i've been having a tough time envirotexing some of the plugs i've made, i sometimes get a couple small spots on the plug where the just dosn't want to grab onto. i can go over the spot several times, but the epoxy seems to just run away from it.

i think the problem is with my prep.

#1 after my plugs are painted, i put on a very light coat of crystal clear from rust-o-lium.

#2 a day or two later i gently wipe them using denatured alcohol

#3 then wipe with a tack rag before the epoxy goes on.

i'm not sure if i'm doing #2 and #3 in the wrong order....problem is, after i wipe with alcohol the plug has lint from using rags or dust (when using rags-in-a-box) so i use the tack rag.....but doesn't the tack rag contaminate the surface with whatever makes it tacky? :confused:

YS, i had the same problem with the createx auto paint and some of the cheaper acrylics.Now i just use the createx plain.
I don't wipe down,just use screw hooks on both ends of the plugs before painting and spinning. That way holding the hooks prevents touhing the plug before environtex.
One other thing,i've had better results by mixing the environtex at least 4-5 min,letting it settle a few mins, and using a foam brush to apply.
Hope it helps:)

Im 99.99% sure its the tack cloth causing your problem. Tack clothe should not be used with waterbases finishes. Your putting a solvent based clear by rustolium on a water based paint. Might be problem number 1. then your wiping the solvent based clear with a tack cloth, which is normally ok. I think the problem is that envirotex, and Im guessing here, is a waterbased product? Be careful switching between products that are dis-similar. I would skip the tack cloth and go to a damp cloth to get the dust off.

Hope it helps.

Btw, I believe most tack clothe are impregnated with shellac, an alcohol based product.

skip the rustolium. it's enamel and enamel never fully cures/drys.
e-tex is a two part polymer, it cures hard.
your putting a hard topcoat over a soft enamel base.even if you get it to stick it won't last.
do the createx base, or laquer rattle cans, then e-tex within 24 hrs.after 24 hrs you gotta scuff them up a little or it will peel.
nothing wrong with tack cloths just don't push to hard, there to take dust off, not wipe down.

Wash your hands . By this I mean almost all contaminates are transfered by touch. If you touch something with a little oil or grease on it ( like lunch, potato chip, piece of bread, anything!) it's deadly to a smooth finish. SCRUB THEM DIDGITS! You learn this the hard way painting cars and trucks.

Originally posted by Backbeach Jake
Wash your hands . By this I mean almost all contaminates are transfered by touch. If you touch something with a little oil or grease on it ( like lunch, potato chip, piece of bread, anything!)

Does the list also include Dunkin Donuts Fred:huh:

Why , yes it does. Howdjino?

Just a hunch:D

A lot of guys have had problems trying to put envirotex over createx and other kinds of paints without a clearcoat of some kind. They get areas that the envirotex just wont cover. I use PPG automotive paints and got the same results if I didn't put a clearcoat over it. Envirotex needs to have a scuffed surface to adhere to or you're going to have peeling problems. Another reason for a clear coat is as a protective finish for the paint underneath when you scuff them down. Createx pearls are extremely thin and if you try to scuff them down you'll eat right through them. I tried tack rags and wasn't sure if they were the cause of some of the fisheyed areas I was getting so I discontinued using them. Once I scuff them and put them on the spinner I'm done touching them. I wipe them down with denatured alcohol on a plain white paper towel. You want it to be damp not soaked. I wipe from one end to the other in one stroke and you should be able to see the the alcohol evaporating behind the paper towel. You get a minor amount of lint that doesn't stick to the plugs. I just gently blow on them before I apply the envirotex and get 99% of it off. I still do my plugs exactly like the thread in the how to section. A couple of months ago I had a spinning motor crap out about an hour after I had done a few plugs and discovered this the next morning. It all sagged to the bottom of the plugs. I was hoping to peel the envirotex off like a grape skin because it was only 8 hours old but nothing doing. I tossed the plugs. That episode reaffirmed for me that the procedure I'm using gives me results I'm confident in. ...mrpogie

I've noticed that some of the spray can brands have an anti-fisheye additive in the paint that causes fisheyes if you try to recoat with another brand. My method is : Seal the wood, I used to use Minwax wood hardener but now I'm using Spar urethane. Prime , I use Zinzzer, Color , I use Traditions acrylics from AC Moore's ..cheap and a ton of colors. It dries flat, in my experience provides "bite" for the clear. Clear, I use Envirotex-lite. I hang the plug and let it drip smooth. The next day I recoat , flip the plug and let it drip smooth again. No spinning, no problems. Smooth as glass.

What would be the best clear scratch coat to use over createx?

I use the following in this order, Thomson water sealer, binzer gold can on thin, rustoluem,and then envirotex. I had a simalar problem, and found that they were not clean, the brush was not rinsed in alcohol, or the finish was put on to thin. It seems the finish tries to maintain a certain thickness and this causes the voids.

Don't use one, but off the top of my head, I'd use a clear (Duh) spray polyurethane, let it sit a day, gray scuff-pad it , then clear it

I use helmsmans spar urethane. it will amber some in time if i don't want that to happen i use a lite coat of the rustoleum clear.U gottsa wait fot the clear to dry sometimes takes 3-5 days.then i scuff with 800 grit paper.No Tack clothes Had that problem beforelike MR Pogie says just blow em off..I remember yrs ago i had a problem there's alot of information available from the Systems 3 website on epoxy.Avoid contact with contaminents like oil or silicone.Litley scuffing the plug will help the epoxy flow better.

BBJ, do you drip dry your dannies and pikies too, or just your needles?
Your needle finish is fantastic:btu:

Originally posted by Young Salt
doesn't the tack rag contaminate the surface with whatever makes it tacky? :confused:

Had the same problem with using tack rag when epoxying rods, epoxy wouldn't stick. Found out it was the tack rag contaminating my wraps. If I have any lint I use a peice of tape to remove it. No problems since.

what jake said.

personally I wouldn't use the thompsons (contains wax) or the tack cloths. The tack cloths can leave a residue. You got some great information above.

For a protective clear coat over water based acrylics before envirotex I have used a flat water based MinWax eurethane. It can be sprayed on, dries quickly, little odor and has a toothy finish for the envirotex. I sprayed it on using a cheap hobbyists airbrush. I have had no issues with the plugs sealed that way.

Assinippi,have you ever tried dipping the plug in water based urethane sveral times as a clear coat rather then environtex?

I haven't. Hadn't even thought of it. But now that you brought it up, I will give it a try. Water based eurethane actually sprays pretty well through an airbrush. I won't be using my Anthem with it but I have a couple of $5.99 Ocean State Job Lot specials kicking around that spray it pretty well. And it cleans out of the gun with just water. Another nice thing about water born eurethane is that it doesn't yellow. And it dries to the touch in about an hour.

Ya FBW, and it should be compatible with acrylics. One problem may be chips from rocks and hook marks. Only time will tell how it will hold up. Gotta few in the hopper:)

Thanks for all the great replies, lotsa good info here
:thanks: