BobP

Guys mix epoxy with lots of different tools, in lots of different containers. I mix in a jar cap lined with foil with a 1/2" wide strip cut from a credit card. The strip moves a lot of epoxy so allows me to get a thorough mix within a minute or so. It does stir air into the mix and the epoxy looks like milk when finished. But after mixing in some DA, the bubbles mostly disappear and then completely disappear as I brush it on the lure with a fine bristle brush. Like most things, you just have to develop a routine that gets the results you want in the time allowed. I get about a 3 minute window in which to brush "30 minute" epoxy after mixing and thinning it. Quite different from Envirotex Lite.

George, you have to decide how frugal you are if you want to continue dipping when you tap the can. I stopped dipping and now apply MCU with a brush. It isn't like applying epoxy. I just quickly flood MCU onto the lure with a brush and hang it up to drip off the excess. It's just about as fast and In one way, it is superior to dipping anyway. MCU will not adhere well to polycarbonate, so was peeling off the lips of my lures shortly after I began fishing them. With a brush, I can avoid getting it on the lips and avoid that problem. BTW, MCU does adhere well to regular molded-in plastic lips, so no problem there if you want to coat the whole lip to erase scratches.

I dip my brush in the DA and shake it into the mixed epoxy, then blend. You don't need a lot, just enough to thin it slightly. Just use a few drops at a time until it's the viscosity you want. It doesn't take much. It will also extend the brush time by about a minute, but will not appreciably extend the final curing time.

I think instead of "p-o-p" we're gonna have to start using "burst". This POP gremlin has been around awhile and just doesn't seem to die!

I think Rayburn Guy uses BS epoxy so maybe he can help. Using Devcon 2 Ton, I drip a few drops of denatured alcohol into my mixed epoxy and blend it in to thin the mix a little. That seems to dispel bubbles pretty well. I also use a flat artist's brush that has fine nylon bristles to apply the epoxy. The fine bristles tend to break any bubbles as you brush it on the lure (unlike brushes like flux brushes). I'm pretty fanatical about measuring and mixing epoxy. When mixed, it's usually a milky white color from the air I whipped into it, but using the above methods I still get a perfect bubble free topcoat.

The least wasteful way to do it is to decant a small portion and brush a generous amount on the blades quickly with a soft brush, then hang them up to drip dry. The solvent in DN is very active and I wouldn't put it in anything plastic for very long. I use a baby food jar cap covered with tin foil. I agree that dipping is attractive but since you can't put used DN back in the can, it's pretty wasteful. If you have a pill bottle the right size, perhaps that might make a less wasteful dipping container - but still would use more than brushing it on, which goes pretty quickly. I don't try to be neat when brushing, I flood the surface of the lure quickly and hang it. Player's choice.

Great, problem solved. I have the same airbrush and it has been my "go to" brush for painting crankbaits. Good product!

I have a couple of Iwatas but am not familiar with a HP-BR. Your assumption on how the trigger works is right. If it is a double action airbrush like most Iwatas, sounds like the needle is not seated forward into the tip of the brush as it is supposed to be. You don't want to apply a lot of force getting the needle into the tip because Iwata brushes have a tiny nozzle that the needle seats into and you can split it if too much force is applied. But using moderate force is OK. Loosen the needle nut on the back of the brush and see if the needle is fully seated into the tip. If you take off the front spray shield, you should see the needle sticking out of the nozzle and there should be a tight fit. If not, there may be an obstruction in the tip of the brush or you may have a faulty unit (which is unusual for Iwata).

I use Wiss M3 straight cut metal snips to cut G10. The ones with the yellow handle, about $12 at Home Depot. The Wiss have a compound action that cuts the 1/32" G10 I use very easily and also works well on 1/16" polycarbonate. I cut just about a mm outside the Sharpie line then take it down to the exact shape with a Dremel equipped with a fine grit sanding cylinder. Pretty fast and easy.

