Vodkaman

There are several issues being discussed in this thread and this is why it is becoming confusing. Here is a list of the issues and questions that I have spotted so far: 1 – how do KO’s perform? Do they perform the similar or different, better or worse than the original? 2 – misrepresentation is wrong, fact. But is it OK to sell KO’s provided you say what it is? 3 – are the originals over priced, to such an extent that they deserve to be KO’d? 4 – are all KO’s stealing from the original seller? 5 – are all lures KO’s to some degree, thus making all KO’s acceptable? 6 – is selling an obvious KO acceptable under a different name? 7 – is making your own KO more acceptable than buying a KO? 8 – is using KO’s for own use acceptable? 9 – is buying an American KO more acceptable? My question is, when is a KO not a KO. Is it just the shape that makes the lure a KO, or the entire lure? Anyone who has built a lure will realize that the shape of the lure plays a very small part in how a lure performs. It is more about balancing the hardware, ballast, lip and line tie to that shape, to get it to swim how you want. Copying just the shape does not make the bait a KO, it just demonstrates a lack of imagination. To me, the shape is something you wrap around the hardware, interface with the water flow to get the action and hopefully look a bit like a prey fish. When I design a swimbait, the first thing I do is pull a picture of a real fish off the web and copy its profile. If you are going to make a copy, best to use the true original. Selling a lure and mentioning another lure name in the sales pitch is wrong, even if you are saying that it is ‘similar to’ or ‘a knock off’. You are riding on the back of the back of the work the original producer. Apart from this, as long as you are not infringing patents, I say knock yourself out and go for it. I guess this is the difference between lure builders and designers. Dave

Here is a comprehensive thread on the subject, by Husky (thanks): http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/16783-diy-an-instant-12-rd-rtv-silicone-mold-for-under-a-buck/page__p__127270__fromsearch__1#entry127270 Contains everything you need to know. It is a long read (10 pages), but worth it. Dave

It is one that I designed and built. There is a thread about it, 'Vman rocking beam duplicator' in homebrew tools, but the pics have been lost. Here is a fresh pic: It is crude, but it works well. Dave

I have been following the progress of this company. I don't think the finish is there yet, also the cost per lure is not going to be cheap at $48 per kilogram of raw material. Time per unit will not be quick, but they seem to have the automation side of things sorted out. I would like one for making masters directly from my CAD data. A coat of epoxy and they would be ready for my duplicator. It is on my list, but out of range at the moment. I can make a wooden master for the duplicator in an hour, so it is difficult to justify the machine. Exciting technology. Dave

Dsaavedra is right. Epoxy has a specific gravity of around 1.2 making it heavier than water. Epoxy is not that different to the resins used for molding, except for the viscosity. Epoxy would be too viscous to carry the required amount of micro balloons to reduce the density to a usable number. Dave

Mark, you provide a good argument for staying away from shop lures, original or KO. With so much new stuff to be discovered, I will never waste my time copying stuff that has already been done. This of course, is easy for me to say, as I am not trying to make a living from lures. Those that do make baits for a living are bound by customer demand. Dave

In your opinion, which KO's out perform the originals? Dave

Rofish, I saw your question, but must have gotten side tracked. I remember that I started typing the reply. Sorry about that. It certainly is not a dumb question. If you do not own a compressor, how would you know about regulators. A compressor that does not kick in until the pressure drops to 3psi would be unbearable to use. That just does not sound right to me. Dave

Jerry (Redg8r) did a video of this, at last years anual Clinton meet. Not sure where he hides the video's though. I had a quick look, but could not find them. Dave

This is why I don't sell baits. I could just about do it for $50 a piece, but the $41 shipping fees killed that idea. The customer would have to buy ten, before I would even consider eating the shipping. Dave

I haven't read the patent documents either, but the patent is rarely about the whole lure, it is usually about a particular feature that makes the lure work. So if you take the Rage tail and slap it on a different body, I would say that you are still in violation. It is all down to how the patent is written. Dave

