Clear Coat?

[GoTakeANap]

What are my options on clear coating my airbrushed lures? Name of the you use. Thanks

[slowpoke274]

i use devcon 2 ton 30 minute epoxy on my lures as do quite a few other members some say thin it down with alcohol but i mix and brush and it seems to work fine

[jhoffman]

I would look for a single stage urethane clear coat with the matching reducer and activator. A quart in your application would last a LONG time. However, I dont know how that will stand up to bouncing off of rocks.

 

Maybe take expoxy, thin it, use a really cheap gun with a 1.8 or bigger tip and clear coat them in mass.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Use the Devcon 2 Ton (not the 5 minute one,) or Solarez #71502.

 

The Solarez is nice because it is UV cure, so you can do 2-3 coats in a matter of minutes and be fishing your lures within 30. It also levels a bit better since it doesn't have time to sag like the epoxy does. Devcon gives a great finish, but you'll have to do something to turn the lures as they dry (rod drying or rotisserie motor work well for this.) They are both relatively chip resistant to rocks, etc. 

[PondBoss]

I have been using 5 minute Gorilla Glue since that is all I have available in the stores locally.  It works great, but the down side is it sets so quickly that I can really only get one bait coated out of a a batch or epoxy, but I get about 10-12 baits per tube.  It may cure a bit thicker than I'd like, but then I don't have to use a second coat, plus it basically makes a bait bullet proof.

[GoTakeANap]

Ive been using a mcu someone recommend but for some reason it cracks up the white paint on the bottom of the lures for some reason. It only does this with the color white. He told me he had the same problem and gave me info on how to stop it from cracking. Gonna try that out. Just wanted to know my other options. Thanks guys

[BobP]

MCU (moisture cured urethane) is one of the best topcoats in terms of looks and performance, especially on plastic baits where its thin clarity gives baits a real "factory look".  The downside is it is very hard to store for any length of time without hardening in the container.  Don't know your procedure for topcoating, but I find it best to coat the lure (brush or dip) and then just hang it up by the lip  to allow any excess MCU to drip off the tail of the bait.  Don't rotate the bait after coating it.  If you do, the MCU can accumulate in a pool on the bait, typically on the lower tail section.  It skins over very quickly so liquid MCU is held against the paint long enough that the aggressive solvent it contains blisters the paint.  I just dip'em and hang'em, making MCU the quickest and most care-free topcoat you can get - except for storing it. 

[Christian M]

I use Devcon 2 Ton 30 Minute Epoxy. You can get a pack of two 9oz bottles for about $18.00. I use a cheap disposable brush to apply it, the kind you can buy in packs of 20 or more, then I use a thin metal rod and turn it for 30 minutes then hang it using thin metal wire. The finish comes out GREAT and its really strong. You can also add glitter to the clearcoat which is something you can't do with MCU.

 

If you're making baits for yourself and the occasional friend I would strongly recommend going with the Devcon 2 ton 30 minute.

 

Moisture Cure Urathane is great if you're producing baits in large quantity for sale and quick turn around. It dries quickly and is very easy to use. However, it has to be stored in large amounts, and after each time you open the container you need to seal it with a gas that removes the oxygen. If you don't remove all of the oxygen from the container, the MCU ends up hardening and is useless.

[BIG M]

Flex Coat Ultra V rod finish is my clear coat.   You will need a drying wheel with this one.  

[pistolpete]

I've used a few different things, but the 2 part epoxi used for RC boats seems to work really great for me. Any hobby shop should have it. Just make sure you get that mixture right

[smalljaw67]

Devcon 2 Ton 30 minute is the best I found, out of about  15 different ones I used it is the only durable epoxy that stays clear, everything else yellows over a short time. Etex is another good one but it is thin and requires a drying wheel and multiple coats. Devcon goes on thick but it self levels so you don't leave brush marks and I do not recommend you thin it with anything, and the reason is simple, bubbles, everyone I know that has thinned Decon epoxy with alcohol has had issues with air bubbles even when no bubbles are left after coating, they still form.

[Kenneth Rollston]

If you do use the Devcon, make sure it has some type of UV inhibitor, if you do not, your lures will turn colors after just a while on the deck. Also I have seen some heat the epoxy with a propane torch after applying it, this gets the air bubbles out, just a quick touch with the torch though, it will make a disaster of your job if not done correctly. I personally use a two part automotive clear coat, this can be applied by pouring it on, and letting the lure spin in a rotisserie, I currently spin over 80 lures at a time doing this, and when you finish the first clear, go back and clear once more and your done. I have lures all over the world and had only compliments on how much the clear holds up and how good things look after years of use. Not sure if this is for everyone, but that is my thoughts on that.. 

Kenneth..