alow much application time, but also doesnt alow much time for running Edited May 24, 2015 by JRammit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 What kind of epoxy do you recommend? Any certain brand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBehr Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Devcon 2 Ton CLEAR is used by a lot of people. Make sure it says clear...not yellow! Google: Paint a Crankbait and study all the videos! Lots of good information on www.dakotalakestackle.com his book is really good for beginners. You can order it off Amazon...along with your Devcon. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 69_GS_400 - You do not spray epoxy, it is a brush on thing. The reason why epoxy is so popular as a top coat, is that it is thick, slow drying and therefore it self levels, giving a smooth, glassy finish. It is also tough enough to take most of the abuse that a lure takes from teeth and rocks. Stay away from 5 minute epoxies, they go off too quick and soon turn yellow in the sun. A lure turner would be nice, but you can easily manage without, simply by up-ending the lure once a minute, until the epoxy has gone off sufficiently to stop running. With Devcon this is about ten to fifteen minutes, so not a great inconvenience. Devcon two ton epoxy is very popular amongst lure builders. It is a 30 minute epoxy, so enough time to spread it on a couple of lures without rushing. There are lots of similar epoxies on the market if you cannot find Devcon, just look for 30 minute. There is a lot of reading on This thread is regarded as one of the best and well worth reading. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 My few finished baits have not seen much sunlight, most of them hang on the wall as failures.... If we ever get another sunny day down here, ill have to set one out on the porch to see if it yellows Been using Devcon clear 5 minute, since its available at my local Lowes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 JRammit, surprised you could get 5 min Devcon on your lure before it began to harden. The way to go is a 30 min epoxy, which will level out nicely, give you time to brush it on without panic, is waterproof, and will not yellow like 5 min epoxy invariably does. Guys - Devcon Two Ton is a good epoxy but honestly, any slow cure "30 minute" epoxy will do the job. 69_GS-400, most experienced hobby builders use epoxy, moisture cured urethane, or concrete sealers to topcoat crankbaits. Will lacquer work? Yes but it's not as durable as many other coatings. On the other hand, using a spray can is lots easier than the trouble most of us go through to get a durable topcoat on our lures. So you need to try it yourself and judge whether it's "good enough". If you decide to use one of the topcoats that are popular here on TU, you need to use the search feature to bone up on how to apply it, and the various "gotchas" and pros/cons it has. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Thanks guys. I just got back from our local ace hardware store. They did have 30 min devcon clear epoxy. Just touched up the lure and waiting for it to dry. Then I'm going to apply the epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Bob, its no easy task! And can only be done one bait at a time.. I just picked some up cause i needed a top coat quick to finish a proto, instead of waiting a week for shipping.... Noticed i didnt have the running problem ive read about with 30 minute.. Hang, brush, leave Ordered some 2 ton today, so ill have the right tool for the job going forward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 JR - All my first prototypes were coated with 5 min epoxy and this was fine, because no one was going to see them. I get my best ideas in my sleep. I would wake up at 03:00am with an idea, jump out of bed, grab my hand tools and quickly carve up a piece of balsa. Snip out a lip and some ballast plates from copper sheet. Assemble with a few dots of CA glue and coat with 5 min epoxy. A quick test swim in the river, about 20 yards from my front door and back in bed by 03:30am to think about the results. At that time, some 8 years ago, I never thought of sealing with CA glue, could have saved another 5 minutes. In Sweden, a small pot of CA glue would be very expensive anyway. The 5 min epoxy made a streaky, lumpy mess, but did the job I wanted it to. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 JR - All my first prototypes were coated with 5 min epoxy and this was fine, because no one was going to see them. I get my best ideas in my sleep. I would wake up at 03:00am with an idea, jump out of bed, grab my hand tools and quickly carve up a piece of balsa. Snip out a lip and some ballast plates from copper sheet. Assemble with a few dots of CA glue and coat with 5 min epoxy. A quick test swim in the river, about 20 yards from my front door and back in bed by 03:30am to think about the results. At that time, some 8 years ago, I never thought of sealing with CA glue, could have saved another 5 minutes. In Sweden, a small pot of CA glue would be very expensive anyway. The 5 min epoxy made a streaky, lumpy mess, but did the job I wanted it to. Dave Ha ha! Is that stuff legal over there??.. Could you ship me some??? (Joke joke) Your 30 minute process takes me 3 WEEKS!!!.... Guess efficiency comes right along with experience.... I hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 JR - these were not shaped lures. I would use round balsa dowels. Whittle a nose and tapered tail, no sanding or smoothing. Flatten the bottom face, glue the ballast plates externally. Saw cut, insert a lip, job done. These were for testing principles and ideas. Once they worked and I did no need them for reference, I threw them away. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Sounds like Im putting too much work into my proto's!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Testing a principle and prototyping are different things. The shape of a lure is important because it is part of the equation, but gill and eye details are not, nor is the color or pattern. Fin details are important, as is external hardware like hooks and split rings. The top coat must be represented too. Do what you can to emulate the bait, but do not waste time on details on what is likely to be a butchered piece of firewood, after you have extracted as much information from it as possible. You may want to keep the proto, even with its two lip slots, three tow eyes and plethora of ballast holes, half of which are empty, as this piece of scruffy carving lead you to your finished lure. If you ever became famous, it would sell for thousands on Ebay. DAve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dink Mendez Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'm no pro; put I like to use Seal coat. Dip it three times. Just my two cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Being able to prototype a bait and test it immediately is one of the great things about PVC trimboard...it is totally water proof, so no sealing needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
