smallmouthaholic

You miss my point. .024 is used since it makes a very small hole in the wood. It's for hanging not internal rigging

Are you initially heating the June bug mix in a micro wave or from scratch in the shooting star?

If the lead has truly oxidized,forget getting paint to stick. Brush you lead jigs in acetone w/ a toothbrush in a well ventilated area to ensure clean lead prior to painting. Don't smoke around acetone..

Are you heating your plastic w/a mechanical stirring system? Repeated micro wave heatings will cause problems.

I use.024 s.s. wire since it makes a very small hole into the rear of the plug and is easy to insert using pliers. White primers are best for a base coat since pearl,red and chartreuse are often use for a top coat and show up best against a white primer.

Everyone has their own idea concerning sealing a wooden plug. Here's mine based upon experience 1- drill all hardware mounting holes and eyes sockets 2- use .024 s.s. wire and using pliers ,insert into the rear of the plug making a hanging loop on one end 3- Completely submerge into a container of Marine spar varnish thinned w/ paint thinner 4-Keep submerged until all bubbles-small and foam like stop rising(2-4 minutes) 5-Hang to dry for 1-5 days depending upon air temperature 6- Apply one coat of KILZ primer sealer Now you're ready to paint and finish w/ your favorite clear coat

The whole truth-like it or not! I can't remember the last time I owned a chromed lure!

Plastisol that sits after shipment attracts condensation and moisture- unless of course you store it in a climate controlled room I believe Frank stated a while back that for best results,you de-gas only the amount you intend to use that day. Never had a problem w/ any plastisol that was heated and constantly stirred in hand injection system. A micro-wave causes the problems when there is moisture and air from shipment in the plastisol.

I'm just shaking my head how the in-experienced post their"rocket scientist" info on this thread. Pouring hot lead into a wooden lure cavity-Ridiculous ,DANGEROUS and completely UN-necessary Fact- the more weight you put along the length of the wooden bait the deeper in the water it sits reducing buoyancy Fact-You don't need rattles in a wooden bait. Why- you'll never hear them once the lure is sealed,primed ,painted and epoxy coated plus- you'll end up destroying the wooden bait trying to make useless rattle chambers Fact- a scale is a waste of money as the density of wood varies. Cup the nose slightly on a down ward angle to simulate a small popper nose.Now the bait,splits,bubbles and walks @ the same time. I'm done- good luck w/ your project

You don't need a scale. Use worm weights as I mentioned above. Look her for lure kits- http://www.saltwaterplugs.com/kitinstructionspage.htm http://www.saltwaterplugs.com/cedar balusters.htm https://www.google.com/search?q=salty's+fresh+water+lure+kits&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I've made 100's of these bait over the years. Building them to perform is not rocket science-UNLESS YOU MAKE IT. 1 tail weight only so they sit w/the head out of the water and the tail submerged 1/4-5/8 of an inch. The size and weights of the hooks,screw eyes and split rings can make a difference. Shape them like a tapered cigar on a lathe but 1st mark the center( of the squared wood @ the tail of the bait), then drill a hole for the worm weight to be inserted and glued in place-flush w/ the end of the wood. Shape the plug on a lathe leaving only 1/8" of the worm weight showing Drill a centered hole through the worm weight,center of the bait and nose. Cut out your eye sockets w/ a fostner bit. Then seal the wood by submerging in Marine spar varnish and thinner until all bubbles stop. 2-5 minutes. Hang to dry for 1-2 days. Assemble and set them to sit as mentioned above. File off a bit of the tail weight if they sit too deep. Add all hardware and hooks- go to a quiet,glass like area of a lake or pond to test. Paint,apply 3-d eyes and epoxy topcoat Bass wood or cedar is the recommended wood for buoyancy and action. Worm weight guides- 5'' plugs-1/8 oz. 4" 1/16 oz 3-3 1/2" 1/32oz.

Walking baits only require a bit of lead on the rear end of the bait I cup the nose slightly like a popper. Use cedar or bass wood 1- drill all mounting holes , eye sockets . Lead weight should be in the bait during lathe turning 2- seal the wood 3-Mount hooks and check the attitude of the bait in water( head up ,tail, down slightly) 4- test in a lake w/out wind 5- Paint when they walk satisfactory

Smoking your molds w/ a bees wax candle makes a difference vs. a regular candle. Roto metals sells clean,soft lead Brinell rating 5 ( same as x-ray sheet lead)

http://ultramolds.com/

The business is under an agreement of sale. Thank you for asking

MonteSS- Did you spray it or brush it? What types of products have you used in on? Wood-Lead ?

Heat the pots slightly then turn off heat.Wipe with paper towels cleaning the sides and bottom. Vacuum out the left over pieces w/ a shop vac. The spray the inside of the pots w/ simple green and remove any left over residue!

Mine did the same thing- sent in back and Jim Zeiner replaced it.Hold your mold closed against a bright light. If you see spaces between the cavities it is defective. You may try lowering the temp.of your lead and see if that helps but you need an accurate lead temp. monitor. Soft lead will make the problem worse. Do-it sand casted molds are not precise molds like CNC but you get what you pay for.Some work and others are a P.I.A.

Airbrush !

A solvent base sealer needs time to dry thoroughly!. If you think they are dry put them in a jar w/a lid. Open in 5-15 minutes and smell. Don't rush a primer and multiple coats of finish paints after sealing. Anything good takes time.

Fellas-read the links I provided. Brushing on is a joke. Complete submersion allows you to watch all the small bubbles come from all the pre-drilled holes and eye sockets .Once they stop(2 - 5 minutes) you can remove and hang. Let completely dry for a day or 2 and then submerge again. You will see some additional ,very small bubbles(almost like foam) come up. Let dry thoroughly for 3-4 days and now your wood is ready for priming and painting- then finish coating w/ your favorite epoxy.

Research the salt-water,surf casting sites to see what they use. Marine spar varnish thinned w/ paint thinner works http://www.saltwaterplugs.com/saltyforum/index.php?topic=2285.0 Here's another one for you-

Spike-it plastisol in soft ,medium and hard will produced as softer bait vs. MF. in the same categories. Experiment to find what works best for you.

I have a small ,established ,custom lure business. All molds are injection by Chris Archer of Ultra-molds. Visit my website 1st then call to discuss. The business will include a brand new ,mini shooting star(never used) 2 color injection system www.wincoscustomlures.com 215-781-2515 Al Winco

I have 3-6 Bear's(Discontinued ) 10" Single cavity U-tail Molds. They will shoot laminates fine or solid colors. You must pre-heat the mold and shoot them w/ the plastic @ 140-150 degrees. I shoot them in a vise(all 6) and they do not flash. $50.00 ea plus shipping. http://www.wincoscustomlures.com/Yesterday/html/predatorswimmingwormkit_10.html