Sudd Posted October 27, 2017 Report Share Posted October 27, 2017 If I use D2T for clear coat what do you all do about brushes? Do you change brush after everytime it sets up? I mean no way to clean epoxy off brush correct? Also i checked both lowes and depot and neither had the 2T, where do you get this stuff? Also is it a absolute that i have to have a drying wheel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saugerman Posted October 27, 2017 Report Share Posted October 27, 2017 I use the craft brushes that wal-mart sell, you get 30 for 99 cents. They are decent brushes and don't shed like some of the others. When I'm done with one, I throw it away. But you can wash them out with denatured alcohol, and reuse them. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 27, 2017 Report Share Posted October 27, 2017 I wouldn’t dream of topcoating with any brand of epoxy without a drying wheel. For D2T it takes about an hour of curing to become sag free. You can rotate it by hand until that happens or you can put it on a drying wheel and get on with your day. Many other brands of epoxy take even longer than D2T. If you are going to be in a production setting you also need to choose your epoxy brand according to how much time it allows you to brush it after mixing. That determines how many baits you can coat before mixing a new batch. For instance, Devcon will allow you about 3-4 minutes of brush time before getting too stiff to brush. For me, that’s three baits max. Envirotex Lite contains some solvent, makes a thinner mix, goes on thinner, and allows a much longer brush time (at least 10-15 minutes), but also requires several hours of rotation time to be sag free. You can Google Devcon Two Ton to find online sources. It’s sold in approx 9 oz bottle sets, two bottles totaling 9 oz. Envirotex Lite (aka ETEX) comes in slightly larger bottles and is sold in many hobby stores like McMichaels, etc. i use artist’s brushes for epoxy, flat 1/4 or 1/2” nylon bristle brushes. To clean, wipe off the excess epoxy and agitate the brush in a jar of lacquer thinner, then brush it dry on a clean cloth. Repeat until you're Happy. My brushes last several years 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saugerman Posted October 28, 2017 Report Share Posted October 28, 2017 I forgot to answer your last question. BobP gave you great advise about a drying wheel. They are very simple to make, and also inexpensive. If you take the time to make one you won't be sorry . It's just a lot less hassle to just hang it on the turner and go one about your day., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 28, 2017 Report Share Posted October 28, 2017 I suggest you PM Woodie and ask him how he clearcoats his commercial baits, and with what products. Epoxy is a very good topcoat BUT it’s labor intensive compared to other topcoats that you can simply dip baits into. Dipping is fast, insures complete coverage, and many dippable coatings harden more quickly than epoxy. Whether epoxy is viable for a production setting depends on how many baits you plan to coat in a batch and how long you want the process to last. When all said and done, you’ll find that your labor time is by far the biggest cost in making a bait. Material costs, even for seemingly expensive products, is minor on a per-bait basis. Building good baits that catch fish is not so hard as a hobby once you have a good process down. Building good baits in quantity for sale is a whole other universe and it demands efficiency that us hobby builders simply don’t have to be concerned with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudd Posted October 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2017 22 minutes ago, BobP said: I suggest you PM Woodie and ask him how he clearcoats his commercial baits, and with what products. Epoxy is a very good topcoat BUT it’s labor intensive compared to other topcoats that you can simply dip baits into. Dipping is fast, insures complete coverage, and many dippable coatings harden more quickly than epoxy. Whether epoxy is viable for a production setting depends on how many baits you plan to coat in a batch and how long you want the process to last. When all said and done, you’ll find that your labor time is by far the biggest cost in making a bait. Material costs, even for seemingly expensive products, is minor on a per-bait basis. Building good baits that catch fish is not so hard as a hobby once you have a good process down. Building good baits in quantity for sale is a whole other universe and it demands efficiency that us hobby builders simply don’t have to be concerned with. Yeah Bob I've had good luck with the minwax polycrylic. Just thought maybe trying something different. I do make a lot of baits as I've got my business. I'm really not liking the thought of doing the epoxy but I was going to give it a shot and see if it was worth it. If not I was just going to continue with dipping them in polycrylic. A can last forever and I just dip hang and go. Any suggestions on better dipping clears that's not expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
