mike82 Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I'm sorta new to painting lures. I've finished around 50 of them or so. The issue I seem to be having with the Bob Smith 20min finish cure is its not finishing hard enough. What I mean by that is there's always a bit of drag on the finish when you pull your finger down it. This seems to be making hook rash happen faster than normal. The clear coat other than that works very well. Its crystal clear and hold up well to toothy fish. I have lures with lots of little holes from fish teeth but that's it no cracking which is good. Its hard yet flexible which is what I wanted. Is this a trade off from to hard and possible cracking? Will it not get that hard glass like finish and still be flexible? Thanks in advance for any help with this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I should also add, I believe I mix it very well. I use a little mixer I made out of solid 10gage copper wire that I put in a drill. When mixing it goes cloudy then clear. I usually run the mixer on high for about a min then slow mix at the end for a min. After that I add the brush and mix a little more. At that point I hit it with a little bit of breath to release the bubbles and the way I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 i like devcon 2 ton and a few drops of denatured alcohol....my baits are rock hard and no cracking or chips......hold up to pike/muskies well i use the 30 min epoxy not 5 min..after i brush it on i wheel it for about 4 hrs..then just let it set for at least 24...im up north and paint in the basement some baits took 3/4 days to fully cure and 2 at least a week....but its was 40/45 degs down there ...i got the devcon off ebay 2 bigger bottles ive seen the bob smith stuff at hobby lobby but never picked it up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 you might be able to get 30min devcon 2 ton from lowes or home depot the denatured alcohol is a must it thins it out and gets all the bubbles of...also go to custom crankbait techniques on facebook..great group of people there just like here very helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Mike, epoxy cure depends on two things: MEASURING and mixing. If measured incorrectly, there will be excess molecules of the resin or hardener that remain in their starting liquid state, producing a greasy softer finish. After years of eyeballing it, I switched to epoxy syringes and they work more consistently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteSS Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 (edited) Get a small gram scale to measure Edited March 5, 2017 by MonteSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshng2 Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I use Disposible Graduated Plastic Measuring Cups. 1oz cups: Acidrod $2.99/100 +ship (also sell rod wrapping stuff, some are good for lure making) Amazon $3.07 /100 ea 2oz cups: Acidrod $3.99/100 +ship 16 oz : Tap Plastics @ $.55 ea + ship. Note: I am not affliated with these businesse's. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 You can also find the graduated cups at your local pharmacy. They're the ones like they bring your pills to you in if you've ever been in the hospital. I get them for less than $3 for a 100 pack. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 These syringes make mixing two part epoxy by volume fool-proof: http://www.barlowstackle.com/Flex-Coat-Color-Coded-Syringes-P1905.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteSS Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Yeah I do small batches. Measuring cup would not work for me. Scale .11g of each does a small crank Syringe would work too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Just make sure you are looking at your product. The Bob Smith I used years ago was 1:1 volume and not weight from what I recall. For example Devcon ratio by weight is 1.2:1 resin/hardner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I actually use syringes to measure the epoxy so it's right on. I also use a hair dryer and heat the containers of hardner and epoxy before I start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 X3 on the syringes drill a hole with a tight fit in the cap of each bottle and keep them inserted for each use, just turn the bottle upside down and draw up what you need and pull it out of the cap. There was a video of someone doing it that way and I've been doing it that way ever since and I too use Bob Smith. Note: make sure you replace the syringe back into the right bottle or else 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Thanks gonetolong! That's a really good idea. I'm always paranoid I'm going to accidently swap them. I actually write a H and a E on each one, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Well, if measuring and mixing are not the problem, there aren't many possible culprits left. A bad batch of epoxy from the manufacturer? Adding a solvent other than denatured alcohol to thin the mix? Epoxy