mark poulson

I often wondered why they made the clear, but I use it for thinning pearls and it works. I have used it when I have a base paint scheme done, and want to protect it before I try and add detail. Once I heat set the clear, I can add details, and wipe them off if I don't like them. I heat set with my hair dryer on high for this, or the paint I've already put on will be damaged. Since I switched to a water cured urethane top coat, I just dip my lures once after I've finished the base scheme, and I can then add and remove details however I like. I use the hairdryer to speed the urethane dry and cure, so I can continue painting in an hour.

Rofish, The auto shutoff is the maximum pressure that the compressor will reach before it shuts off. That is typically the maximum safe pressure level for both the pump and the tank. You can set it at lower pressures if you want to for painting, but you can't get more pressure out of the compressor than the maximum setting. One of the reasons compressors with higher maximum pressure settings, typically around 125psi, and tanks are my preference is that I always have a big reservoir of pressurized air in reserve. And when I do draw the air pressure down low enough for the compressor to cycle, the pressure on the unit stays well above the painting pressure I have my inline regulator and water separater set for when I paint. I leave my compressor shutoff set at 100psi, and my inline paint regulator at 40psi, so I always have plenty of air for painting.

Ben, I have to disagree. You're definately qualified to sweep out his shop, and don't let anyone tell you different!

Brent, I understand your wanting to gather info before deciding, but there is such a thing as "paralysis by analysis". At some point you have to pull the trigger, and take your chances. Think of it this way, if you make a bad choice, you now have all of us to blame! Seriously, it's not rocket science, and you'll make a good choice if you just list your needs, and find something that fills them.

Ben, Have you had a chance to compare them to Pred. Bass' 2.5 knockoffs?

I didn't reply because I've never heard of it.

Now that's one I haven't heard. It's a lot nicer that sh!t or get off the pot.

Tim, I order from Tacklewarehouse.com, and pay full price. I haven't found anyone selling original Lucky Craft lures for less.

I am SO glad you guys are tackling this. I would never have the patience, or expertise, to figure it out on my own. I just copy the shapes, bill, and line tie positions of cranks I like. I play with the ballast until I get the lures to float right, and that's as far as I get into crankbait design. I don't make them to sell, just to fish, so I don't feel bad about copying someone else's work, and it shortens my learning curve. Making a new lure is fun, but I make them to fish, so I'm kind of impatient, and don't think I could ever dedicate myself to "pure research" like you guys have. Thanks for all your hard work, and for sharing your knowledge. Mark

Thanks for taking one for the team. I'm disappointed. It seemed like a really neat idea.

I've noticed that several crankbait manufs., mainly Rapala, actually recess their line ties in the bill. Do you guys know why?

Clear water...natural colors. Off colored water...chartruese or red. Night fishing...glow in the dark.

I've used and owned compressors all my adult life. If you're working inside the house, and noise is an issue, get an oiless airbrush compressor that's designed for inside use, as some here have suggested, and put up with the limited air supply. If you have a garage or shop, where noise is only an inconveniece, buy a oiled compressor with a tank from Home Depot or some other home improvement place. Buy one with a big tank, so it doesn't have to cycle as much, but dont spend a fortune. Give it a try, and learn what works for you. We really can't help you make the "perfect" decision. Only you can truly know what you need.

Now that is funny!!!!!

Rich, If you want a bullet proof water cured urethane, try Target Coatings exterior urethane, EM9300. For a $30+- investment, you aren't out that much, and, if it works out, whoopee!!!

When I first started using Etex, I had some questions, so I called their customer service number that was listed on the box it came in. The technical rep. gal who answered was extremely knowledgable and helpful. I don't have the number anymore, but I think it would be worthwhile to dig it up and talk to them directly. From what I remember of our conversation of several years ago, the solvent in Etex is denatured alcohol, and it is not very dangerous.

