All Done With Envirotex!
 

Stuff is a PIA! :mad: I have e-texed my last batch of plugs....its auto clear urethane for me from now on....just spray and go! No more flipping, no need to build the friggin rotisserie I was getting ready to make! Had my buddy shoot a couple of test plugs for me and I am sold! :uhuh: Never was a huge fan of the e-tex anyway! Too time consuming! :doh: Now just gotta get me a spray gun. :walk:

Be careful BF, I think that stuff will kill ya if you inhale it.

I will be wearing the proper respirator and stuff! My buddy rents the bay next to me and does auto body work....he is hooking me up with what I need to know. ;)

I"ve said it before and i'll say it again,grass doesn't grow under BF's feet.:musc: :hihi:

good, I'll bring a batch up someday and I'll bring my respirator and tyvek suit and finish some with ya, or we could do it here. I am a fan of the auto clearcoat as well but it has it's dangers of course. Now I just need to paint some plug bodies :rollem:

Sounds great Slip....get turning cause I plan to be spraying in a couple weeks! :)

You gonna use his spray booth/ventilation, or you installing one in your bay?

That stuff is nasty chit. Be careful out there ;)

Auto-Ure does give a pissah finish though... although, I've been happier with the e-tex as of late, figgered a couple things out, and going smooth......
for what few I make, it's no big issue.

We know a guy that make's great plug's and use's auto clear first then put's e-tex on top for better protection :hee:

CS ,is auto clear a 2 part urethane and if so wouldn't it give a harder finish than epoxy.? :huh: Ya keep me learnin:)

It is a 2 part urethane. It does give a great finish and I am hoping more durable than the e-tex! :as:

etex sux! makes me angry :peessed: i've ruined a bunch of plugs with that crap :doh: got a good lead for a new finish, but until then, devcon it and forget it. :tm:

so it's been told that although the auto is hard and clear that the e-tex on top is alittle more forgiving when hitting an object and acts like a bumper for the clearcoat that's under it....

sooo
 

how does tung oil compare then.....? with clear coat and envirotex...

its just not sprayable? remembering: the sturbridge villiage candle makin shop technique ......wouldn't it be a more augmented process to be dippin them
dozens at a time..... in a gutter shaped container of clear coat....?

i realize the air brushing part on an indivdual plug.....is an art form....:rollem:

auto-clear then west.

it'll break rocks ;)

I have tried auto grade finishes and beyond.... they don't hold up. I tried that Nyalic stuff... developed for space capsules and used on the bottoms of aluminum boats... it doesn't hold up too well. Aliphatic Urethane... doesn't hold up. Try and try.... epoxy seems to be the best but it is a pain in the @$$. Do what I do... train your girlfriend to help with the epoxy :D. Or pass them off on Fishaholic as I sometimes do :rotf3:

-Dave

the hardner kicks the urethane too fast to do it that way without wasting a ton of paint. Working time varies with brands but it's about 30-60 min. so it doesn't make sense to mix up a large enough volume to be able to dunk plugs, it may be possible but it may be costly as well. Spraying on is the preferred method, 2 coats and done.

Like CS said we know someone who does 2 coats and then scuffs and does 2 coats of E-tex for durability.

Bigfish, it won't be any more durable than the E-tex on the sand, however it's alot quicker than applying the E-tex and waiting for it to cure. Since you don't plan on bouncing them off rocks, I think it will hold up fine. Do some tests first on the different types of spray bombs you use = laquer,enamel etc. to find out compatibility.

You're killing me... :whackin:
Ya gotta leave me some time to fish.. :rotf2:

By the way, the plugs I epoxied for you the other day will be getting bounced off rocks today. :rollem:

:mad:

Lets see some pics Dave.....

