Coley

It looks OK, and I mean this in a positive way. Just hang in there and keep working at it. Your baits will get better and better. Coley

I asked the same question of my friend Lincoya, I will share with you what he sent me. Coley

Great tutorial. I have always wanted to try foam and now I think I will. But, with my luck so far, I'll leave out the plastic coating. Coley

If you want to spray a small area of scales with a spray can, you can do it. I like my scale netting tight against the bait. I use a large enough piece that I can put the bait in the middle of the netting and gather up all the loose ends on the bottom of the bait and twist them tight. Hold them with a piece of tape, clothes pin or binder clip. Pull any wrinkles out and hold the bait with a hemostat or whatever you hold your bait with while painting. Now cut a rectangular hole in a piece of cardboard about the size of the area you want scales on. Hold the cardboard about 3/8"-1/2" away from the bait and make a fairly quick pass across the bait with the spray can. Start your spraying when you reach the edge of the cardboard and stop after you pass the bait. I always use a hair dryer and dry the paint before I remove the scale netting. Don't lift the netting off the pait, pull it back over itself and you won't lift the paint. I hope this will help you. Coley

I use Devcon to seal balsa. The reason I do this is for the strength it adds to the wood, not for the sealing properties. On very hard balsa I have used 4-5 coats of shellac. I have found on Western Cedar it has to be sealed really good, not to keep water out, but to keep the color in. It will bleed through over a period of time, especially on a white bait. Kilz as a primer will help the bleeding a lot. Coley

From Coley. The Redneck Love Poem Collards is green, my dog's name is Blue And I'm so lucky to have a sweet thang like you. Yore hair is like corn silk a-flapping in the breeze. Softer than Blue's and without all them fleas. You move like the bass, which excite me in May. You ain't got no scales but I luv you anyway. Yo're as satisfy'n as okry jist a-fry'n in the pan. Yo're as fragrant as "snuff" right out of the can. You have some'a yore teeth, for which I am proud; I hold my head high when we're in a crowd. On special occasions, when you shave under yore arms, Well, I'm in hawg heaven, and awed by yore charms. Still them fellers at work, they all want to know, What I did to deserve such a purdy, young doe. Like a good roll of duct tape, yo're there fer yore man, To patch up life's troubles and fix what you can. Yo're as cute as a junebug a-buzzin' overhead. You ain't mean like those far ants I found in my bed. Cut from the best cloth like a plaid flannel shirt, You spark up my life more than a fresh load of dirt. When you hold me real tight like a padded gunrack, My life is complete; Ain't nuttin' I lack. Yore complexion, it's perfection, like the best vinyl sidin'. Despite all the years, yore age, it keeps hidin'. Me 'n' you's like a Moon Pie with a RC cold drank, We go together like a skunk goes with stank. Some men, they buy chocolate for Valentine's Day; They git it at Wal-Mart, it's romantic that way. Some men git roses on that special day From the cooler at Kroger. That's impressive," I say. Some men buy fine diamonds from a flea market booth. "Diamonds are forever," they explain, suave and couth. But for this man, honey, these won't do. Cause yor'e too special, you sweet thang you. I got you a gift, without taste nor odor, More useful than diamonds......IT'S A NEW TROLL'N MOTOR!!

I have two questions I would like to ask about hard plastic cranks. First of all has anyone tried drilling a hole in one and pouring a little paint inside, rotating it to paint it from the inside? Second question, same as above except put glitter inside. no paint? Coley

Check out this post. maybe it will help you. Coley http://www.tackleunderground.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3607

My hat is off to you. Your bait is truly a custom made crankbait. Without a doubt, it has the most realistic paint job I have ever seen on a bait. Your craftsmanship is beyond belief. Congratulations, on your accomplishment. Coley

Welcome texasbass1, it's always nice to get a new member. I hope you have a much fun as I have had learning to make cranks. There is a wealth knowledge here and always more on the way. Coley

Thank you Nathan. I would also like to wish each one of you a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. Coley

Walmart has it.Look in the automotive section around the Dupli-color paints. Coley

