Can I just brush it on and hang to dry with a fan on or do I absolutely need a drying/turning unit?  I actually don't even know how one of those drying things work.  Do they spin fast or slow?  Well, I don't have one so how can I get a good finish with the d2t without one?  Thin it a little?

For the best looking finish you need to turn the bait as it dries. the epoxy will try and self level causing it to pool at the lowest point. You can brush it on however and the self leveling properties take out the brush strokes. The baits dry best when spun slowly.

I wouldn't thin the epoxy as it will make it run even worse. If you have a little spare time after applying the epoxy you can turn the bait by hand for 10-15 minutes then hang it. Most of the curing will have taken place by then and it shouldn't run as bad. One more tip if you aren't already using it make sure you get the 30 minute ten ton devcon expoy and not the five minute. The 30 minute looks better after it cures.

Harshman

Thanks for the reply.  But, how exactly do I turn it by hand? And how do I not get epoxy in the eyelets?

You can use a drill to turn them one at a time on slow speed. Make sure you use the D2T in a well vented place.

How do you turn a swimbait though without it flopping around and messing up the clear coat??

How do you turn a swimbait though without it flopping around and messing up the clear coat??

Don't laugh but, I'm wondering.. would "hard as nails" nail polish stuff work at all?

vertically, nose up?

How do you turn a swimbait though without it flopping around and messing up the clear coat??

vertically, nose up?

Wouldn't it then just run to the tail?  

I don't know... I've never done this.

When i have done mine i don't turn it at all because i don't care if there is a little more epoxy in one spot because they are for my use, but they will look better it you turn them. what i think you could do is put some wire through an eyelet on each side and have one piece go to a swivel attached to a wall or some thing and the other side goes to the drill and let it spin very slowly for a while, or what has worked good for me without turning is do one side at a time. just set it on the table with the side you want to work on up then brush your epoxy on that side and half the top bottom and sides then just let it sit there. If its pretty much a flat sided bait it will just level off, this could show lines where the epoxy from one side meets the other tho im not sure. another option is to do each section seperatly and spin them on the drill.

When i have done mine i don't turn it at all because i don't care if there is a little more epoxy in one spot because they are for my use, but they will look better it you turn them. what i think you could do is put some wire through an eyelet on each side and have one piece go to a swivel attached to a wall or some thing and the other side goes to the drill and let it spin very slowly for a while, or what has worked good for me without turning is do one side at a time. just set it on the table with the side you want to work on up then brush your epoxy on that side and half the top bottom and sides then just let it sit there. If its pretty much a flat sided bait it will just level off, this could show lines where the epoxy from one side meets the other tho im not sure. another option is to do each section seperatly and spin them on the drill.

Thanks a lot man.  This is the most helpful reply for me.  I am not selling them and I don't care if they look super perfect  but, everyone gave me the impression that I had to turn them.  I like that drill idea with the swivel too.  Thanks again.

If you get some epoxy in the eye use a drill bit after drying to clean it out.  If you are making a swimbait try using some fishing line from the front eye and some line fron the rear hook eye and hold the line in opposite hands while spinning it slowly horizontilly.

harshman

If you get some epoxy in the eye use a drill bit after drying to clean it out. If you are making a swimbait try using some fishing line from the front eye and some line fron the rear hook eye and hold the line in opposite hands while spinning it slowly horizontilly.

harshman

Cool.  Thanks for the tips harshman.  

i brush 2 ton devcon all the time.

i thin it a little bit with denatured alcohol so it is easier to brush on and so that it covers the bait completely (when i dont thin it, i get a lot of spots where the epoxy didnt smooth out to cover all spots).

i have had NO problems with the thinned epoxy, and it gives me a smoother, glossier coat.

i will say that if you thin it, you should really consider putting 2 or maybe even 3 coats on (depending on how much you thin it). i wouldnt trust just one coat of thinned epoxy.

as for drying the bait:

i noticed you mentioned putting it under a fan...epoxy cures chemically, a fan will not speed up the process.

as for turning it, you dont HAVE to, but it looks much nicer and you get a more even coat if you do turn it. on the first few baits i used epoxy on, i didnt turn them, and there are a bunch of spots that the epoxy didnt flow out to. turning will give you a more even coat.

for a solid (one piece) bait, you could just take a pair of hemostats (locking pliers) and clip them to an eyelet and slowly turn the bait by hand for 20-30 min after application. if you dont have hemostats, you could try taking the blade out of an exacto knife and then putting an eyelet in the slot of the exacto knife. this will only work if the wire on your eyelet isnt very thick... :-/

since your baits are jointed, what i suggest you do is take two small pieces of thin wire and just wrapping them around the nose eyelet and the tail eyelet, and make little "hooks" from the wire. then just hold the bait from one hook for a minute, then from the other hook the next minute, and keep switching like this for 20 min. this is what i do for my jointed baits and they have turned out nice . you could also do this with a paper clip bent into an "S" shape.

as for getting epoxy in the eyelets:

dont worry about it. i purposely cover the eyelets with epoxy to ensure i get a good seal around the base of them where they enter the wood. i have always used a 1/32" highspeed cutter for the dremel to clear epoxy out of the eyelets and it works fantasticly. the bit is soooooo tiny and it is perfect for clearing epoxy out of tight joints. you could use a small drill bit for the line tie and hook hangers, but it might be difficult to get a drill bit in the joints of the bait... if you cant fit anything in the joints, take a paperclip, straighten it, heat it over a candle, and just melt the epoxy out of the eyelets. hold the paperclip with pliers because it will get hot on your fingers  

You guys should try using a small wire wheel on your dremel tool to remove the epoxy from your eyelets. It works EXTREMELY well, gets every little bit of paint and epoxy off and gives them a nice shine too. I tried a few different methods when i first started with epoxy and this by far is the best.

Awesome.  Thanks for the detailed post dsaavedra and thanks for the wire wheel tip fourbizz.  Now I feel like I kind of know what I am doing.