mark poulson

I use nail polish to add details to lures, and flake to powder coated jigs, all the time. It isn't a very precise system for adding detail, but it can be done.

Bob, is this the epoxy putty you use: http://www.homedepot.com/p/RectorSeal-EP-200-2-oz-Epoxy-Putty-Stick-97601/100124697

Safety advice is always helpful. When you've lived long enough, you've seen some stuff happen that will curl your hair. I had a guy working two feet away from me take his own eye out. I have a wall dropped on me, and the only thing that stopped it was a 16D nail that caught in one of my ribs. I had a friend shatter his foot when a trailer slipped off it's ball hitch. So don't ever be annoyed with advice about safety. It's hard won, and listening to it can save you a lot of grief and pain. Ask your dad if he ever welds without a mask, and why.

Nathan, what type and brand of lacquer are you talking about?

I think making your own with Lexan is your best bet. I use it in 1/16" and 1/8", and get it from Home Depot. If you think circuit board is too thin because of the lip slot in your baits, consider using a filler to make up the difference. Circuit board really works well for crank bills.

AZ is right. Learning the safe way to use power tools is really important. Your fingers won't grow back.

Ron, you can use the belly hanger on a crank to add a swivel and blade. Most crankbaits swim with a nose down attitude, so you blade will be able to turn without hitting the body. Just swap out the belly treble for the swivel and blade. If you still want the belly treble, you can embed another hook hanger behind it, half way to the tail, and add your swivel/blade there. You'll find out pretty quickly whether the additional blade will foul with the trebles, and you can just remove it if it does.

If you're just starting out, consider using PVC for your building material. For large baits there are no drawbacks, and it gives you the ability to test float you baits without fear of water intrusion, because it's totally waterproof. There's a sticky at the top of this forum titled "Why PVC" that tells you more. I'm a carpenter, and I love working with wood, but PVC has allowed me to make lures much faster and easier. Lure Parts Online has everything you need except the material. You can order the PVC trimboard from Home Depot, or your local lumber yard.

Dude, will I ever look at your avatar without almost laughing out loud?

Welcome to TU! I'd suggest you begin by taking a glide bait that you use and like, and try to duplicate it. That way you'll have an already successful design to imitate and learn from. The cutting and shaping skills are something you can only learn by doing, but it is not rocket science. The painting is also something you can only learn with practice. Fortunately for me, fish aren't as picky as fishermen, because my paint jobs look like I used a roller. If you want to start by building a glide bait, there are a bunch of threads in the Search. There are a lot of threads there about jointed swimbaits, too. Do some reading, begin to cut and shape your first bait, and ask questions here as you get stumped, or can't figure something out. TU is a group of knowledgeable and accomplished people who like to share, and are happy to do it.

If you wipe it down with acetone first, and let it dry, nail polish will stick to tungsten. I use that, and sharpies on the water, to color my tungsten punch sinkers. Both acetone and nail polish have fumes.

That is interesting and different. It does put a lot of wire/weight directly about the lure. It might be hard to keep it up at low speeds, like for slow rolling. Of course, at my age, keeping it up at any speed is a challenge.

Dude, you've already inhaled way too many fumes!

When I was 27 there was nothing better than beer, football, and fishing!

There is no honor among thieves....or attorneys.

I'm curious, too.

I think if someone invents/develops something unique and gets a patent/copyright, they should be protected from unlicensed copiers making money off it. Otherwise it's just theft. Fair's fair.

Welcome to TU. A question...is Roll Tide a new kind of laundry detergent?

I had the same experience with aluminum gumming up the grinding stones. I even tried a metal burr tool, but the aluminum was too hard. I had a genius idea to add some extra detail to one of my molds. Doh!!!

Hand tools are also fun to use. Working with my hands makes lure building even more enjoyable for me.

I use Solarez, and used to use D2T and E tex, on wooden baits, to make them harder and stronger, because wood is not hard by itself. For me, plastic baits are different. The clear coat is there to protect the paint on a plastic bait, not the bait itself.. The bait is already hard, and water proof. I use two coats of a thin top coat, like a concrete sealer. It protects the paint well enough that it doesn't fail when it gets nicked by rocks, or hooks. I make mine even tougher, but not any heavier, by using clear nail polish, if I think it needs more protection, and to keep soft plastics from melting the sealer. I think two coats of D2T would add too much weight to a plastic bait, and kill the action a little. And, as you said, it is prone to coming off in chunks because it is a glue, first and foremost, and designed to be rigid, at the expense of flexibility, so it is brittle when spread over a surface, instead of filling a small gap for anchoring.

Do you need to wear a dust mask when you use those bubbles?

Or you could just do like I do, and drink more.

They impress me! Of course, I'm impressed by legible handwriting, too. Anything I can't do myself. Hahaha

Nice videos! Strike King needs to bring those jobs back from Costa Rica.