Mr.BankYanker Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Has anyone ever used anything other than epoxy to add clear to lures? I've noticed lots of people using that but is there anything else to use like createx gloss top coat? Why is epoxy so popular does it not scratch? HELP PLEASE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llokkii2000 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Ive used GST cement sealer Ive gotten from Menards. If you try it, make sure it is the gloss. Its tough but Ill warn you though, if you chose to try it, it puts out a lot of fumes and you really need to have a heater blowing on it while the lures turn on a turner to get it to cure faster. Still will take hours if not half a day or better depending on temps and humidity. That said, you'd also need to do it outside to prevent it from stinking up your whole house or causing any potential health problems. Im making the move to UV cures like Alumilite or solareze this weekend and should be able to post a comparison. by sunday night hopefully Also you would have to dip the GST and not attempt to spray it through a gun/airbrush or you'll probably ruin the airbrush. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llokkii2000 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 if you want more info on this, do a search on the site for cement sealers. Should bring up an older thread where we discussed it and what everyone else experienced as results from using it. Hope it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 28 minutes ago, llokkii2000 said: Ive used GST cement sealer Ive gotten from Menards. If you try it, make sure it is the gloss. Its tough but Ill warn you though, if you chose to try it, it puts out a lot of fumes and you really need to have a heater blowing on it while the lures turn on a turner to get it to cure faster. Still will take hours if not half a day or better depending on temps and humidity. That said, you'd also need to do it outside to prevent it from stinking up your whole house or causing any potential health problems. Im making the move to UV cures like Alumilite or solareze this weekend and should be able to post a comparison. by sunday night hopefully Also you would have to dip the GST and not attempt to spray it through a gun/airbrush or you'll probably ruin the airbrush. The only thing I've used so far is auto clear like what comes on vehicles.... I paint cars for a living .... was going to try createx clear and a UV clear in a spray can to see how that works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Any of the spray or dip acrylic finishes have to be kept separate from soft plastics. The softener in them softens the acrylics, too, at least all the ones I've tried, including concrete sealers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llokkii2000 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Also the concrete sealer can be hell on your paint jobs. Kind of temperamental. Likes to wrinkle paint sometimes, especially whites and oranges. Good luck with your experiment and let us know how it turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, llokkii2000 said: Also the concrete sealer can be hell on your paint jobs. Kind of temperamental. Likes to wrinkle paint sometimes, especially whites and oranges. Good luck with your experiment and let us know how it turns out Definitely will do .... the spray can is like low budget car clear so it should look the same .... I will update once I attempt them both ... hopefully with pics 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBK Posted February 14, 2019 Report Share Posted February 14, 2019 The createx clear isn't really a clear top coat. Not a protective clear coat I mean. It's used to put a clear layer over your paint so your colors don't run and to add shine to things that don't get abused or touched... such as decorative items. I use it to mix powders in and to cut paint. Be careful with aerosol clears, a lot of them will react to plastic (clear boxes or soft plastic lures) so they aren't good for many lures. Most people use epoxy because its quick, easy, doesn't require a ton of money invested, can be bought at any hardware store, and doesn't have an odor. KBS diamond coat is another very popular top coat, its easier to use than epoxy because you literally just dip your lure in it and hang it to dry instead of needing a lure turner. But it is temperamental with storage and is quite expensive to buy, although a can goes a long way. Be careful where you buy it, you want to get fresh stock so it has the longest shelf life. I order direct from KBS, they ship quick and you are assured you get current stock. Here's a coupon link if you decide to order from them, 15% off. Just follow the link and hit the blue "visit KBS coatings" and it will add the discount to your cart. http://kbscoatings.refr.cc/Kbs15off You want the DiamondFinish Clear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2019 9 minutes ago, BBK said: The createx clear isn't really a clear top coat. Not a protective clear coat I mean. It's used to put a clear layer over your paint so your colors don't run and to add shine to things that don't get abused or touched... such as decorative items. I use it to mix powders in and to cut paint. Be careful with aerosol clears, a lot of them will react to plastic (clear boxes or soft plastic lures) so they aren't good for many lures. Most people use epoxy because its quick, easy, doesn't require a ton of money invested, can be bought at any hardware store, and doesn't have an odor. KBS diamond coat is another very popular top coat, its easier to use than epoxy because you literally just dip your lure in it and hang it to dry instead of needing a lure turner. But it is temperamental with storage and is quite expensive to buy, although a can goes a long way. Be careful where you buy it, you want to get fresh stock so it has the longest shelf life. I order