mark poulson

Don't waste your KBS on blade touch ups. Just use clear nail polish.

I found that each brand of plastisol's initial hardness is different. I would just add hardener a teaspoon at a time to 1/2 cup batches, until I found what works for me. Unfortunately, I've only been able to add hardener to the uncooked plastic before heating, so I do go through a little plastic before I get it right for whatever mold I'm using. I can usually use the plastic that's not right for something else. When I tried to add it to already cooked plastic, the heat set the hardener into a lump before I could get it mixed. Maybe there are some hardeners out there that won't do that, but I haven't found any.

I have a few hand pour molds that work just fine. For me, the key is how open the sprue hole is, so the cavities can fill quickly without the sprue cooling and shutting off. I have a friend who bought this hand pour mold from Lurecraft, and he just poured several dozen baits with no problems. https://www.lurecraft.com/7-1_4-Sink-O-4-CAV-ALUM/productinfo/5XK-SB725-4/

Here's how I ballasted my spybaits:

Man, I love to watch his videos. He makes things look doable! I'm pretty sure that's because he really knows what he's doing.

Or a wooden toothpick in superglue.

Off the subject, but do you need a license to drive aps?

Remember that the same long chain polymers that give a top coat gloss also make it stronger. More gloss equals more strength. Have you tried scuffing the gloss top coat with a Scotch Brite pad to knock down the shine? That way you get the strength of the gloss, but not as much shine.

Buy their Bloxygen and their thinner, too.

I read your post, and my monitor froze up!

Ted, I've used several different super glues on my powder coated swim jig and spinnerbait heads, and had no issues. I use Pro Tec powder paint. I bake my baits in my toaster oven for 30 minutes at 350, and then let them hang inside with the oven off and the door ajar until they're cool enough to touch. After I glue on the eyes, once the glue has set, I use a coat or two of clear nail polish to lock them in, depending on how smoothly they seat.

I've found that, with using super glue for eyes, less is more. I just wet the center part of eye recess with the tip of my wire applicator and then position the eye. Too much glue is far worse than too little. For me, the glue just holds the eyes in position until the topcoat can cover and anchor them, and it doesn't take much to do that. If I am using a thin topcoat, like a spray acrylic, I'll go over the eyes with clear nail polish, once the topcoat has cured out.

Look for a coupling nut. They are extra long. We used them to extend anchor bolts when they were too close to the concrete.

In my experience, a hard tail doesn't interfere with the hookset, but a hard tail will break if it hits a rock (or a steel grate). Don't ask me how I know. Hahaha

Try switching your outlet with a 20 amp switch on the hot leg, so it is easier to turn on and off.

See if whichever epoxy you use has a contact number, call/contact them, and get the information straight from the horse's mouth. Years ago, I called Etex, and spoke to one of their techs. She answered all of my questions, and I never had any issues with Etex from that point on.

I've only dipped a couple of plastic KO crankbaits in KBS, and I didn't have a problem with bubbles. I dipped slowly, so all the details got filled, and removed them slowly, checking to see if air was trapped anywhere. I hung them to drip over my workbench, and removed the bottom drip with a paper towel until it couldn't be removed anymore. If there were bubbles, they must have been down in the bottom drip, and that got removed with the paper towel. Of course, it is entirely possible that I just didn't see them, even though I had my glasses on. Hahaha

I like the weedless Arkie jig mold. I'm sorry, but I don't know the number.

I cut my old plastics into 1"+- square chunks, add a bit of new plastic and heat stabilizer, and then cook it in the microwave until the new plastic kicks over. If, when I take it out to stir the colorant into it, there are still lumps, I put it back in for another 30 seconds, and it's usually ready to inject.

Cadman turned me on to Rustoleum Etching Primer for lead. I spray whatever I want to paint the day before, so it has a day to cure, and then I can paint the lead (spinnerbaits in my case) with Createx, and then top coat with clear nail polish. Spray it outside, or with a fan behind you toward an open door, because the fumes are nasty.

If you put a strip of masking tape down on your work surface, you can put a drop of super glue down on it, and then use an opened paper clip to dip into the glue, and then spread a little in the eye socket. I usually do two baits at a time. The glue won't set that fast, so I have time to place the eyes. My topcoat holds them in place, and clear nail polish adds an additional layer of protection. Once you've used up all the clean parts of the masking tape, just peel it off and lay down a fresh strip.

Try posting your question here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1281784588575840/?fref=nf

Dave, The Yozuri rattle traps I used to fish had a "scooped" forehead, so I did the same thing when I made some shallow cranks, using a rat tail file to carve a channel up from the line tie to the back. I did it because I thought it would make the bait more stable, and give it a tighter wiggle. Is this right, or did I get it all wrong?