actually takes as long as a week to reach final cure state though it is usually considered "hard enough" within 24 hrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I'm not thinning with anything. I think i may be expecting to much out it. Its probably correct. It gets hard but does not get as hard as like running your finger down glass. I think I'm going to try some devcon 30min to see if that gets any harder. Thanks everyone for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 (edited) if it is the 20 minute finish cure that you are using, i believe it is more of a resin used with fiberglass sheeting or used as a primer coat. the 30 minute bsi epoxy is probably what you want. http://www.bsi-inc.com/hardware/slow_cure.html this is from the BSI site..... FINISH-CURE™ 20 min. epoxy is an excellent, low odor substitute for polyester resins. It can be used for applying fiberglass cloth to wood or by itself to give wood a surface ready for primer and paint. FINISH-CURE™ can be sanded the easiest of all our epoxies and is excellent for the sheeting of foam core wings. Allow 8 hours for full curing. For best results, FINISH-CURE™ should be heated to a temperature above 85 degrees F or applying light weight fiberglass, lay cloth on balsa first, then brush on FINISH-CURE™. When fully saturated, go over the surface with a heat gun, and then squeegee off excess epoxy with a playing card from an old deck. Heat and remove excess several times for a light weight finish. If room temperature is below 70 degrees F use a heat gun on the surface several times for the next 2 hours. When dry, lightly sand, then fill surface with a low weight spakeling compound, scrapping off excess with a playing card. Sand to a smooth finish ready for primer. For heavy weight fiberglass, apply the epoxy before and after laying down the cloth. FINISH-CURE™ is best mixed in a disposable cup. Edited March 7, 2017 by stretcher66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I did quite a bit of reading on what epoxy to use before I chose Bob Smith 20min. Alot of guys on this forum are using it successfully for awhile now. Thats why I picked it. I will pick up some devcon and bsi 30min and see if it's any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 I've used that in the past and really needed 2 coats with the Finish Cure. Although you get more working time than with D2T and BSI epoxy, it needs 2 coats. I switched to the BSI 30 minute slow cure 5 years ago and that's all I use. I don't even measure it. I squeeze a 5 count of each in the plastic cup and mix just like you do with the drill for about 15 seconds....dip the brush in DA and all bubbles disperse. Humidity is key for me and ready to put hooks on in 24 hours. It also does not pull away from edges as D2T is known to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Just tried my first batch of bsi 30min. Hobby lobby carried it which was nice. It is quite a bit thicker I noticed that right away. I was only able to coat 3 baits before I figured I was pushing it. Which with bsi 20min I could do 5. I might be able to squeeze 4 but it would be close. I'm not coating big baits either. #7 shad rapalas. I also noticed it defiantly goes on thicker which is nice. I would say 2x thicker than 20min. Also noticed it pulls alot more bubbles in while mixing due to being thicker I'm guessing. But the bubbles pull out really nice while brushing it on. Almost easier than bsi 20min. Which is weird because 20min is alot thinner and one would think the bubbles would rise easier but it didn't seem that way. Thanks everyone for all the input, hopefully the bsi 30min holds up better. Ill leave feedback once I abuse a handful of them for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 I was also going to ask those of you that have used bsi 30min. Does adding DA to the mix give you more working time? If so how much do you add and when do you add it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 When mixing enough BS 30 minute to coat one bait I usually add 3 or 4 drops of DA. This adds a couple minutes to the working time of the epoxy. Keep in mind that doubling, or tripling, the amount of epoxy and DA does not double, or triple, the amount of working time. You will need to mix the epoxy before adding the DA to the mix. If you add the DA before mixing the epoxy the alcohol will bind to one part of the epoxy (can't remember which one) and won't let the two parts blend together. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 I dip my brush in DA and shake a few drops in the mix to do 3 bass baits mostly because I want to thin the epoxy for a little thinner coating when working in a cool garage. It also extends the work time by a minute or two. After years of epoxying I've decided 3 baits on a batch of D2T was all that can be comfortably done before the mix begins to thicken, regardless of adding DA. Why push it, get in a rush and screw something up after all that work building them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
