Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

togue · 02-11-2009, 10:02 PM

I can sympathize with this one big time. I made a batch of lures airbrushed with Createx last year that I was pretty happy with until they peeled clean down to the primer layer after taking several nice stripers in a row one night during the spring run. When I say peeled, I mean sloughing off clean leaving behind perfect virgin primer that looked like it had never been painted over. To this day I keep one sitting on top of my computer monitor just to remind me so I don't make this mistake again....

When it happened it really set me back, since I did my research, carefully selected my materials, and thought I had this nailed. After the paint failed I can't tell you how much time I spent looking into this all over the place, emailing and even talking directly with the folks that make Createx, etc.

I even switched over to AutoAir because they claimed it was in a different base that supposedly air cures without heat. That may be true if you permeat it with automotive grade urethane clear coats to seal it as the makers intended, but I can tell you first hand if you put in on top of an oil based primer and then use an epoxy like E-Tex for your finish clear coat, the paint will soften and it will slip off your lure like a Coney Island white fish as soon as you get a nick in it to let the water in - the paint layer s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g up water like one of those freaking Sham-Wows!

The long and short of it is none of these water based acrylics ever fully cures unless you put heat to it, and I am talking 150F-200F for at least 30 minutes. You need heat to cross-link the molecular bonds in the polymer base, which is how the acrylic permanently sets and becomes waterproof. I did the dunk and soak test to confirm it, get it wet months later and it rubs right off. The manufacturer also confirmed it.

Good news is if you can bake it, it holds up like iron. To prove this I have a pencil popper I fished hard August-October with well over 200 stripers landed, banged it off the rocks, beat on it every chance I could, even soaked it in a bucket over many a night. It is now battered veteran, worn down to the bare wood in too many spots to count, and none of the paint has come off even when I try and rub it off.

Only problem I now have is this baking stinks up the house when I use the oven in my kitchen - Yeah, my wife isn't too cool about that either. Now I am looking for another way to do this, but I don't want to run 220V into the man cave for an oven....supposedly heat lamps like they use in autobody shops also work, but that seems too much like a fire waiting to happen.

Larry, I have to hand it to you - your work is primo. I love the action your BigFish lures put out, and your finish is second to none, but I have to say I just don't know how you get Createx to work as well as you do. After watching your airbrushing demo at Plugfest last year, I certainly respect your talent. It must be the primer you are using, or some other secret sauce I haven't figured out yet.

Cheers!

02-11-2009, 10:02 PM	#14
togue Pluggin' Addict iTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Knee deep in the hoopla Posts: 54	I can sympathize with this one big time. I made a batch of lures airbrushed with Createx last year that I was pretty happy with until they peeled clean down to the primer layer after taking several nice stripers in a row one night during the spring run. When I say peeled, I mean sloughing off clean leaving behind perfect virgin primer that looked like it had never been painted over. To this day I keep one sitting on top of my computer monitor just to remind me so I don't make this mistake again.... When it happened it really set me back, since I did my research, carefully selected my materials, and thought I had this nailed. After the paint failed I can't tell you how much time I spent looking into this all over the place, emailing and even talking directly with the folks that make Createx, etc. I even switched over to AutoAir because they claimed it was in a different base that supposedly air cures without heat. That may be true if you permeat it with automotive grade urethane clear coats to seal it as the makers intended, but I can tell you first hand if you put in on top of an oil based primer and then use an epoxy like E-Tex for your finish clear coat, the paint will soften and it will slip off your lure like a Coney Island white fish as soon as you get a nick in it to let the water in - the paint layer s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g up water like one of those freaking Sham-Wows! The long and short of it is none of these water based acrylics ever fully cures unless you put heat to it, and I am talking 150F-200F for at least 30 minutes. You need heat to cross-link the molecular bonds in the polymer base, which is how the acrylic permanently sets and becomes waterproof. I did the dunk and soak test to confirm it, get it wet months later and it rubs right off. The manufacturer also confirmed it. Good news is if you can bake it, it holds up like iron. To prove this I have a pencil popper I fished hard August-October with well over 200 stripers landed, banged it off the rocks, beat on it every chance I could, even soaked it in a bucket over many a night. It is now battered veteran, worn down to the bare wood in too many spots to count, and none of the paint has come off even when I try and rub it off. Only problem I now have is this baking stinks up the house when I use the oven in my kitchen - Yeah, my wife isn't too cool about that either. Now I am looking for another way to do this, but I don't want to run 220V into the man cave for an oven....supposedly heat lamps like they use in autobody shops also work, but that seems too much like a fire waiting to happen. Larry, I have to hand it to you - your work is primo. I love the action your BigFish lures put out, and your finish is second to none, but I have to say I just don't know how you get Createx to work as well as you do. After watching your airbrushing demo at Plugfest last year, I certainly respect your talent. It must be the primer you are using, or some other secret sauce I haven't figured out yet. Cheers!