Epoxy on Bass Poppers?

[FishyboY 0]

thanks guys!

[Stippled Popper 0]

This only applies to hard foam and cork painted with such paints as Delta Ceramcoat or Anita's All Purpose Acrylic. But for acrylic painted hard foam and cork bass poppers I use only 2-ton un-thinned epoxy with a turner. One coat does the trick. If doing more than one size in a batch(usually 4-6 for #1 & #4 Perfect Poppers), I coat the smaller ones first while the epoxy is the most fluid. Holding the head securely with a pair of locking forceps is helpful. It is important to work fast but with care in enough light so you can check the entire head surface so you can smooth over any dimples in the epoxy before placing the head in the turner.

 

I let the turner work for at least 45 minutes and try not to move the heads from it for at least 12 hours and I don't touch them for at least a day. It takes some time for 2-ton epoxy to be "contact safe".

 

Other products work just as well with other things for you to take into consideration.

 

Here are three of my saltwater sized collector pieces...way too big for most bass fishing:

 

[Fred H. 0]

This only applies to hard foam and cork painted with such paints as Delta Ceramcoat or Anita's All Purpose Acrylic. But for acrylic painted hard foam and cork bass poppers I use only 2-ton un-thinned epoxy with a turner. One coat does the trick. If doing more than one size in a batch(usually 4-6 for #1 & #4 Perfect Poppers), I coat the smaller ones first while the epoxy is the most fluid. Holding the head securely with a pair of locking forceps is helpful. It is important to work fast but with care in enough light so you can check the entire head surface so you can smooth over any dimples in the epoxy before placing the head in the turner.

 

I let the turner work for at least 45 minutes and try not to move the heads from it for at least 12 hours and I don't touch them for at least a day. It takes some time for 2-ton epoxy to be "contact safe".

 

Other products work just as well with other things for you to take into consideration.

 

Here are three of my saltwater sized collector pieces...way too big for most bass fishing:

 

Beautiful poppers. One technique I would like to share is one I saw at a conclave. The tyer thread wrapped some foam poppers then did some awesome effects with the markers bleeding ink through the threads then coated with two ton epoxy.

Fred

 

[smokinprice 0]

If you are using Delta Ceramcoat paint, they make a product for preparing your cork or foam and then a product to seal it. That is what I use and I have not had any problems with it. I can take up to 60 or so smallmounth/panfish without a problem. Both products can be found at Walmart.

[Stippled Popper 0]

Jeff

 

Right the All Purpose Sealer for Prep. And the Gloss Exterior/Interior Varnish Polyurethane to Protect.

 

I use Polyurethane Sealer on my small poppers. It is tough but can take several coats for a smooth finish. Fortunately it dries quickly. And seems to survive rough treatment better than epoxy.

 

These are my smallest hard foam, used with a #14 Dry Fly Hook:

 

[smokinprice 0]

Jeff

 

Right the All Purpose Sealer for Prep. And the Gloss Exterior/Interior Varnish Polyurethane to Protect.

 

I use Polyurethane Sealer on my small poppers. It is tough but can take several coats for a smooth finish. Fortunately it dries quickly. And seems to survive rough treatment better than epoxy.

 

These are my smallest hard foam, used with a #14 Dry Fly Hook:

 

 

Stippled Popper,

 

Thanks...I could not for the life of me remember the names of the two products. I also have to admit that I was too lazy to get up off the couch and go find them on the bench. I usually put on at least three coats of the sealer, then three coats of paint followed by three coats of the exterior finish. BTW, nice flies. The smallest I have tied are 12's. I dont think people realize how much time it can take to make a popper given all the coats of sealer, paint and finish.

 

[smokinprice 0]

BTW I should have asked how did you do the spots on the poppers? I have only mastered the solid colors thus far.

[Stippled Popper 0]

Jeff

 

I use these handmade tools after painting base color(s) on the poppers with artist brushes:

 

 

The tools are constructed from ground needles of different diameters and different diameter rods.

Balsa dowels are used for handles when needed. The tools are dipped into the cap of the acrylic paint

and then one or more dots applied to the popper.

 

Here is a photo showing some of the steps on another popper.

 

 

 

This is a technique I use for pointilistic Pen & Ink drawings adapted to Poppers. The result is distinctive

but requires patience. The finished paint is usually not smooth, but one coat of epoxy usually

disguises this and also hides minor irregularities in the surface of cork poppers.

