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Etex for sealing and finishing?

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Barndog View Drop Down
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    Posted: 13 Jul 2018 at 6:08pm
Hi all
I'm up to sealing my lures and as it's my first go I have been looking through past forum topics to see what has been discussed. Looks as though etex is a popular choice, thinking about giving this a crack. Any other suggestions?
Have also been reading about etex itself - can it be used to do the finishing clear coat after paint?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Beetle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 7:00am
Etex for sealing? Yes. Thin it a little with metho after mixing.

Etex for clear coats? Absolutely! That's what it is primarily used for. One of the best clear coats.
Plays nicely with pretty much any paint and is tough as nails. Takes a couple days to cure properly and you'll need to keep it rotating for a few hours to keep it level, but worth it in my opinion.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Barndog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 8:18am
Thanks Paul. After visiting my local hardware store I have picked up some Norglass as they didn't stock Etex. I had read about it in some other previous threads - do you have any experience with this product?
Will it be the same as etex - can it be used for the hardening/sealing as well as final clear coats?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blinky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 9:37am
To harden, two coats one thinned, one straight, sand back between coats and sand the second coat with steel wool prior to painting, it will give you a glass-like finish.
ETEX is perfect for the final clear coats as well.
 
I've also been using 5 minute epoxy as a hardener, the cheap stuff from Dollars and Sense, same as ETEX....one thinned, one straight.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Danny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 11:41pm
Try the norglass 2 pack penetrating wood sealer. It goes a long way and easy to use. I don’t think ild worry about e tex as a sealer. It seems like a lot of work just for a sealer. I use it as a clear and it’s fantastic.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote puglee62 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 9:32pm
Nicho has been using envirotex on his lures for years the finish is magnificent .not sure i'd use it as a sealer but if it works why notThumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Beetle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2018 at 8:37am
Etex works fantastic as a sealer. Particularly with Western Red Cedar as it has a lot of tannins which can leach through your paint over time if sealed with some other sealers. Etex (being an epoxy) locks the tannins in as well and prevents them from leaching and spoiling your paint job.
Plus, it does a great job of toughening up the timber for more durable lures.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Barndog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 9:09am
So what sort of ratio do you use to thin the Etex? How much metho do you mix in? Does it need to be like the consistency of water? And does it keep well in a sealed jar if you mix up too much?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Beetle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 9:48am
Mix your etex in the usual way (1:1 ratio). Once nicely mixed, add another 1 part metho, so that in the end you have a 1:1:1 ratio of Part A:Part B:Metho.
Brush it on liberally so that it soaks into the timber. Keep brushing it on until the timber has soaked up quite a bit. Pay particular attention to end-grain areas and make sure you get some in the bib slot if you are making diving lures.
I usually do a few lures at a time. By the time I have done a coat on the last one, the first one has soaked up the etex well and I hit it again with another coat. Keep repeating this until the timber starts to look a bit glossy and doesn't soak up the mixture readily.
That's about it. I put them on my rotator and let them cure for a few hours before turning the rotator off (the colder it is, the longer you need to have them rotating). Then I won't touch them for a few days to let the etex really cure well. It seems the more you thin etex, the longer it takes to fully cure. It tends to be a little rubbery if you don't give it long enough. Be patient! it will harden up with time.
Etex does have it's little pains in the butt, but once you work it out, theres not much out there that is better for result Vs price Vs toxicity. There are many guys that use auto 2-pack polyurethane clears for clear coating, but I steer away from them because they are super-toxic and require a proper spray booth with awesome extraction to really provide adequate protection.
Most people run into issues with etex (and paint systems as well) because they are too impatient and don't let things cure fully before moving on to the next step. You can't rush making timber lures, that is one reason why top quality, custom hand made timber lures can be quite expensive - they take time!

Oh, and no, you can't keep mixed etex. It will go off anywhere once mixed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Barndog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 11:21am
Thanks again Paul, will give I a crack and see how it comes up!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blinky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2018 at 9:13am
Put you thinned Etex mix in a zip lock bag and leave to soak for a couple of hours, goes right through the timber........
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Beetle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2018 at 9:09pm
Good idea Blinky! With that much absorption, how does it effect buoyancy?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blinky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2018 at 9:45pm
Originally posted by Beetle Beetle wrote:

Good idea Blinky! With that much absorption, how does it effect buoyancy?




Not at all, 50/50 Etex/Metho doesn’t weigh a real lot
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Beetle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2018 at 1:54pm
Yeah, but if it soaks right through the timber...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blinky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2018 at 2:39pm
Originally posted by Beetle Beetle wrote:

Yeah, but if it soaks right through the timber...
 
Give it a try.
Obviously it depends on what type of timber you are using....I use WRC and have no problems with diving lures. If I'm making something a surface lure like a frog or fizzer then I don't soak them for as long.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Blinky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2018 at 1:34pm
This fizzer body soaked for 3 hours last night, it’s still got plenty of buoyancy.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nicho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 8:38pm
Ive never bothered sealing as such, a basic under coat, paint 3 coats etex sanding in between, never had an issue that was worth changing the process. Nudes the same, no sealer, the etex is enough to seal, no need to thin, but each to their own, i think at times we tend to over think things, trial and error soon shows whats needed and whats not really needed.
just my thoughts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Barndog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 8:59pm
Nicho when you use etex for the clear coat do you thin it? Or does anyone else do that when applying etex as the clear coat?
With my first batch of lures (I did 8 in the batch and cleared them all at the same time) I found that by the time I got to the 5th or 6th lure, the etex was starting to get sticky and by the 7th and 8th it was almost too thick to be using. Was I going too slow? Or is this standard?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nicho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2018 at 11:21am
Hi barndog
personally i dont thin it, though ive spoken to others that do, each to their own, whatever works.
i mix the two part thoroughly for several minutes then leave sit for a few minute's, depending on weather how fast i will need to use it, i like it to be consistency of honey.
obviously the longer you take to apply the thicker it gets as it drys, just mix enough to do a coat for the job ahead to minimise waste.
as long as you do an even coat without missing areas you will get a decent finish as its self levelling, if you apply it too thin, you can get tiny bubbles, same if you brush it on with too much pressure, best if you apply it with no force, so not brushing on hard, but using the brush to lightly smear the etex over the lure.
best way is trial and error and take notice of what you do, most of all be patient.
Nichos Maulers Homemade timber lures....THEY CATCH FISH!

YA DONT KNOW...IF YA DONT GO...SO GET OUT THERE AND... FISH IT
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2018 at 5:26pm
What Nicho saidWink Just watch out for humidity too.

Cheers,
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Sparko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2018 at 10:15pm
Just getting into my own timber lures and you guys make life easy, trial and error practice and patience and at the end of the day enjoyment, thanks fellas
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lycan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Dec 2018 at 11:11pm
Hi All,

I had some left over envirotex sitting in a cupboard that was two years old minimum, decided to see if it was still usable yesterday. Coated it onto a lure that had raised paint scales, hit it with the blow torch off n on as per suggested in other sections and end result was better than when I first bought the stuff.

Using blow torch to remove small air bubbles made a massive difference.

Cheers
Steve
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