primers: dip, spray or brush?
 

Just curious as to what you guys are doing?

I was at the store over the weekend and noticed BIN in a can. Thought maybe I would try brushing it on or dipping this year. I've used the spray cans in the past. Works fine when I can go outside, but I don't have the proper ventilation to spray that stuff inside.

White shellac, put it on with a brush and hang the plug. It dries pretty quick and sands well. It does not "level" the plug surface like spray!!

Spray. Note that some of those primers that come in a can also have some nasty fumes. Dipping or brushing those on will still expose you to fumes.

Jigman

I use Z-spar marine undercoat and brush it on. I think it adheres better than the BIN stuff over oil sealer.

Val Oil 50% and 50% turps. Dip and hang!:uhuh: :uhuh:

Not to get off the primer question but I have givin up on thinning my Val that much. I can't get rid of the terp. smell, even after a couple of weeks. I use it straight with just a smidge of terp. now. I just let it soak a little longer. Sorry for the hijack. P.

No problem Professor.

Jigman...I thought that may be the case. I was hoping the "nasty fumes" were coming more from the can propellant.

I have never dipped a plug in primer, but thought that might work too. Quick and easy, but the access run off might be a problem.

Z-spar marine undercoat...never tried it. Something to check out.

Tried dipping in the Bin stuff, once. Had waaaay too much primer on after only a quick dip. Took a long time to dry and had to sand a bunch off before painting. It maybe something you could do if you thinned it out some. I've seem photos of CCBC dipping large batches of plugs at a time, so it is possible.

Jigman

i use rustoleum's painters touch sandable primer.......goes on smoother than anything else ive tried.......very little sanding needed

a must have when using oil/turps combo...heat rising from below your hanging plug's, as well as some air flow...plugs just sitting/hanging in cool/warm dead air will go no where as in getting dry and doing away with fumes.

ccb used laquer paints which are thinner then anything you could conger up even thinning the primer out..thinning out primer to much will destroy it's make up.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet .. But I'm dropping the zinnseer prime coat .. Its soft ,, I don't think I want a soft layer between my sealer and paint .. :bshake:

If your sealing with epoxy, do you really need to prime? No need to level off,

why not go to Fishingfreak style, and spray createx within 24 hrs?

u want deep penat:bshake: ration/bite from one layer to the next..won't get that on a hard surface.think satin or flat...it's got to swell/shrink without crackin.A woody needs to move or you'll choke it to death.

Would thinning the primer with min. spirits help with the dipping process?

as Cape Sams has stated, thinning primer tends to change it's adhereance properties....

I have tried the spray can route ( Bins shelac based) the dip route ( same stuff) and have settled on priming with the Zinsser cover stain, thinned just enough to spray through a automotive type spray gun... becuse i seal with oil, I feel the oil to oil bond is superior to the shelac based bond....the stuff sticks real well and actualy is hard to get off... the cover stain is now available in spray cans as well...

I spray on the Painters Touch primer in a can...works best for me. Spray, sand it all away then spray it again....maybe once more if the mood strikes me.

Priming is the one part of the whole plug-building proccess that I can't stand....drives me nuts

Primer -
 

I have just finished a batch of plugs using a new primer for me.

Interlux Pre-Kote. A marine grade primer intended to be used under anything except 2 part paints/epoxies/urethanes on wood or fiberglass.

Brushed it on (unthinned) heavy with a foam brush. No sweat, but so much more time and work than spraying.

Let dry 24hrs.

I sanded it with 220, wiped and reprimed a heavy coat since I will be swapping some of them and want a nice finish. Sanded easily- no loading of paper (sanded 12 plugs twice each with only a 1/2 sheet of 220!), and was fairly hard for a primer.

Let dry 24hrs.

Sanded lightly with 220 and then rattle canned with Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy and Rustoleum oil based enamel. Wet on wet.

Never seen paint shine so nicely w/o clear coat over it!

Will let them cure for several days and then spray on some Helmsman gloss to add a little durability.

Next time I will thin the Pre-Kote and spray it with a Preval.

I will also be trying some Interlux Brightside polyurethane paint on plugs using a Preval.

I'm far from an expert but I've found that dipping in Zinnser (oil base)works just great. Like the Val oil I thin 50/50 with ODORLESS mineral spirits. Works GREAT in both. I dip each plug in the primer twice with 3 drying days in between each dipping (be sure to open both ends of plug). That's 9 drying days counting the Val oil soak. May seem a bit extravagant, but it seems to be working well. I took 2 of the same plugs, one treated this way the other with just a val oil soak and spray primer. I fished both for 30 minutes...I did not have a scale, but the spray primer plug got noticably heavier and the walking action was reduced. So I'll continue with the double dipping in oil based Zinnser. Another "thing" I noticed...I no longer use my air brush water based paints...almost strictly rattle cans...I make plugs for fish not for show and have found that oil-based paint over oil based primer lasts a lot longer when the epoxy starts to fail, which we all know will...blues, hook swing, rocks, plug bags...whatever...This plug was fished for 5 days (can't believe I didn't loose it)...don't know how many fish were caught on it, but there were both good blue and bass blitzes...Just about all of the epoxy is off but the paint is still in decent shape where hook, rock, teeth, etc. didn't get at it...ya, I retired it...note back hook, swapped out treble for siwash when blues came in. Oh, one more thing...notice no rust...I wash and hang to dry all plugs after use. I do sharpen hooks after a dozen or so fish. Touch up the sharpend point with silver paint pen...hook will not rust.

I've been dipping Zin-Bin / min spirits [60-40] mixture is not exact ,I'll play with it to get batch nice.
This works well for me ,its fast ,easy ,effective .
I use large jar small plugs 6" & under go down one shot .Larger plugs need to be flipped and dipped.
They are on wire from sealing so I just rehang to dry.

worst thing so far ..one batch looked too transparent ..redip.
I found that after a day or two need to pull wire out to allow thru hole to dry b/4 paint

Wow...2006! Didn't know I've been building plugs that long!!!!! Great new info on an old thread...thanks for the info.

I too thin my Zinseer oil base primer 50/50. Double dip with in a couple days. Saand and gray scotch pad. Nice primer finish. No smell. Hang in a cardboard box w/ lengths of coathangers across the top. Hang with screw eyes in wire hole ,drip into roller tray. After and hour, dump the tray back into the primer can.