direct from KBS, they ship quick and you are assured you get current stock. Here's a coupon link if you decide to order from them, 15% off. Just follow the link and hit the blue "visit KBS coatings" and it will add the discount to your cart. http://kbscoatings.refr.cc/Kbs15off You want the DiamondFinish Clear Thnx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 Okay so I tried some 2 part epoxy just to test it out .... I am very pleased with the look but I noticed the rings on the lure got clogged up ...any suggestions on how to prevent that? Also I noticed some dry areas but then again it was my first attempt .... the lure was an older rattle trap that I scuffed and brushed the epoxy on ..... I'm gonna leave it in the sun just to see if it yellows or has any other reaction ... will post updates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBK Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 Stick a tooth pick or wooden skewer through the hook eyes before the epoxy sets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 If you have access to an auto paint booth and airbrush equipment, look no further than a catalyzed two part high solids auto clearcoat. I don’t feel aerosol can clears are tough enough for crankbaits. They are certainly less durable than two part auto clears, epoxy, moisture cured urethane, or UV cured polyester, all of which are good alternatives used by builders. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 I have used different types of clear coats. The bottom line is that there is nothing tougher than epoxy. Period. Skeeter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 How longs it taking to cure ..... granted this was my first attempt using 5 min gorilla epoxy. ... it seems soft to the touch and that was DAYS AGO ...... soft like I can leave a fingernail print in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 (edited) While I haven’t tried it myself, Alumi-UV is apparently a super tough clearcoat. It is a UV cured polyester, not cheap but it cures to a finished state in a couple of minutes under a UV lamp, like an inexpensive uv fingernail polish lamp. For hobbiest ease of use and speed, it seems hard to beat. Check out the product videos on the website. BankYanker, you want to use Slow Cure epoxy, not 5 minute quick cure epoxy. One that says 20-30 minutes to get to initial hardness. 5 minute epoxy cures too quickly to level out properly, is water resistant not waterproof, is weaker than slow cure, and is more prone to turn brown with UV exposure. If your epoxy is soft after its stated cure time, you either failed to measure equal volumes or mix it thoroughly. There are lots of good slow cure epoxies like Devcon Two Ton or Envirotex Lite. Flexcoat UV contains UV Filters. All slow cure epoxies require rotation until they reach a non-sag state, 45 mins to 2 hours depending on the brand. Edited February 20, 2019 by BobP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 As Bob said, most quick cure epoxy will turn yellow and set too quickly to level out. The reason is that the hardener is too hot. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 I only tried that 5 min because that's all I could find locally .... it was a test .... I ordered 30 min I think .... waiting on that in the mail ..... honestly I think Ibe gotten to used to auto body clearing them .... that's my comfort zone .... I wanna experiment tho to see what's best.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Let me save you the time. If you want tough and durability, nothing will beat devcon for the hobbyist. Skeeter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSpolarich Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 3 hours ago, Skeeter said: Let me save you the time. If you want tough and durability, nothing will beat devcon for the hobbyist. Skeeter What about Etex? I heard that is real good! Ok, ok...just kidding Skeeter! I love me some Devcon. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BankYanker Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Devocn is what I got ordered on the way 2 ton epoxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Don't get me started Mark! Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Skeeter said: Don't get me started Mark! Skeeter I've found that, for large wooden baits, a decoupage epoxy, like Etex, works better for me, because it moves with the wood as it expands and contracts. D2T is a glue epoxy, and specifically design not to move, or creep, so I used it on small plastic cranks, where movement isn't as much of an issue. Bob P has perfected using D2T on wood baits. My hat's off to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkid19 Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 So I started using BSI epoxy, it looks good once it dries but I don't know if it will yellow. I just purchased envirotex because that's what pretty much everyone I've talked to uses. The first bait I tried I didn't mix it as described in the directions and it didn't turn out well even with using a turner. The only baits I've been doing are plastic Has anyone had any experience with the BSI product, it is a 2 part epoxy also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 I’ve heard of a few TUers using BSI who said it works well. My take on yellowing is that will eventually happen to epoxy exposed to UV light. However, I’ve coated baits with Devcon that show no discernable yellowing after 3-4 years. If you measure it exactly and mix it very thoroughly, slow cure epoxies will be more resistant to yellowing. You can also find a few brands that contain UV filtering additives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 Wrong Mark.....I give guys. For over 16 yrs. clearcoats have been a topic and and there is still no real agreement. You guys have at it. I agree.... BobP knows epoxy. My hat is off to him as well. Skeeter 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
