Problems Clear Coating Frogs

[SBuck88]

I have the 4" Croaker and I have been able to shoot it fine.  I just bought eyes and wanted to seal them on the frog by clear coating.  I heated up 1 cup of plastic with a few drops of heat stabilizer and nothing else.  It is clean and clear and works great.  If I let it sit and come back to it the next day and just reheat, then it turns to a pee color.  How are you guys keeping your plastic clear to do clear coating?

[andrewlamberson]

I heat my plastic very...very carefully to 350 to 360 degrees the first time (if you don't heat it to 350 you will get sticky baits and/or it will go cloudy on you.). Make sure you slowly stir (don't whip in air bubbles!) numerous times during the heating process or you end up one spot being too hot (and start burning) while another spot is still only "warm". Depending on the power of your microwave you may need to heat in increments of 30 seconds ...or less as you get close to 350.

On every re-heat I put a LOT of drops of heat stabilizer in it....and it's very difficult to reheat a clear plastic that has set back to clear again. The only way I've been able to do it is to cut it up into tiny pieces and then add some additional raw plastic.

I also heat up really small (2-4oz) of plastic at a time.

[Bassman2169]

Ten four on the heat stabilizer.  I run my plastic on the hot side always.  Had the trouble you had even with stabilizer until I started putting lots in.  When I dip frogs, I use a four ounce cup and put five to seven drops each time it goes in the micro, even just to heat it up twenty degrees.  Seemed to take care of the problem for me.  Joey

[SBuck88]

Thanks guys.  I originally put the stabilizer in but I didn't realize that I needed to do it upon every re-heat.  I will give that a try.

[ctom]

The clear can be a problem but I have a 4 ounce cup right now that I have been re-melting for I think the 7th time last night and its still just about as clear as it was the first time. When I reheat I do so on high but I only heat the cup about 30 seconds then I take it out of the mic and check it. What I look for is a corner where melting has begun just a little and I have puddle available to dip into. If I need to re-heat this I add a dozen or so drops of stabilizer and work it into the plastic that had liquified. A reheat will melt a small amount more of the solid plastic. Of all the plastic, a person has to put on kid gloves when working with clear dipping. All to often it is easy to forget that when part of this is still liquid, heating again to melt more of the solid plastic will result in the liquid already in there rising to a temp well over what will turn it.

I'm convinced that there is no right answer to the problem with clear turning on some people because so many variables existMicrowaves and wattages are all different as are the methods of in-oven movement to spread the heating. People use a wide range of thermometers to measure temps. Different brands and forumlas of plastic handle differently even in the same oven. How the plastic is held to stay hot varies widelt amoung users....the list goes on.

I suggest each person find a way that works for them and be darned sure to add stailizer to clear products. Add until you think you have enough, then double it. Next to the bottles of plastic on my work bench, stabilizer is the most handled bottle there. I don't get it in small bottles anymore...pints now. 

[wilks19]

I clear coat the same way as you do SBuck88.  I do like the others have mentioned and heat slowly.  I don't use any heat stabilizer though and haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood).  I use the CCM medium and it comes out crystal clear.  After heating and dipping, I let it cool in the Pyrex and then either put it in a zip loc bag or leave it in the Pyrex until next time.  If it is left in the Pyrex, I cover the top of it with a paper towel or something to make sure nothing gets on top.  Good luck and hope this helps.