Travis

Not bad for the first try at all. I would be happy with the results. I will point out a few things. First looks like a little better bait prep could give you a better paint surface. Get rid of the imperfections and you will get a cleaner paint job for sure. I would also tape or clean up the bill as well just seams appropriate for a Hot n Tot. If you look at your stripes I say over-spray is your main issue. I would lay a stencil flat on the bait and be sure to get a consistent smooth spray. You will get much crisper patterns and also avoid muddying up other areas with darker or lighter over-spray. Practice on feed rate, air pressure, paint consistency and you can spray without needing stencils as much. It looks like you let some paint build up (not bad) by some of the larger specks and is something that will disappear the more you paint.

Well you will get a lot of different answers, you will just have to decide. Basswood is my go to wood for use in lures. Reasons readily available, consistent in quality through various places, easy to work with with both machine tools and hand tools, carves very easy and takes detail well, grain issues nothing to worry about, doesn't leach any resins and paints easily (compared to cedar or pine for example), no issues with open pores, and overall density hits the sweet spot. If I wasn't going to use basswood I would settle for poplar as a 2nd but falls way behind in my book as far as carving, sanding, etc... paints up good (reason used for a lot of paint grade wood projects). I would imagine a poplar dowel rod may be the precursor to your specific bait. Depending on what you are fishing for I have made several really lively top waters with balsa but really a specialty bait and one I reserve for smaller wooden sammies for the most part and definitely not for that bait. I have used paulowina at times but it seams to splinter and just isn't a "fun" wood to work with in my opinion. Not wood, but I have used some of PVC stuff also for baits and many like it. I think the real appeal to most is the build quality doesn't have to be spot on as water is taken out of the equation. For some guys that isn't an issue but for some well lets just say fit and finish ain't their calling. It works up well but overall just isn't "wood" and lacks the warmth and tactile nature of using wood. My main dislike is I find it gets everywhere just flat out messy, clingy, white fines everywhere. Some is worse than others but I still will use it at times.

Hmmm...I figure a CO2 tank would pale in comparison to everything else we use daily.

Has been awhile but looks like 20 to 25 to refill a 20 lb tank.

I have mentioned this off and on a few times. You can rent a with regulator for cheap from local sources or buy a large cylinder and have them filled for likely under 15 bucks.

Yes, no problem with doing it that way. Mix it thick like putty and then fill. I don't let it set all the way just a few minutes then you can use a q tip, finger, or rounded dental tool. A little water on a sponge also works well.

Little Jewel by Billy Phillips? It has been around since late 60's however but still a very solid bait for shallow water bass.

Any long term negatives with the coconut oil, in regards to how the plastic reacts?

Sintra

I would go the high heat spray myself as I wouldn't sell the other product with the finish (reality I would have just bought a smooth finished mold). I used it a lot of poor finished POP molds back in the day. Does it matter of course not but what does it say about one's "craftsmanship" when they ware willing to sell a bait with the poor finish? For me I just couldn't do it. Save money on baits you fish yourself...ok fine but if that is the case then just buy bulk. I fished a lot (200 plus days a year) and went through a lot of plastics and simply you can buy in bulk for cheaper than you can ever approach making yourself, even fishing much less. Just enjoy doing it, then ok, go for it but I still fall back to "craftsmanship", pride, etc... in a product one makes. Simply a lot of guys put no effort into making a quality product...good enough unfortunatley became this countries mantra at some point.

The book I recommended and also some of Bob Berry's cover the use of gray paint for primer.

Enjoyed the video. It has been a long time since I saw someone jigger poling and I imagine there will be several that never have seen it.

The face shield or safety glasses a must for sure. Several years ago I shattered one of those discs and put a shard in my cheek. I was wearing safety glasses as they always during use pelt you with fines as the wheel wears.

Have to second that. I would be very happy with that chrome as a base.

When you dilute your paints you are decreasing the quantity of pigment per given volume (poorer coverage). You also are effecting the ratio of pigments, binders, and solvent and changing the performance in regards to drying time, strength of the paint, adhesion, etc... You have thinned it too much and are getting non uniform distribution of the pigments. The Floetrol or similar has been made to not effect the performance of the paint (or much lesser extent) than trying to thin with water or typical solvents.

Nothing wrong with your inquiry. You had a question and you will get a lot of different responses. My point is a lot of guys know what to expect when buying from some places and to expect anything different besides what you really paid for is . First when it comes to repaints it is very easy to source blanks that are in my opinion very inferior products compared to the bait they knock off. Very, very, few exceptions. Some are of sufficient quality that they make good solid bait as some guys deal with better sources and have higher quality control. Others just push whatever they get sent. From my experience I would rather have 1 of the original repainted than 2 of the "custom" completed knock offs, and half dozen (or more) unpainted blanks. Most of the blanks I bought from various sources ended up as key chains. I do think stuff has gotten better as some guys have a better standards for the product they sell. Country of origin doesn't necessarily matter as US does its fair share of putting out garbage also. Frankly it is what the masses want....and guys are just supplying the demand.

