DoubleT Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 I am using Evirotex to top coat my lures. The few that I have done have all had a fish eye or two. This last one though had right many. I paint the lures with createx paint, put them on the wheel and then apply the epoxy. Should I be cleaning the painted lure prior to the epoxy? I wear powder free nitrile gloves while painting and handling the lure. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Hmm, sounds like you are not contaminating the lure with silicone or oil from your hands. Assume there is no oil coming through your airbrush from the compressor? If all that is OK, I would try letting the Etex epoxy sit for 10-15 minutes after mixing to gel a little before brushing it on and not being stingy with the coating you apply. And as always, measuring and thorough mixing is critical. If a second coat fisheyes in the same spots, there is contamination there. If not, it's usually a problem with the mix or the application technique. You want to keep the brush loaded with epoxy every time it touches the lure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriperCandy Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 I use Envirotex for mine. Only once did I have a problem with fish eye-contamination due to silicone grease, (my fault, don't ask!) I was nervous using Envirotex, at first-due to all the cautionary tales I'd read. As it turns out, I haven't had any special problems with it, just the normal learning curve. The thing that makes most difference to me is too cold environmental temp. I don't use gloves. I bought disposable brushes, but I cut one at the perfect angle and don't want to chuck it, so I just clean it with acetone, then soap and water-no problems there either. Disposable mixing cups are a must, found that out the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleT Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 On 3/26/2017 at 11:47 AM, StriperCandy said: I use Envirotex for mine. Only once did I have a problem with fish eye-contamination due to silicone grease, (my fault, don't ask!) What are your making your lures out of? I am making mine out of urethane resin. I think that my problem may be coming from the resin. It appears that there is a tiny pin hole in the resin in the center of each fish eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriperCandy Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 I make my lures out of cedar. Some wood turners use CA glue to finish their work. Maybe you can wipe yours lures down with CA to seal off the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleT Posted March 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 My buddy makes turkey calls and uses CA. I will get a little from him. Thanks for the tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Envirotex contains some solvent so it is naturally thinner than a glue epoxy like Devcon Two Ton. Epoxy wants to contract to itself while curing, so a thinner epoxy will have more tendency to fisheye than a glue epoxy. The thinner the coating you apply, the easier it is for a fisheye to appear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriperCandy Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Hmmn, maybe I've been lucky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted April 2, 2017 Report Share Posted April 2, 2017 Could the measuring cups/syringes/stirring stick/brush be contaminated somehow? If not the only other thing I can thing of is oils from the cedar.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted April 2, 2017 Report Share Posted April 2, 2017 I don't use Etex but a guy who does recommends letting it sit for 10-15 min after mixing to gel up a little before application to apply a somewhat thicker coating, which also helps to avoid fisheyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriperCandy Posted April 2, 2017 Report Share Posted April 2, 2017 The cedar is great-Double T was having problems with fish eyes, maybe due to the urethane he's using to cast his lures. The instructions for Etex say to apply immediately, and use a propane torch or just breathe on it to break surface tension and let bubbles escape. I look silly breathing on the lures, but no bubbles. Sometimes I breathe into the cup while I'm mixing, it warms up the epoxy and makes it flow better. I tried letting it sit for a bit, but I didn't like the consistency-too "sticky" for me. Hey Double T, how are you making out?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleT Posted April 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Im getting good results with the etex. I mix it equal parts using syringes (No silicone). The fish eyes that I get occasionally seem to form around pin holes that I never even realize are there until I apply the top coat. There will be a pin hole right dead in the center of the fish eye. I put three coats of etex on and by then the fish eyes seem to fill in and level out for the most part. Im pleased with the results. StriperCandy is correct. I am casting my lures out of urethane casting resin. I try my best to mix it as close as I can 1 to 1 by volume. Works great. Nice and fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 I mix my E tex in a plastic salsa cup, and then hit the bottom of the cup with my hair dryer to help get rid of the bubbles. Once it's bubble free, more or less, I let it sit for a minute and then apply. I watch for bubble when I brush it on, and either use the brush to get rid of them, or breathe on them to get them to pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