[Flyfisher13 0]

I use the 2 ton epoxy on my basa bass poppers. I agree with the one person about make sure the paint is dried good. I use a foam tray and stick the hooks in so the popper is flat and straight to dry. the meat trays from your grocer works well.

[Curtis Fry 0]

Awesome poppers, Stippled!

 

I use epoxy now on all of my poppers. I've tried clear-coat, sally hansens, etc and nothing comes close to the durability and finish of the epoxy, IMO. Not to mention how much easier it is to only have to worry about one coat.

 

Here's the way I do it (I posted this on another thread a while back):

[Pike-Hunter 0]

I epoxy coat all my poppers. I use the 60 or 90 minute 2 ton epoxy, however I wouldn't use the lacquer thinner with it. It will certainly thin it, but the thinner might react with the paint, or even the popper body if it's foam. Instead, ethyl alcohol will thin epoxy too, but just use a drop or two, and it won't react with acrylic paint. Do not use isopropyl rubbing alcohol, as it's got water in it & it will make the epoxy milky looking. Ethyl alcohol is sold in some hardwares & is used as camp stove fuel.

 

Then as Futzer has said, put it on a rotary drier until the epoxy has set.

 

I use 30 minute or 60 minute epoxy on all of my flies and a good way to avoid bubbles without thinning the epoxy is to warm it up a little. When the epoxy warms up it gets more runny and allows the bubbles to rise and pop before it cures. It doesn't take much heat to warm it up-putting it under a warm lamp or in the sun on a warm day can be enough. Heating up the epoxy also makes it cure faster so be sure to try it first on a test piece.

 

 

[Cole 0]

Jeff

 

I use these handmade tools after painting base color(s) on the poppers with artist brushes:

 

 

The tools are constructed from ground needles of different diameters and different diameter rods.

Balsa dowels are used for handles when needed. The tools are dipped into the cap of the acrylic paint

and then one or more dots applied to the popper.

 

Here is a photo showing some of the steps on another popper.

 

 

 

This is a technique I use for pointilistic Pen & Ink drawings adapted to Poppers. The result is distinctive

but requires patience. The finished paint is usually not smooth, but one coat of epoxy usually

disguises this and also hides minor irregularities in the surface of cork poppers.

 

BadAss, would you do a tutorial?

[Stippled Popper 0]

Curtis Fry

 

Very nice demonstration. I didn't know you could use ink that way.

 

Agree about epoxy durability, except on my Micro Poppers for Bream. I use a pair of forceps to remove them when swallowed which usually means grabbing the head with the forceps. Loon Hard Head seems to stand up to this abuse longer than epoxy which tends to crack and flake off taking the paint with it. But for bass size flies I completely agree.

 

Cole

 

I am working on my half of a Saturday session on this(the other half is to be on foil pencil poppers) for my local Fly Fishing club this summer. Once I have that developed, I can probably work it up into a tutorial.

 

 

Pike-Hunter

 

My method of working with two-ton epoxy, is to mold a sheet of aluminum foil in a artist's painting cup and add the epoxy to it. I stir it with the round end of a large paper clip. The result almost always has bubbles in it. But I've never had a bubble in one of my poppers. Perhaps this is because I use craft brushes to apply the epoxy and they pop the bubbles. At least that is my guess. I pick the brushes up in packs of 30 or so from Wally World for a couple of dollars.

 

By laying everything out I need carefully before I start, I can usually coat between 4 and 6 popper heads with one batch of epoxy including taking a second to inspect every area of the popper head under a bright light to help avoid missing a spot which will end up looking like a dimple. I hold the hook in a pair of forceps when applying epoxy and then attach the popper head to one of the alligator clips on my turner. I use epoxy without additives. Brush strokes in the cup are a series of strokes from the center to the outer edge working around. On the outside, strokes are from front to back as I work around the entire head.

 

When applying epoxy to a batch of different size poppers, I always do the smallest ones first while the epoxy is the most fluid. In my experience larger poppers are more forgiving to gloping on and working with epoxy that has begun to stiffen up.

[TigerTom 0]

I use Sally Hanson's clear on my balsa bugs. Nice gloss and easy to work with.

I read an article about Charlie Kears and his poppers (which are outstanding) and he mentions a brand of industrial epoxy. I will post with the brand when I find the article.

[Japasam 0]

I use. 3 hours Zpoxy coat. On my poppers.