Looks to me that you're doing well on detail. A couple of things: pay attention to the angle at which the paint spray hits the lure and to the distance from the lure at which you hold the brush. High pressure paint has a tendency to splash where you don't want it to go. If you are spraying a black back and the brush is perpindicular to the lure surface, it will splash downward onto the side of the lure if the pressure is too high. Airbrushing is a balance between the pressure at which you spray, , the control you have over the flow of paint, and the distance from the lure at which you hold the airbrush. Detail = low pressure, fine trigger control, with the brush held close to the surface, and possibly thinning the paint so it will flow at the low pressure. Many guys take the spray shield off the tip of the brush so they can get the tip nearer to the surface when shooting detail. In the end, it's just practice and finger muscle memory.

No, Dick Nite S81 moisture cured urethane is not hard to work with. If you store it via the "tap the can" method (highly recommended), just dispense what you need to use, brush it liberally and quickly onto the lure, and hang it up to dry/cure where the excess finish can drip off the bait. It is the closest topcoat to a factory finish: very durable, thin, clear, and non-yellowing. It also adheres well to plastic lips (but not polycarbonate/Lexan) and makes scratches disappear. Gotchas: it has a volatile solvent base which can react (bubbles, wrinkles) with water based acrylic paint that has not been dried properly, or if it pools anywhere on the lure in liquid form too long. It can also react with solvent based coatings, if you use any underneath it. You can dip lures in it if you don't mind wasting product because you cannot return any finish to the can once it has been used for dipping, lest you transfer moisture into the can and cause the finish to start hardening prematurely.

Well, I doubt you'll get many replies because there probably aren't many (any?) TU guys who have used it. It's advertised to adhere better to oily woods, so if you build with redwood or cedar, it might be an enhancement. Then again, it doesn't have a track record regarding leveling out, thickness of coating, waterproofness etc. The price is the same as the regular high gloss Solarez resin. So ???

"Pledge tile and vinyl floor finish with future" is what my bottle says. It is a fairly hard acrylic floor finish. It can also seize up your airbrush needle if you don't clean it after spraying. Whether it will keep AC1315 from causing Sharpie to run??

I've had it happen a couple of times but never use lacquer thinner to thin epoxy so don't think that causes it. I thought it might be a byproduct of the epoxy yellowing over time, but don't really know. I do think you're playing with fire thinning epoxy with lacquer thinner. Over the years, I tried it as a thinner a few times and got uneven curing results, which never happens with denatured alcohol. I think that's because there is no standard formula for "lacquer thinner". It may be a mix of various solvents.

For me, the stencil material and how easily it can be cut is the critical thing. I use "frisket material", sold at art shops and online by airbrush suppliers. It's a thin soft plastic sheet backed with adhesive and a paper backing. It's advantage is it can be cut with an Xacto knife easily and accurately. Instead of peeling the paper backing off and sticking the frisket onto the lure (which can pull paint off the lure when it is removed), I leave the backing on the frisket and simply hold it against the lure. That way, I can reverse the stencil to do the opposite side of the lure and don't have to make stencils for both sides. It also lets me re-use the stencils for future baits. I think I paid around $10 for a roll of frisket material online from Dixie Art and Airbrush Supplies in New Orleans. That's a lifetime supply.

Permanently install all the hardware except the ballast. Then seal/waterproof the entire lure. Then float test it with trebles attached and ballast taped to the lure. Then drill the ballast hole(s) and epoxy it in. Waterproof around the ballast hole if needed after it is installed. Then sand, paint and topcoat. I like to seal/waterproof with 30 minute epoxy like Devcon Two Ton. It's tough, waterproof, and will level out beautifully to cover any imperfections in the lure's surface. Lightly sand it after curing to remove its gloss and give it some "tooth". I usually mix in a FEW (3-4) drops of denatured alcohol before brushing the epoxy on the lure. It helps to pop any bubbles left from the mixing and helps the epoxy penetrate the wood, but won't appreciably extend the total epoxy cure time. Don't use other solvents like acetone or lacquer thinner.