Customer service, ethics, etc.. has no place in the conversation as none of it matters in respect to the product that is being offered. These are knock off low end junk baits manufactured in the cheapest methods available (labor, tooling, quality control, etc...) to fit the desperate and overwhelmingly need of so many to save a penny at the expense of the final product. They sell because simply they are cheap and many lure makers justify the use of such product solely on that reason.

Going to have to add a leveling agent. Floetrol for example or whatever crazy thing guys have discovered to substitute in. Then you just have to deal with the crazy reactions that can occur until you dial it in.... I honestly understand trying to save money but at what expense? Take a look through the gallery and the posts over the years and so many that try going this route end up with cranks that they are not happy about or any other party viewing would never drop a dime on. One doesn't have to break the bank on any of this stuff. To be honest most would get better results first time using a harbor freight air brush than they will get in months or years trying to hand paint. Yes it can be done but in my opinion only successfully by a few. I know money is tight for many but then I often think one has to also be honest...cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, Redbox rentals, pick the "need" spent on....choose where you want to spend but rarely is it a case of money not being there.

http://www.micromark.com/paint-shaker-120v-ac,6781.html We had the same concept for lab work that were much more expensive and they broke constantly. I would look for a used Vortex mixer, used on ebay for mixing. They are simple and I have used one for nearly 15 years daily (and it was likely 5 years old at that point). Add a few bbs to paint and it will mix it right up.

It's like all things in life....right person and right tools equal quality. Without that combination results start to move away from that desired outcome. A few decent paintbrushes will add up quick (surpass entry name brand airbrush for example). I paid around 12 to 18 bucks each for 5 brushes to paint some stuff I had carved, only problem with that is then it becomes evident that it is me that screwed up. I would just hit up the local hobby store and pick brushes you are comfortable at price point wise and go with it. Paints are the same way the cheap ones work but not as nice as more expensive ones. For me I eventually factor in a "price" for my time and it doesn't take long to see how expensive my choices to save money really are. If going to use brushes I would recommend checking out a few fish carving books. James Fliger's Freshwater Fish Carving for example has some good method teachings on painting with brushes. I painted a lot of cranks in college using a cheap 25 dollar testors model airbrush kit with the compressed air cans. That gets expensive and freaking annoying as they put anti huffing agent in the cans and if not well vented you get that horrible taste in your mouth, scent in the nose etc... Also pain in the but as the cans get cold and you end up floating them in hot water. I turned out a lot of decent cranks in my dorm room with that cheap airbrush kit. I ended up getting another testors set up with little compressor for probably 45 dollars and used it for some time also before buying an Iwata Eclispe and using my Craftsman pancake compressor (included in a nail gun kit Christmas gift).

I cut my lip slots before sealing and I make lips from polycarbonate or micarta. The lip slot should be perpendicular to the vertical plane of the bait (when viewed from the front) and cut at the proper angle you want. I typically install my lips prior to final topcoat unless the bait construction is a through line construction. Hook hangers should be installed (and the bait weighted) then sealed. I seal the bait with Devcon or Superglue then sand any imperfections out and give it some bite. Then I paint the bait. Through wire construction balsa bait with lip. Ready for paint. My usual construction method is to have the bait weighted, hook hangers installed, and painted. Then I glue the lip/line tie in and top coat. Series of carved cranks (minus the bottom one as that was a leftover from some molded baits I did).

I was just commenting on the throwing a DS while playing Madden and getting a tablet out of the deal as it read like it was a "reward", which was not the case. Trust me, my kids are completely spoiled when it comes to technology. They had access to I phones to pick music and play games starting around 2. Youngest learned to read on tablets and a lot of their schooling starts on computers/tablets starting in preschool. I am embarrassed with the amount of "technology" they have and in my opinion have too much. We have a lot of Nintendo DS (7 or 8 models over the years and multiples), multiple I pads, various levels of Nooks, Kindle Fire HDs, lap tops, computers, smart tv's, I phones (daughter had one in 4th grade, middle boy 5th, and youngest packed around old model since in diapers and used for music, games, and taking pictures), etc.... My eight year old is funny to listen to as he was amazed some use cable for internet service anymore as that is so "old". He was telling his friend that fiber optic is the way to go and how he can easily stream 4k You Tube Videos on the TV and appropriate movies on Netflix, but of course his WiiU, DS's, Xbox 360 and old Wii won't do 4k. Because those are "old" gaming systems. The Game Cube, Sega, and original Play Station I had in college are "classic" in his opinion and older well that is like the Holy Grail.

My sons or daughter would not have gotten a tablet............

I enjoy a lot of things. Photography, planted aquariums and reef aquariums, wood working, and gardening. I also have selection of plants in the house and have large tank to convert to a dart frog vivarium at some point. These are probably the ones I spend the most time on but have a lot of other interests.

Hmmm... are the soft plastics replenish-able? If not then no soft plastics. I really only care to target bass so a double willow leaf spinner bait (silver blades, white/chartruese skirt), black and purple jig and pork trailer, Smithwick suspending rogue silver/black back, a sammy 115 in something "shad color", and then a Norman D22 in chartruese blue. If soft plastic then probably a 7.5 curtail worm in black and drop the jig/pig.