mark poulson

Smoke of any kind is bad for your lungs.

That is a great site that everyone should have on their bookmark list.

X2

I also use both 24 and 26 guage wire. Whatever I find at Home Depot I use. For me, I use a rubber skirt band first to place the skirt material just where and how I want it, and then wrap the wire just in front of the rubber band, tight to the head of the jig or spinnerbait. I grab the two ends with a small pair of needle nose vicegrip pliers, and twist until I reach the skirt material. Then I hold the jig down with one hand, and pull up on the pliers, to pull the wraps tighter. I twist again to tighten up any slack wire, and then cut the twisted tag about 1/2" above the jig. I use an exacto knife to cut off the rubber band, and fold the wire tag end down facing back toward the hook. The tag end becomes an additional anchor to help my plastic trailers hold on. Works for me. A while back, someone here posted that they use a small O ring instead of a skirt band, and just roll it off after they tighten their wire, so they can reuse it. That sounds like a smart idea.

Jeff, Is that because when you heat a plastic too quickly, it heats unevenly, and some parts actually burn?

I saw that weather system on the satellite photos here and it looked pretty serious. http://www.weather.com/maps/geography/pacific/pacificglobalsatellite_large_animated.html I ordered some of the Createx restorer, and some airbrush lube, so I should be set for a while.

Thanks. I'll give it a try. Stay warm and dry. Looks like a lot of weather is coming your way.

Ben, Does the restorer work so well that you don't have to do an acetone soak any more?

Clever idea!

Sounds like it's time for a new partner! Hahaha

How about the amniocentesis needles and syringe?

A question, probably dumb, but here goes. I'm lazy, so I'm always trying to find ways to do things quicker, with less steps, when I build lures. That's why I switched to PVC trimboard for most of my building, and Solarez resin as a top coat. But I built wooden lures for a long time before I was tipped to PVC. I have built balsa lures in the past, and had success with this method. Since crazy glue penetrates and hardens balsa so well, has anyone tried running their screw eyes into the balsa to cut the threads into the smaller pilot hole, unscrewing the eyes again, and then putting a drop of crazy glue into the threaded hole, using a really small wire to make sure it gets down into the hole? I found that it would reinforce the balsa around the screw eye so it is strong enough to prevent pull out. Then I'd brush some gap filling crazy glue onto the shank and threads of the screw eye and then run it back in, once the glue in the hole had set. I doubt this will work for muskie and salt water lures, but it worked for me for bass lures. I never did a pull out test, but I couldn't pull them out by hand.

Target Coatings' Super Clear SC 9000 will not dull metalic finishes.

I coat my masters with pure silicone, and use my finger to work it into all the details. Once I've done that, I add the silicone/water mix to fill the rest of the mold.

The flex coat syringes are designed for epoxy. They don't have a needle, but their tips are pretty long, and should work. Of course, genius that I am, even though I have two sets in the garage sitting unused, I've never thought to try them myself....yet! http://www.flexcoat.com/products/supplies-accessories/color-coded-syringes/

Auto Air makes a reducer #4011 that works really well.

I have a handful of Red Eye Shads that swelled up in a hot boat locker this past summer, and no longer have flat sides. I haven't thrown them yet to see how it affects their action, but I'm betting it can't be good.

Just spill some of that Jack on it instead of drinking it. I know, I know, sacrilege!

Use stronger line!

I think you're right.

Please tell me you don't inhale! Hahaha D2T is a glue epoxy, and will cure out hard and brittle. If it remained flexible, it wouldn't be a very good glue. For a more flexible topcoat, look at a decoupage epoxy, like Etex, that's designed to move with large wood surfaces as they expand and contract.

Rasps and rifflers will work just fine. You can also machine it just like wood, but be careful to use sharp tools. It will melt and get tacky if you create too much heat when you are shaping it. When I sand it on my oscillating belt sander, rather than push hard like I can with wood to remove more material, I move up to a heavier grit belt to remove more material quickly. Be sure to wear a dust mask. The sanding dust is murder on you sinuses. It seems to cling to everything.

I would venture a guess that it might have to do with lure profile. Just as a round body makes for a wobble in crankbaits, a rounded bottom should produce a wobble in a sinking bait, especially if the top is thinner, like an upside down V. I haven't made a bait like that, but I have taken advantage of the V profile to make my baits more stable on a fast retrieve, so I think the opposite might be true. I'm not sure. It's hard to think clearly after a night of stuffing one turkey with another, and than marinating that stuffing in pace with red wine and pale amber beer. Hahaha I'm pretty sure the Pilgrims were really thankful the next day for Alka Seltzer!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I hope you have a great day, and don't eat too much! Hahaha