jonister Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Ben, I just tried that and at least for me, it peeled off pretty easily but for one I'm not positive if my product is good or not and 2 I did not sand my lure in between coats just due to it being a crank bait. Maybe I should do that on all lures. Definitely something to think about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Whenever I drill large holes to put the ballast weights in, the solarez breaks up around the hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) Nedyarb I use a small bit and then a medium then the largest. bits need to be really sharp. I also hold the bait in a solid vice so there is no movement. Edited January 18, 2016 by Jdeee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 I have never had this problem because I drill all my holes before I even carve the shapes. If I had to drill with this problem, here is a couple of ideas that I would be trying: 1 - A little local heat might soften the coating enough to allow it to cut. 2 - same idea as (1), by heating the drill bit, but not enough to affect the temper. 3 - drill a smaller hole and use a narrow drum sander bit or end mill bit to open up the surface hole until I can get the full size bit in there. Obviously, such ideas need to be tested on scrap or rejects. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 I use a brad point bit, and get very little tear out. The nice part of Solarez is that it is made for surfboard repairs, so a patch bond really well. For small repairs, I just use clear nail polish, but I'm only building for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 I have had the topcoat peel off Rapalas's. The only way a topcoat will bond !00% to another surface is if its plastic to plastic that melts into itself. I don't think it is possible for a wooden bait especially balsa to be bulletproof or hammerproof. Like I said before I topcoat with Etek on top of coats of Solarez and have never had a bait peel yet. It is a longer procedure than most like to do but it works for me. Another thing that i do is after curing the Solarez I let the baits sit for a week to fully cure before I start to paint. I work that extra time into my workflow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Thanks Jonister. It seems I remember having some adhesion problems as well and thought it was probably something I was doing wrong. Anyway, that's when I stopped using the Solarez. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Ben, it doesn't bug me so much on my lures. Normally if I am out on the water and I over shoot my cast and nail a rock, the Solarez just will crack a little. That's when I take it home for repairs, so I have not really seen how a lure takes cracks on the water, like if it will peel or not. I was fishing my favorite Bomber crakbait last year at a reservoir and hit a wall with it. It wants to peel now, but that lure catches fish so I just super glued it up. What that is showing though is that any clear coat might peel. Like what Jdeee said, it's hard to ever fully bond a surface. I talked to Solarez and they think my problem is my UV light. They also recommended the polyester grain sealer to use. I might buy a sample with my next order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 18, 2016 Report Share Posted January 18, 2016 Jonister - Questioning the UV light, obvious but I never thought of that. An easy one to test; Double the distance to the lamp and also cook one outdoors using natural UV. Compare all three. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Dave I will have to do that! I'll use some scrap wood, sealed with superglue like I usually do. I hope I get some sun soon to try it! An easy one to test; Double the distance to the lamp and also cook one outdoors using natural UV. Compare all three. Dave This is starting to sound like we are cooking Meth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 It doesn't need to be direct sunlight, a cloudy day will work, just expose longer (the lure). Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Ok. I cut up 3 pieces of wood from a dowel rod, all sealed with super glue. Paint did not affect the hardness and my seal coats were just as brittle so I won't paint them. It is raining, and I don't want the rain to effect it so I will still wait till it stops. I will also mark the test pieces so I remember. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 I just finished all of my tests and I think I isolated the problem to my uv light. Sample A was directly in the UV light, while sample B was 3 times the distance away for roughly 1/2 hour. Sample A did it's thing, but sample B did not fully cure. Sample C had been outside for the past 3 days and I was going to dis-regard it but after checking it, it was harder and stronger than the other 2. I decided I would put all 3 in the window and check back on then every evening. A and B had become just as hard as C and did not feel brittle. I don't need to smash them with hammers either to tell the difference. I have concluded that it is my light and the only way to fix it will be to get a new light or put the lures outside once I can handle them. I think I will do the latter till I have the time and $ to get a real UV light setup. Thanks guys for helping and thanks Dave for suggesting a more scientific approach! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 UV lights operate in specific wavelengths and UV cured polyesters require a specific spectrum of UV light to cure hard. You can get a mismatch and the finish won't cure, or may only partially cure. I use a UV nail light that works well - I just hang a couplle of lures inside the little light box. But it is a lot easier, simpler, and just as effective to sit the lures outside in the driveway on my still-running lure turner, which I used to level out the Solarez after brushing it on the lures. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Bobp, I have a uv nail light but I suppose it is not very high quality, or in the wrong UV spectrum. This would also explain the tackiness on every lure. Sun light is hard to find here so using the box to get it hard and then putting it in the window for a few days is working. I think I will get one of those good lights Solarez sells here soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 I got my 36 watt UV nail light here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=uv+nail+lights The one I bought is black, 36 watt, and was $25-$30. The have 45 watt lights there, too, that aren't too expensive, and with Prime, shipping is two day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 That is the light I have! According to Solarez, they say these do not cure the resin as well as a real cure light will. I really think a combination of my light and the product is the issue. I will be trying the gloss next time and maybe a new light also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 That light cures my solarez just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lipz Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) I just received my 54W UV nail unit from Amazon today and give it a whirl. This is the one I purchased. Bulbs are 365Nm. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NPX9T8S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Ou.QwbMT7VE21 I brushed a single coat onto a plastic crank painted with Createx. The Solarez was cool, so the coat was fairly thick. I first baked it for 2 minutes and I could still easily cut into it with my fingernail. I tried another three minutes and could still make an indention, but less. Went for another five minutes and I can still mark it with my fingernail. That's 10 minutes total under the lights. Is this what would be considered cured? Edited January 29, 2016 by Lipz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Maybe the dual cure polyester resin cures harder/faster because it is designed for surfboard repairs. My UV nail light cures it hard in 3 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Sometimes you just may have to bit the bullet and buy the manufacturers light to know for sure what the issue is.. Sometime shortcuts end up being long cuts.. My question is does anyone have the Solarez lights that they recommend and have any issues with Solarez curing. That test will be solve alot of these questions posed in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lipz Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Dual-Cure Polyester Gloss is what I'm using. It seems cured, and a lot harder this morning, after sitting overnight? Who knows. I'll keep experimenting with it, with hopes of nailing down a good technique. I really want to get the UV curing nailed down. Time savings and the hassle over 2-part epoxy would really be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Ive tried two different lights that I bought on ebay, and two different flashlights from ebay, and they all cured my solarez. I think its a bad batch, and not the light. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 I agree with nedyarb, even my stuff gets hard within a few minutes. You might try shaking it first though, the wax might have settled. BrianB, I don't have the link but Solarez has an assortment of lights from flash lights to 6foot shop lights on their site under the lighting tab. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barr5150 Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 If it helps, the lights in my setup came from the sister site on the solarez webpage. They aren't cheap ($100 shipped) for just 2 four foot bulbs but they do work. I wish they would cure a little quicker. A run of 50 plugs or so takes about 2 hours to be fully cured. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
