plug protection - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

FishermanTim · 04-24-2003, 11:29 AM

I'm managed to turn some lures (poppers, plugs and a few swimmers) and have all but finished the lures. They look pretty good. Should they be coated with something more that the paint used to color them? I made sure that the wood is completely covered, but from the ones I've seen on this website, mine don't have the shiny coat that others do.
What I did was literally dunk the finished wood into the acryllic paint, hang dry, dunk a second time, let dry, and spray paint for the finished colors/effect. What else could/should I do to preserve/protect the lures from the abuse that I HOPE they get when used?

JohnR · 04-24-2003, 11:56 AM

Tim - I'll bounce this over to the Plug Forum first....

OK - most of these guys use some kind of epoxy (Envirotex for example) to seal them in after painting... I was about to refer you to the Mr Pogie article but somehow half of the articles are missing...

... OK - Fixed, for the most part... Go Here: http://www.striped-bass.com/Articles/articles.shtml

UserRemoved1 · 04-24-2003, 12:04 PM

Some guys use devcon epoxy thinned, some use system 3 epoxy, system 3 clearcoat, envirotex, polyurethane, acrylic clear, and a whole list of more.

Bottom line is you want something that is going to be hard but also soft enough not to crack if a chomper bluefish bites down on it.

I would definitely use something to clear over the existing paint otherwise you're going to trash the finish pretty quick.

Christian · 04-24-2003, 04:38 PM

envirotex is nice, but you need a spinner. other epoxy from the tubes can be used too, without a spinner, all you got to do is flip em.
give us some pics!!!!!

why the dip in acryllic? as a base white coat i just use sandable spray primer, or brush on some bin primer from the can, sanding after to remove brush strokes.

tricorner · 04-25-2003, 03:26 PM

Hey the acrylic paint first puzzles me,the guy that said sandable primer first makes sense to me. I have a background in making signs the old fashioned way so I know a bit about paint. Some of these wooden lure companies I suspect use laquer for the primer and color because it dries quick. Some of them do use a clearcoat and I suspect Gibbs does not and Habs does. Clearcoat does not make anything bulletproof especially a lure as they take a lot of abuse and a motorcycle tank gets more tenderloving care than I could ever hope to get myself. I have wooden swimmers Ive never caught a fish on and the treble hooks on the front do more paint damage than anything.
I plan to refurbish alot of my wood before the fall migration which is when I usually throw wood. I plan on using a sandable spray primer (automotive) or "Blockout" which is a sign primer for wood, then I will coat them with "One Shot" Lettering Enamel for the color and then Airbrush the oneshot for all my fades and eyes.
I also plan on Gold Leafing a swimmer or Two for thowing wood at sunup or down . I believe that wood drive a September Cow to react without a hestation.
If U want to see a good paint job on a wooden plug check out the "Habs" . It looks like they might use some automotive pearls and such they make me want to chomp on them!
Hey good luck bud

capesams · 04-25-2003, 03:54 PM

I know of two major plug co's that use exterior house paint an poly for top coating.

tricorner · 04-26-2003, 04:02 PM

Hey would either of those companies be Gibbs or Habs? The Habs seem to have a pearl look to some of them and any of the two tone plugs have a nice fade to them, and that puzzles me because getting house paint to shoot out of a spraygun or airbrush so nicely is beyond my capabilty. Do U really have inside info or did U flat out ask them and thats what they told U?

IFG · 04-26-2003, 04:13 PM

Your Right the articles are missing because mine isn't posted yet
hehehe j/k

capesams · 04-26-2003, 04:53 PM

GIBBS is right...habs can't say...Cap'n Andy's is another....I KNOW them both.

Mike P · 04-26-2003, 05:57 PM

Yup, Gibbs uses exterior house paint. Has since John Gibbs ran things, and probably since Stan, too.

IFG · 04-27-2003, 07:16 PM

HOUSE PAINT? HOUSE PAINT MIKE P

How'd you know?

RI Popper · 04-27-2003, 07:45 PM

Hellllo there. Well I only make a few thousand a year so that's not too much experience but, I use good old fashioned Oil Based Kilnz primer and follow up with Oil based enamal. and top it off with Bull's Eye Shellac. That looks pretty good when your done. The Kilnz dries quickly and sands very easily to a smooth finish and than you can easily thin out the oil pain. I use Rustoleum and do my own tinting and metalizing. The Shellac is a nice finish and dries quickly and brilliantly.

My $0.02

Time to catch some fish.