Vodkaman

All the very best Longhorn. Have a great day. Dave

Like with most things, progress is very quick at the start and then it slows, to a point were you think you are making no progress. You can monitor your progress by setting aside say every tenth bait for reference. Maybe it is time to start experimenting with rattle cans, netting and stensils. You gotta keep it interesting. Hand painting lures is the hardest method of all, if you master that, then you are indeed a true artist. Dave

There was a lengthy thread just a year ago. The hatchet won the day. Here's a link. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/wire-baits/12223-75-lb-block-lead-how-can-i-melt.html Dave

Dunaway, good advice above. Painting is not something that can really be taught in a post. I am not a lure artist yet, although I have bought the equipment and had a few goes, just to check if it is possible. I have not reached the painting stage yet, but hope to soon. What I have learned is that it is possible to produce something presentable fairly quickly, after a few dozen attempts, but to become a master is going to take a tad longer. Check out my gallery (it's empty!). I can understand your consternation with the progress of this thread, but it was resurrected at the expense of the_Rookie, who has now reached the level of guru painter. Patience, trial, experimentation and lots of error are the secret. Good luck and good reading. Dave

Milia, so much that I fail to get to grips with, for example, the painted knickers. I tried my underpants, but could only achieve 'Y' shaped spray pattern. Ah well, back to the drawing board. AZ, good luck with the bees wax, report back your results, so we can all learn. Dave

Bob, wouldn't dream of assaulting you techy garbage. I can see advantages, especially when sealing, as explained very well by Rofish (a fellow engineer), air cooling will draw the sealer in. As for the long term effects, I think the pressure equalises itself. No top coat or sealer is impermiable, as was amply demonstrated in a comprehensive study of sealer coats, on another lure site (name of which escapes me). So, as you correctly stated, as long as the bait is cooling down when you apply the coat, then bubbles/fish eyes will be eliminated (in theory!). Dave

I use floor tile wax, bought a couple of kilos in a tin, all my floors are white tiles. I use it as a general release agent for bondo/resin molds etc. It is hard in the tin, but if you work it with a butter knife, it becomes soft and easy to work with. After filling, leave it for an hour or so, to harden, or stick it in the fridge. The heat generated by the plaster will probably melt it, but it will have done its job by then. You are sure to have some wax product in the house somewhere, check in the kitchen sink cupboard, that is usually where the miscelaneous junk is kept. Bees wax is a similar thing. Dave

I would never part with my bandsaw and belt sander. Apart from lures, they are so useful for other jobs. Which ever machine you buy, read the manual and set it up right before use, very important. I didn't (unusual for me) and it cost me $$$ on both the bandsaw and the belt sander. Dave

I did a search for you on "dying bucktails" and found four relevant posts. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/fly-tying/9466-processing-bucktails-curing-dying-etc.html http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/fly-tying/9418-acid-dyes.html http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/fly-tying/956-dying-bucktails.html http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/wire-baits/967-dying-buck-tails.html You could try some other search words, as I think the subject has been covered more recently. Enjoy you read. Dave

I don't think anyone can answer that question, you are breaking new ground. I say go for it and find the answer. It is all good experience even if it does not work. I am hopeful. Dave

Why no make a few more molds then. After cleaning up the plaster off the tray, fill the sides of the sculpy models with soft wax. This will prevent the plaster wrapping around the master. You should be able to smooth the wax and get a reasonable finish. Dave

I still think it is possible to mold the pins in. As long as the pins extend out past the surface of the mold. Grease the pins with wax and they should pull out. Dave

For the ultimate in lexan lip forming, you should check out Pete's (Hazmail) tutorial. Most informative. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hardbait-how/13549-polycarbonate-lexan-lip-former.html Dave

I know nothing about this kind of lure or how they are supposed to swim. I am picturing in my mind the angle of the line. It seems to me that there is more body in front than behind. This is an unstable condition. The lure will rotate nose down until the pressure above the eye equals the pressure below the eye, in the direction of tow. Because the eye is too far back, this balance is never reached and the lure flips to one side. I do not think the ballast is an issue here. You can test this idea out by drilling a few 3/32

