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Posts: 28
| I have tried e-tex and don't really have too much luck with it. So I have been using Devcon 2 ton epoxy. My question is can you thin it out? I have denatured alcohol .
the e-tex problems are it never get hard. I know about the 50/50. I even weighted it,did it by volume and still no good. |
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Posts: 223
Location: Victoria,MN | Other causes for the lack of curing may be temperature and humidity. Etex does not cure well in temps below 70? and high humidity levels.
Also make sure you are mixing it thorough.
I have never used Devcon so I can not comment on thinning with alcohol. Give it a try |
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Posts: 36
| I have added a few drops of denatured alcohol when doing larger baits and it still cured hard. I wouldn't go too crazy with it because it would change the consistency too much. Make sure you heat up the epoxy before you mix it and that will help too. |
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Posts: 556
| I also have thinned it---but to muuch thinning with denatured alcohol will cause it to not harden properly.....So just a little--mix no more than to do maybe 2 baits because it sets up kinda quickly and makes brushing it on difficult.--- |
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Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | Theres absolutely no need to thin E-Tex...if you want it thinner, simply warm it up a bit by submerging the bottles in some warm water. Same with the Devcon. These are chemical processes which chemically harden and cure; altering the chemicals by adding alcohol or acetone will only alter that process risking loss of good baits. If you do warm the two parts, be aware that it will generally set up a little quicker. |
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Posts: 223
Location: Victoria,MN | ShutUpNFish - 7/4/2012 6:39 AM
Theres absolutely no need to thin E-Tex...if you want it thinner, simply warm it up a bit by submerging the bottles in some warm water. Same with the Devcon. These are chemical processes which chemically harden and cure; altering the chemicals by adding alcohol or acetone will only alter that process risking loss of good baits. If you do warm the two parts, be aware that it will generally set up a little quicker.
This depends on what and how you are using the thinned epoxy. |
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| One other thing that I've discovered with ETex is that the lure and the ETex should be the same temp. You also don't want it too warm because then it gets too thin and runs right off. Thin is OK if your doing cranks and want several thin coats, but cooler is better for gliders. |
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Posts: 235
| Hey Tattoo Tom, I have been making baits as a hobby for over 12 years and have always used etex-lite. I have never had an issue with a coat not drying. I've heard of this and they said they just apply another coat over the top and its good to go. I've had a few issues with fish-eyes where the etex tends to draw back from an area because of oily hands or something that contaminated a small area. Just recoating usually took care of that problem. When mixing etex, its very important to use a 50/50 mixture and to accomplish that I use 12 ML disposable syringes that I purchase from veterinary clinic. These syringes cost about $0.40 ea. Before I use a new syringe I rinse them out with acetone, I pull the plunger out and make sure to dry it well. I then mark the syringes, 1 dot for the resin and two dots for the hardner. You must also mark your etex bottles the same way so when you mix the next batch you use the right syringe for each etex component. Once you do this a few times you will know approx how many ML's you need to cover each bait. Better to have some left over than to have to mix a small amount. To mix the etex I use 2 oz disposable dixie cups like they use in restaurants for ketchup or coleslaw. Use a popsicle stick to mix your etex and mix it really well. After mixing there will be air bubbles in the mixture. Let it sit for a few minutes and then blow your breath over the mixture to get rid of the bubbles. Also when you apply the etex if it has any bubbles just blow your breath over the bait to get rid of bubbles. To apply the etex I use 1/4 or 1/2 inch glue brushes that I get at WOODCRAFT. About $0.20 ea so when I'm done I just throw the brushs away. It costs more to clean them in acetone than to just throw them away. I never never apply heat or thin the etex. Curing time varies alot with temp and humidity. Ive had some baits on the drying rack up to 14 hours before they were dry enough not to run and alot of times about 6-7 hours. You must use some type of drying rack. I usually put on 2-3 coats. Sometimes I mix very fine glitter right in the etex but not in every coat. One coat with glitter is usually sufficient. I hope this helps some as I love etex. If you have any questions please feel free to pm me and good luck. Let us know how this worked out for you. Ken Schmitz
Tom if you want to see what the finished product looks like check out my post a few of my latest creations on this forum. Just scroll down and you should see it.
Edited by Kenslures 7/13/2012 4:44 PM
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