wildturkey Posted July 14, 2016 Report Share Posted July 14, 2016 I painted some jig heads and let them dry. I then used Bob Smith epoxy. They never fully cured, stayed a little tacky. I put them in a box and into the boat. It was hot that day. Went to get one and it was as if the epoxy unsecured and became sticky and globby so to speak. Any ideas? Missed 50/50 mixing ratio or what went wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted July 14, 2016 Report Share Posted July 14, 2016 I would guess it was not stirred enough instead of being off on the ratio 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted July 14, 2016 Report Share Posted July 14, 2016 When that happens to me i just mix some new and recoat and that fixes it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted July 14, 2016 Report Share Posted July 14, 2016 I don't build a lot of wire baits, but have used quite a bit of epoxy over the last several years. There are usually only 3 things that can go wrong with epoxy. #1 You can get a bad batch which is highly unlikely. Not saying it doesn't happen, but this would be the last thing to consider. #2 Improper ratio. Epoxies, those that I know of anyway, are pretty forgiving when it comes to ratios. A wee bit one way or the other usually isn't going to cause the problem your having. #3 Which brings us to improper mixing. This is the likely culprit. Especially if your fairly new to using epoxy as a top coat. We can get the "I've only got a few minutes to get this mixed and applied" thought stuck in our heads and we end up rushing through the most important part of the process. I've been using BSI epoxy for a number of years now and have yet to get a bad batch or have problems with it curing. You have to learn how many baits you can comfortably cover in the time you have and not try to exceed that. Doing so is only going to cause problems of some sort. I mix the crap out of my epoxy and don't worry about how many bubbles I'm introducing into the mix. After it's thoroughly mixed I add a few drops of denatured alcohol to the mix and mix it again. Slightly thinning the epoxy with DA will allow the bubbles to dissipate much easier. Exhaling on the mix (notice I said exhaling and not blowing) for a few seconds helps rid the mix of these bubbles as well. It's a combination of the carbon dioxide and warmth in your breath that accomplishes this. I've also found that a fine haired brush will introduce fewer bubbles into the epoxy while your brushing it on and also helps to pop any bubbles that do remain. And like David said, if you do have this problem just mix up another batch and top coat the bait again. This usually solves the problem. Ben 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted July 15, 2016 Report Share Posted July 15, 2016 I do some similar steps like Rayburn Guy. However I do not use denatured alcohol to thin my epoxy. I use it as is, 50/50 mix of epoxy. Mix thoroughly and then apply with a small paint brush. I will also lightly run the jig over a heat gun, and then brush on the epoxy. By doing this, it will also dissipate the bubbles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 the way you mix can dictate bubble content as well when im mixing for hook hangers, when looks dont matter, i just swirl the crap out of it.. the epoxy ends up opaque and cloudy with tons of micro bubbles but when im mixing for a topcoat, i do a "scrape and fold" mix... where i scoop up epoxy (kinda like you would with a spoon in a thick stew), then fold it back into the mix.. then scrape the mixing tray, pulling all the epoxy into a small puddle and repeat..... this makes some bubbles, but they disappear when i brush it on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braided Line Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 RG`s post makes sense. Self life on some stuff is important as well. For my money I`m going with the improper mix ratio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 #3. People are so afraid of bubbles that they don't mix the two parts well enough. Mix smaller batches, mix them well, and do fewer baits each batch, and you'll find the soft epoxy problem will go away. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 yep mix well i use a round tooth pick and small batches enough for 2 baits i do get a few bubbles from time to time .but, the second coat goes on thinner and fills good......i dont sell baits so for me its just to protect the finish.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 I buy popsicle sticks to mix my epoxy. They work well and can be bought in bulk from hobby/craft stores. The flat sides allow me to scrape the sides of my epoxy mix cup and I also scrape the bottom as well. Once they have cured I use the other end of the stick for another batch. Sometimes I will even reuse a stick with cured epoxy on it but usually get a new one after each side is used as they are cheap.But when mixing be sure and scrape all sides and the bottom of the mix cup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcool3 Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 I also keep my used mixing cups around. If there is a problem on the finish of the jig, I will check the mixing cup to see if epoxy is fully cured. Helps figuring out what when wrong. Now I measure epoxy on a scale accurate to .01 grams. And mix epoxy with tatoo ink mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted August 23, 2016 Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 Eyeballing the two pools of epoxy works well enough for me; It is pretty forgiving. I mix it in cold medicine cups (#5 plastic does not bond with epoxy) and thin it a little with denatured alcohol. For mixing I save the handles from my disposable paint brushes once they are used up. Cut off the bristle end, rotate the stirrer against the edge of the cup. Stir like crazy. The diameter of the brush handle does not seem to introduce tiny bubbles as much as some stirrers. a razor knife cleans off dried epoxy, so they can be reused. (Because you really need to get your moneys worth out of a brush that costs less than 4 cents!) On crankbaits I apply epoxy with a wide, soft bristle brush. If you get bubbles, a hair dryer will remove them quickly. But you can't go back and stir the epoxy more. Bubbles are the lesser of two evils. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrindStoneLures Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 Eyeballing the two pools of epoxy works well enough for me; It is pretty forgiving. I mix it in cold medicine cups (#5 plastic does not bond with epoxy) and thin it a little with denatured alcohol. For mixing I save the handles from my disposable paint brushes once they are used up. Cut off the bristle end, rotate the stirrer against the edge of the cup. Stir like crazy. The diameter of the brush handle does not seem to introduce tiny bubbles as much as some stirrers. a razor knife cleans off dried epoxy, so they can be reused. (Because you really need to get your moneys worth out of a brush that costs less than 4 cents!) On crankbaits I apply epoxy with a wide, soft bristle brush. If you get bubbles, a hair dryer will remove them quickly. But you can't go back and stir the epoxy more. Bubbles are the lesser of two evils. Will this work with the two tone...also do you apply DA after you mix the 2 part or after Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 Will this work with the two tone...also do you apply DA after you mix the 2 part or after It will work, and definitely after your thoroughly mix the two parts, or your epoxy will never set. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emptystringer81 Posted December 2, 2016 Report Share Posted December 2, 2016 I always use the but end of my disposable paint brushes, seems to always work good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