John, that tail really moves. First time I have seen one in action. Did you cast the tail? Diemai. Even though the action may be dampened, the sonics from the lip are still present. Dave

When you are five, the time to your next birthday represents 20% of your life so far. When you are 56, your next birthday will be in about a month. Dave

LP thanks. You are correct of course, I guess the guys around here have converted me to trial and error. Dave

Pete. I went quiet after your "weight in the back" post. I needed to think about this one. I was not convinced, but there was a small arguement that worked, ie the innertia arguement. But the arguement against this idea was, that the CoG of the bait is raised, making the roll condition worse. So Riverman. In light of Pete's comments, by all means, try the weight in the back (externally) as a last resort, but don't hold your breath. My money is on the higher eye position and/or split ballast towards the nose. Dave

My problem is that I get bored easily, I think I suffer from attention defecit dissorder (ADD). A typical thought process: I'm bored watching these fries cook, I'll just check for new posts. Ahh interesting. I'll just post a quick reply. I'd better google, check my facts. Whats that smell? ARRGHHH!! Where did I put that business card for the decorators that I used last time? I now use a pocket alarm clock. Also, I never leave the kitchen when cooking. If I ever visit your home, you best restrict me to the bar. Glad everyone was OK, thanks for this thread Cobra and Mike. Dave

Yes, I did the sums too, just the numbers caused me extra laundry. My innitial intention was never to go to such a deep vacuum, claimed by the RTV video, of 28". I intended using a aquarium pump. But, as your experience has shown, as little as 16"Hg can cause failure. I am definately leaning towards the soft bag approach now and abandoning the rigid structure idea. Thanks for this valuable fedback and glad you were not hurt. Dave

The eye is a good starting point. I would fit a temporary extended eye, so that it can be bent up or down, without having to drill lots of holes. Extend about 3/8", twisted wire. Excessive head movement and roll is usually the ballast too far back in the front section. Split the ballast, move some to the front. If the roll persists, move some ballast from the belly to the back (Pete's solution). This increases the innertia, which reduces roll also. After each ballast change, experiment with the eye loop (up/down), as the final solution is likely to be a combination of all the above. Use external lead sheet first, before drilling lots of holes. Change one thing at a time, so that you know what worked. I am still trying to understand all this too, so no guarantees or recrims. Most importantly, report back please. Dave

I guess a soft vacuum bag would be a much safer option. Just place a sheet of acrylic over the pour, to stop contact with the vacuum bag. The uses I would put the vacuum to are, de-gassing PoP, bondo etc, also sealing light wood bodies in propionate, for penetration. May get back to some RTV work in the future. I believe Palmetto balsa has also been involved with vacuum, might be worth a PM to him, give him a heads up to this thread, see if he can contribute. Dave

Most people are using RTV (sorry), trying any other medium will likely end in tears. Be careful when choosing your cast material, most resins are heavier than water and your lure will sink like a stone. Feather Lite

Good video, even though it is basically a sales pitch. It was impressive how much gas was removed. 28" of mercury is a serious amount of vacuum and will require a serious chamber to hold it. I don't think my 1/4" plastic plate box is capable of those specs. If I build anything like this myself, I will be using it out doors, away from windows and observing from a long distance. One thing not mentioned so far, is a vacuum release valve. Some way of releasing the vacuum slowly. Why not add a vacuum gauge while we are at it. Would still like to hear from someone who has built a chamber. Maybe this is not a suitable project for the home constructor. Dave

I think aluminium would be better, as it forms a protective oxide coating, which will act much like the soot from smoking. Steel should work though. Brass is easy so solder and is much more likely to give you problems. Choose your drill angle carefully, to avoid die locking the cast in the mold. Maybe chamfer the ally rods to facilitate de-molding. I am not an expert in this field, so I hope someone will correct me if my thinking is incorrect. Dave