Is this the Place?

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Grapenuts

f-tail food for thought:

flaps on needles straight out the butt...go for it...adds flash.

it's a known fact that flaps screwed to the bottom of a plug work much better then out the butt on surface plugs.

fishmaster/ did jerrys design straight out of the butt only because it was an easy production method for them.

Good info there ,,, wish I saw that first ... I got a couple of surface,, out the butt Jerry's way ,,,whoops ?? .. Did make some needles that way too .. That's funny because JS started, just screwing the barrel swivel to the bottom of the plug ..and later went to out the butt method ..

[numbskull]

GOD I HATE EPOXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[numbskull]

Actually, now that Larry isn't talking to us anymore, whatayasay we go over there, beat him up, and steal his clear coat. Fred and Eddy, you guys can take him and I'll grab the clear coat.

[Backbeach Jake]

I've been made similar offers, ask about the great strawberry heist...If there's running to do, I"M your man.

[chrisjoe13]

Finally finished! I am so slow. This is my largest batch to date (30). They are all epoxy sealed red cedar. None have been tested but I'm optimistic. I've learned almost everything from this forum (& clumsy trial and error), so thanks to all.

[Backbeach Jake]

Originally Posted by chrisjoe13

Finally finished! I am so slow. This is my largest batch to date (30). They are all epoxy sealed red cedar. None have been tested but I'm optimistic. I've learned almost everything from this forum (& clumsy trial and error), so thanks to all.

Very nice work!!

[Backbeach Jake]

Is M&D open today? I'm headed that way in a few..

[Diggin Jiggin]

Originally Posted by numbskull

GOD I HATE EPOXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been pretty lucky so far this year.

I ran out of sys 3 clearcoat so I ordered some more, when I opened it I was suprised to see how clear the hardener was. The last of my old hardener was very dark yellow, the new stuffs almost clear.

I've been heating my plugs before I epoxy them (The basements cold) and it seems like that lets the epoxy go on easier. I flipped the last set of darters and I was suprised how quickly the cool air made the clear coat stop running. I bet I only needed to flip 2 or 3 times in the first 30 minutes or so.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by numbskull

GOD I HATE EPOXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL. I am going to do my first batch today. Got to hit church first, Our Lady of Perpetual Motion, to pray to saint George the patron saint of top coats for a little help.


Diggin the hardener will eventually get yellow. Doesn't seem to effect the stuff though

[numbskull]

It all went wrong.

Drying box too hot, maybe, caused pull away from the darter edges. New batch of epoxy, it skims in the cup and produces clumps when you brush it. That and too much dust in the shop. Some kind of silicone problem in the paint. So now I have 40 odd no-slip darters with pock marks and easy wear edges.

I want to build stuff for other people, but giving away this crap is embarrassing. It was all looking so good right up to that last step.
So it goes.

[Diggin Jiggin]

Originally Posted by numbskull

It all went wrong.

Drying box too hot, maybe, caused pull away from the darter edges. New batch of epoxy, it skims in the cup and produces clumps when you brush it. That and too much dust in the shop. Some kind of silicone problem in the paint. So now I have 40 odd no-slip darters with pock marks and easy wear edges.

I want to build stuff for other people, but giving away this crap is embarrassing. It was all looking so good right up to that last step.
So it goes.

That sucks but don't worry about giving them out, no one will complain. Last year darters were the only thing I had problems with on the spinner, I'm not sure why but i think its because they're not symetrical and it couldn't flow evenly around the body like a round plug does. Darters are the only plugs I still flip...

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by numbskull

It all went wrong.

Drying box too hot, maybe, caused pull away from the darter edges. New batch of epoxy, it skims in the cup and produces clumps when you brush it.

I want to build stuff for other people, but giving away this crap is embarrassing. It was all looking so good right up to that last step.
So it goes.

George, you might want to abandon the drying box and let them just spin for a day on your rod dryer as it seems to work best for me. My basement is about 70 degrees and the sys 3 sets up good in 12 hours and is real hard in 24. I can imagine the heated dryer will keep the stuff viscous longer than you want, thus the running problems may occur.

My stuff skimmed in the cup if I let it sit there too long and didn't stir it. If you treat the stuff like a cement mixer and keep stirring, the clumps are minimized.

Keep in mind here I'm doing small batches (30cc) and only coating 5-6 plugs at a time.

Finally, I hate to sound like a know it all on the sys 3 as I'm a rank beginner plug builder, but I've finished hundreds of fishing rods and the sys 3 properties are
much like aftcote properties with regard to mixing/applying, minus the clumping.

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by numbskull

It all went wrong.

Drying box too hot, maybe, caused pull away from the darter edges. New batch of epoxy, it skims in the cup and produces clumps when you brush it. That and too much dust in the shop. Some kind of silicone problem in the paint. So now I have 40 odd no-slip darters with pock marks and easy wear edges.

I want to build stuff for other people, but giving away this crap is embarrassing. It was all looking so good right up to that last step.
So it goes.

Good morning all.I am in epoxy hell also one whole batch ruined I am sick of it their has to be a better way.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by numbskull

GOD I HATE EPOXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This might sound funny, but I've found the epoxy to be the easiest part of this entire process. This is due to the fact I'm setting them up on my rod spinner and proceeding like I'm finishing a rod. I'm only doing 5-6 plugs at a time, thus it will take me 8-10 sessions to get everything done as the system three takes a while to set up. I'll get some pics up later.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

This might sound funny, but I've found the epoxy to be the easiest part of this entire process. .

Stay away from me. You are now TOTALLY jinxed, poor soul. The epoxy gods do not tolerate insolence.

[BILLC]

After reading Rockfish's thread I have a few thing to do today! Perfect timing since I have a few jointed to wire when the sun gets up a little higher.

Thanks for the post Joe. Wish I would have seen it sooner.

[Diggin Jiggin]

Good morning guys. I didn't get too much done this week. I got some darters epoxied and I did get my flaptail plug sealed & primed... Maybe do some painting on some topwater stuff today or tomorrow.

Eddie, just for kicks I tried that scale with the circle thing. I'm almost 2 hours in and its still not done.

here's some of the darters... bottom ones are 2.5 oz, top 2 are experiments an inch or so longer and an ounce or so heavier.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Diggin Jiggin

Eddie, just for kicks I tried that scale with the circle thing. I'm almost 2 hours in and its still not done.

My first thought when i saw that technique is nice but way too long in application which equals way to many instances for me to screw up. I will just admire others attempts and not bother.

[Grapenuts]

Originally Posted by Tagger

Good info there ,,, wish I saw that first ... I got a couple of surface,, out the butt Jerry's way ,,,whoops ?? .. Did make some needles that way too .. That's funny because JS started, just screwing the barrel swivel to the bottom of the plug ..and later went to out the butt method ..

I do beleive JS only made so many an then handed everything over to fishmaster..were they made a few changes like making the body longer and out the butt swivel for their convience.

[Grapenuts]

d-post..?