Joe, depending on how fast you use up the DN, most guys now go with the "tap the can" method of dispensing it and storing it. That's the only way to avoid having it harden in the container over several months. If you use this method, you dispense only what you need for a task. For most guys, that means brushing the DN on instead of dipping. You can't put it back in the can after dipping lures in it, so dipping wastes lots of expensive topcoat - but it's player's choice. After application of the DN, you want to hang the object up to drip off any excess finish. That avoids having the DN wrinkle paint. Do not use a lure turner as it will prevent excess from dripping off the lure and will often cause the DN to pool somewhere on the lure and cause the paint to wrinkle! Brush it on fast and heavy, then just hang it up. Ready to fish in about 36-48 hours. The solvent evaporates pretty fast off the DN but then the moisture cure process starts, which takes several days to complete itself. Before then, it is dry and slick but it still pretty fragile.

Can't comment on your sealer except to say you want one with a high solids content. GST and AC1315 seem to be the popular brands. Both are solvent based and have high (30%?) solids content. You can buy AC1315 online from Direct Colors. About epoxies: if your Devcon didn't harden to a smooth hard finish, you either failed to measure it properly or failed to mix it thoroughly. Most often, it's a mixing problem. Buying another brand won't help unless you do both things right. Of the topcoats you mention, I think Dick Nite S81 moisture cured urethane is superior if you are using it on spinner blades or jig heads. I find epoxy too thick and heavy for blades and it will quickly chip on blades because it draws away from any sharp edge as it cures. Dick Nite forms a thin, tough, non-yellowing topcoat which is perfect for spoons and blades. Dick Nite manufactures spoons and uses it. He sells to TU members at a discount at this link: http://www.dicknite.com/TU_Lander.htm If you decide on Dick Nite, do yourself a favor and read up on TU posts concerning MCU, particularly "tap the can method of storage".

The Wikipedia entry that Bob cited had this link: Quote Heddon River Runt Lures Series 110 The Heddon antique lure the River Runt Series No. 110 was first shown off in the 1929 Heddon Dowagiac Lure catalog. This same year two other now antique lures would make their way into the ever evolving fishing lure market, the Heddon Meadow Mouse , and the Heddon Fly Rod Sized, Tiny Tease. In an excerpt taken from the catalog: "A small, compact, lively lure for light rods. Very effective for river fishing, particularly for Small Mouth Bass, and equally good in other waters for all game fish. A slow sinking bait with an attractive wiggling motion. Regularly equipped with two sets of treble hooks; also obtainable with double on the belly and single on the rear. Length is 2 5/8 inches. Weight is about 1/2 ounce. Packed one in a box." 1929 Heddon River Runt Series 110 Cataloged Color Codes Rainbow No. 111 White and Red No. 112 All Red No. 114 Yellow Perch Scale No. 119 L Red Dace Scale No. 119 N Natural Scale No. 119 RThroughout its lifespan the wooden glass eyed Heddon Dowagiac 110 River Runt would go through quite a few changes. This antique fishing lure can be found with with the tradition period hardware found on the Heddon baits, as well as some non period. This lure can be found Heddon's: Cup Rig, L Rig, Toilet Seat, Two Piece Flap Rig and finally Surface Rig hardware. You will also find this lure with Glass Eyes, Zinc Eyes, and Painted. The Lure can be found in a Down Bass Box, a Up leaping Bass Box, Brush Box, and Banner Box.

You really need to float test a walking topwater to get the ballasting right. Some guys like them to sit completely tail down in the water, others prefer varying degrees of tail sink depending on how fast they want it to walk. It's a combination of total weight and float attitude that makes one do what you want it to do. Personally, I like mine to sit in the water at a 45 degree down angle. You can float test one by applying a waterproof undercoating to the raw wood, adding all the hardware, and applying temporary ballast weight to the tail section's belly until you get the action you want. Moving the ballast forward/rearward will also affect the action, but a good place to start is where you did it the first time - half way between the 2 hooks.

