clemmy Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Okay, People have their own opinions, whether it's flexcoat, envirotex, devcon, polyurethane, proprionate, whatever... Several even claim to be independent;i.e.Hughsey, Blacjack, Chip, etc. etc. I'm not asking anyone's preferences! What I AM wondering is how you guys compare one finish to another... On one hand, practical use is direct, but not reproducible. Should I hit it with a hammer and see if it cracks? Or how about hitting it at a curve? It's easy to test UV discoloration, but the whole ridgid coat vs a coat that flexes is getting to me. Can anyone reccomend what they.ve done in the workshop to try to duplicate crank abuse so that they can compare finishes???? Thanks, and as I've said, I'm not looking for opinions on finishes, but rather a method to compare finishes that I can reproduce Clemmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop10 Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Clemmy, this probably won't help you much, but my answer is real simple: I fish. And besides catching bass, I catch plenty of jack (chain pickeral) in the spring, and they'll put your baits through a workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPala Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Yup be realistic & fish it. Wanna over engineer ur lures, then test it on rip-rap and toothy fishes. There's other considerations like production method which might promote water entry which u can't see with dry testing alone. Epoxy is just one of the link in building a good lure, everything has to hold together for it to last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 whatever works for your style. every clear has good and bad points. i say fish and enjoy your free time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenshinner Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 I am currious on this same subject. The epoxi classes of coating have the benifit of not disolving many of the paints used. were some of the other polyurathanes although convienent will liquifiy mainy paints, so the compatibility issue would start here. Ive been looking for a compatibility and comparision of adheasion strengths within varrious classes of paints and coatings. Finaly try this. poke a hole in your bait, all the way to the wood layer and see what happens as you use that. this to me is a good arguement for a penetrating sealer vs. just a surface sealer. these are some problems im having with my personal projects. and just my 2cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 I have been thinking on the same lines as you Clemmy. Some kind of standard tool to grade the top coats resistance to abuse. The simplest tool would be a bastard file hit by a standard weight. I intend to do an ongoing test of submerging and drying, to test life etc. I would be very interested on the method you ultimately decide on and would appreciate a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 I guess I'm with Scoop10. I record how I make lures and what materials I use, then fish them for a few seasons and take a look at how they held up. It's more fun fishing them than sitting in my garage whacking crankbaits with a hammer. I understand the engineering bent for testing and quantitative analysis but for me, crankbait building is more a craft thinggy. Different strokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jklett Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Got a dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullin8s Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Clear some baits with it, fish the crap out of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doomdart Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Epoxy is just one of the link in building a good lure, everything has to hold together for it to last. LP, I slowly go toward that philosophy, but still believe that the topcoat, whether epoxy, Etex, fishermun's, etc. is the most critical part. You can try to protect from water penetration, IMO the best place to start is where the water first contacts the bait. clemmy, can't help much. I think that many times the topcoat will be determined by weight considerations if the builder has options. Some baits are designed around the weight of the topcoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 got a dog. a great way to start my day. i love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenshinner Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Vodkaman. how about submerging the lure for 24hrs at a time in aquarium and cycle the dry/wet times. I think a fair test would also include a puncture reaching the surface of the wood. as somewhere the water will likely be reaching the wood in an actual top coat failure. very interesting you may be pionerring a new field in lure quality ratings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paxfish Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Clemmy wrote: "Can anyone reccomend what they.ve done in the workshop to try to duplicate crank abuse so that they can compare finishes????" Man! You guys are just gonna let a great opportunity slip by? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
