Possible New Clear Coat

[DJoseph]

I did a short review on it. Here is the link:

I think it should post the video.

 

Great video Jonister!

 

Thanks again and happy fishing!

 

DJoseph

[DJoseph]

I'm trying out right now also, doing a little more testing before I make a video. Preliminarily I like it. There is a long working time, I haven't tested it yet but its very slow curing compared to Devcon which is what I'm used too. You'd be able to do a lot of baits. If you don't have a turner for your baits, like me, you will have to plan on being available to turn your baits often.  It seems thin so multiple coats would be ok and maybe for some baits, a must. The jury is still out on bubbles, there weren't many when I mixed it and they SEEMED to burst with heat much like Devcon. I used it on some small baits so I plan to try it on some bigger baits. Again kind of a pain for me because I have to be around to keep turning them as I hang my baits. I did try it on a rattle trap bait and it didn't cure evenly, had ripples on the sides, I'm sure from not being turned. It did cure very clear. So on to more testing and I'll be back. I do think its worth you guys at least getting the small kit to try it out. Only time will tell about it remaining clear...fingers crossed

 

All good feedback, thank you! I can tell you that heat definitely does fix bubbles, and we sell small lighter-fueled hand torches as well: http://www.artresin.com/products/artists-torch?variant=11827176711

 

This is the kind of thing that would be great to hear in your video! You post on YouTube and then fishermen around the world can benefit from your feedback (and so do we). Win-win. That's what the internet is great for.

Edited January 7, 2016 by DJoseph

[fishnart]

Ok I'm gonna add to my review as I played with it some more today. The baits I epoxied yesterday were still tacky today, just a little though. What I tried today is I put a second coat on a couple while the first coat is slightly tacky, I think this helped the running so some degree. I also mixed a batch and waited for about 15 to 20 min before applying it. It was slightly thicker and I feel didn't run as much..

So the what I've observed:

it would be best with a turner but you can manage if you have time

It goes on thin so for some baits you might have to apply multiple coats, but thin might be good for some baits.

It has a long working time so you can do many baits, the down side is it takes about 2 whole days for it to cure.

I saw many small bubbles in the cup but they seemed to disappear as you spread the epoxy on the bait, I saw hardly any bubbles in the five baits I've done, and when there were they were very small. It seems that heat will take care of them.

this stuff is CLEAR and really brings out the colors on the bait.

I really think it helped to let it sit for a while before starting to use it

 

So...I really think you should try this stuff. I've only used Devcon so I don't know how it compares to some of the other stuff you guys use. But compared to Devcon, this stuff is a dream to me. Not sure I'll use Devcon again

 

What remains to be seen is how it stands up over time, any turning yellow or pink over time and if you don't mix it proportionally, will it stay tacky like Devcon.

I will let you know how these baits turn out

[jonister]

Sorry for the late reply Fishnart! Yes I did use a turner, I don't have the patience to hand turn it for so long. I did notice quite a few bubbles as I stirred it for at least 5 minutes, but a propane torch got them out very well. I will note I got a little close with it a few times but it didn't burn at all. It took 12 or 13 hours to get tack free but I was not comfortable handling it for about a day still. If it stays tacky, I would add another coat, as that is what I did when I used E-tex. I have to say though, I think I will be sticking with this. I have yet to have any problems with it and it is harder than E-Tex yet still very flexible so I think it's my new go to epoxy for glide baits. Another thing, it is the nicest smelling epoxy I've ever used. It almost doesn't smell, enough so that unless I stick my nose in the cup I can't even smell it. I needed a dust free environment so I did it in my room and it didn't smell at all. I will be using it again soon so I will have those results in the next week or so. I hope it turns out as good as the last! Good to hear your thoughts on it too!

[DJoseph]

Sorry for the late reply Fishnart! Yes I did use a turner, I don't have the patience to hand turn it for so long. I did notice quite a few bubbles as I stirred it for at least 5 minutes, but a propane torch got them out very well. I will note I got a little close with it a few times but it didn't burn at all. It took 12 or 13 hours to get tack free but I was not comfortable handling it for about a day still. If it stays tacky, I would add another coat, as that is what I did when I used E-tex. I have to say though, I think I will be sticking with this. I have yet to have any problems with it and it is harder than E-Tex yet still very flexible so I think it's my new go to epoxy for glide baits. Another thing, it is the nicest smelling epoxy I've ever used. It almost doesn't smell, enough so that unless I stick my nose in the cup I can't even smell it. I needed a dust free environment so I did it in my room and it didn't smell at all. I will be using it again soon so I will have those results in the next week or so. I hope it turns out as good as the last! Good to hear your thoughts on it too!

 

 

Awesome Jonister! Yes if you got bubbles, it means you mixed it properly! You have to mix well to catalyze the resin + hardener, and in so doing you induce bubbles. But they are easily taken care of with the torch, as you experienced.

