scoop10

This is kind of off-topic for this forum, but you guys mentioned in another thread on fixing clear coat holes a trick about repair boat gel-coat. Having a couple that need fixing, I'm curious what that was.

OK, Blackjack, so we've established you like 2-ton for gluing. Now, whatcha using on that clear coat?

go look at staminainc.com as well. unfortunately, Jann's offers some stuff that Stamina doesn't and vice versa. I like Stamina's stick-on eyes. For whatever reason, they lay a lot flatter than those from Jann's. Stamina also sells some precut Lexan. Jann's has some injection molded lips.

thanks fir3 tig3r. Good stuff. Maybe I'll do better using my wife's Sony, as well as using your tips. It has a few more features than my little base digital camera.

I don't seem to be able to get very good detail when I post pics. Also, I often have to crop and shape the pictures to get them down to an acceptable pixel size. Any advice would be appreciated. I am shooting with a Kodak 3.2 megapixel digital camera. I have already tried both the high res and low res.

when you mention retarder blades, what do you mean? You cutting the paint, or is this some additive?

Bob, isn't there someone from Summerfield who does pretty well in a lot of the tournaments in the central part of the state? Is that you?

Bob, I started out doing roughly the same thing you are, but did my original four cuts on a bandsaw. Now I am using a small belt sander, instead of a Dremel to take off the edges. I still use a Dremel as a step to take off some final material to make the baits more uniform before some final hand sanding. The belt sander, though, definitely takes the wood off a lot faster than a Dremel. It takes some getting used to and you can destroy a bait quickly if you aren't careful. But once you get used to it, it goes a lot faster than a Dremel. To me, this method also seems to help get the baits more uniform, although short of a CNC Mill and 7-10,000 bucks, I'm not sure you are ever going to get perfect uniformity while making round baits. But hey, that's the challenge of round baits and one of the reason I started doing this was because I saw so few quality hand-crafted round baits out there. Of course, I see a lot more since I discovered this site.

I think the guys here who own businesses repainting lures (kellure, for one) would tell you to sand out the sag, get the lure uniform and smooth again, and paint over the epoxy and then apply another coat. Basically, when they restore and repaint custom designs on lures, most of the time they just lightly sand (fine grit) the existing epoxy and paint over it. Unless you are worried about the extra weight of leaving that existing coat of expoxy on, this is probably the way to go.

sorry, guess I misunderstood. Thought you were talking about doing something really funky with two attached flaps.

interesting idea. I know Megabait has a little craw bait that has pinchers attached near the end of the bait. I would put these pieces at least as far back as behind your gill line on that bait. I would think if you get them much closer to the lip it might disturb the action of the bait. Just my two cents.

let's see. That's $15 per square inch. Small baits - $15 per, Big baits - $30 per. Throw in the diamond band saw blade to cut and, yeah, I'll take it.

I would think anything you can dip or spray would be a lot easier, especially if you can get rid of drying wheel issues. OK, how about something call Por-15. Anyone heard of this, or tried it?

Anyone ever tried this as a top coat finish? It says it will not yellow and is chip resistant.

Spo, I've got tons more of those eastern cedar blocks, if you like them. Should be around Thursday night if you want to call or come by. Also, I believe I was told the western cedar sold by Lowe's is kiln dried.

thanks guys. Spo, I'm skipping Jordan. Got NBC on Kerr next weekend and need to prefish.

Anyone know any sources for quality No. 3 treble hooks. Doesn't seem to be much available in this size, but a bait I'm making seems slightly small for a No. 2 and a little big for a No. 4.

All my playing up to now has been done with eastern cedar and basswood, but I recently bought some Balsa. Unbelieveable how easy it is to cut and sand. But I have questions working with such a soft wood. Will it hold eyescrews OK, with a dab of epoxy in the holes? Also, will it require a smaller belly weight than what I am used to? On a Poes 400 sized plug, would 4 grams be too much? Or is it so buoyant that it can actually take more weight?

speaking of balance, I see some people putting in belly weights and hooks now forward of center (closer to the lip). Curious about Skeeter's or other opinions of this.

jeez, I get this kind of grief from guys I fish with. All I'm doing is repeating what someone -- whom both of you know but knows Jerry far better than either of you -- told me he is doing now. And if he has swith off to HDU, it would certainly make sense that he is cutting the baits.

how about put two wheels on it instead?

Bob's right. No one that I've talked to who has bought this lure likes it. I have heard that if you take the feathered hook off the back that it improves the action slightly.

yep, Bob makes a good point about noise. But if in the garage or shed, the cheap 2 or 3 gallon type from Wal_mart, Sears, etc. will perform just as well as, or better if it is a cheaper one of the hobby compressors.

actually, I know a good friend of Jerry's and just talked to him about a number of things he does. He is not doing any foam molds. He is using some foam-type material and is cutting it with a router just like the wood baits. I know that he has been making these baits for about three years because I talked to Jerry about it at the Raleigh winter fishing show three Decembers ago, and bought one from him. He said then he was doing it to have something different, and at that time was pushing them. He has also begun cutting Lexan with a press, rather than having someone make him some injection molded lips. I haven't seen any of the baits with the lexan lips, but he has actually sent some of the lips my way.

you can get about the same compressor at Wal-Mart for about the same money. THink your link on the airbrush is incorrect. Same link as compressor. If its the 9.99 deal with a minimum 1/4 line, you will have trouble with detail, but for that price it should be a fun starter gun.