whitaker201 Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 I am using BSI slow cure epoxy for installing bills in my crankbaits and would like to know if there is a way to slow the cure time so it has a longer pot life. Right now I can only get about 10 baits before I have to mix a new batch. So far I tried heat and that does make the epoxy thinner but only for a short time then it sets up faster. Would denatured alcohol help extend the pot life? Is there a different epoxy with a longer pot life that is 100% waterproof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Being able to coat 10 baits with epoxy is pretty good. Real good in fact. Denatured alcohol will indeed extend your working time by a little. You'll just have to experiment to tell how much to use. I've thinned epoxy until it was thin enough to spray through an airbrush and it did indeed cure although it took much longer than normal, I wouldn't suggest thinning the epoxy and spraying it with an airbrush for several reasons. The obvious reason would be ruining an airbrush if the epoxy sets up inside. Another is that you can only get thin coats applying it really thin and I believe that when you use too much DA to thin the epoxy it gets brittle when it cures. None of these are good. The only other epoxy that will give you an extended application time is a decoupage epoxy like Etex. If your able to brush 10 baits with epoxy I would try thinning it with DA just a bit and call that good. Ben Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteSS Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 He is not coating baits. He is glueing bills. I f mixing on a cup, once mixed, pour it onto a flat surface and spread it thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 My bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimP Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 If you are top coating with an epoxy consider no glue or a non-epoxy glue in the lip slot. Your first topcoat will completely encapsulate the lip/lure junction with epoxy and capillary action will draw a considerable amount into and around the lip. Your second topcoat layer will build a nice fillet around the lip/lure junction providing more strength. I have made several musky lures without any epoxy added to the lip slot, just a friction fit to the painted lure body, then topcoat. So far no problems with 40+ inch Musky and the tie wire is through the lip. The tie wire also provides another anchor and adds strength. If the tie wire is attached to the body it should work equally well since the only resistance it needs to withstand the resistance of water and an occasional underwater obstruction. A couple pro musky lure makers use this method and some drill a hole for a small pin from the top of the head and through the lip for added holding power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 (edited) Cooling the epoxy will extend pot life. Spreading it out a little keeps it from heating up as much as it goes off. Also having it something that will act as a heat sink will help as well. Mixing in the bottom of an upside down can of beer or soda works well. No corners and the aluminum acts as a heat sink. Edited December 2, 2018 by clemmy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitaker201 Posted December 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2018 Yes I am using the epoxy to install the bill not top coating baits. Thank you. I will try the suggestions of keeping it cool and spreading it out thin. I have some scrap pieces of aluminum I can put the mixed epoxy on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty's Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 Definitely spread it out. Make a tin foil dish and pour it out right after you mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 The plastic tops for salsa and guacamole are great for mixing epoxy on, and you can flex them after you're done and the leftover is set to remove the hardened epoxy, so you can reuse the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 10, 2018 Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 I like Rod Bond regular speed paste epoxy for installing lips. The pot/work time is about an hour. It gets fairly hard in 6 hrs, full cure 12-18 hrs. Makes for easy installation, waterproof, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 10, 2018 Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 17 hours ago, BobP said: I like Rod Bond regular speed paste epoxy for installing lips. The pot/work time is about an hour. It gets fairly hard in 6 hrs, full cure 12-18 hrs. Makes for easy installation, waterproof, Do you need to clean off the excess immediately, or can you clean it off after that first hour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted December 10, 2018 Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 I think the reason spreading it thin works is that it reduces the temp. The heat from curing epoxy dissipates more readily - slowing the curing process. It is the reverse of what honeybees do to survive the winter. They cluster in a sphere - reducing the surface area of the hive- to preserve body heat. Placing epoxy in a shallow tray in an ice bath would incorporate both suggestions. Doing this instead of using DNA has the advantage of not thinning it. Plus once the temp reaches normal, it would set more quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitaker201 Posted December 