Leaderboard

We really need a sticky for Don'ts for newbies. Like don't put water based colors or scents in hot plastic, Don't put hot pyrex cup on cold metal plate. I think it would be helpful and maybe save an eye, or a finger, or even a life.

After trolling here for a couple of months, I must admit I'm intimidated to post my first creations. I used a balsa blank that was close to the shape I wanted and the hand shaped the lure. On the craw, I used sanding sealer first, painted then coated. Building that I really learned the challenges of centering the weight and hook eyes. On the second, I shaped after dipping in the sandable sealer, then coated with rod epoxy, then I did my drilling etc. What a huge difference in working the holes. I really recommend this as it made the balsa much more stable for drilling. I'll use Devon 2t for the final coat. They weigh around .35 oz. Can't wait for the thaw to test them! Whatchayall think?

I love it when you talk dirty! Hahaha

Jonister, Please take videos of you negotiating with the Eskimo mothers for the urine of their newborn children. In fact maybe take a National Geographic team with you. Man from lower US States tied to stakes and eaten by polar bears after asking for Eskimo Baby Urine. ; )

Darn this thread was so disappointing with that title It gets tougher the older you get when you stand for 8-10 hours a day. For me it's plantar fascitis in my left foot I can't get rid of..and it's from being on my feet all day.

Tony - Thanks for those very nice words. Time is a problem at the moment as I am designing an electric vehicle. Prototype build has started and production is just around the corner. as the sole designer on the 4 man team, it is a mad rush and I am at the computer 16 hours a day, working and sleeping is all I have time for. Dave

I can tell you what I use. I bought a Pasche airbrush from Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon, teamed up with a small 1 gallon air compresser. You need a decent regulator that can be adjusted easily, along with a filter to keep water out of the brush. I would suggest lightly sanding the existing paint job and start with a bonding primer paint. As for finish coats I have been using Devcon Two Ton for many years with excellent results. Before you buy a bunch of bodies you might try floatability. I have had issues in the past. I'm sure others will pipe in, probably enough that you will get confused. Good luck.

This may be off topic but has to do with dipping baits in some kind of solution. Seems clear to me that a high percentage of painters are looking for something that they can deep a bait and clear coat it and have a long lasting pot life I came across something that I am developing and I found this by pure luck and I am very excited, I will be testing this concoction that I made for another six month. Right now I am able to dip a bait and clear coated and the results are fantastic, but needs all kinds of testing under adverse condition, so fur the mix did not go bad and it is not developing a skin on top. If the results are good I will get a lawyer involved either sell the product by myself or sell the idea to a company, I really do not know what to do as of now. I will definitely take my time and do it right. I came across this a year ago and just in the last month I made the mix, I will be posting some baits that I made for this project and post them, I may be talking about this a little to early, but I had to at least see if any one would be interested in Dipping Dripping and Hang a bait Gino Testone

I have yet to receive my free quart for advertisement.

At Rowhunter's suggestion, I'm starting a PVC thread. I use it for all my lure building, for the following reasons: It is totally waterproof, so I can shape a lure, and then test float and ballast it without any sealing. I have a 3 gallon bucket of water in my driveway that I use for test floating. It is buoyant. The Azek PVC decking is as buoyant as poplar, a hardwood I used to build my jointed swimbaits from. The Azek trimboard is even more buoyant, like medium density balsa. I can make really active shallow cranks with it. It is strong. The decking is as strong as any wood, for lure building, and the trimboard, although not as dense, is still plenty strong enough for any crank. And I use it for my smaller two piece jointed lures, too. I caught a 7lb largemouth with a PVC trimboard spybait I made that was 4" long, but only 7/16" thick, and I had drilled several 3/16" holes up from the belly for my ballast. She ate the rear hook, and the bait held up fine. Both are strong enough to hold screw eyes with just a small pilot hole. No need for any reinforcement, or setting into holes filled with epoxy. I usually use the gap filling/brush on super glue alone to set my hardware, and a lot times my bills, too. I use the accelerant (thank you Ben) dripped onto the glue to help it set quickly, once things are positioned. It machines and carves well. Although the sanding dust is nasty, because it sticks to everything, including my sinuses, PVC is easily machined and shaped with the same tools I used for wood. As with any work, sharp tools work best. I cut out my bait profile, and lip slot, with a bandsaw, and try to drill any ballast hole while the bait has the flat sides, so I can drill straight holes with my drill press. I use an oscillating belt sander with an 80 grit belt to do my major shaping, working from a centerline I put on the bait after I've sanded the bandsaw marks off. I "carve" details with a dremel sanding drum, and drill out my eyes with a multi-spur bit on a drill press. I typically sand down from 80 grit to 120 grit with a vibrator sander, and finish up with a small piece of sandpaper to get edges and details softened. Because it has no direction-oriented grain, it carves really well with sharp tool. It can be laminated into bigger lure blanks using the same PVC glue plumbers use for PVC pipe, or you can use super glue. If you use both the PVC primer and the glue, the two pieces actually melt into one solid piece. As long as the two surfaces are flat and mate, you're good to go. It paints well. I can shoot Wicked White as a base coat onto a raw PVC bait, heat set it, and never have any separation problems with my paint schemes. When I've had occasion to remove some paint to modify a bait, I've had to sand down to the PVC to get the paint off. It never peels. Occasionally, heat setting too hot can cause trapped air to bubble up under the seal coat, so I generally seal baits by rubbing crazy glue, or thinned epoxy, over them before I paint, if I want a super smooth bait. But any bubbles that do appear can be popped by the sharp tip of an exacto knife, and they lay right back down when I press them with my exacto knife handle. I've never had any baits with popped bubbles fail. And, because it is totally waterproof, I don't have to worry about nicks and scuffs from rocks and hooks. Any top coat works. I've used epoxies, urethanes, and concrete sealers, with no problems. In short, it make lure building faster and easier, and that make it even more fun, so why I use it.

Very good, I was just thinking of this same thing. 1. If your Pyrex cup has a chip or little crack in it, throw it out and buy a new one. 2. Don't set Pyrex dish on cold metal or concrete surfaces. 3. Don't use Pyrex on hot plate. 4. Don't mix water base scents with plastic. 5. Don't use floating bubbles without using a mask. 6. Use good ventilation when pouring in confined areas. 7. Be careful of plastic injectors or anything that puts 350 degree plastic under pressure. 8. Were safety glasses when pouring baits, it can save an eye.