iboothroyd94 Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 (edited) Need some help with getting glassy smooth clear coats... Been struggling for months now. I use createx paint & truecoat epoxy (syringe measured for accuracy). I wear nitril gloves and nothing touches the baits between paint and epoxy. I’ve tried a using an “in-between” coat of polycrylic but all with the same results of the epoxy pulling away from random spots and/or pinholes. Have tried a very light coat (and multiple light coats) and the epoxy pulls away from spots Have tried a single heavy coat and can get the whole bait covered, but the epoxy lumps up and I end up with a wobbly uneven coat Have tried hitting them with a heat gun and with a small flame torch after applying the epoxy with no difference made All baits are on an epoxy turner. I run a dehumidifier. Temperatures not a problem right now as it’s summer. Sometimes out of the 4 baits I clearcoat at a time, just one or two will come out great, and the others will come out horrible. Sometimes all of them come out horrible. Any thoughts/ideas? I’m tempted to move to automotive clear coat but I work in a basement that doesn’t have the greatest ventilation and I know that stuff is toxic and usually has a long cure time. Thanks in Advance FullSizeRender.mov Edited August 10, 2022 by iboothroyd94 Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azsouth Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 Contamination for sure! I would lightly wipe down the baits with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and see if that makes a difference. Also the dehumidifier might not be doing a good job, Basements usually have extremely high humidity. Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iboothroyd94 Posted August 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 21 minutes ago, azsouth said: Contamination for sure! I would lightly wipe down the baits with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and see if that makes a difference. Also the dehumidifier might not be doing a good job, Basements usually have extremely high humidity. Appreciate the input. I keep hearing people say contamination but I clean the baits before paint, wear nitril gloves, paint them, grab them by the hook hangers (still wearing nitril gloves) and put them right on the epoxy turner without anything touching the bait at all. I’m just not sure how the bait is getting “contaminated” and in some cases how the entire surface of the bait is getting “contaminated” ! Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 Are these resin baits? If so, are you letting the blanks fully cure/degas before prime and paint? Inkedup fishing and Jinxd12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inkedup fishing Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 I completely agree with the brothers of top! It's definitely contamination take a microfiber cloth that doesn't leave anything behind with some isopropyl alcohol not a ton with just enough to wipe the bait down. Too much and your remoisting the paint and then you'll have other problems when you go to clear coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inkedup fishing Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 3 hours ago, iboothroyd94 said: Appreciate the input. I keep hearing people say contamination but I clean the baits before paint, wear nitril gloves, paint them, grab them by the hook hangers (still wearing nitril gloves) and put them right on the epoxy turner without anything touching the bait at all. I’m just not sure how the bait is getting “contaminated” and in some cases how the entire surface of the bait is getting “contaminated” ! So if that's what you're saying then it sounds like the problem is when you applying it you're not making hard enough contact for the epoxy or whatever finish you're using to come in with the paint! Sometimes what happens is that the paint has a pigment buildup and can make whatever clear your using fisheye. Just try to make sure you have good coverage and good contact almost working it into the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxd12 Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 True coat is the new stuff out right? Bad batch? Maybe it doesn't like the paint type? Is the color that runs or messed up always the same color? I've read some coatings need the paint to be 100% cured before clearing. I don't have that issue because I don't coat on the same day as paint. Plus it's like 200° in my garage here in Az haha. Maybe try to put a clear coat of paint on before putting the true coat on? Like a barrier between color and clear? Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iboothroyd94 Posted August 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 2 hours ago, danthefisherman said: Are these resin baits? If so, are you letting the blanks fully cure/degas before prime and paint? Yup they’re are resin. At first I was epoxying within an hour after painting (I flash dry the paint with a hairdryer after each color) and figured that might be the problem. Ran a few tests waiting anywhere from 1-5 days after painting to apply the epoxy and still had the same issue unfortunately Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iboothroyd94 Posted August 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 2 hours ago, Inkedup fishing said: So if that's what you're saying then it sounds like the problem is when you applying it you're not making hard enough contact for the epoxy or whatever finish you're using to come in with the paint! Sometimes what happens is that the paint has a pigment buildup and can make whatever clear your using fisheye. Just try to make sure you have good coverage and good contact almost working it into the area. Appreciate the thoughts man! That is one thing I haven’t necessarily tried - I don’t normally really apply hard contact and actually try to do the opposite as I don’t want to create air bubbles in the epoxy, so I will have to give that a shot! Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iboothroyd94 Posted August 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 59 minutes ago, Jinxd12 said: True coat is the new stuff out right? Bad batch? Maybe it doesn't like the paint type? Is the color that runs or messed up always the same color? I've read some coatings need the paint to be 100% cured before clearing. I don't have that issue because I don't coat on the same day as paint. Plus it's like 200° in my garage here in Az haha. Maybe try to put a clear coat of paint on before putting the true coat on? Like a barrier between color and clear? Personally I think TrueCoat is fantastic and when it works right it’s amazing and extremely durable. I definitely seem to be having more issues than most so I think it’s got to be something to do with my environment/process/paint/etc that it doesn’t like. There is some slight correlation with color - the all white baits really come out bad and the all black as well. But I’ve also painted a color scheme that has gone good for one batch and then didn’t work on a future batch so I’m not sure Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inkedup fishing Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Jinxd12 said: True coat is the new stuff out right? Bad batch? Maybe it doesn't like the paint type? Is the color that runs or messed up always the same color? I've read some coatings need the paint to be 100% cured before clearing. I don't have that issue because I don't coat on the same day as paint. Plus it's like 200° in my garage here in Az haha. Maybe try to put a clear coat of paint on before putting the true coat on? Like a barrier between color and clear? I agree with @Jinxd12 there is a very good possibility that your paint I not dry 100%. Maybe try what he is saying see I dnt have that problem neither. I have a bake box.. I leave it in there for 20 mins an she is done! Edited August 11, 2022 by Inkedup fishing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inkedup fishing Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 I have tried plenty of things to try and clear baits! I've brought auto clear home from work, spayed it dipped it brushed it and after all the re sanding I come to hate it!!!!!! I've tried epoxy. It's heavy it can be to thick it dose not level that great. Don't like it that much. There is literally only 2 types of clear I will use after all my troubles. KBS DIMOND COAT. WORKS GREAT!! SUGEST YOU USE A PIG TURNER!! LAST BUT NOTEAST. UV RESIN. I SUGEST IF YOU DO THIS ONE MAKE A BOX WITH ATLEAST 2 LIGHTS. IT WILL GIVE YOU FULL COVERAGE. MAKE SURE YOU BRUSH THE WHOLE BAIT BEDOR FLASHING!! HandCraftedLureCo and iboothroyd94 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 3 hours ago, iboothroyd94 said: Yup they’re are resin. At first I was epoxying within an hour after painting (I flash dry the paint with a hairdryer after each color) and figured that might be the problem. Ran a few tests waiting anywhere from 1-5 days after painting to apply the epoxy and still had the same issue unfortunately Gotcha. I’m not really a materials expert, but from what I understand “fisheye” effect of curing epoxy is commonly caused by either substrate contamination or outgassing. I wouldn’t dismiss the resin curing as a potential factor. I will typically wait at the very least 24hrs for the resin itself to cure before I even think to prime it. Then I scrub the blank with a soap solution to remove any oils that have come to the surface. Fully dry, prime, fully dry, paint, fully dry, clear, fully dry, you get the picture… I hope you find a solution. Happy building! ikaika, Inkedup fishing and iboothroyd94 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 One more thing: make sure your painted baits are protected while drying. Dust from vacuuming around your workspace or oily fumes from making soft plastic tails can easily settle on your work and be a detriment to the curing process. Inkedup fishing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azsouth Posted August 11, 2022 Report Share Posted August 11, 2022 Check with the manufacturer to make sure of the full cure time and has finished off gassing. Contaminants can be airborne especially in a confined area ....WD-40, silicone spray and just about any aerosol spray. after spraying WD-40 wait day or 2... if you have sprayed silicone wait a minimum of 5 days. Inkedup fishing and iboothroyd94 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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