 

Regarding the smell, there are ZERO fumes! No VOCs! It's certified non-toxic! So makes sense it also doesn't reek like most epoxies. 

 

I'm really glad you guys tried it! Thanks for the feedback, it's great to have.

[fishnart]

Yeah, its some good stuff, pretty stoked Djosheph

[MuskieTamer]

Dave i would love to give it a try.....will shoot you my address

[jonister]

Here's my most recent go at it. I only did 2 coats of the Art resin but I think it will work great. I added UV brightener on the first coat, and gold glitter on the second. It really glows! The Art resin did not react with either the glitter or the UV brightener at all. This has me wanting to tryout the UV stuff on quite a few other lures. I am very pleased with this one.

[jonister]

I should also note, I did not use a torch this time to get the bubbles out but instead just blew on them when they rose to the surface. This worked just as well as using a torch.

[law651]

I received my sample of Art Resin.. Very excited to try it on some baits..

[fishon-son]

new to painting ...so i need to seal my baits before paint then seal after im done..?  i have 2 done from balsa wood..ready to go...one more thing  painting in doors down in the basement ok.?  no venting yet..?

[mark poulson]

Yes, you need to seal the wood, or, at least, use something to lock the wood fibers so you can sand the bait really smooth before you paint.  Otherwise, the wood grain will keep rising every time you shoot on more paint, if you're using water based paint.

Painting indoors means you do need breathing protection and a vent to the outside.  I just bought another half face 3M paint respirator from Home Depot.  It's rated for the solvents in paint and topcoats.

If you're using solvent based paints and top coats, you should never spray inside without both a proper respirator and a proper venting system.

If you're using water based paints, you need at least a dust mask, because the paint get's atomized and air born when it's sprayed, and you don't want techicolored lungs.

If you can't vent you water based painting area to the outside, make a spray booth with a fan and filters in the back, so the overspray and fumes get trapped.  You can make one with a cardboard box, box fan, and HVAC filters.  Just be sure and put a washable filter in front of the other filter material, so it will collect most of the paint before it clogs the other filters and the fan, and you can wash it when you're done painting.

[fishon-son]

thanks marc....off toget a box and some filters....going to home depot what would be a good seal to get today....?

[mark poulson]

I'm not the guy to ask about wood sealers anymore. For balsa, I used to use superglue, because it also added hardness to the outer layer of balsa.

One coat to lock the fibers, sand, and another coat to reseal.

BobP makes balsa baits.  Do a search for wood sealers and you should find plenty of options, too.

[BobP]

fishon, the wood sealers I use are Devcon Two Ton epoxy or Solarez high gloss uv cured polyester - neither is often found at local home centers.  JMHO, there are a couple of problems with "wood sealers" per se.  They are intended to seal wood grain before applying finishes, and that's all.  If they are water based, I don't expect them to withstand water intrusion.  If they are solvent based, I worry about compatibility with a solvent based topcoat like Dick Nite S81 moisture cured urethane, which is one of my favorite topcoats.  I want to strengthen balsa baits as much as is practical during the finish process so I like to use a waterproof durable product as a sealer/undercoating/primer (choose your term).  Either of my choices does that.  I'm not saying you can't get away with a less durable, less waterproof sealer.  If you only want to make the wood grain lay down, any sealer can do that, so it's player's choice.  Everyone has to work out a finish regimen from the many available choices.  Since there is no custom engineered set of undercoats/paint/topcoat designed for crankbaits, we have to find a set of coatings that do what we want and are compatible with each other.  One of the simplest and most effective is to use epoxy as both an undercoating and a topcoat.  Both D2T and Solarez are are cured finishes that are more or less chemically inert after application, so they work with many topcoats - epoxy, solvent based urethanes, etc, etc.      

[law651]

I cleared my first 2 baits with the sample Art Resin. Initial observation,  Is extremely Clear. Does not bubble any more or less than Etec.  Applies very well. Same consistency as Etec.   Drys alittle slower than Etec..  Benefit is its extremely Clear and applies very will... To be continued

[Venutian_Lures]

Has anyone used this that has previously used BSI 20 minute cure? One of the things I like about my current epoxy is the durability and curing time, the working time however lends to some product waste if I don't get it used all in time.

Right now I can ship my lures 48 hours after clear coating, I try and stick with the fastest turnover time mixed with a durable clear coat as I get really busy and can only turn about 10 lures at a time. I also can't stand a clear coat that chips down to the paint, which I don't get with BSI. 

Just wondering if the extra day it needs to cure is worth it in order to replace the BSI 20 minute cure, and if the overall results are that much different/better. Thanks!

[law651]

Benefit to this epoxy is, it is very clear. Clearest expoy i"ve used.  Venation Lures, This stuff goes on very thin.. You would have to use 2 coats. So that's 2 days of dry time and I would not ship till it sits for 2 days after.  The epoxy gets very hard and looks like it will perform very well. Just very slow cure time...  Probably be some of the best looking baits ever with this stuff... But if you need to ship soon.. Probably  not the perfect stuff for your use.  I have not been able to test the actual fishing because of Winter. But I have a trip planned to Lake Erie in May and will put the baits to the test on Walleyes....

