Travis

Really might want to reconsider your idea as you may end up actually doing more harm to yourself than good if you don't have the resources or a well thought out contest. How many anglers are you actually looking at participating in your contest? What caliber of fishermen are you getting in this contest. How much money at stake? Is this going to end up being a dozen kids and guys just looking for a free cranks? I can't help but think you would be better off chucking some money the way of small local lake tourney's. Big bass bonus sponsored by..... biggest smallmouth.....etc.... Work out them to display a small banner in return.

If I can't take them outside I will set up a light tent (often do anyway as just makes it easier as I can take photos as I want). Mine consists of a cheap collapsible laundry white mesh laundry basket. I then use white paper to create an area for the bait to sit. I curve the paper up along the back. I use fluorescent day light (5000 to 6500 K) bulbs positioned from the sides, top, and back. If shooting a lot of baits then I set up the tripod and use my remote to capture pictures.

What are some of you favorite websites? To me Tacklewarehouse has about the best website. Navigation excellent, well laid out, pictures are great, videos usually HD 1080, product description clear well done, and overall professional and slick. It is actually enjoyable to use.

I think I have a few of their carving kits. Lure Jensen sold them as Christmas gifts years ago and I think I got several over a few holidays. I never put them together. If you are just looking for that style bait to fish (not build) the Gilmore Jumper is an option. http://www.gilmoretackle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=94_95_99&product_id=78

Bass100 that link is to an air filter and is great for its intended purpose but would be the last thing I would add in his situation. I run one similar in my shop to "polish" the air but that is all it is really good for. Point source collection is a must and either a shop vac teamed with cyclone set up or spend more and get a dust collector as Dale is mentioning. I suspect bags are on the way out as most are going to the pleated canister filters. I plan on adding an Oneida system at some point but for know the shop vac and cyclone will have to do.

I imagine they are careful with claims to avoid dissatisfied customers and legal stuff. The storage recommendations were interesting. Open the can to keep it longer goes against so much of what we typically do.

I think it will be very tricky on the ones I currently have but with a little paste wax placed in the right place should be possible. I will get some larger ones on the clearance rack next time I am there. I had some but put them back for some reason.

Picked up a few packs of the Invisa Swivel on clearance the other day. Started thinking might be interesting to incorporate into some segmented baits. Not so sure about durability so very likely more of novelty thing or perhaps a way of attaching maybe small fins, frog legs, etc..... May be able to glue/fuse with PVC. I bought a 25 lb size. The swivel will sit on the face of penny.

This is something that wold be nice to have changed. Editing time is too short. No matter how carefully I seam to read over I come back a few minutes later I find something I could add or correct. Other site I use frequently has a 1 hr editing window.

I have no doubt they will work. Just one of those things that fell to the back of the list. I even bought a some metal hook hangers and screws and did have some small tack style "eyes" (I think they were from some old upholstery store). I come across a lof of these lures at various antique and junk stores in the area. Many of the designs would take no time to knock out on the lathe.

I was looking at their FAQ section and came across the following. Can I thin Solarez®? You may thin Solarez very simply by heating it in a paper cup for a few seconds in a microwave oven. (microwave ovens vary widely in strength so check your resin every 5 seconds to see that it doesn't’t get too hot --hotter than drinkable coffee 130°F). This Solarez cannot have any MEKP catalyst in it!!! At this temperature, Solarez will be as thin as water and can instantly wet out fiberglass cloth. As soon as you pour out your resin onto a cool substrate, it will return to normal viscosity. If on the other hand, you want to add a thinning agent, you can add a little styrene monomer. It is not advised to add any more than 3% because adding styrene will soften the surface and cause premature yellowing. The adding of acetone or alcohol should be entirely avoided because these are not reactive diluents i.e. they do not become incorporated into the resin like styrene, they just boil out and cause pinholes. and How do I increase the shelf-life of Solarez®? Storing tubed products (putties) at lower temperatures will certainly help. Refrigeration is not necessary but certainly will prolong the life of the product. Liquid Solarez' (eg pints, quarts) shelf-life can easily be increased by opening the lid monthly and allowing fresh air to circulate in the dead-space of the can. If the level of the liquid is high (little dead-space) the shelf-life will decrease. The reason is that the resin’s inhibitors need atmospheric oxygen to function. They "suffocate" over time if not given air. Storing in a bare steel can will dramatically shorten shelf-life too because metals act as a catalyst to curing. We generally sell Solarez in [inert] plastic containers or epoxy/phenolic-lined metal containers.

