Has any one used the Devcon epoxies to glue on handles and reel seats? I have used the 5 minute for gluing components and such on crankbaits, and used the 2 ton for a top coat on lures as well when a extra tough finish is needed. I am just wondering how it holds up on rods were there is more exposure to heat on the boat deck.


Eric

Until I discovered Rod Bond, AmTak, and the TM products I used the Devcon stuff almost exclusively for everything. I used the 24hr stuff more than the 5-minute except for cord-based arbors.

The Devcon product is pretty good and easy to use, but it's also brittle. It is relatively "thin" and so flows well into tight spaces. I never had a failure with it,

However, the newer products, in particular the TM 5min, 15min, and Ultimate Gel, are "stronger", and cure better if not quicker. We also use the AmTak product, which is a 1pt/2pt epoxy and takes 24hrs to cure, but has a longer working life (pot life) than anything except the TM Ultimate Gel.

Devcon is cheaper and can be had from almost any hardware or WalMart store.

Unclr Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Devcon 2-ton Epoxy is a fine product. It will serve you in the same capacity as something like the regular Flex Coat Rod Builder's Epoxy (neither is meant as a top coat for lures, however). The kind of heat or weather seen by fishing rods is not sufficient to cause any long term problems with it. Use it with confidence.

However, it's rather expensive by comparison of the price to the volume for any of the specialty rod building epoxies. And being highly liquid, it tends to run or seep out of joints, something with the gels like Rod Bond and Ultimate Gel don't do.

................

devcon 5 minute epoxy should be called devcon 30 second epoxy

First off thanks for the clarifiaction.

"It will serve you in the same capacity as something like the regular Flex Coat Rod Builder's Epoxy (neither is meant as a top coat for lures, however)."

Tom, When it comes to protecting a balsa lure from toothy scaley critters, you are hard pressed to find a better product., without spending a lot of cash or having harmful fumes. (I know some builders even use Flex Coat also.) You can use a moisture cure urethane for top coating a plastic body lure and it will hold up fine as there is no flex or soft under body to penetrate whenever a fish strikes. The epoxy gives enough protection to keep the teeth out of the soft balsa body. Once the top coat is comprmised, then the lure is soon to fail due to water damage, and swelling. While linseed oil and such can be used to seal the wood from water, it creates a seperate issue with the painting process. And does have an issue with smelling up a tackle box. Epoxy as a top coat does have it's problems granted. Hook rash, scratches from sharp rock s and changing the over all action of smaller lures being the main issues.

I know it is off the topic of rod building, but felt it could useful information for someone else that might start building lures someday. Some of us cross from one side of madness to the other from time to time.

Thanks,
Eric



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2008 02:04PM by Eric Nelson.

Eric,

I would think that a standard wrap finish epoxy would be better due to its greater clarity and less tendency to hold bubbles. But if it works for you, that's fantastic.

..............

Tom,

What that came down to in the beginning, was the readily availability of Devcon. Just like with finishes for thread wraps, it became second nature to use the Devcon as I had worked all the bugs out of the application process over time. Bubbles were not an issue after I learned to add a little heat from a blow dryer prior to setting the lures on the wheel to spin for a half hour. Some rod builders swear by Thread Master others by Flex Coat, it is all in what you get use to using.

Believe it or not, the Devcon 2 Ton does dry very clear. Devcon 5 minute will yellow like old corn after a few weeks though. I will have to try 2 lures painted the same and top 1 with F/C Lite and one with D2T to compare. (Now that I have F/C Lite on hand)

I was going to try the Flex Coat high build back about a year ago, but but started messing with the moisture curing urethanes (smelly stuff) and that got put on the back burner so to speak. I do know probably 20 or 25 builders who use Flex Coat lite and high build on their lures and like the overall finished product. It is just the added time needed on the wheel that is a draw back to some of the production guys. 30 minutes compared to 2 hours per coat adds up to them. 1 hour compared to 4 total time spinning. Me, I do it more for a hobby and a challenge than to sell them. Production took all the fun out of it.


Eric

I understand. I know one lure maker that uses Gudebrod Speed Coat for his lure finish. Says it's very hard and durable.

.........

Another finish that might just fill the ticket for your use is the Diamondite product
by Swifty. Very fast curing.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Don't know if it's true nut I heard from several different people that Swifty was no longer in business

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I've seen it mentioned on one of the tackle building sites that a moisture curing urethane made by Dick Nite being used on crankbaits. It was said that it is harder than Permagloss but my guess is it may sacrifice flexibilty for the sake of hardness. That would make it unsatisfactory for most rod building applications. D2T is used by a lot of the lure makers as a coating-that surprised me. It is thinner than most of the 2 part liquid epoxy adhesives-that I would guess aids in bubble release. Thin enough in fact that it might mix in one of the mixer types we use for rod finish.

Chris, the Dick Nite's is a great product for plastic cranks. It stands up very well to hook rash, but it has problems with teeth on a soft balsa lure IMO.It takes too many dips to equal a layer of protection from teeth. You also have to be very careful with compatibility with certain paints as well. With it's solvent base it will ruin a good paint scheme in just about 3 minutes. I will never tell how I know. (LOL) I started using D/N over Devcon as the epoxy is more prone to hook rash and scratches from rocks.

As far as consistency, I know that Devcon is defiantly thicker than F/C Lite.


Eric