Vodkaman Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 At a friend's school, a young lady investigated resistance to nail polish chipping as part of a science project. Below are the images of her presentation. I was impressed and though I would bring the findings to you guys for some professional feed back; which brand do you think is best? Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Inconclusive, no muskies were used in the testing! Just kidding, nice comparison. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Guess I gotta find myself some Pure Ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I tried applying nail polish before fishing. Fish didn't seem to mind - but my skirt kept getting tangled on the trolling motor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Been using Hansan can't say anything about Pure Ice. I'd say Mark is the one who uses nail polish the most and could give the most insight..........just sayin. Dale 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Insight: I use dollar store nail polish, and find anything with a clear, like glittered polish, holds up fine without a top coat. I also find that putting a color like red holds up if it cures for a day. I threw a spinnerbait with a red nail polish chin through tulles all day yesterday, and it held up with no clear over it. When I put glo powder into clear to coat the inside/cupped/concave faces of my spinnerbait blades, I put a coat of clear with In The Spotlight Sally Hansen polish over it to protect it, and to add flash. Generally speaking, anything with a strong solid color will be softer, because there is less of the clear base in it. In that way it's similar to air brush paints. But a coat of any clear polish over it will make it "bullet proof". Just load the brush, so you don't have to brush so hard and often you wind up softening the color you're trying to cover. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Mark - interesting information and a good explanation. Thanks. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 I tested Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails as a clear topcoat to protect the wraps on a bucktail. It didn't survive one pike. Worked well for trout flies though. I think for non-toothies it is good enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 13 minutes ago, mjs said: I tested Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails as a clear topcoat to protect the wraps on a bucktail. It didn't survive one pike. Worked well for trout flies though. I think for non-toothies it is good enough. Does anything survive pike teeth? I'd try runny super glue, and then the clear nail polish over that to give a smoother finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Epoxy outlasts the hair. I do use some superglue while wrapping as well. I was trying the nail polish because on the jigcraft board they loved it, and , well, envirotex is work. I think I realized later that they all fish for crappies. Of course the layer of epoxy is thicker. Would the same thickness of nail polish be stronger than epoxy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 No, the epoxy would be much stronger than nail polish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 (edited) When I was 13 I coated my spoons with nail polish t make the paint last longer. I was never very happy with the results. There is a slight possibility that nail polish has improved over the last 45 years. Thinned epoxy works better in my opinion. Sorry Mark. Super Glue will penetrate all layers of hair, even soaking into the loose hair behind the head. Apply cautiously. Remember that when applied to a thick medium (like the head of a bucktail) it will heat up and cause fumes that will stick in your lungs and form crystals. That can't be good. Super glue will also cause the fibers in some threads to fuzz up and harden. Some light sanding with 1500 gt might be a good idea before applying topcoat. Edited March 28, 2017 by Chuck Young added info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 I tie all my musky jigs, bucktails and spinner baits with finger nail polish to seal the nylon thread that I use for tying. Never have a problem. Nail polish seems to out last the Lumaflex skirts I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
