Southjerseyspecial Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Hey guys not sure if this is the place to post or not I just signed up about 5 min ago haha well i built my first top water lure out of balsa wood tonight and I was looking to see what are the steps before painting ? Is there a clear coat ? Or way to seal the balsa wood before painting ? thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Most will seal the balsa first. Superglue or thinned epoxy both popular choices. I dipped a lot in dissolved plastic solo cups or the propionate dip. Personally superglue is the way I typically go. After sealing I then lay down a base coat/primer then paint. I still prefer Devcon 30 minute for a topcoat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 First, welcome to the forum. In all humility, you will find the greatest minds in the lure making and painting community right here (present company excluded). Runny superglue penetrates the balsa and makes it hard. It will need time to cure. Use a respirator or great ventilation. You can actually see puffs of smoke rising from the balsa after applying superglue to the lure. The fumes from superglue will crystalize in your lungs. Thirty min epoxy thinned with denatured alcohol will also penetrate well. Curing time will be slightly longer than 30 min because of the addition of DNA. Apply, cure, sand, repeat. 2 coats should do it. You do not need to get it too smooth. A little tooth will help the paint to stick .After that, any water based, white acrylic will work as a primer. Devcon is a good topcoat for beginners. It is more forgiving than most epoxies. It is also available in small twin syringe packages or larger twin bottle( 8.5 oz total). So a major investment is not needed. In the home-made tool part of the forum, you will find how to make a lure turner. It really helps to get the topcoat to cure even .Otherwise, you will have to rotate it by hand. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Some people swear by BIN as a primer. It is thick and will get rid of grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benton B Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Here is my method for sealing a balsa baits. 1 coat of super glue rubbed into the bait, sand then 1 coat of epoxy, prime and paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Once you've sealed the wood, test float it next to a similar commercial bait, to be sure you have it ballasted right, before you paint it. It's a step you don't want to skip, or you'll wind up having to ruin your beautiful paint job in order to install your ballast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
