Is there any product that exists that you can put on or apply to a metal blade bait to help make the finish more durable? Tired of seeing finish on expensive baits chip or ware of in just a short period of time, or is this something I just have to live with?

 

   The problem with adding more topcoat to a lure, even a blade lure, is that it can interfere with the action.

   Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile has a two-part clear epoxy that is pretty durable. It's used to repair ceramic bathtubs. I have no idea why Flex-coat wouldn't work, either. There's also a company called Stewart-MacDonald that makes epoxies and coatings. I've heard about them, but don't know anything about them personally.

 

   Note: for most of these products, work in a well-ventilated area.                 jj

Chrome or nickel is my favorite, followed by gold. Those don’t come off. For your ones that are chipped away, paint them Jon Deere green or light purple…….. and you didn’t hear it from me………

 

people might put out a bounty on me for telling you that 

Devcon 5 minute epoxy is your best bet. It dries clear and is hard as nails. It is commonly used by fisherman that make there own lures.  You will need to continually rotate the lure until the epoxy begins to setup or you will get sagging. You do not need a heavy coat. A lighter coat will minimize any negative impact to the lure’s action. 

Clear enamel nail polish.  When I was young, metal-lipped crank baits were my favorite.  I would sneak my mom’s clear enamel nail polish and paint a thin layer on the lips.  It worked great, and the male bass loved them.

Back in the day I used hard finish on my jigs until realizing the harder the finish the faster it chips on a soft metal like lead.

Started using Testors enamel model paint and eliminated the chipping issue about 1980.

Tom

 

 

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Chrome or nickel is my favorite, followed by gold. Those don’t come off. For your ones that are chipped away, paint them Jon Deere green or light purple…….. and you didn’t hear it from me………

 

people might put out a bounty on me for telling you that 

 

 

I need find me some John Deere colored blades and baits!!!

13 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

 

 

I need find me some John Deere colored blades and baits!!!

The ones I’ve always seen were homemade

17 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   The problem with adding more topcoat to a lure, even a blade lure, is that it can interfere with the action.

   Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile has a two-part clear epoxy that is pretty durable. It's used to repair ceramic bathtubs. I have no idea why Flex-coat wouldn't work, either. There's also a company called Stewart-MacDonald that makes epoxies and coatings. I've heard about them, but don't know anything about them personally.

 

   Note: for most of these products, work in a well-ventilated area.                 jj

StewMac makes great guitar luthery products. In another life I did luthery. And the next life after that, I worked with industrial coatings. I now run Audio for TV but the coatings knowledge remains.

 

The best thing I've found so far is the Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Nail Clear. You can brush it on thinly and it dries fast enough that your original paint won't peel or liquefy. I caution only one coat though, as additional coats make it more brittle instead of less brittle and will eventually cause peeling. One layer of color may also be added. Give both 36 hours of cure time before use or it will still be soft. I like to add gold glitter over my chartreuse, red flake over my green pumpkin, plus a clear. It is important to note that the clear will dull over time, but the integrity of the coating is intact. 

 

I've never understood why lure companies couldn't find a way to use a surface tolerant epoxy or something like that I understand the micron thickness becomes an issue with most immersion epoxies but a rustoleum 9100 series clear coat or something like that would really make a huge difference albeit the costs would likely be dramatically higher with diminished profits on longer-lasting lures.