mossy maker

I attach my lips when I clear coat. I do it all in one step so everything flows and bonds together. mossy maker

The wood needs to be properly dried down to around 6% moisture before it should be used. Kiln drying is best but it can be air dried. I have heard of people microwaving small pieces to speed the process up. The only real way that I know to know the moisture content is to check it with a moisture meter. I you work with "wet" wood it will dry on its own anyway and as it does it will change. It will probably shrink some, and could possibly crack and/or warp and twist. mossy maker

I use the Tooth Proof Stainless Steel Leader Wire from American Fishing Wire. I order it from Janns Netcraft and it has served me well. No complaints for my applications. mossy maker

This is my dryer. I do bass size baits so it may be small for some. I used a motor from a paint tinting maching. Each tint canister has a motor that keeps the tint mixed. I removed the mixing paddle and mounted it to sheet metal bracket. I used a vacuum cleaner belt run to an empty fishing line spool to gear it down some. The end result was around 5 or 6 rmp. I have a bolt running through the spool and a generic bearing with a sheet metal circle fixed on the end. I have screws through the circle with alligator clamps crimped on the end to hold the baits. I have also made myself some chucks that I can attach and use it for rod building. mossy maker

Yes I have painted over Devcon before. I didn't have any trouble with the Createx that I use. mossy maker

I found a local shop about 2 years ago that let me hang my stuff on their shelves. I told them what I wanted out of them and then they put a price on them that they thought they could get. I packaged them and printed a liner for each package. In 2 years I have sold 11 of the 22 that I originally took in. I go in occasionally and collect on what I have sold. I have also done a couple of shows and sold person to person. I get a higher price at shows and person to person than I do at the tackle shop. In the tackle shop I have to directly compete with the other name brand, well known products. At that point, the only thing promoting your bait is its package and its looks. At least at shows and person to person you have a connection to your buyer, which often times makes the difference. mossy maker

If it has yellowy tint to it, it may not be so fresh. Personally I only mix for one bait at the time. When I first started using Devcon I tried to do more than one and for me quickly learned to do one at a time. I also use revolving brushes. A new mix and a new brush each time. I put my brushes in laquer thinner reuse them over and over. I use "flux" brushes from the plumbing department. They are around $1.50 for several of them. mossy maker

The dog gets a hair cut because you ran out of marabou for popper tails and are dying to finish that cool new popper you just made. Your wife is bored sick, tired of, and just can't understand the big deal of you talking about Walmart no longer having Devcon. You drive all over the area trying to find water that isn't frozen to test baits. mossy maker

I went to my Walmart and bought up what they had but I'm worried about keeping it for a while. Anybody got any tips on storing it to help prevent the discoloration of not being fresh. mossy maker

I have had a few epoxy disasters along the way myself. It does take some time and practice. You may want to give this a try to salvage your bait. It has worked for me a few times. Wave a propane torch over the bait lightly until the epoxy starts to melt and crack. Once it has started to crack and peel a bit, you can often get under it and chip and flake the Devcon off. You may need to work it with the torch occasionally if you come to a stubburn spot. This will ruin your paint job, but a paint job is easier to reproduce than a whole new bait. Remember to be careful with the heat and not actually burn the bait, go slow and good luck. mossy maker

I take 2 pieces of wood and paint 1 side of each black and glue the black sides together. You will always have a visible center line no matter how much sanding or cutting you do. mossy maker

This longnose gar is not what I had in mind when I made this bass popper. I see them frequently but very rarely do they ever show any interest in biting a lure. This one followed my popper, when I saw him I paused for a second and when I popped again it pounced on it. On the rare occasion that they do bite, you rarely hook them. Anybody else got any abnormal catches on their baits. mossy maker

I have removed lips before by using a cut off wheel in a dremel. mossy maker

I install my lips when I top coat with Devcon. I will sometimes put a little tape on the end where it will not contact the clear coat but if I get a little on my finger I will not transfer to the bill. I will put Devcon in the lip slot and a little on the lip. When I push in the lip the extra comes out and I smooth it down the bait. A little around the lip edge is normal for me, but it is fairly seamless and flows in with the rest of the bait. mossy maker

If you are refering to it as a top coat, you will have to rotate the 24 hour for a long time. If you don't have a drying wheel I just don't see it happening. With the 30 minute, even without a drying wheel, you can hand turn 20 to 30 minutes and put it down. If you are refering to gluing components like bills etc., I have used Loctite and greatly prefer Devcon. Since I started using Devcon I have not used any Loctite. With Loctite I have had problems with it curing properly and have had some cranks that after a day of fishing the bills loosen up. I have never had that happen with Devcon. Maybe others have had different experiences. mossy maker

If you are still catching fish I would keep throwing it. I have a pet bait that is cracking and missing finish down to the wood in places but the bass still like. I guess it comes back to the question of looks vs action. mossy maker

Thanks for everyones help. I played with it some more last night. I shaved, clipped, filed, and played with wieghts. I wieghed the lure on a small digital kitchen scale just to see and it came in at 1/2 oz on the nose. I never did get it to behave. Although not visible to a casual glance, my lip slot must be at a slight angle. I am making a new body and am going to try again. As I have said here before, I usually learn more from my failures than my successes. Thanks again for the help. It may not have saved me this time but I'm sure it will be useful in the future. mossy maker

Thanks guys, I'll do some playing around with it. mossy maker

Here is another picture. Thanks for the input.

I'm working on a crank that is giving me trouble. Been doing a lot of reading and searching tonight but I guess I have not typed in the right search. I've got a bass crank that does alright at a slow retrieve and then will roll to the lures right. My lip is at about a 10 to 15 degree angle, and the line tie is 5/8" down a 1 5/16" lip. The bait is cedar and is 2 7/8" long and has a little weight in the belly. No matter how much "tuning" I do the result is the same. Everything looks symetrical. I was thinking of trying to shave one side of the circuit board lip a little, but was unsure which side to trim, the roll to side or the roll away from side. Any help would be appreciated. mossy maker