rhahn427

David I followed the instructions and dipped and dried until O have some great sealed cork saltwater popper with a great finish and has dried for days. I put in water in the sink to check the balance and see how it would float. When I took it out it felt almost slimey, like a small film of the finish was softening and coming off on my hand. THe finish didn't feel as hard as when it was dry. Is this normal ? ..... Is there something else I'm supposed to do? I wanted to finish balancing and testing before I started to paint.

Can you tell me where I can get some Strong Cast. I have tried the Michael's Craft Stores in Md and they don't stock it ..... it's not on there website and I can find very little info about it on the net (Google) ....... can find only 2 references to it but no source info...... Is there an address or phone number on the box? Is there a phone number for the store where you bought it? I'd like to try some ......... Thanks in advance ......

Thanks Guys .........thought it didn't make a difference but wanted to make sure .....

Anybody pouring plastics when it's cold. I thought I read somewhere that you should not pour under 65 or 70 degrees because it might explode. I don't know if this is true because I pour lead in the cold and that's 3 times the heat.

I'll take a 6" BA jerkbait ....... please email me @ rhahn427@yahoo.com

Greg ........ thanks for sharing .......... I really would have liked the website as I'm always open to new information and products. This is a great website that I too thought was for sharing information. BTW ....... seems like Iwata has gotten ALOT of endorsements over Badger who is a paid supplier but I haven't seen anyone busting anybody's chops about their endorsements ......... so I hope noone gets intimidated and not share ......... some people are just have a bad day sometimes .......... Anyway ....... I appreciate the information Oh and Happy Holidays to all !!!!!!!!

These aren't complements ........ they are the truth !!!!

Swampland tackle all the way. Their closouts are Castaway blanks that are last years models. I fish the Chesapeake Bay and light tackle jig. I use the 844 and 845's and I have never seen a better blank yet. They were all in perfect shape and perfectly straight. Shipping is around $20 in a PVC tube. If what you want is sold out call them and ask. Lance pulls all the ones he sees that have any scratches on them and may have some that would fit your needs. I bought 10 that had scratches up to 18" from the bottom. Since I would have scuffed that area anyway because it is covered by the handle it didn't matter to me. Point is they were listed as sold out and Lance sold them to me only because I asked. I asked him why he didn't list them and he said didn't feel right selling a less tham perfect blank .......... Anyway ........ good luck but be careful ....... rodbuilding is addictive .......

If you can spend a couple of bucks I would get Bojon's DVD ..... I bought a copy and it is better than most of the other ones I've bought recently. He uses the horizontal method and makes it easy to make your own tube molds/dipping rods

Guys ....... thanks soooo much ....... this is great information. Exactly what I was looking for. Rofish ....... you said you don't use Acetone any more. WHat do you use now to mix with the propionate pellets to put them in a liquid state? I mixed 2 batches just as instructed the other day. I also found the right jars and I installed a 5" screw through the lid and tightened a nut and washer over some gasket material to seal the hole. I also used 3 nuts and a washer to adjust the place where the lure will stop so it will be held under the solution. I'll probably soak one tonight to see how it does. Anyway ...... thanks ........ good info !!!!!!

Badger is a sponsor ...... check out their garage sale ........ decent product cheap .......

OK ........ so 1 oz (dry weight) of propionate pellets is equal to a little less than 2 fluid oz. .......... therefore a heaping shot glass would be just about 1 oz of pellets (because a shot glass is usually 1.5 oz liquid measure) just as BobP said. THis is needed, per the instructions, for the first jar. And 2 heaping shotglasses of pellets would be the 2 oz of pellets needed for the second (thicker) solution ....... I think this is right ........

No I use the 8x 12 mini lathe listed below that one ........ but I got mine for $60 I think on a big sale at the store. Almost any lathe will do for turning cork in face many people use the Grizzly Hobby Lathe for turning cork http://grizzly.com/products/Hobby-Lathe/H2669

I use both. I use ready made that I ream out to a very close fit and when I want a design etc I use rings ......... I turn both on a lathe and smooth with up to 2000 grit sand paper to give a nice feel. I have a Harbor Freight lathe that I turn the cork on w/sandpaper and I am waiting for a Pac Bay rodwrapper/lathe w/metal chuck to arrive to turn handles while on the rod ...........

