Sraying Epoxy

[wcorbinbass]

Looking for information on spraying epoxy on hardbaits.  What kind to use and what equiptment.

[BobP]

I've heard of spraying auto clearcoats and moisture cured urethane on crankbaits but have not heard of spraying epoxy.  Not that it would be impossible if you thinned the epoxy to an extreme extent and used an automotive type sprayer with a large nozzle, but it seems to me that would be more trouble than it's worth since the other coatings would be less trouble and would perform better.  Maybe someone else has tried it and can comment on practicality and results?

[RayburnGuy]

I tried spraying epoxy quite some time ago just to see if it was possible. While it was possible it's not something I would pursue for the reasons Bob stated above. I also had no way of testing the durability of the epoxy once it had been thinned to an extent suitable for spraying. I have no idea if the amount of denatured alcohol it took to thin the epoxy enough for spraying affected it's strength.

 

One thing that makes epoxy so durable is that it goes on thicker than a lot of your other clear coats. By thinning the epoxy to make spraying it possible you are drastically cutting down on the thickness of the coating. If you then spray multiple coats to regain the thickness of a brushed on coat then your sort of defeating the purpose of spraying it.

 

Ben

[Basseducer]

I used to spray epoxy on jigs and spinnerbaits all the time. I would mix the epoxy first and then thin 50/50 with Xyleen. I would spray it through a basic Badger siphon airbrush and get nice thin coats that didn't need turning. The finish was as durable as anything else. Then I discovered powder and the rest is history.