Edited January 25, 2016 by law651

[MuskieTamer]

Just got my sample.....will post a review shortly

[fishnart]

Ok guys, I've cleared a bunch more baits and this is the  bomb....will never use anything else. I'm hoping that it holds up when its in a hot boat....can't imagine it wouldn't. If you haven't tried this yet, you have too. And I noticed the same thing as someone else above, this stuff is clear, to me it almost magnifies you colors.

When I first posted I talked about how it runs pretty good and you'd need a turner for best results. This is what I have found since then. I mix it and let it sit for about 20 min. By this time most of the bubbles will have risen to the top and you can use a heat source to get rid of them. The cool thing is that it gets thicker and it barely starts to set. You still have plenty of working time, I did 20 baits, but its not quite as runny so you don't have to drive yourself crazy turning it, for those of us that do this manually hahaha.

 

Now also I think this is important....I put a pretty heavy coat on first to make sure the baits covered well, then I take my brush and brush off the excess, leaving a thin coat. This also keeps it from running and dripping so much. This will leave you a thin coat which might be ok for a lot of baits. But its very easy to add a second coat and I did this the next day when the first coat is barely tacky.

 

Yeah it takes a few days to cure but who cares haahaha I did 12 baits, put it down and went to pick my kids up at school, came home and did the next 8.

 

I think waiting the 20 min, or longer, to start is key. One pour I didn't wait as long and I did have to battle more bubbles, but they are tiny and I didn't get rid of all of them. Next time I think I'll try letting it sit 10 min, getting rid of the bubbles and waiting another 10 to make sure I get most of them if not all......

 

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask on here or email me at fishnart24@yahoo.

[Muskie Tamer]

So why should i get this stuff over envirotex lite, or i should say what makes it better? Just wondering cause it does have a higher price tag and etec is pretty darn clear as well.

[fishnart]

Yeah I'm only comparing it to Devcon...

[KevinHanses]

Benefit to this epoxy is, it is very clear. Clearest expoy i"ve used.  Venation Lures, This stuff goes on very thin.. You would have to use 2 coats. So that's 2 days of dry time and I would not ship till it sits for 2 days after.  The epoxy gets very hard and looks like it will perform very well. Just very slow cure time...  Probably be some of the best looking baits ever with this stuff... But if you need to ship soon.. Probably  not the perfect stuff for your use.  I have not been able to test the actual fishing because of Winter. But I have a trip planned to Lake Erie in May and will put the baits to the test on Walleyes....

 

That's what I'm waiting to hear about... the durability from some toothed swimmers. I mainly paint baits for pike/walleye, and they can put a beatin on some lures.

 

 

I either use D2T or Etex. I top coat the fish I mount with Etex, so always have it handy.

Edited February 6, 2016 by KevinHanses

[law651]

I will do a report after some toothy critters bite down on the baits...

[Vodkaman]

Kevin - it is hardness that you are talking about. To resist a sharp tooth and remain unblemished, the topcoat must be extremely hard. But, if the bite of the tooth overcomes the limit of the topcoat, the failure will be total, with the complete collapse of the material around the bite. Also, if you strike a rock or hard object, the topcoat will fail by fracture. There are no half measures with such a brittle material, either the coating survives without a blemish or there is total failure.

 

Scratching is a different thing, hook rash is not going to cause a failure, but the material will be susceptible to hook rash. Also, the fine scratches will make the material weak and a lighter rock shock will shatter the coating.

 

Doubling up on the coating of a brittle top coat would add a little extra resistance, but minimal. If the coat was 3 layers, it would still shatter on the rocks.

 

A less hard topcoat will have more flexibility and the ability to flow and deform. All sharp bites are going to leave a mark, but only the strongest of bites could pierce the material and then the damage would normally just be a pinhole. Double thickness coating would give double the protection. A rock hit may leave a mark, but only a razor sharp rock would have a hope of penetrating the coating.

 

We all do the thumbnail test and smile when it is impossible to leave a mark. But, I would say that the best result would be just the faintest of marks from the thumb. This would indicate that the bait will be good on the rocks and will not shatter under extreme tooth loads.

 

It is my opinion that D2T is too hard and easy to crack/shatter. But D2T does look and feel good and I like it. Etex (I have not used) is designed for covering table tops and so must be able to take the shock loads without cracking. It is this quality that makes it a good lure coating. It won't shatter on the rocks and it won't crack under tooth load.

 

For a comparison; pour a 1/8" (approx) strip of each coating material and allow to fully cure for 72 hours. Now try a bend/flex test to see how stiff the material is and to see if it snaps. Put a few scores across the material to represent hook rash and repeat the flex test. Try a tooth test by striking a blow with a centre punch, does the material fail with a crack, shatter or just dent.

 

Dave