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Since it is cold outside I will do the next batch in my barn. I will try the salsa lid or the bottom of a pop can. I might even use a cold pack to place the lid on to keep it colder to slow down the reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 18, 2018 Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 Mark, it stays a paste and you can move it, wipe it, etc. I’ve never exceeded its pot life while installing hardware or lips, so 1 hr is just a WAG. I fill the lip slot with paste and push in the lip. Excess is forced out the back of the slot and I wipe it off. Really simple, real easy, you get a neat installation. And you can tweak a lip position for quite a while afterwards, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSpolarich Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 On 12/9/2018 at 6:47 PM, BobP said: I like Rod Bond regular speed paste epoxy for installing lips. The pot/work time is about an hour. It gets fairly hard in 6 hrs, full cure 12-18 hrs. Makes for easy installation, waterproof, Bob, is that the actual name of the product? I am looking for something other than D2T that is less messy. I tend to get D2T on my fingers and all over the bill/bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 5, 2019 Report Share Posted August 5, 2019 Yes, the brand is Rod Bond epoxy and its sold online at Rod building sites like Mudhole. It comes in two varieties. A regular slow cure and a fast 20 minute variety. I prefer the slow cure because I build baits in small batches and the slow cure has a work time of at least an hour, which gives me plenty of time to tweak lip positions. I’m not in any hurry and slow cure epoxies have one big advantage: they are always stronger than fast cure varieties. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenlures Posted August 5, 2019 Report Share Posted August 5, 2019 Just wondering if you are putting the lips into wood or plastic, also how many more do you expect to get slowing down the cure time 10 is pretty good. I do 10 at a time batches, from sanding to painting to coating, works for me maybe you just have to adjust your production of the lures. Sometimes fast is slow, that's the best I could come up with. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted August 6, 2019 Report Share Posted August 6, 2019 Years ago I bought "Penetrating Epoxy" at West Marine. I don't know if they still have it. Later when I was at a "Tap Plastics" store I asked them about it and they knew what it was and had the same thing but more economical. It was basically a slower cure epoxy that is used to secure dry rot and weak wood areas. Cure time is much longer so it should give you longer working time. It is a 2 part epoxy that is mixed in a 2 to 1 ratio by volume. I speculated that the reason it had a long cure time is that it would have a longer time to soak into a compromised wood or plywood substrate. I used it to seal my basswood topwater wake baits. It may help you out epoxying in your bills. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 7, 2019 Report Share Posted August 7, 2019 My batches are 6 at a time because that’s what my lure turner holds. I use Rod Bond to install all hardware including lips and hangers, and often for ballast too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSpolarich Posted August 7, 2019 Report Share Posted August 7, 2019 On 8/4/2019 at 9:40 PM, BobP said: Yes, the brand is Rod Bond epoxy and its sold online at Rod building sites like Mudhole. It comes in two varieties. A regular slow cure and a fast 20 minute variety. I prefer the slow cure because I build baits in small batches and the slow cure has a work time of at least an hour, which gives me plenty of time to tweak lip positions. I’m not in any hurry and slow cure epoxies have one big advantage: they are always stronger than fast cure varieties. Thanks Bob! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitaker201 Posted August 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 Ravenlures - I try to do 20-40 lures at a time. I found that spreading the epoxy on a cold piece of aluminum lets me get around 15-20 bills set before the epoxy is not usable. Of course I have became a little more efficient over time too. What I do is set my aluminum bar on an ice pack for about 5min before mixing the epoxy. Then set the bar on my work bench and mix the epoxy on the cold bar. Spread epoxy around and start installing bills. Barrybaits - I will check that stuff out as another option. It is always good to have options! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 8, 2019 Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 When using Rod Bond paste epoxy, how many lips etc you can do in about an hour or maybe as long as 1 1/2 hour is its only limitation. I appreciate the stuff because it allows me plenty of time to tweak lip positions as many times as my OCD makes me. And it doesn’t require any heroic measures or techniques to keep its pot life very long. I also don’t have to worry too much about getting lip slots cut to just the right thickness. After the slot is filled with epoxy its gel texture will hold a lip in place whatever the slot thickness. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSpolarich Posted August 12, 2019 Report Share Posted August 12, 2019 So far I am liking the Rod Bond a lot, thanks Bob for letting us know about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