I don't think I had seen those before Right or left hand twist and reversible. Very cool and they even come in left and right hand twist. Huge price difference from sub 10 dollars (Harbor freight) up to 150 bucks....

They turned out well and something I think would be fun to replicate. I haven't fished one before but always figured I would give it a try along with a few other older styles in a collector book I have. Never did as wanted to use a lathe and once I got the lathe never made any.

It is a very nice way to do it for sure. I have a few boards made up (story boards the term I believe). I put three or four baits on the same board. I would take a finished bait and drive nails through the line and hook hangers then clip the heads off the nail and slide the bait up. I would take the next bait and use the tail hook hanger nail of the prior and repeat. I think just labeled the areas for the type bait and amount weight needed. It would go quick to make the various through wire harnesses I needed for the molds and load up a plano box of harnesses ready to go.

Dieter, I really wished we would change but figure we will hold onto it as long as possible. I worked in the metal industry for a short stint. I was in the lab and just reported stuff to them in percent composition for the most part. I would see shipping reports and laugh as at times metric ton was used, short ton, long ton, and sometimes pounds. The chemical plant I worked at prior was switching over but that was speed by acquisition from European companies. Now I work in pharmaceutical research and outside of some very rare instances all SI.

This isn't about how one wants to make a bait and definitely not anything I hope people are getting upset over. Please everyone use whatever they like. More ways to do something great as it might be easier for some to do it. In regards to a line tie if the haywire or barrel or cotter pin perform 100 percent of time is any one "better" than the other based on a given physical measurable trait that is actually related to how we use it? I think from my fisheries classes that barrel twist for light wire were considered weaker than haywire, but that has been a very long time ago. Reason barrel twists are wound and create very small diameter twists putting more strain on the wire than haywire. Vodka mentioned loose so that shouldn't matter and in our case because this isn't an open system and the wire is glued into the walls of a bait but strength was the only thing I could think why it was better.

Glue up with Devcon 5 minute or similar and you take care of filling and glue up in one motion.

Looses it value only because it isn't the default. I wished they would change but don't see it happening any time soon.

I have to ask why is it better? I make mine quicker it performs as needed 100 percent of time for the application it is intended. This is the point with many of these threads...over engineered and over complicated for no real world reason that guys are using the baits for.

How would a guy ever build a bait that catches fish if they didn't.....never mind. In regards to metric I use it at work always and of course everyone is taught it as a kid. Outside of work it is looses it value.

I haven't upgraded yet in my shop to a centralized dust collection system so have been using a shop vac teamed up with a dust collector. Plenty of information on You Tube but like most things in life there are a few gurus and the others take with a grain of salt. Pick your shop vac and team it with a hepa filter. Shop vac referring the lower offerings (not the Festool and other high end offerings). I would then either grab the dust deputy (Menard's have them in store now) for 99 bucks or a Rockler Dust right Separator (I have used this one now for 5 years). I built a rolling stacked tower to hold my shop vac and the the dust separator. I have used the DIY build kits and don't think they performed as well as Rockler Dust Deputy or the videos on the Dust Deputy). Now if you get into making a Thein cyclone baffle/top hat, etc... then DIY is good option but definitely not a plug and play set up. For stand alone respirator about the best thing in my opinion in regards to price, comfort, and size is the Elipse P100 dust mask (30 bucks). It easily fits under most face shields and is very comfortable. I would use it along with the shop vac/hepa filter. The mask will filter out 99.97% of airborne particles. You won't even get that with a 400 dollar Trend Air/Pro Airsheild. I have been using it for about 2 years and definitely deserving of the praise it is getting in some of the woodworking magazines and forums. JRammit congrats on the bandsaw. Invest in some sound blades and you will be set. As far as set up videos Snodgrass is probably the best. I would also recommend the Fine Woodworking videos. They also put out a Band Saw edition magazine I believe every year but can be ordered also. I will check my archives. http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/bandsaws/118168.aspx

I never worry about doing things faster. I only have three kids so time is abundant . If I could save 10 to 20 seconds making an eye then they would magically appear already made.

If the product works and has all the attributes physically we need in a topcoat price becomes a little easier to accept. Doming resin price is a little over 40 bucks for 4 oz.....so lets hope not similar in pricing.

If that is how it cracks I couldn't even begin to think about using it. There are several other threads that would indicated it is much stronger than this.

Same here, don't recall ever having one fail. Guys don't think about the details you listed or that they have a 7ft shock they are using to boot and add another 2 feet of shock called your arm. We all want to build a good performing bait that performs just some really enjoy putting A LOT of time into getting that bait.