Yake Bait Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I have made a few baits from some oak that I have and I like the durability and density of the wood. Minimal lead needs to be used to achieve desired bouyancy. Only headache is sealing up the open pores in the grain. The same areas can also contribute to defects (bubbles) when applying epoxy. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 You might consider trying to soak the bait first in a quality sealer. Soaking can allow displacement of air within the wood. Cut some PVC, cap one end of it, and fill it with the wood sealer. Place the bait in the pipe and let it soak for a while, then give it adequate drying time. That might help when you prime, paint, and clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yake Bait Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Like the suggestion. What do you recommend to seal? I have some water based polyurethane the might do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Try using a quality oil-based wood sealer instead of a varnish, if that's what you mean my the polyurethane stuff. The wood sealer is designed to penetrate deeper and seal the pores, whereas the varnish will seal the surface only because it isn't really made to penetrate. If you try the submersion thing when using the wood sealer, you'll actually see bubbles coming to the surface as the air is being displaced and ejected from the wood when the sealer is penetrating the wood. If you think about it, you want the air out of the wood, because that is what is causing the clearcoat to bubble...escaping air. Just give the sealer a full 24 hours or longer to set up and dry before priming, and painting. I use a quality wood sealer from Minwax and I've actually tested baits after sealing and before priming or painting with no raised grain or water penetration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st8fishin Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Fatfingers has hit this one right on the button. I use to make lures out of poplar. Now I'm trying plastics. This gave my lures a nice castable weight without adding much lead.(splitshots) After my final sanding with 400 grit paper I'd soak my lures in Penetrol oil based paint conditioner for 15 or 20 minutes. Wipe off the excess, then let dry. Usually 12-24 hours. This will raise the grain slightly (with poplar). Now, sand out the imperfections with 400 grit paper once again. After you sand with 400 grit. Take a simple sheet of computer printer paper and buff the lure with it. It will give you a glass like finish and will prepare the lure for painting. Note: If you try this with balsa or basswood sometimes the wood soaks up too much oil and can crack it.(sometimes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yake Bait Posted March 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I have 4 baits soaking as I type this letter. Thanks for the tips guys. No more epoxy bubbles for this guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Good deal. Post some more pictures of your work when you get done. I like how you use color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCH Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Question: Can I use the oil-base sealer on ceder, then paint with the createx waterbase paints? I've been using the Devcon to seal my baits. I think the application of the sealer would be quicker (not dry time). I would think that soaking the bait in a sealer would penitrate the wood better as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yake Bait Posted March 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Dang I cant seem to stop those blasted bubbles! Wondering if it would be a good idea to warm the bait up at low setting in the oven before applying 2T. As the bait cools, it would tend to draw the epoxy in as opposed to bubbling out when I hit it with the hair dryer to pop the bubbles? Seems like you make things worse when you apply heat to pop a few bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskiefool Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 It looks like your coating a bigger bait, what I do is add a small amount of denatured alcohol to the epoxy after its mixed just enough to thin it a touch, the epoxy is setting up on you faster than the bubbles can escape, I had fits with this for some time, now I have no problems at all and it I do have a problem spot where the epoxy is uneven or has a few bubbles before it hardens hold a blow dryer on low or med to it and it'll flow together nice but you need to breath on or use a propane torch at the same time, Ive in the past set a Buddy heater next to my rotisserie in lieu of a propane torch, for bubbles and imperfections it works pretty good, also for sealing all my wood I cut Devcon 2T with denatured Alc 50/50 and it will soak in 1/16 to 1/8 inch depending on the wood and harden like a rock I have a Muskiemagnet that I did a few years ago and treated like this the hook rash has yet to get through the devcon sealer(wish I had used Devcon coating the bait), one note if you use Denatured Alc be careful its extremely flammable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yake Bait Posted March 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 You are right, it is a bigger bait (10"). In hindsight, I take credit for the majority of the problems. I had a few bubbles and made it worse with the hair dryer. A little heat for a very short time seems to be good, but leave the dryer on for a minute and the whole bait breaks out in a bubble rash. I had good luck with the hair dryer on cedar baits getting the 2T to level out. I can leave the dryer on it forever and it makes for a real slick coating. I was trying the same thing on oak and it doesn't work very good. I like the 50/50 idea. I take it that you paint on top of the sealer then do a final 2T top coat? BTW, I like the muskifool website. Very cool and original design on your crank baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskiefool Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 yep primer over the sealer or another trick I do to remove all the grain if I'm doing a Pearlized base is do a coupla top coats over the sealed wood sand smooth then primer mainly done on large Ceder Cranks that pearl brings out every imperfection in the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