Well that is honest and the company seems good to deal with. Just a pity it didn't work out. It is always nice to deal with companies that have a code of ethics. I have just been doing some research on wiper motors, for another project. These commonly available motors are more than capable of dealing with the loads involved with stirring plastic and they are already geared down to suitable ratios. A bit tedious to power, but a cheap car battery charger is well capable of delivering enough power. The motors are readily available from scrap yards, second hand parts or reconditioned, at reasonable prices. If I was to build a stirrer, this would be my route. Dave

The density of cork is between 0.2 and 0.24gm/cm3. The density of the lightest balsa (model aircraft material) can be as low as 0.08gm/cm3. This means that you could easily double your buoyancy from your additives by using balsa. Working with light balsa is a lot easier than cork and it is supplied in more convenient shapes and thicknesses. It is not the cheapest source of balsa, but cost per lure should be fairly insignificant. Dave

Have you read this thread and the article within: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/21854-how-bass-see-color/page__pid__163041#entry163041 Here is the relevant excerpt from the article: Super Clear: White or clear. Use glitter for color. All colors are visible to 10 feet. Clear Water: Blue is most visible. White is visible. All colors are slightly visible to 10 feet. Green Water: Green is most visible. Stained Water: Orange, green, and chartreuse are most visible. Red is slightly visible. Muddy Water: Red is most visible. Here are some additional suggestions to help with low light (first light until sunup), medium light (sunup until the sun reaches 20 degrees to the horizon), and high light (from 20 degrees to the opposite horizon) conditions: Low Light: Blue, purple or black work best. Use with silver flash. Medium Light: Red and orange work best. High Light: Brown or gray work best. Use with fluorescent accents. This might help you decide. Dave

Pity it didn't work out. It is very good that they are refunding your money, considering what you used it for, LOL. You will have the guys in R+D scratching their heads for months, trying to figure out how Momma's soup did this to the plastic stirer. My ex wifes cooking would twist a stainless steel stirer. Thanks for reporting back. Dave

I found the same as you. The lowest I ever got the density was 0.65gm/cm3 (40Lb/ft cu) and that was the consistency of English mustard. I was thinking that something was wrong with my MB's, as everyone else was raving about how light their baits were. Dave

I never tried the alumilite. I did micro balloons with polyester resin and very heavy on the MB's. So heavy that I could not pour, but had to inject the paste. I never had any problems with paint adhesion. I scrubbed the bodies with dish washing liquid and a scrubber, to remove all traces of release agent. I lightly sanded to scuff up the surface, to give the paint something to grip onto. I would then apply spray can white. I no longer use spray can whites, as they gave me fish eye problems with the D2T top coat. There is a product called bulldog adhesion promoter, that some of the top builders use. Might be worth exploring. Dave

That was a good read JD. In fact, there is a lot of good reading on the subject if you Google FISH COLOR VISION or BASS COLOR VISION. Scientific studies have been done, but you have to generally pay to view those. Dave

http://www.eti-usa.com/MSDS/MSDS%20Index.htm Dave

There are so many that you will want to try. You would probably be best starting with Devcon 2 ton 30 minute epoxy, as it is available on the high street in 1oz containers for a few dollars. Not the cheapest top coat, but being able to try it in a small amount is a big plus. You can then use http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/12510-trying-to-achieve-a-flawless-finish/ Dave

I just looked on the first page of the hardbaits forum. I counted 14 top coat or related threads. That is almost 50% of the posts are top coat related. Do you think we are obsessing? Dave

What airbrush and what compressor threads start up just about every week, so you won't have to read very far before you find one. Here is a link to a current discussion on compressors: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/21824-lets-try-this-againwhat-name-brand-air-compreesor/page__pid__162922__st__20#entry162922 The most popular airbrushes are Iwata and Paasche, but do not discount others. With airbrushes, you get what you pay for. Dave

How are you sealing the balsa? If the wood is not sealed tight, air will permeate through the paint and give you problems. Curing epoxy is exothermic. The temperature rise is hardly noticable, but enough to expand the air in a balsa bait. Dave

Did you mean 10% tin. Dave