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Hey again,
I've had a ton of great suggestions for my earlier thread on making poppers, and I'm having a great time learning! Watching a video made me think of a question: rather than use epoxy on poppers, what about clear nail polish? At the moment, I'm using acrylic paint. It just seems like nail polish over the paint would be neater and easier. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Hugh
Cut corners seldom save time...
The epoxy will last a LOT longer than nail polish. I used to make really fancy wooden plugs for pike and fish them just a time or two... The teeth marks from one good pike were enough to let me feel good about anchoring them on a little display mount. The difference between epoxy and all other finishes really stood out...
i made a bunch up out of cork, and probably spent waaay too much time playing with my dremil. most of them i left raw cork, and colored with a sharpie.
i did used vinyl lure and jig finish on a few, the vinyl seemed to carry the same elasticity that got from the cork.
however i dont like to use it at all, there are 4 sides to the jar.... 4 sides have warning labels... stuff is nasty until it cures, and whatever you do, do it outside. when it was first given to me, i burped the jar in my living room to see the consistency ..... about 2 days until the smell finally cleared out... come to think of it, ive only used the stuff once, thankfully it was gifted to me...
on a side note, epoxy is probably your best bet, what are you making them out of?
-spoof
Spoof: I'm experimenting with different materials: styrofoam (made from a bobber), closed cell foam, and maybe cork.
When you say closed cell foam, if you are talking EVA (flip flop, kids' toys) paint/color is strictly optional. With styrofoam I am guessing you are using a building grade or better product. If so you might want to consider dunking the body before adding the hook in a latex paint, that will seal it so you can then use spray paint or solvent based color with care. As Hap stated an epoxy type finish is the ultimate finish available to most of use. You will find water based art and craft paint remarkable durable. I mostly use that for highlights.
Hugh,
You can have compatibility issues with nail polish, so check before you use it a lot. I've had mixed results with it, so I don't use it anymore. That being said, lots of folks do just fine with it.
You don't have to use Epoxy. It's the 'best' out there, but there are some issues with it like yellowing, the mixing/working time involved, and requiring a turning device to get the best results. You alos have to deal with the 'weight' issue with epoxy. It's all 'solids' once cured so it does add considerable weight to a bait.
They make a clear acrylic that is compatible with your acrylic paint. Most craft stores sell it. Look carefully and you'll see a small section of clear coatings in gloss, semi, and matte.
Another product that makes a good one part finish for poppers is Fabric Fusion. Again available at the craft store. Walmart also sells it. You can brush a thin coat onto your acrylic painted body AFTER it has cured 24 hours. This stuff is self leveling and won't sag if you use a thin coat. Doesn't yellow and is plenty durable for most applications. It's also very light.
I tend to go with addage to 'use what you have'. Any of the above will work, and if all you ae going to do is throw them into the water hoping a fish chomps on them, it's not all that critical how well the finish holds up after a fish or ten. You can always make more, and that's fun too!
Good Luck!
Buddy
When starting with foam, I tried several varieties of nail polish, clear and colored. The answer to your question is NO.
Foam, even good closed cell, will compress. The best nail polish is not made to be flexible.
The important this is that FISH DON'T CARE.
There are many ways to be creative with foam and mix colors and patterns.
I use Liquid Fusion to coat my poppers that I make with soft foam. It flexes with the foam and seems to last. I can paint the bodies with whatever kind of paint I want and cover the bodies with the Liquid Fusion, it works great for me.
I was thinking of inviting Mark down to GA, the poppers I leave in trees and bushes don't seem to have a problem with yellowing.