maple popper 2.7 oz...val oil/min st. mix....4-6hr soak...bins can primer....fl chartuse work type(safty)paint and devcon 2 30 min....epoxy split hard to photo but it split from the hook hole towards the back...also from the hook hole to the eye to the nose and a split from the tail along the top

If it was just the epoxy splitting, my guess would be an improper mix of resin and hardener, probably too much hardener. If the wood split, then I have no idea. Everything through the primer is the same that I use and have never had a problem.

I expected to find the wood cracked, but no wood cracks:musc: all the other plugs I've had problems with have splits in the wood, when you guy have a split in the epoxy how offen is the wood ok:D thanks ed

I did have a small spot that didn't harden right you can see it towards the bottom at the end (dark spot) I scuffed it and covered it again:uhuh:

even sealed maple can expand beyond what epoxy can
so something has to give

I used the doc things that you push...surange:smash:sirange:smash:I'm going to stop now:wall:

could be adhesion problems too

slipknot,I posted because I used fl paint and there was no crack...the epoxy was split not cracked 1/16 apart...paint came off with epoxy and primer on body, I was thinking water had to do it but I'm not 100% sure:wall:anyone have problems with Fl safty can paint orange/red or chartuse before...thanks ed

it looked like the paint split with the epoxy leaving the primer:conf:

I used to use the bin primer though I dipped them.
Less problems now using spray gray primer Not the cheapest one but not Rustoleom

Epoxy may have set too quick maybe eddie?

I have had the same results with the safety paint when I started trying fluorescent colors. The paint is powdery when dry and unstable under the devcon. Go with Createx Fluorescents or oil based. Never had success with the marking paints. Something in thier chemical makeup just doesn't click with the devcon.

I've had maple plugs finished in varnish crack in a simular manner, like Slip said, even sealed Maple can expand beyond the capability of the finish( in my case the varnish, your cse the Devcon) I've never had the provlem with E-tex, I think it doesnt set up as hard and tends to give a little more, I've got plugs finished in E-Tex that have been bounced off some serious rocks, the plug is dented, but the Epoxy adhered to the paint/primer/sealer well enough to dent and not spring back away from the plug, if that were Varnish, it would have chipped and cracked.

Looking at the second set of photos, it looks to me that the failure is occuring between the paint and the primer. Did you sand the primer to scuff it before painting? Flourescent paints can be real funny.

scuffed with scotchbrite pad......no more safty paint:uhuh:thanks everyone:)

I am not sure but just looking at the picture I have to agree with RF9. I have had some sealed plugs crack after soaking them Submerged in various mixtures using wood hardener, a BLO mix and it seems to be the same point of failure. The epoxy. The wood does not crack. I am experimenting with a few different methods of clear now and hope to have better results...

maple and water, if it swells and pops the epoxy, after sealing that just stinks:wall: I quess I'll try epoxy sealing them