You can call it flip-flop if you like. The Createx, chameleons, do this. This should help, Chameleon Flair Colors Chameleon Flair Colors are specialty effect pigment colors with angle-dependent, color traveling effects. Chameleon Flair Colors have a soft flowing transition from one color into another. Color travel is viewable under even subtle lighting and is further intensified on curved objects with sharp contours. Colors are best used against Auto Air Base Coat Sealer Dark or 4200 Series Deep Black Graphic Colors. Apply 1-2 light coats of Auto Air Base Coat Sealer Dark and 2-4 coats of Chameleon Flair Colors. Chameleon Flair Colors are recommended for use with airbrush sizes 0.5mm or larger. Reducing Chameleon Flair Colors is not recommended. If they must be thinned, add Auto Air Reducer in small increments to avoid washing out pigment concentration. Chameleon Flair Tint Bronze and Violet are tinting bases containing only the chameleon pigment and binder. Each is intended for application against a black background to enhance their effects. Each may also be tinted with other colors to create custom chameleon blends by simply mixing with Series 4200 Transparent Colors. Best effects are achieved when tinted with blue and green shades. Chameleon Flair Tint Bronze travels from red to gold to bronze and then into green. Chameleon Flair Tint Violet travels from Lilac to Silver to Blue and then into Green. For more effects, apply Chameleon Flair Colors over 4100 Series Aluminum Bases. Coley

Some beautiful and unusual baits. Coley

From all I have read on this site and the speed of driers that I and others have, I would say it is to slow. IMHO a dryer should turn 5-6 rpm. If you could rig it up with pulleys it would work. As slow as it turns, wooden pulleys would work. Coley

Well it's close to Thanksgiving, how about "Turkey Tracks" Tail looks like a turkey foot to me.

Here you go, "The Dutchman" Coley

Sounds good to me. Coley

Your right Skeet, the TN boys are ready. But, part of the reason it died the first time is showing up already in the poll. I know its only been up since Sunday evening and we have less than 2 1/2 % of the members vote. I promise you more than that many have visited the site. Reason number 2 that it failed was trying to decide as a group. To get it started, a date has to be set and those that truly want to be a part, will be there. And if different states or areas want to get together, great. But, one or two need to take the lead and set a date for that area. No, I wouldn't drive to CA for a get together, I will drive to MO and I plan to in April. And if it's only Nathan and myself so be it, we will have a great time. Coley

Someone on this site posted this, I can't remember who?? Coley The fiberglass resin is a 2 part mix. Make sure that when you buy the resin it comes with the catalyst (hardner) or buy it seperate. Make sure you wash the baits that you are going to mold with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Pat or let air dry until no moisture is left on the bait. If you are molding a clay or wooden prototype, spray with a release agent before pouring resin. A light coat of vaseline or some Pam cooking spray works good. If you are planning on making a prototype mold, I recommend trying this process on something that you can replace first. Inside of a small baking dish (glass or metal) glue baits to the bottom. I use superglue to make sure they don't move when I pour the resin. You can find these type of containers cheap at a dollar store or goodwill. When the glue is dry, use a measuring cup and add enough water to cover the baits with about 1/4" to 1/2" of excess over the baits. This is the amount (in ounces) of resin you will need. Empty the container, and again thoroughly dry it. When mixing the resin, the amount of catalyst you use depends on the room temperature. CAUTION!!! DO NOT MIX INSIDE THE HOUSE!! VERY STRONG FUMES! THE RESIN IS HEAT ACTIVATED AND MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO PLASTIC CONTAINERS OR SURFACES!!! If the temp is below 70* I do not recommend mixing. Temp between 70* and 75* 10-12 drops per ounce of resin, 75*-80* 8-10 drops and above 80* 8 drops per ounce of resin. If you add too much catalyst, the resin will cure too quickly and cause stress cracks and breakage. Mix slowly!!!!!! The faster you mix, the more air bubbles it will create. I stir each mixture for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Make sure if you are mixing more than 20 oz of resin at one time, the container is large enough to let it mix well. I mix my resin in plastic paint measuring cups. They are cheap and allow you enough time to mix before the resin begins to cure. SLOWLY pour the resin over your baits. VERY SLOWLY!!!! Let the mold sit undisturbed until it is cool to the touch. Turn the container over and tap out the mold. (This might take a few trys) Now just clean up the cavities if you have any excess plastic left over in them. Spray the mold with some type of release agent before you begin to pour. I use garlic Pam. It adds a touch of garlic scent and allows your baits to be easlily removed from the cavity. Now just pour your melted plastic and it should be ready to demold within 2 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cavity). If you would like, I can post a pic of some finished molds for you to see before you buy the materials.

I would think the screws are epoxied in when they are put in. Clearcoating in around and over the screws adds more protection to keep water out. You cannot get by without a dryer using Etex as it takes a long time to set. But, you can get by without a dryer using Devcon because it set in about 20-30 minutes and you can turn the bait by hand for that period of time. Coley

What type of clearcoat did you use?? Normally, most bait makers here use Devcon 2 Ton epoxy, also known as 30 minute epoxy or Envirotex. Sounds like you used something with a solvent that dissolved the lacquer. Coley

That's a super idea. It starts the wheel's turning. Coley

Etex requires an exact 1 to 1 mix, if not, it will not cure. Coley

Hey Marsh, how's the cookbook coming along?? Waiting for my copy and tee. Coley