I think they also use depleted uranium for the bullets in the Prowler's big gun, so all you have to do is piss off the AF, survive a strafing run on your home, and dig out the spent bullets from what's left of you home when they leave. It's a plan, but, as plans go, I'd put that way down on my bucket list. Way down.

When I used to make jointed swimbaits from wook, after I'd installed my hinge screw eyes and adjusted the spacing on my joints, I'd disassemble the lure. I would coat the joint faces with one coat of D2T before I reassembled the lures. After it set, I'd clean it up a little if needed, and redrill my hinge pin holes. I used to bring the Dt2 out onto the face of the sections about 1/4" to insure a good lap with the face epoxy. Then I'd reassemble the lure, put it on my turner, and coat the faces with Etex, three coats. Since I switched to PVC as a building material, I just dip the sections in urethane three times before assembly, and that's it.

First of all, right up front, I've never even seen a musky except on TV and in magazines, so I'm working from my experience with salt water fish like Bonita and Barricuda. I would think that it would depend on the cedar you're using. There are some hard cedars that would probably hold sst screws just fine, and some that are as soft as balsa, and you should thru wire with that type. A scroll saw is fine for light wood like balsa or soft pine, but it will work too hard, and be really slow, with harder woods like poplar. A bandsaw can be used for any wood, and you can use it for PVC decking, like the AZEK I use. I prefer the PVC because it's as buoyant as poplar, and totally waterproof, so I never have to worry about water intrusion and wood swelling. It's also hard, so it holds up really well to "testing" on rocks. It cuts and machines like wood. Just use sharp tools, and sand with light pressure, or it will get hot and melt a little, turning it's surface sticky and hard to work with for a second, until it cools. I can make a lure, paint it, and finish it in a day, using a water cured urethane top coat, and be ready to fish it the next.

Bob, My WRTC sample is amber. It dries with a slight amber cast. I've put it on a couple of lures, and am in the process of testing it for durability. Right off the bat, I will say it looks like it goes on thinner, but the finished coat seems to be as thick as the SC9000. Weird. If I got a strange sample, and the actual WRTC is truly clear, I'll gladly make the switch. I am not a commercial builder, but sell baits to friends from time to time, so my need for a "bullet proof" finish is different than for someone who is in the lure making business. For hobbiests like me, a water-bourne urethane, like the WRTC from DN, or the SC9000 from Target Coatings is fine. My SC9000 is milky, but dries crystal clear, with no color change. My EM9300 dries semi- gloss, and will get a little milky after several coats. I typically use only one dip of the EM9300, if I'm doing a crackle finish, and then two dips of the SC9000. The EM9300 has such a strong film strength that it will crinkle a Createx paint job if its put on directly over the paint. So I dip once with the SC9000 to protect the paint job, and then two dips of the EM 9300 for salt water lures. For freshwater, three dips with the SC9000 is fine. It truly is "super clear" as advertised, and holds up fine unless you soak it. And for me, these urethanes have the added advantage of being accelerated by a hair dryer, so I can dip once an hour, as long as I hit it a couple of times to speed up the initial drying process, and complete a lure in a day, start to finish. I have, and do, fish them then next day, but letting them hang an extra day helps the finish to harden a little. The EM9300 does dry out much harder than the SC9000, but the 9000 is the only finish I've found that doesn't take away the shine from metalic paints. In that way, it's like water-cured urethane we use for hardwood floors. Unlike traditional solvent-based urethanes, which give wood a rich amber glow, the water-cured urethanes impart no color to hardwoods, making them ideal for light floors, like maple. There is a two part floor urethane that my flooring contractor uses, called Trafic. But I don't want to have to mix, and then lose part of the mix when I'm done. So I have two pickle jars, one with SC9000 and the other with EM9300, sitting on my workbench, ready to dip lures with no mixing, and no skinning. Again, this is from a hobbiest's perspective.

It looks interesting. Is it available to the public in small quantities? Industrial materials are usually only sold in big quantities. Also, I think you should talk to one of their tech support people to see if their product would work for lures. Their systems seem designed for metal applications.