SAL Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Wondering if anyone has used this type of concrete sealer for balsa crankbaits. I've used everything water based including creatix airbrush paint and looking for a "manufacturers clear coat", that won't chip, yellow etc. Here is the one i'm thinking of buying http://www.lowes.com/pd_18215-678-50.048054-16_0__?productId=3390426 Let me know if anyone has tested it out! Heard Garco is good but cannot get it in the south east. Thanks, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 No, I wouldn't use it because it is water based. The sealers getting good reports on TU are solvent based high solids concrete sealers like Direct Colors AC1315. Why? Most water based coatings can reabsorb water during fishing and turn white/soften. I don't know that the Lowes product does this, but why take the chance? You also should prefer a "high solids" sealer because after the solvent carrier evaporates, the solids content of the sealer is what's left behind on your lure. The more solids it contains, the thicker and stronger the coating left behind. I've used just about every topcoat touted here on TU. For balsa baits, I still like epoxy because it is thick and tough and levels out beautifully over minor surface irregularities on a balsa body. I give all the other candidate topcoats a shot and I like some of them when repainting plastic baits - but epoxy is still King on balsa in my book. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAL Posted August 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Thanks for the information Bob. But since I have used waterbased creatix airbrush paint don't i still need to use a water based clear coat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 No. The vast majority of hobby builders (and quite a few custom builders) use water based paint and topcoat it with either a solvent based topcoat or epoxy. Most of us mix and match coatings among solvent based, water based, and epoxy in our finishes. The craft is learning which combinations of coatings will work together without a bad reaction. If the undercoating and topcoat are incompatible you get wrinkling or blistering. Some combinations work OK, some are a little touchy, and some almost always wrinkle. One of the advantages of epoxy is that it will not react with any other coating. Once it cures it is chemically inert, so you can use it as an undercoat or a topcoat. UV cured polyester resin (e.g. Solarez) is another coating that seems inert after it has cured. I use it a lot for undercoating baits but personally I don't like it for topcoating due to the low gloss and the white wax blush on its surface after it has cured. I don't know of any water based topcoat that I would consider durable enough and stable enough to use on a crankbait. And I've tried several of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacklabelsociety Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 I just started back making and painting Lures and Devcon is Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
