mark poulson

You can thin an epoxy slightly, without affecting its characteristics, other than it's film thickness, if you make sure to thoroughly mix the two separate parts before you add the denatured alcohol to thin it. The alcohol will bond with any unmixed components and prevent the epoxy from setting. If you add more alcohol, it will become a penetrating sealer, but it won't work as a strong top coat. I got this advice from a tech at Etex.

I used a cut off round toothpick to make these trout specks.

I wonder if you can cast a really stout crane swivel with that mold, so you can have a swiveled hook hanger.

I spray my injector inside between injections with spray PAM, and the O rings are still good after more than 5 years.

For the last couple of days this website has been loading slowly. I tried both Google Chrome and Firefox, and it is the same. Did you guys change something that I missed?

I use lead wire for my ballast in my PVC swimbaits, either 1/4" solid for bigger baits, or 3/16" solid for thinner baits. I use premade belly weights with hook hangers from Lurepartsonline for most of my cranks. They are so convenient, and work really well. https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Plug-Belly-Weight-Inserts

Again, that looks ideal for multi-mold pours. Good working height, good clamping pressure, adjustable, and very stable. The last thing I want is a tippy mold while I'm pouring. Right now, I use a woodworking vise clamped to the end of my pouring bench. It works for me, because I only inject a couple of molds at a time, but your setup looks really good.

It looks to me like you may have too much powder on them. And the blank might have been too hot enough to begin with. I always do better if my blanks are just hot enough to get a good, thin coat when dipped quickly, and then tapped to remove any excess before I hang them to cool. Then I load them in my toaster oven to bake them a 350 degrees for thirty minutes to cure the powder. I still get some that are not perfect, but that cuts way down on problems, and the fish don't seem to mind.

I don't use sinking plastic for my senkos. I use glass beads for adding weight, but I still add salt for flavor.

This is just a guess, since I don't know the actual answer. I use a vertical line tie, and a split ring, for all of my jointed swimbaits, because I think it really enhances the swimming action of the baits. Except glide baits. Since the idea of a glide bait is to move effortlessly in a S shaped path, a vertical line tie might act as a rudder, and inhibit the side to side glide a little. The first bait I ever fished with that S shaped action was the original Gantrel, and it had a vertical line tie, but almost every other glide bait, except Jerry Rago's bluegill, has the horizontal line tie. Also, I do a direct tie to the bait, with no split ring. I don't know if it makes a difference, but it's how I've always fished them. I think it might keep the pull point centered on the bait more, and that would affect the glide less, too. Of course, I could be full of it. It wouldn't be the first time, and certainly wouldn't be the last. Hahaha

Correction...just over 3 oz. I'll finish it and fish it. If it gets bit, great. If not, I'll make another a bit smaller.

So I sanded and shaped, and got the final bait down to 87 grams, unpainted. That's with (2) #2 KVD EWG short shank trebles, and the rate of fall something like 3 feet per minute. It's a really slow fall, but I am going to fish it shallow anyway. I am going to finish it and throw it, since it now weighs less that 3 oz. Here's a picture, before it is primed, showing the ballast locations:

That is really slick! A great find and share.

Ripping someone with your first post is pretty weak.

You should contact a CPA that specializes in small businesses, particularly lure making businesses. There's a lot to know, and lots of expensive ways to stub your toe, so pay the expert to help you, and you won't be missing something crucial. You'll need a CPA eventually so start out right.

So what is the verdict? What is the hole size? Can they be drilled out?

Corey, I use the #4 rings because they are good for most of the cranks/baits I make. If a ring won't snap back shut after I put it on a treble hook I immediately replace it. Since I use .072 screw eyes for some of my hook hangers, being able to slip onto that size eye is my test. I just haven't found a split ring smaller than #4 that will consistently work for me. I do use smaller rings sometimes, but those are on small baits that are thrown on light line, so the line will break before the rings open up. If I'm using a lighter wire split ring for my line tie, before I tighten my line tie knot I make sure the gap in the ring is in the line tie itself, so my line knot is on the part of the ring that's doubled, and the knot holds it closed.

For me, the only failure I've had with the Barlow's split rings are right when I open them with my split ring pliers. The bad ones don't reclose after I've opened them the first time, so I just discard those and try another. Easy to spot. Otherwise, the split rings are very strong, and I've never had one fail on a fish.

I've been down for a week with "the cold" that's going around here in NoCal. Nasty business. Today's the first day I've felt decent since last Monday. If I feel better tomorrow I'll take some pics. of the bait. It's tied on now, and stashed under the boat's cover.

I originally got into lure makine to replace a 9" Pupfish of my buddies that I borrowed and broke. I was able to duplicate the lure, and it's big side to side action, but never what I now know is the hollow one knocker sound that the original's hard, brittle plastic made with it's huge ballast ball. Same deal with the Luhr Jensen Speed Trap. We call them eggshell baits, because their plastic shell is so thin and brittle it cracks if you look at it too hard. But the rattling sound it produces is unique. So we learned to be better casters! Some lures are just not duplicatable with wood. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/3593-wall-of-shame/

Owner Hyperwire split rings are bulletproof, but also expensive. I buy heavy duty #4 split rings from Barlow's in the 100 count. 4 out of 5 are fine, but the price is so good I put up that failure rate.

Hey Ben, It's good to hear from you. Mark

I would use a drill bit in a drill press to enlarge the holes. Even if they aren't perfect the prop will still spin just fine.

I could probably repurpose it as another type of lure, but the wild hair that inspired me is to make a bluegill glide bait, so that's the plan, for now. Once I've gotten that accomplished, I'll revisit the original bait, so see what, if anything, I can do with it.

Gliders, salmon are some really strong fish. I caught a 30" plus male salmon here on the CA Delta, on a wiggle wart, and he twisted the rear hook hanger 90 degrees!