Clear Coating

[Brenden Buck]

What do you guys normally use to clear coat your crank baits, swimbaits or basically any hard bait.

[eastman03]

I use epoxy, specifically Alumilite clear cast epoxy to finish my lures.  I make large musky lures, and only a few at a time, so it is the finish that makes sense for me.  There are a number of different options, each has its merits.  Lots of info and discussion on the forum here in the past about finishes.

[21xdc]

KBS Diamond Clear. 

 

[Ryan V]

I use bsi 30min epoxy

[BobP]

I use either a moisture cured urethane like KBS or a UV cured polyester resin, ordered through Amazon from China, or Alumi-UV a brand available here in the US.  A slow cure epoxy like Eastman03 uses is also a decent choice.  The most popular epoxies are Devcon Two Ton and Envirotex Lite (aka ETEX), but any slow cure waterproof epoxy is usable.  I prefer MCU or UV resin because they don’t need mixing and do not Yellow over time.

[DGagner]

UV resin. I used to use 2 part epoxy, and it's actually pretty good but I like the UV stuff better. Seems to go on easier, no bubbles, smoother brushing, and it's hard in 30 minutes under lights.

 

[exx1976]

1 hour ago, DGagner said:

UV resin. I used to use 2 part epoxy, and it's actually pretty good but I like the UV stuff better. Seems to go on easier, no bubbles, smoother brushing, and it's hard in 30 minutes under lights.

 

Any particular brand of UV resin you recommend?

 

Also, how does the hardness compare to like eTex or EX-74?  I'll be using it on Musky baits, so I need something as hard as possible to try to keep those teeth out as best I can.  LOL

[DGagner]

5 hours ago, exx1976 said:

Any particular brand of UV resin you recommend?

 

Also, how does the hardness compare to like eTex or EX-74?  I'll be using it on Musky baits, so I need something as hard as possible to try to keep those teeth out as best I can.  LOL

I used to use alumi-uv. Good stuff. They stopped shipping for a long time this winter so I tried the chinese stuff in the black bottle you see on amazon. Recommended in a comparison test by the 'engineered angler' on youtube. It's a lot less on ebay so I got it there. About half the alumi-uv price. I've been using it since. 200g bottles. I make baits one at a time. 

As far as durability, I can't speak to that too much. They are at least as good as 2 part epoxy as that's all Ive ever used before. I only fish the lake I live at, bass, pickerel, crappie, a trout or two. It holds up good against the pickerel which would be the meanest fish I've encountered.

Maybe someone can answer that question who's had that experience.

[BobP]

If you go to the Alumilite site, there is a video of a guy slamming a uv resin coated bait repeatedly onto a concrete driveway, with little if any damage.  So the resin looks pretty darned tough.  I think any of the three coatings have performed just fine depending on the thickness of the coating and how well they were applied.  So it’s player’s choice depending on cost, ease of use, and your expertise with the coating you choose.

[decoymaker]

If you warm up Alumilite, does it thin out the viscosity so you get a thinner coating? I'm finding with the Vision 110 blanks the Alumilite adds extra weight, causing the bait to not perform as well. Any thoughts.

[Anglinarcher]

Alumilite does not suggest warming it in a microwave, ...... but I seldom follow rules.  LOL

It did work for me, but don't overwarm it.

[Gl82898]

I just switched to ACC from E-tex a few days ago. Not much difference between the two when it comes to mixing and applying. ACC is a little harder and appears clearer than E-tex. It also has UV inhibitors which is a plus and the bubbles seem to come out easier e-tex but I had no problems with E-tex unless I put it on too thick. After applying epoxy with a SILICONE brush, I use a mini butane torch to pop bubbles before putting on the turner. Have to be careful to not burn it with the torch though. The silicone brushes are reusable, easy to clean and do a good job applying epoxy. Any other brush I tried eventually left tiny specks of hardened epoxy on the baits. After putting lures on the turner I wait about 5-10 mins and then using my airbrush I lightly mist the baits with Isopropyl alcohol. It allows the bubbles to pop easily and leaves a nice high gloss finish as it helps with self leveling. I got the idea from the ACC instructions for pouring bartops. They say to lightly mist with a spray bottle of alcohol to help remove bubbles. I figured since I use ISO to clean my airbrush anyway why not try it and it worked great.