After the last one chipped up super quick I'm looking at epoxying my new slow sinker.

Any problems/advice?

It already sinks miserably slow even with heavy split rings and big 2X owners, so I'm thinking the little added weight will be good if anything.

Just lookin for a little input before i do something bad :7

As in putting a coat of epoxy over the paint?

I've aristocratted them with no ill effects. The hooks hit this baits in such a way that even aristocrat does not last that long on them.

cool, just wanted to see if for some reason it effected the swim. i have aristocrat and a couple others. it seems like aristocrat is softer than some other types and gets jacked up easier. have you noticed that?

thanks

Jay, If you add weight add it just in front of the front hooks. Drill a hole in the bottom of the head portion and fill with lead. I wouldn't add much more than a 1/4 oz. Or if you can't pour lead shove a tungsten sinker up in there and epoxy it in place. Done it and it works and doesn't have much effect on the action but it does sink faster and allow you to work it more easily at a deeper depth.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I'm doing it just for the durability factor though. It would be nice if it got down a little quicker, but its not worth drillin holes into it. Will definitely keep that in mind for later though, thanks!

How about the putty weight. That stuff should stick to the the bait. Guys put this stuff on bills of crank baits as well. This would be an easy way to weight it and not have to drill any holes. You can change the actions as well by playing with the placement of the weight as well.


Just a thought.

Dale

With Aristocrat, you must mix it in exact even parts. If you get a little too much of the resin or hardener it won't set up right. The result will be that it takes forever to cure, or it peels off.

You should also clean the surface before putting the aristocrat on. A little rubbing alcohol is good. Then try not to handle the lure too much (oil on your fingers transfers to lure surface). You'll know when you get it just right because the finish is rock hard and crystal clear.

I still screw it up sometimes so don't feel bad.

Its weird, I have always used the little syringes from the hobby store, so the mix should be pretty dang exact. It just seems like it is just a little more pliable than some of the others. I mix mine in the bottom of a beer or soda can ( the concave "dish" on the outside) with a piece of tie wire. It seems to mix real well with very few bubbles. Also, if you need a little extra work time, mix it on the bottom of a full can out of the fridge. Keeping cooler will extend your work time!

As a bonus, you can have a fairly cold beer afterward ;)

in case you guys didn't know...with most epoxies you can thin them with rubbing and denatured alcohol for a smoother finish. Denatured alcohol evaporates faster than rubbing alcohol but both extend the pot life and cure time a little. I use MEK (Methyl Ethyl Keytone) cause it's a super hot solvent that cuts fast and fully evaporates. However you better have a respirator and be outside if your using it!

Good info guys thanks! I'm going to be Aristocratting a TT soon but now I might just add a little weight first.

I've been using the Aristocrat for quite awhile now but most of the time I screw up the mixture, I still don't have a perfect method in place.

But like Rob said, when you do get it right the finish is great.

Where do you get the Aristocrat epoxy? I've looked at Home Depot and Lowe's with no luck. Haven't tried a specialty store though. I'm looking into using it on my wood swimbaits, slammer, etc