I'm of two minds about jigs and other procedures to control and mechanize crankbait building. On one hand, I think it's good practice to do everything you can to eliminate variability within a batch of crankbaits you're building. On the other hand, if you build a variety of styles, with new designs a frequent part of your hobby, making up jigs and patterns can be pretty tedious, especially during the development stage of a new crankbait. I also worry that relying on jigs can stifle creativity if you get a little lazy about your build process. Obviously, the more control in production the better if you are building crankbaits for sale. I don't, so just learned to shape and build crankbaits by hand after cutting out the initial shape on a jig saw. It taught me a lot of lessons about crankbait building and I think it also prompted me to develop some skills that I otherwise never would have. So I guess it's "to each his own".

Airbrushes need to be cleaned regularly. I run acetone through mine and pull the needle and clean it after ever session. Several times a year, I disassemble the airbrush and soak the parts in an airbrush cleaning solution to remove any dried paint from the barrel of the brush. If your brush is leaking air at any of the threaded parts, you can fix that by coating the threads with a little beeswax. Don't use anything containing ammonia because it will eventually dissolve the chrome plating on parts. I also have a Badger 150. I kept it when paring down the number of airbrushes I had because I thought it worked a little better than my Paasche VL. One thing you will find out eventually - results are more about the guy behind the airbrush than about the airbrush. There are some great crankbait artists using Paasche and Badger airbrushes. But I do think the better quality the brush, the easier it is for us "hackers" to succeed.

Just a note - when you order an Iwata, you also need an Iwata hose which you have to order separately. If you have another brand airbrush already, you can buy an adapter fitting for that hose to fit an Iwata for less cost than an Iwata hose (but Iwata hoses are nice).

The Revolution BR comes with a .3mm tip and a 1/16oz gravity feed cup. Personally, I think a .3 to .35mm tip is perfect for painting crankbaits. Large enough to shoot pearls and flakes (airbrush paint, not cheaper "hobby paint") without clogging and fine enough to do decent shading when desired. I can color basecoat a wood bass crankbait with several coats of white paint with one 1/16oz cup of paint, or squeeze in 2-3 drops of paint into the cup when doing accent colors on a crankbait. Between colors, I just flush out the airbrush with a spray bottle of water. A gravity feed brush of any type will save you paint over the long run since you are only cleaning paint from the cup and the tip of the brush, and not from the bottle and siphon tube. IMO, the siphon feed brushes are more appropriate for production painting where you can store paint in various bottles and shoot without pausing to refill a bottle, doing a dozen cranks at a time. The Iwata Eclipse brushes are also popular, a little more costly, with their .35mm tips. If you plan to airbrush other larger objects like motorcycle tanks, etc, a brush with a large gravity feed cup would be better but the 1/16oz is a great size for a hobby builder who paints 1-6 crankbaits at a time. In the Iwata line, you can also buy brushes that have a trigger stop screw to limit the amount of paint it can shoot, and an on-board air control valve. To me, these are "nice to have" features but not essential, and Iwata charges a premium for them. As the tips of Iwata airbrushes get smaller and smaller, they cost more and more. Why? the needles have to be thinner and more finely shaped and the paint nozzles on the front of the brushes become tiny, more tiny, then almost microscopic. And they have to be hand tuned at the factory to shoot properly, so if you bend a needle or split a nozzle, just buying a new part may not get your airbrush back to "factory new" function. There are lots of different brands and models that will get the job done. You can certainly use a brush with a much larger tip, maybe up to .5mm, and do perfectly good crankbaits. Some manufacturers, like Paasche and Badger, don't provide mm tip sizes to the public. They often sell brushes in kits with 3 different tip sizes. Those brushes work very well too. But I and most guys who have used them think Iwata is the pick of the litter in terms of build quality, precision, and function.

All Iwatas are worthwhile airbrushes but some are better for crankbait painting than others. I strongly prefer any of the Iwatas that have gravity feed. One of my favorites is the Revolution B, with .3mm tip and small gravity feed reservoir - priced around $80-90. Gravity feed brushes are easier to clean and shoot paint a little easier than siphon feed brushes. If you are using only one airbrush, you'll be cleaning the brush between every color so that's important.