|
|
Posts: 150
Location: Appleton, WI | I am just getting into making my own crank baits am am trying to figure out what kind of paint to use. It looks like alot of the online sellers sell Vinyl paint, is that usable or should i use something else? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | A lot really depends on the wood type, sealer type and whether or not you coat the lure with some sort of plastic or epoxy before you paint. I have been doing this a very long time. I use sanding sealer over Cedar, Oak and Cherry woods and then prime and paint with Createx water based T-Shirt paints. Wood moves so you need a flexible paint that does not dry brittle. However certain woods like Mahogany have shown good results with some solvent based paints. For me I do NOT wish top add weight to my lures so I do not coat them before painting. I seal with Zar Sanding Sealer then white base coats(primer and Opaque white. Sanding sealer seals pin holes, grain lines and prevent bubbles in Epoxy top coats. I have excellent results with createx. The downfall has been super fine detail is not really possible with this paint. Solvent based paints can really thin out and dry behind the brush fast giving unreal detail.
I have watched wood baits explode when painted with Auto paints and then top coated. Brittle paints should be avoided unless you go the extra steps to make the body like a rock. Mike |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | Its not the paint at all....its the initial and final preparations which are key. Hence wood sealer and topcoat finish....You could essentially use any acrylic, lacquer or latex based paints. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1207
Location: Pigeon Forge TN. | I must agree |
|
| |
|
| who know the paint used by dale wiley? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | I think we agree if you prep the lure right any type of paint will work. However the downfall to plastic , epoxy or resin coating wood adds weight. If the weight is not an issue no problem. Cedar baits run like they do because the wood is light. Same with balsa. To put a thick plastic coating on Balsa or Cedar kind of defeats the purpose of using light wood. But yes ,how you prepare the wood will determine what types of paint you can use. I can paint solvent paints over ZAR sanding sealer on Cedar Slashers however,I have and they cracked. I could have used a thick coating prior to painting but this takes the bait and raises the weight by almost 1/10th of an ounce. That may not sound like much but when you are dealing in wander patterns and mph speeds it is the little things that matter.
John Mulliet (deceased) inventor of the Loke used to paint Lacquer right over sealer on Honduran Mahogany , then brushed on old fashioned varnish. He tried this with Jetlong and the paint cracked and fell off the lures. Good Mahogany has so much oil in it that solvent paints can be applied right to the sealer. Add ANY WEIGHT to a Loke and they dont run right. You cant even top coat them with one coat of envirotex or they lose the magic. Been there done that.
So if you design a wood lure and include room for extra weight you can encapsulate the wood in a solid plastic or epoxy coating and paint what ever you like on it. Your design and prep has everything to do with how you finish it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 141
| If you go with using epoxies/resins to seal your wood lures you can thin it by adding some denatured alcohol (15 to 20%) not too much. The thinner epoxy seems a little lighter (might not be idk) but it will soak into the wood more, and it increases the hardening time a little. If your epoxy is still too thick you can hold your mixing cup high over a flame and the extra heat will thin the mixture even more. Don't let it heat up too much though because the heat will activate the epoxy, fumes start coming out, and it smells horrible. I did this with D2T.. Bad experience. I think heating the lure body it's self works too, I've never tried it though. |
|
| |
|
| I know what you mean Mike, my Lokes lost action even with one coat.. Looking to strip them down one of these days.. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | It really does depend a lot on the design. Heck, glides are built HEAVY and can be coated with real thick resins and such and run great. I find balsa and Cedar makes the best cranks for trolling and keeping them light means no extra coating. My Slashers run best with just one coat of etex. Mike |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | The 6" jointed baits I make out of solid resin are around 2.5 oz. complete which is pretty heavy compared to cedar or light wooden baits I have used over the years. However, they thump and walk as good as or more than most wood baits I've seen or own...Its due to the aggressive lip design and angle....point being, you don't necessarily need a light body to achieve a hard thumping bait.
It also allows me not to worry so much about weight as long as they float, hence allowing me to coat them with heavy durable finishes that protect the paint more. Furthermore, if fish teeth do penetrate down to the resin body, which does happen; you never have to be concerned with the loss of bouyency or the action of the bait which will NEVER get water logged like wood does over time.
Edited by ShutUpNFish 7/24/2013 10:44 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | His question was what paint to use on wood baits. It makes no sense at all to start with super light wood and add tons of weight to it so you can use solvent based paint. Better to make resin baits like you do. Faster , cheaper etc. But for wood baits water based is the clear best choice. Mike |
|
| |
|
Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | I have put light coats of Eviro-tex on several of my Big Games to add depth & hang time. I even have let the epoxy cure some in the tray and then coated back end of topwaters with the thick stuff, allow it to dry and then a light coat over whole bait and a great lowrider is born! Most of all I like the protection the clear coat gives the paint on a bait. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | And my initial answer was pretty cut & dry....It really does not matter what kind of paint is used, as long as the wood is properly prepped and finally, the paint properly protected. There was really no mention of weight or details of what kind of wood was being used....but again, even with wooden baits which have been weighted down, there are certainly ways to get that crank to thump where weight is not a factor at all. Just sayin'
Everyone has their personal preferences...do you want the bait more durable/protected? Do you focus more on the bouyancy and action? Etc Etc....I just try to create something with a good balance of all of those things...No rights or wrongs as long as the baits are proven, catching fish and putting smiles on peoples faces....THATS what matters most to me! |
|
| |
|
| Hello,
What is the best paint and sealer for plastic baits? Anyone??? |
|
| |
|
| ShutUpNFish im totally with you on that one |
|
| |
