Epoxy...the final frontier...10 tips for a nicer finish...by "Fatfingers"

There are a few things you might want to try when working with epoxy to put a protective finish on your baits...

1. Wash your hands before you start. Often there are small dust particles on your that somehow always seem to find their way into the finish.

2.Fan the tip of your brush with your finger or thumb before starting. The bristles often hold an awful lot of dust and dirt that will get pulled into the epoxy as you work. Take a minute and fan the bristles until you can't see any more dust flying off the the business end of the brush.

3. Mix the stuff thoroughly...especially envirotex lite. (Devcon 2 ton epoxy isn't as sensitive; doesn't seem to need to be mixed for as long a period of time). Take your time with this step. If you fail to mix envirotex lite properly, it will either separate on the bait and form unsightly "fish eyes" or it will remain tacky because it cannot cure properly. If it does fail to cure because you failed to mix it properly, just mix another coat and re-apply...usually that does the trick.

4. After mixing, transfer the mixed epoxy into a clear cup or other container before applying it. Failure to do this can also result in tacky spots and fish eyes. Just use a clean cup and you avoid applying that small bit of unmixed epoxy that tends to stick to the side of any container you mix the stuff in.

5. I like to work with "medicne cups" which can be purchased online for about 4 cents a piece. They come with marks on the side to help you mix a nice, accurate 50/50 mix every time. Because they are so cheap, I just throw them away after use. Epoxy requires a 50/50 mix...do NOT even try to alter that formula...your "experiment" will fail, trust me.

6. I like to let the stuff sit for about 10 or 12 minutes after mixing and before applying. By allowing it to gel for a few minutes, it goes on a tad thicker and has less of a tendency to drip and run. It seems that if you apply it without letting it sit for a few minutes, the first few baits you coat get a rather thin coat which has a greater tendency to separate and/or drip and run. Try waiting a few minutes...you'll like it. It just 'behaves' better for you.

7. Use a hair dryer or heat gun to remove any bubbles. I always turn on the heat gun and let it run for about 10 to 15 seconds before pointing it at the bait. By doing so, you give it a chance to blow out any dust it might have inside....before it gets blown onto that bait.

8. When your done, put the stuff on your drying wheel and give it enough time to cure before handling. You've got a lot of work in the bait up to this point...don't lose patience now.

9. Finally, if you're going to apply a second coat, try to apply it within 24 hours. If you do, it will tend to chemically bond to the first coat...and you won't have to bother with scuffing it up between coats.

10. Devcon 2 ton epoxy is a harder, tougher finish and is generally easier to work with, but it will "yellow' over time. Envirotex is a little trickier because it goes on thinner, but has less of a tendency to yellow. The yellowing takes time to appear. You may not notice it for a season of fishing, but Devcon will yellow on you. This yellowing is far more evident and easier to notice on white, gray, and other lighter colors. On black and other dark colors, it won't make any difference, so I often prefer Devcon on baits that I'll be painting primarily black. Why? Because Devcon is a harder finish overall. Then again, as a result of being harder, it has a greater tendency to 'chip' off the bait if you make a bad cast and hit a rock or pier. Bottom line: Learn to work with both Devcon and Envirotex and you can capitalize on the strengths of both!

great tips fatfingers......Thanks.

excellent tutorial, bang on job,

Etch

great tips thanks! this is extremely valueable info!

great post.....here's another tip if you flip not spin wire the plug before epoxy, last flip put tail down most time if it drips it will end up on the tail loop not the body this helps alot with poppers I sometime epoxy on a coathanger and end up haveing to clean out the tailweight hole and sanding the epoxy flat(drip off) for the gromet

another trick i use, save the tag ends after tailwrapping you lures, they make great stiring sticks when mixing up a batch of epoxy. They work great if you roll it in your finger tips spinning the shaft of the wire, acting almost like a finger powered blender!

Your #6 point is a great one, the longer you flash, the thicker your coat, and the less curing time required,
but too long and you can ruin a plug with clumps.....sometimes if I want to fish a plug the next morning, I will let it flash till it starts to feel warm then get it on quick, will full cure in about two hours, never try this with more than one plug

FF - good info, thanks for posting.

Great post Fatfingers, how soon we forget some of things we use to do.... here is something I do..."Acid brush" I rub any loose hair or dust off brush.I apply crazy glue to the base of my acid brush, apply it all around,holding the brush up-right so it can run down inside. This will stop any loose hairs being applied to your plug when sealing.

okay I bought the cups, I have always used syringes, I guess their is a first for everything

IRON LURES wrote:another trick i use, save the tag ends after tailwrapping you lures, they make great stiring sticks when mixing up a batch of epoxy. They work great if you roll it in your finger tips spinning the shaft of the wire, acting almost like a finger powered blender!

funny, i do this one as well.






nice to see that i cover steps 1-10 from the tips already. guess it's nice to see you are doing something right. good post!

gotta save money somehow! hell i even reuse the disposible medicane cups. When im done topcoating with them I lay it on its side with the brush in the cup and let it harden. The next day i use the brush as a handle to pull out all the old epoxy in one piece. The cup isnt perfectly clean, so i never used it again for topcoat, but its good enough for me to mix the devcon i use to glue in the eyes and belly grommets. That way i get two uses out of each cup.

"When im done topcoating with them I lay it on its side with the brush in the cup and let it harden. The next day i use the brush as a handle to pull out all the old epoxy in one piece."

I can't believe there is someone else out there as cheap as me! I do the same thing!

Yo Yo Fatfingers

Thank you for this post ....!!!

It funny how when reading the 10 tips how many come to my head that i have run in to ....!!!!

It cool to know what i can do to help fix the few problems that i have had with my E-Tex ....!!!

Awesome tips and thanks for posting..

Salts