I'd think if it sealed balsa it will seal cork ..... probably hold to the pits pretty good to .... glad to hear you like it on Balsa Yeah ...... they're gone ......... this time of year they're schoolie stripers in the 20's around the mouth of the bay with a few cows around .......... most of the larger fish are around Point Lookout and Solomons Island (20 - 30 lbs) ......... waiting for the monsters to come in by the Bay Bridge Tunnel ........ The blues were mostly 2-4 lbs ......... haven't seen the bruisers in years but plenty of nice stripers 18 - around 36" in the Summer/fall and monsters on the Susquehanna Flats in the spring ........ my biggest this year was a 37 lb and 24 lb in one day ....... THese poppers will hopefully hold up and if not I'll just build another ....... or make some with a harder wood when they are around ..........

Sorry ...... missed that ....... no secret I'm from Baltimore Maryland USA and I mainly fish the Chesapeake Bay ......... attempting to make saltwater topwater poppers out of different materials. The one I'm playing with now is made out of a 6 inch cork rod foregrip. Weighted in the back and possibly filled with a foam and possibly a rattle. I want to see how propionate seals cork and experimenting with different materials for the rattles. I understand from reading the threads that Balsa is a pain for propionate but I didn't see any mention of cork Rick

Dang .......... I just asked what was the dry measure of 1 oz of propionate was ........ 1 person gave helpful information and I thank you very much for that ......... approximately a shot glass full I know I could have bought a scale but I thought I could get a simple answer to a simple question quickly here where we share information. Maybe the guy that sell this stuff should add the dry measure to his instructions ........ I'm surprised he hasn't chimed in with the info ..... Anyway ...... thanks for the info ...... if I find out the exact answer I'll post it incase others without a scale need it.

Thanks Bob ........ trying to do this tonight so getting a scale is not an option ....... I think it might be under the Christmas tree this year though.

I was hoping to do this tonight and not to spend $30 for a simple measurement that plenty of others have already done ........ we're here to share and I'd appreciate help from others who have done this ...... Thanks in advance

Ok ...... I'm ready to mx the propionate pellets with the acetone. Directions say to mix 1 oz to a pint of acetone ........ quesion is how much is an oz in dry measure ... teaspoon, tablespoon etc?

I bought it for the tree. Hook it up to an air source and I have 5 airbrushes constantly at my disposal for changing colors instantly by just changing the brush. Harbor freight airbrushes aren't fine detail high buck tools but they have their place too .........

I have a power wrapper and a hand wrapper ....... usually use the hand wrapper ......... I buy components and not kits. Keep your eye open for deals ...... lots of them out there. Kits are good to begin with if you don't know what to buy.

Candles are ok for smaller jigs ....... I use it all of the time ....... powder paint sticks to vitrually anythig when hot ........ problem is that you can't get an even heat all around on a large jig. I also had problems with the jigs getting too hot with heat guns and propane ..... actually melted a couple when I wasn't watching. For me the Toaster oven is the best ........ I actually use a rotisserie oven for mine because I sometimes do spireheads up to 8 oz. The oven is the only way to get them evenly heated .......... I would watch craigslist or the auction site for one about $10 ........ freecycle in my area sometimes has them for free .......... powder painting is fun once you get it right

How do the 30 ML compare to the 9 oz. THe ML are a volume measurement and the 9 oz is a weight measurement. I can't find anywhere on the label that tell me what volume the 9 oz bottles are.

I have several Lowrances ....... my best one is the LCX 111c. It has at least equal if not better resolution than any other DF I have seen including the Furano's. It also has a wide range of colors that are instrumental in telling the bottom type as well as the species of fish that you are seeing. I fish on the Chesapeake Bay (saltwater)and there are many guys that use this and adjust the sensitivity so they can see different colors of part of a mark. This along where they are in the water column tells them what species it is. They say it is the reflection on their bladders. Sounds crazy but I've seen them do it when searching for baitfish. We'd see a school on the bottom and they'ed say they were perch. Drop a bait and perch ....... another school and he'd say spot and they were spot ........ and you could see small differences. THe Lowrance reads accurately at the 30 MPH my boat cruises at and shows the schools of fish as well as bottom structure and water temp etc and the GPS is very accurate. One feature I like is being able to mark a GPS waypoint by placing the cursor on a spot on the sonar readout and marking it. THis makes it much more accurate. Yesterday we fished the shallows where we found them the day before but they were'nt there. Went back to a hump we marked on the way out and search the area and found the fish ....... had a ball on stripers 28-35" (big for the bay this time of year) for a couple of hours and left at dark with fish still on the screen ......... My Lowrance puts us on fish ......