Jdeee Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) The main thing to remember with Solarez is if you want it thinner, warm up the liquid before applying it. the warmer the better. I put the quart in a tub of hot water from a kettle and let it sit until the Solarez has warmed to a nice even temp stirring occasionally and then I dip and let it run off mostly back into the quart until it slows down dripping then i hang it for a bit and then hit it with the light. Also a warm temp in the room helps. I do mostly large musky baits out of poplar but the way I do this should work for any type material that you use as a body. I use it mostly as a sealer and sometimes I dip the baits twice. Edited January 15, 2016 by Jdeee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Heres my opinion based on a bit of trial and error. I only use solarez to seal lures. Ive tried the lo voc gloss finish and hate it. For some reason it dries tacky and gums up the sand paper. The polyester sanding sealer I really like. It dries hard as a rock and is still pretty shiny. I heat up the solarez in a pan with water so its fairly runny. Then dip the lure and let the excess run off. Put it on a turner for 5 minutes. Before i stop the turner I shine the Uv flashlight on it as it turns. This sets the solarez to avoid the sagging, and then I put it in a light box for 5 minutes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 If anyone wants a high gloss finish. Seal your baits with Solarez and then do your painting or finishing. You can then do another coat of Solarez to seal your paint job in and LET FULLY CURE PROPERLY (Important) a couple days minimum. Lightly sand a bit if you want and do a final coat with Envirotek and dry on your turner. Your lures will come out like glass and the haze is gone completely. Never had any problems with this method on many lures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 @nedyarb, Polyester Sanding Sealer is that a Solarez product? I'm trying to understand the difference or effect if you will between shining a UV light on it vs putting it in a light box? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 The sanding sealer is a solarez product. I shine the flashlight on the lure while it is still turning on the turner. This eliminates the sagging, that occurs when the lure is taken off the turner while still wet. Because the flashlight hardens the solarez while it is on the turner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I was wrong, its not polyester but this is ot right here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianB Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Do you use that as your final clear coat as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barr5150 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I was wrong, its not polyester but this is ot right here Nedyarb- What type of wood are you sealing with this? I have been sealing balsa plugs with the low voc stuff and I agree, it stays tacky. I almost pulled the trigger on this stuff but was nervous it wasn't going to be tuff enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 This is the stuff I use. I bought it two+ years ago, and I still have 1/2 a quart left. http://solarez.com/products/low-voc-dual-cure-polyester-resin/ I am happy with the gloss I get, but there can be some blushing over black paint, if the resin is too thick. I find it is very tough and not brittle. If I have to drill another hole for ballast after it's already coated, it doesn't crack. My baits have survived the "drop from 42" onto concrete" test, by accident. Solarez is supposed to have a new gloss resin that is even better, but I haven't tried that yet. I haven't tried it on wood, so I don't know if it would work as a wood sealer, but I don't see why it wouldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I regularly use the gloss Solarez as a sealer over raw wood and it works well. I just don't use it as a final topcoat because I don't like the wax blush or the low gloss and don't care to buff out topcoat after application when there are excellent alternatives available (DN or D2T). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I've just been reading through this, and everyone says solarez is rock hard. I have been using it for some time now, and mine is brittle. If I drop it it can crack and it I hit it with a hammer it will shatter. I assumed this was normal as most polyester resin is somewhat brittle and will shatter on impact. I am using what Mark is using, cured under a uv salon light. I let it cure for quite some time too. I might try the gloss next time just because. For now I'm just using the polyester as a sealer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) OK, here are 2 pictures, before and after a few nice hits with a hammer. I don't know if the first pic showed it but my test subject already had some stress cracks from dropping it. The reason I bring this cracking up, is because Mark mentioned being able to drill through it. When I try that it always seems to crack or shatter Anthe drill point. This is with the Solarez low voc dual cure polyester resin. The same stuff in Mark's link. Also, sorry if I am hijacking this thread, I just thought I'd ask. Edited January 16, 2016 by jonister 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 OK, here are 2 pictures, before and after a few nice hits with a hammer. I don't know if the first pic showed it but my test subject already had some stress cracks from dropping it. The reason I bring this cracking up, is because Mark mentioned being able to drill through it. When I try that it always seems to crack or shatter Anthe drill point. This is with the Solarez low voc dual cure polyester resin. The same stuff in Mark's link. Also, sorry if I am hijacking this thread, I just thought I'd ask. Geez, that looks like a train wreck! Maybe I've just been lucky not to have a failure like that. I probably need a bigger hammer. Hahaha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Geez, that looks like a train wreck! Maybe I've just been lucky not to have a failure like that. I probably need a bigger hammer. Hahaha Mark, it was old and didn't run good anyways . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm pretty sure it's running goods are behind it now, for sure! Hahaha I am concerned about how brittle your Solarez turns out. I'm too chicken to take a hammer to any of my lures, but I will keep an eye on them, for sure. Could I have gotten an earlier version that wasn't as brittle? Or maybe you did. I got mine as soon as Bass100 posted about it, and then another quart about six months later. My first quart came in a black plastic jug, but the second one came in metal can. I'll try and find when it was first posted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jdeee Posted January 17, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Good thing fish don't carry hammers 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) Good thing fish don't carry hammers Rocks do, and I'm pretty good some days at getting them to bite Edited January 17, 2016 by jonister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jonister - I agree, the lure must survive the rocks. I cannot think of any test that can be done in the workshop that would simulate a cast into the rocks. BUT, this test only has to be done once for any topcoat. The only way, is to go to the rocks and do a 30 yard cast into them. The reason why a drop onto a hard floor or a hammer blow does not give the right information, is that under casting conditions, the lure is traveling always tail first and at a slower velocity and thus less force. The lure could fail the two workshop tests and still be viable in the real world. Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Dave I wholeheartedly with you. My real problem has not been so much with the rocks, as most any lure cast straight into the rocks would experience some damage, but in drilling. What I mean is when I try to drill the drippings out of the screw eyes, they really like to shatter on me. Maybe I should hit Solarez up with an email and see what they say. I would not want this brittle of a product on a lure I planned on giving away, let alone a surf board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jonister - There is definitely something wrong going on here, because there is no way that Mark could be so far out in his assessment, AND I DO have confidence in your assessment too. The best that we can hope for is that yours is a bad batch and the product is inherently a good one. Definitely contact Solarez and link this discussion for reference to other peoples thoughts and opinions. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jonister - from the picture you posted, not only did the Solarez crack but so did your bait. If the material your bait is made out of gives way then the Solarez will follow as it is being used as a topcoat. It doesn't matter what topcoat you use if the material underneath fails so will the topcoat. I had the problem with the eyes when I first started using the product so I switched over to using a dremel on high speed and never had a problem again. I also experienced this with D2T and now I drill all my eyes out using hight speed. I have not had this problem with etex. Hope this helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 The main thing to remember with Solarez is if you want it thinner, warm up the liquid before applying it. the warmer the better. I put the quart in a tub of hot water from a kettle and let it sit until the Solarez has warmed to a nice even temp stirring occasionally and then I dip and let it run off mostly back into the quart until it slows down dripping then i hang it for a bit and then hit it with the light. Also a warm temp in the room helps. I do mostly large musky baits out of poplar but the way I do this should work for any type material that you use as a body. I use it mostly as a sealer and sometimes I dip the baits twice. Jdee, I used your warm water method yesterday, and it worked like a dream! I heated some water in the microwave to about 130 degrees, sat my dipping jug of Solarez in it to warm, and went on to other things to get ready to dip. I sloshed the resin once while it was bathing, and, by the time I was ready to dip, it was 85 degrees inside the jug, on my infrared thermometer. I left the jug in the water and put the whole setup under my dripping location. The Solarez went on great, and dripped off quickly and evenly. I eventually had only a small drip left to remove with a paint brush before I set the lure in the nail light box. In the past, the heat of the light box would cause the Solarez to sag more before it set, but not this time. Thank you for a great tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Bass100, you present a very good point. The material was Azek. I usually use cedar. The Solarez cracks just as bad and the wood does not crack or break. This characteristic is why I only do through wire with pvc lures now. Dave, I trust Marks assessment more that mine! That's why I know something must be going wrong here. I'm going to send Solarez an email right now. I will defiantly include this link, thanks for the idea! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Has anyone doing these "crack tests" tried peeling the Solarez off the bait after it's been compromised to see how well it adheres to the bait? Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeee Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Mark Your most welcome. Glad it helps. I have used the same method to thin out Etex but will start to gel quickly once it hits a cooler air temperature especially up here in the great white north where its not easy to keep a room temperature above 70F or so during the winter. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
