Quick question,

I know builders use sharpies when putting a signature on a plug and for certain details like chicken scratch and such, but is it better to put a clear coat over the paint before you use the marker, and then clear again and epoxy the final product.

The reason I ask is that I am doing a spook in a clownfish pattern, and I have taped off my white design area on the plug, rattle canned the body orange, now I want to highlight the sides of the white with black, I can't tape and spray black, because I can't get that crisp a detail, I don't own an air brush so I can't do that. I was thinking of taking an ultra fine point sharpie and making the black lines.

I am concerned that when I go to wipe the plug down for epoxying, usually with those throw away alcohol wipes for eyeglasses. I am concerned it will take the sharpie ink with it. I know you can smell the alcohol in the sharpie too, I would assume it will wipe off.

should I be concerned or should I just go ahead and try this.
thanks guys,
JD:hs:

Try the paint pens at the craft store,,,,,JMHO

I use a sharpie to number my plugs and I heat set it. On some of my firsts, the marker would run with the epoxy, then I started heat setting the marker and problem solved. I don't wipe mine with alcohol usually, so I am not sure that would work, but may be worth a try on a test piece.

I lightly spray the plug after sharpie with clear, a heavy coat has made it run on me. Try it on some scrap

i usually end up forgetting to sign mine, and just use a sharpie after clearcoat, right on top. It might wear off, but it was there to begin with I guess.

You can buy a can of "Fixative" it's called at the craft store. Basically a quick drying coat of clear. Let the sharpie ink dry for a minute, hit it with the fixative, let that dry for a minute or two and your good to go.
I had the same problem with pen ink running. Fixative solved that problem.

Use createx clear over the marker. Fixative is temperamental
and can get messed up real quick. If the temp is not perfect. it comes out cloudy:af:.

Hi Johnny-

Can you post a pic of your Spook in the Clownfish pattern... sounds like a great lure


chris