basstech Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I hesitate to ask this question because I've seen some of the debates and have read so many of the post regarding top coats. This is not about starting anyone off on a rant. Fist of all I will say I love the finish I get with the devcon 30 minute/2ton. Don't want to use anything else. Here is the problem I've had with the baits I've used with back round info first. These are not hand made baits. They are various manufactured baits, rebel wee R's, bomber 6A's and 7A's, wiggle warts, strike king PM3's. Mann's 15+ and stretch 10+, and rattle traps. The 6a and rattle trap have gotten a lot of used cause the fish really like them. Before use I made sure they were completely thoroughly coated dried 24+ hours and checked for any bare spots, and corrected those. I did hit some old soft wood on a lay-down on cast once or twice with the bomber and it lost a chunk. It got used quite extensively over about an eight day period, and the finish and paint job was pretty much destroyed. Is there something I may not have done right in applying the top coat. I did spin it on the drying wheel and the coat was thicker than any store bought bait I've ever seen, and it was very even. Can someone give me some pointers on how to prevent this from occurring, I know it can be done cause you all who use it and sell those baits to people wouldn't use it if it didn't work. There were some very minute small air bubbles in the finish and I tried to remove those using a hair dryer but couldn't get them all out. Could they have been what compromised the integrity of the finish? Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Personally I would not use a bait with any epoxy finish unless it has fully cured about a week. If it was an emergency then 24 hours in at least a 70 deg. environment. I think you may have pushed the envelope on the cure time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellure Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Did it happen to all the baits or just the 6A? Re: cure time, as long as you are following specs rec'd by devcon, the lures will be fine to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basstech Posted December 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Well it's happened to the 6A and a Rattle trap so far, they are the ones that have gotten the most use. I do have 2 or three others that have gotten some use and caught some fish on, a mann's 15+ that I painted a craw pattern on and a rebel wee R (same craw pattern). both have caught some fish but don't seem to have gotten damaged like the 6a and the rattle trap. As for the rattle trap I did hit a rock or two with it, but not the bomber, just have hit some wood with the bomber. They all had the same cure time and was well over 24 hrs. It might have been as long as a week, but don't recall because these were the second group of 6 that I painted. The two craw pattern baits haven't caught nearly as many fish but one did get crushed by a 10 lb, channel cat. looks a little used but nothing like the bomber. That thing is literally destroyed and if I didn't know how to repaint baits would be thrown away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellure Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Lure damage could occur at any point during the application process, handling, use, transport, and even during storage. You can usually figure out what type of and how the damage occured by observing what the damage looks like & where the damage is located on the bait. Under magnification you can really see the differences b/t stress/ crack lines (flexural), shearing, impact, compression, puncture damage, ect...from that you can draw some conclusions. My bet is you'll see some differences in the damage b/t the trap and the 6A. Take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 On smaller baits like this I have found that three coats of Rustoleum Shellac are more than adequate for protecting the paint. More important is that many of these smaller lures will not run correctly if coated with something thick like Devcon..............what do I know, I build musky lures. jed v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 I have a 6a Bomber that has been coated with Devcon for 3 yrs. with no problem. It is possible that there could have been something on the surface of the lure that could have caused the separation. Some small lures will work just fine with Devcon. Jed is right that a real thick coat of Devcon can mess with some lures. Especially small ones. But the 6a will do just fine. One thing is for certain..... regardless of the clearcoat that is used, real cold water effects it and can make it more brittle than it usually is. However, wood will not effect it. There had to be something wrong with the application of the Devcon. Hey Jed, what is he talking about with this Devcon rant thing???? Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskiefool Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 I've been using it with no ill effects other than the occasional bubble flare up but I'm covering alot of area never did smaller baits it may be the primer or wood sealer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...