Rookie Topcoat Question

[waynem]

I've made a couple of large wooden swimbaits- MS Slammer types using bodies from Lure Parts Online and sealed with low viscosity Hot Stuff CA glue.  I then painted with Krylon spray can paints.  The paint job actually held up pretty decent when fishing the bait for a couple of weeks.  However when i put it in a box that had soft plastic bait, the paint softened where the two made contact.  I understand that this is caused by the plasticizers in the soft bait attacking the paint on the wood bait.  So I now get it that I need to put a clear topcoat over the spray can paint that is resistant to soft bait plasticizers.

Here's my situation:  don't have an airbrush and don't plan to get one in the near future.  I only plan to make 6 or 10 baits.  What I would like ideally is a topcoat that I can just apply by hand with a small brush that will again be resistant to plastic worms.  I've seen mention of Dick Nites S81.  Would that work or can you provide other suggestions?  Thanks in advance.

[spoonpluggergino]

for me my preferred topcoat is Devcon two ton 30 minutes, when I use devcon I can do a second coat in about 6 hours, you can put it on a turner preferred way or flip the bait every 3 minutes for about 15 minutes and should be good. do a search on line and you will find quite a few places, one place I go is Tower Hobbies, you should be able to get it for about 12 dollars, sometime they have good sales. Solarez is quick and fast, but you need a uv light, there is plenty of info on this forum

Hope this helps

Gino

[spoonpluggergino]

Sorry I forget to mention that you need to thin out the Devcon two ton with denatured alcohol, do not need much, I use an eye dropper, for one bait around 6 drops

[RayburnGuy]

Epoxy would be my choice if I were only going to do a few baits.

 

You don't mention what species of fish your going after. If your fishing for bass then one coat of epoxy is plenty. If your fishing for toothy critters then I'd follow Gino's advice and apply two coats.

 

good luck,

 

Ben

[JRammit]

x3 for Devcon... i use spray cans too, so i know the epoxy will not react with the paint

before you place an order and pay shipping, check your local Ace Hardware.. they usually carry the 2 ton 30 minute... Lowes and Home Depot do not

[mark poulson]

For large wooden baits, I'd suggest you use a decoupage epoxy, like E tex, that is designed to move with the wood's expansion and contraction.

Two thinner coats, 12 hours apart, and put on a turner while it's setting.

[BobP]

Dick Nite is a great topcoat but it won't work over spray can paints like Krylon due to the solvent in the paint. Due to your paint and the fact that you are only planning a few baits, I recommend a coat of a slow cure (30 minute) epoxy glue like Devcon Two Ton or Bob Smith 30 min. After Application you will need to rotate the bait head/tail for 45-60 minutes to give it time to harden to a non-sag state and then let it cure hard for 12-24 hrs. I wouldn't choose Etex (aka Envirotex Lite) or similar decoupage epoxies because the require rotation for several hours to reach a non-sag state, and I presume you don't want to build a lure turner for just a few baits. Suggest you read some of the site's tutorials about mixing and applying epoxies before you jump into it. Epoxy is good because it is very tough, is compatible with just about any paint, and it has a specific gravity that is close to water, so a fairly thick coating will not compromise the action of the bait very much. JMHO

[waynem]

Wow, you folks are great at helping someone out.  I'll try the epoxy route and I'll try to post up some pictures when I've finished.  As far something to keep the body turning while the epoxy dries I have a solution to that.  We have an old Farberware horizontal rotisserie that we use on occasion to cook a prime rib or roast.  It turns at just about the right speed.  So I've jury rigged it (heat off) at times for rod building to keep the epoxy on the rod guide winds from sagging.  I'm sure I can rig it up to keep the wood lure bodies spinning as well.  It doesn't make the wife too happy, but i'm willing to live with that!

Thanks for the advice.

[SW Lures]

Good luck with both task that you are about ready to undertake......First one is that the baits they should do well.

You on the other hand is the other that I'm worried about. I have learnt many years ago not to get Momma mad. As the old saying goes, "when Momma is not happy no one is happy". That includes Daddy. No bait tips but just a fact of life. or

Dale

[waynem]

Thanks for the advice.  The photo shows the completed bait and you can see the worm burn on the top.  The lower one will be a 4 piece bait after I use the Devcon topcoat.  I started with a 6" muskie basswood blank from LurePartsOnline.  I found I could get more accurate angle cuts if I glued and screwed square blocks on the ends before making any cuts.  

[SW Lures]

You got some great advice. As I said you will do fine. Looking good! So the first paint bait is the one that touch the plastic?

Edited August 18, 2016 by DaleSW

[Chuck Young]

Devcon 2 ton 30 min epoxy thinned with denatured alcohol is the way to go. Either 1 oz double syringe ($5-7) OR 8-1/2 oz 2 bottle set ($14-18) should be plenty. I apply it with a 5/8" to 3/4" wide bristle brush (craft section of Walmart) with about 3/4 - 7/8 of the bristles thinned out with a pointed pair of scissors. It can be cleaned with the denatured alcohol, wrapped with paper towel, and reused. Epoxy goes on fast and smooth Jointed baits can be "stretched out" between two wires or hooks. Keep epoxy away from hinges ( the wood is already sealed with superglue). For a little flash, you can add fine glitter to the epoxy The 12 pack of salt shaker type dispensers at Walmart are great. There are two ways to do this. 

1) Sprinkle onto the first coat of epoxy immediately after coating. This allows you to sprinkle a few different colors on different parts of the bait.

2) Mix one color directly into the first coat of epoxy. My favorite colors are (in order): pearl, gold, silver, black. 

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/31822-a-better-epoxy-brush/

Edited August 22, 2016 by Chuck Young