Popper question

I have been making some foam float poppers and painting with craft paint. I was wondering if any of you use this method and what do you use for finish. I have heard epoxy, hard as nails, and polycryllic. What do you use and how?

I have not tried it yet, but have read that another choice for foam body covering is Future Floor Wax. It is acrylic, and might even work.
Worth a try, one bottle from Publix would no doubt be a lifetime supply. You would probably get a shiny finish.

I use sharpies for my base colors, then use clear nail polish as a clear coat

I've done a few in the past...if your talking about the hard premade foam bodies...with an air bush. Sometimes got fancy and dotted them up with testors model paint or painted "scales" on them using various fine netting with a different color. Then to top coat use 2 part epoxy, just paint it on then put them on a drying wheel. Got to be too much trouble for me and the bodies were just too expensive for me. I make a few now with just soft foam with a few little jigs I made....and paint eyes and dots or whatever with testors using small wood dowels to put the paint on. With the soft foam ones the top clear coat never worked out for me at all. I just leave them as is. Not as pretty though. Post some pictures...love to see them.

Here are the ones I have put a finish coat on. The bodies are made from foam panfish floats. I decided to use Minwax polycrylic for the topcoat. I will try to see how well they hold up.

Those look really good!!! Two ton epoxy worked well for me. If you ever want to make a drying wheel or think you might need one...I made one out of the motor from old microwave turn table motor. Just tear an old broken microwave apart and hook the motor that turns the plate in the bottom... up to an old extention cord end. Mount a circle cut piece real thick foam of whatever on the little motor shaft. Paint/ dip that epoxy or whatever on super thick, stick them on the foam and turn it on. Works just as good as those high dollar ones. If your any kind of wood worker...you can make a fancy stand to mount to motor to and make it look as good as the factory ones too. Little switch to turn it on and off and your uptown lol. Guess I'm too cheap to buy a factory one.....drying wheel does allow you to put a real thick topcoat on without many sagging issues during drying ....and that helps with the durability.

http://www.mudhole.com/Sully-Fly-Ep...m50eexajS7WdO_MpePQo0oObhDCd2Csgu_hoCbbHw_wcB

Never thought about panfish floats. Seems like a good idea. Those premade ones are kinda expensive....for what the are.

Thanks. I had epoxy to put on them but like you I was too cheap to buy a drying wheel. The panfish floats work well. I use a hacksaw blade to cut them off. Ten poppers for about a dollar. I might have 75 cents in each popper. I tied some up last night after the poly cured. I will take some pics and post them up soon. I can do a build along with the next batch I do if anyone is interested.

JBranch said:

I can do a build along with the next batch I do if anyone is interested.

Click to expand...

I am lol. Always like to learn more about it. Looks and sounds like you have a good method going.

Here are the finished products.

Seems I'm only able to load one pic at a time from my iPad.

They look great! Do a few up in yellow and there probably won't be a brim left in the pond when you get done.

Great looking poppers

Those are sweet!! Im quite sure they will catch some fish.