Snax

Hi there, I'm very much still making lures although I did take a break for a little while to work on my custom airbrushing business. I do have a Facebook page for my Musky Snax lures and I might create another website when I have a chance. If I do, it will be muskysnax.ca instead of .com. I use the stencils I devoted all the time and they are really handy for doing scales and fins. I may also develop some other stencils which will have other popular fish markings so keep an eye out for those down the road.

I'm always looking out for my boys John. It was me that suggested you to Joe Cermele from Field & Stream. You deserve the article buddy and the praise I gave you in my own article. Keep up the inspiring work!

Already done it and it is too stiff Jed. Honestly the hinges that seem to work best are the double screw eyes with a pin running between them. Very little friction too.

Hi guys, Sorry I've been really busy and haven't checked the forums in a bit. Some of you are probably curious as to why Mark was hoping I would chime in. I speak with Craig Kennedy of Createx/Auto Air on a regular basis and use their paints exclusively. If there's a question about their products, chances are I can give you the answer. As far as the Auto Air Colors and the new Wicked and Auto-Borne paints go they only need to dry not be actually heat set as with the Createx for t-shirts etc. The main suggestion I have to ensure maximum adhesion is to spray light coats and hit them with a blow drier on hot or heat gun on low in between coats. You should achieve full coverage of color in three coats minimum. The first coat is only supposed to look speckled and the next two fill it in. Any heavier spraying will potentially cause adhesion problems down the road. You never want wet coats on wet coats either. The beauty of the Wicked Colors and Auto-Borne is that they contain a small amont of solvent which not only helps speed up the drying times but it also helps atomize the paint so it sprays very smoothly. If you've been using Createx, give the new paints a go and I promise you'll be amazed! By the way, Wicked Colors and Auto-Borne are the same paint, just labeled differently for different market bases to avoid confusion.

Your title as the Swimbait Master remains unchallenged my friend. Simply incredible baits once again!

Hi there, I've been using Createx,Auto Air and wicked/Auto-Borne paints exclusively and I can help you out. Firstly, yes you can interchange any of the paints and all work very well together. Reduce them with the Auto Air 4011 or Wicked Reducer. Both contain some solvent and really help make the paint flow and lay down smoother. Build up your colors with light passes not all in one coat or you will reduce the adhesion qualities. For base coats I always use Auto Air Sealer White or Sealer Dark depending on the lure. both act as a primer. When I'm airbrushing plastic lures I now spray a light coat of adhesion promotor which is commonly used for painting plastic fenders on cars and such. Any automotive paint section probably carries a plastic adhesion promotor. As for the Green try the Wicked Green with some drops of Wicked Black added to darken it as needed. Sometimes I'll also add a sparkle in it depending on the effect I want. The Wicked Colors are the best water-borne paints on the market and spray exceptionally well. While a dual cartridge respirator isn't needed you should at least have something to reduce airborne paint particles. I use a box fan with a filter behind it to suck the spray from the air as I paint. It works very well. Hope this helps and please feel free to email me at muskysnax@yahoo.com if you have any other questions. If you need more help I'll call you.

I'll tell ya, this website is an absolute God-send for anyone who is just getting started with lure making! So much first hand experience from the best lure makers in the world right at your finger tips.

Be sure not to overdo it with heat curing or it will turn the paint into an easy to peel off skin. With the newer paints from Createx (Wicked Colors and Auto-Borne) you do not need heat, only air flow to dry it faster. A small amount of heat such as a blow drier will speed up drying times of course. Using the 4011 Auto Air Flash Reducer also helps speed up the drying times.

A great beginner airbrush is the Iwata Eclipse CS gravity fed model. As for paints, the Createx Wicked Colors work very well on just about anything as do the Auto Air Colors line.