Bruce if you can bring one of those things I gave you to bigfish's and see if that auto type stuff would be a decent type of finish for it. I would be interested in the results. Paul

As you know,E tex can be trickey, one batch great the next,what happened?
:( I have found since heating it when mixing i have had very good results. It becomes more fluid when warm and flows much better leaving a nice smooth finish. Just take the container i mix in,and place it in a hot cup of water while mixing and applying.

warmed up like a baby bottle
 

yep JPI, I warm up the bottles in a pan of hot water, jut like I used ta do the formula bottles many moons ago, for the kids-----> then pour out exact one to one mix, get the wide wooden popsicle type sticks at ACMoore, 15 second clockwise, 15second counterclockwise, SLOW stir, repeat for until at least 3 minutes have run off the clock, if you use the wide stick and do it nice and slow....
-----> no bubbles..... very bright lights... helps ya see the bald spots, I don't throw the brush away till I'm done flippin, so I can pull any holidays out.
flippin seems to be less with the warm mix, woulda thought opposite :huh:
mix up a batch with some glitter in it too, helps you really get a feel for how long to mix... if you don't mix it correctly=====tacky.... last ones I did (those dannys) were totally dry in under 12 hours.

The problem I find the worst with auto urethane is damage from hook swing. The plugs I've coated with auto clears and used that way started to look like crap after a few outings even when I didn't catch fish on them. It got even worse when I switched to VMC's, they're a lot sharper than Mustads There's really nothing you can do about rocks or bluefish for that matter. I've been in the auto body business for 28 years, before 2 part urethanes were ever made. I've tried most of them on plugs, imron, delthane, DC 3000 (which is what I use now) and I haven't found one that would stand up on it's own. I tried a PPG product called F 3910 which is what the MBTA decided on for their train cars after exhauastive tests for durability when washing the graffiti off with lacquer thinner. It failed miserably on plugs. They are rock hard for chemical resistance, protection against acid rain and bird droppings. But the properties that make them resist chemicals also make them brittle. An example would be to look at the hood of a car that is a year old or more and notice the chips on the front of it from pebbles kicked up from the road. All cars have some if they get driven enough. Manufacturers know it also. That is why most cars have plastic cladding or a heavy undercoating under the paint on the bottom of the doors and rockers for chip protection, because the clear won't hold up. Some even use pieces of clear vinyl in spots that will get sandblasted like on the front edge of pickup beds. The two things I've found that help me the most with durability are mil thickness and resiliency. I haven't run into a product yet that is tough with a couple of thin coats. That doesn't mean there isn't one out there, we just haven't found it yet. No system is perfect and I'm always looking to improve the way I do things. Most epoxies are more resilient than auto urethane and the thickness of the coats can only help.I only use an auto urethane clear because it is available to me on a daily basis. I use it for a buffer coat between my color and my epoxy. I could use a spray can of clear and get the same results I'm getting now. I believe it's the epoxy not the auto clear that does all the work. If you make a lot of plugs and are looking for fast results, give auto clears a try. If you're looking for longer duration of your finish I would reccomend trying an epoxy. ...mrpogie

Auto urethane clears is one of the reasons that I quit painting cars after 35 years. They are dangerous to use. If you're spraying it you should be suited up in Tyvek and wearing an air supplied respirator. Your skin should never touch it, you will absorb the isocyanate component right through your skin. Nitril gloves are the routine. And then there's the cost :crying: Does leave a pretty shine tho.

epoxy be the man! got a line on liquid clear titanium... :grins:

Lots to think about....thanks for the info Mr. Pogie and BBJ. I am not nearly as concerned about the durability factor. They are going to get beat up, thats a fact. hey will get beat up with the epoxy also but at least I do not have the same amount of time putting the e-tex on. I do not have much trouble with the e-tex other than the time it takes to use. Thanks again all. :as:

larry- build the damned plug kabob :laugha:

BFL... time it takes to use, or time it takes to dry??? I'm confused... nothing new there ;)

like this http://www.bmwoodworking.com/brucefishing/spinner.jpg

and your plugs could look like this

http://www.bmwoodworking.com/brucefishing/mrpogie.jpg :D

i LOVE mr.pogie plugs :happy: :happy:

I hear ya Larry, it gets old real fast epoxying plugs, it would be nice to find something we could spray on that would be as durable as epoxy. Canalman and I have tried a lot of differant products and nothing holds up even close to epoxy, at least as of now. Plus there's no danger of harmful airborn particles.
I want to find something that I can dip the plugs in , still searching. Good luck and let us know ho you make out.