clear-coat finish for plugs

[Sofa King]

i've been carving and painting my own plugs for awhile.
a problem i'm having though, is the clear-coat that i apply is cracking.
it seems to be at depths when i'm dropping them deep on the down-rigger.
i'm guessing the pressure or the colder temperature.

what i'v been using is a spray-on clear-coat.
and i've applied many, many layers.

does anyone know what a better product and method might be?
i've heard of using epoxy.
something else i've heard though, is to go the polyurethane route.
also, there are many that will yellow apparently, due to the uv exposure.
i've got some minwax polycrylic i was going to try next, but thought i'd get some input first.

here's a couple examples.

this one sure seems thick enough.
but probably not hardened enough.
the front lip has scuffed on rocks, and that's a pike's tooth mark on the body.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_1990_zps2dcbfda8.jpg

this one, has really cracked up down on the downrigger.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_1984_zpsad40f449.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_1982_zps7ba0a147.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_1978_zps221d48e3.jpg

sure gotta love it when something you've created from scratch works.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_1618-1_zpsf5ec1f8f.jpg

[Poguebilt]

look up Endura Paint.... Best there is imho....

[Bpower]

More is not always better when it comes to paint. Sometimes flexibility of the coating will be reduced at higher film thicknesses.

[Shooter]

You can always try a flex additive in whatever brand of paint you are using.

[r106]

look up Endura Paint.... Best there is imho....

I have no idea how it would work for that use, but Endura paint is awesome.

My brother is a painter and has done everything from aircraft to semi's. He recently painted up some Sprint car wings with Endura paint and I believe Endura clear coat as well and it is incredible how it holds up to the flexing of the wing. Also you can drag it across a concrete floor and it doesn't even scratch. Incredible stuff

[heyblast]

Have you tried applying the clear coat by brush?

[Sofa King]

not on these ones.
the one i'm working on now, i'll be brushing it on.
the spray on has been pretty good.
just not when dropping deep on the downrigger.
i browsed youtube, and some are using the two-part epoxy.
i just don't know if it's the pressure at depths that might be the problem.
lyman lures are fine, but they are baked i'm pretty sure.
i'll just keep experimenting.
that endura sounds good, i'll get some clear-coat of that i think.

Have you tried applying the clear coat by brush?

[dropshot]

Ive herd of people using nail polish but have not herd anything about if they crack or not. Could be a cheap experiment to try

[Sofa King]

Ive herd of people using nail polish but have not herd anything about if they crack or not. Could be a cheap experiment to try

i'm actually using nail polish right now.
but on lures.
i use nail polish for metal lures.
it would take forever to do a plug with nail polish.

maybe i'll carve a smaller plug and try the polish on it.
worth the experiment.

[Drillbit]

My hunting sidekick skipped a 222 off the hood of my truck last spring. I clear nail polished it so it wouldn't rust, and it's made through the summer heat & winter salt no problems. Good stuff, just made sure it was really clean(brake clean) and dry (heat gun) before I put it on.

[Sofa King]

More is not always better when it comes to paint. Sometimes flexibility of the coating will be reduced at higher film thicknesses.

this is what i think i'm starting to realize.
i think maybe it was cracking because it was way too thick.
if there's just a nice, thin film, i'm thinking it might be better.

[Sofa King]

here's the one i just finished.
i've applied one coat so far, and it's looking really good.
i still have to aplly a coat to the cup.
i think i might stop at just one coat.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2609_zps866ebaa2.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2610_zps7754ef5d.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2611_zps63ad6a9d.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2612_zps526f2d68.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2613_zps68ec40ca.jpg

[Sofa King]

it has some bubbles in the paint because i was drying it between coats in front of a heater.
i took it away from the heater and forgot to let it cool down before applying the next coat of paint.
it bubbled as soon as it touched the plug.
oh well, the fish won't care.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2614_zps4a425261.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2615_zps0dcf58ff.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2616_zps3dee8894.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2617_zps6a8604fe.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2618_zps7d9ccd51.jpg

[Sofa King]

i still have to coat the cup and touch up the tail.
the clear-coat would run down and drip from the tail and left it mucked-up a bit.
i'll sand it and touch it up with a brush.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2619_zpse1e31418.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2620_zpsc49fb575.jpg
the fin on the bottom was where a branch was on the original chunck of wood.
as i was carving it, it just kept feeling right to keep a nub there.
just something different i guess.
who knows, maybe it gives it some action.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2621_zps9a1ae85a.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2622_zps6c29c80d.jpg
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/deddeer/IMG_2623_zps7dbda647.jpg

[Sofa King]

and i switched from a spray-on clearcoat to brushing on polycrylic.
we'll see how it works.

[Slinky Pickle]

What is the plug made out of? At those depths is it possible that the pressure is squeezing your plug so hard that the clearcoat on top ruptures. If you're down 250 feet then you've got over 100psi working on the plug. Wood holds a lot of air and if the cells start to collapse then your clearcoat could collapse along with it.

[Sofa King]

it's a pretty hard wood.
i just got carried away again, telling the story of how i got this wood, and how this plug cost me a huge buck this year.
but, and i knew better, as it's happened too many times before, i got too absorbed in the story and it became too long, and when i hit submit, i was of course logged out.
20 minutes? can the time not be extended?

anyway, i think it was willow of some sort.
i cut a big piece many, many years ago up bear creek.
at least i thought it was some sort of willow.
i then cut it up into a bunch of chunks and they've been drying for years.
it's very hard and not easy to carve at all.

[Sofa King]

and yeah, i've been thinking it was the pressurte down deep that did it also.