mark poulson

This looks like a great price for an airbrush with a MAC valve. https://spraygunner.com/airbrush/gravity-feed/?sort=featured&page=4 Have you had any experience with that brand of airbrush?

:O(

My experience with Minwax Wood Hardener was as I was trying to find a way to make wooden baits more waterproof, not for strengthening, but here's what I learned. The wood hardener penetrates deeply into the wood, reinforcing the cell walls, because it was designed to help make rotten wood strong enough to paint again. I found that when I soaked a wooden bait in the hardener for an hour, it would penetrate so deeply that it took a week for it to stop giving off solvent fumes. This made it a big delay in the painting process. If I were making a big balsa bait, I would worry that a penetrating sealer would take away the biggest plus from using balsa, it's buoyancy. The more sealer that's absorbed, the heavier the bait will become. If you're looking to strengthen the balsa enough to make a 10" musky bait, I worry that you will have to do so much strengthening that you'll lose the buoyancy and lively action that is balsa's distinguishing feature. I would suggest that you explore other woods, like poplar, or even go to a PVC decking material, which is buoyant, but still strong. I stopped building lures from wood, and switched exclusively to PVC, except for small balsa cranks which I harden with super glue on it's surface.

If it works for them that's all that really matters.

Curt, I've got the banner stuff now, on the left side. Thanks. Is there a way I can go straight to my gallery photos? Mark

I removed all the 2500 cookies from my computer. When I logged in again to TU, I lost the BROWSE option that used to be in the black banner above the forums. Can I restore it, and, if so, how?

I haven't found a way to repair a chipped or broken lip that will hold up to grinding it against the rocks.

This is only way I found to do it, and it still requires some cosmetic touch up and repair of the topcoat. I remove the line tie, and then carefully use a bandsaw to cut a slot down the center of the broken lip, staying away from the actual surfaces where the lip is glued to the bait. I'm just trying to create some working space, not do a final removal. Then I use a drywall knife (box cutter) to carefully pry the left over lip from the bait slot. Once I get the old lip material out, I fit a new lip in, wedge it to the top surface to be sure it fits right, and then glue it in. I reinstall the line tie, and proceed with any cosmetic repairs and recoating. It is slow and time consuming, and still requires lots of repairs prior to being able to fish the lure again. I stopped doing it years ago because I'm lazy.

Try one of the concrete sealers. Just be sure to keep the finished bait away from soft plastics.

https://www.jigskinz.com/

Contact them through their website and ask them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-LBS-Glass-Bead-Medium-Grit-MIL-SPEC-8-70-100-grit-Sand-Blasting-Abrasive-/111672165459?hash=item1a002e0453:g:VocAAOxydgZTKU6c

Really nice!

I would look at a regular wood working vise.

I bought a one cavity swimbait mold from the guy in the Ukraine, and it pours just fine. I just have to spray it with PAM between pours, so it releases easily.

Could you use a cooking spray?

If worm oil is essentially softener, will it cause the tubes to be softer?

I gave up trying to do fine detail with an air brush, and just add fine lines and accents with a solvent-based sharpie now. I heat set the sharpie, and then shoot a coat of Createx clear over it, also heat set, before I add my top coat, so the sharpie doesn't run.

X2!!

Man, I hope you got the extended warranty! Heal fast, and stick 'em soon!

I use Zap glue, because I can get it in larger bottles.

Try two coats of runny super glue instead. It soaks into the balsa and makes it harder, plus it's lighter than epoxy.

Hey Ben! Good to hear from you again.

I've found that, the more hardener you add, the faster it sets up, but the more brittle it is. It also doesn't bond as well with the thing I apply it to if i add too much hardener. So I rely on the runny super glue to insure a good bond. Before I top coated it with crazy glue, I had filler over rattle chambers pop off. Once I started top coating with the runny glue, no more pop offs. So I do it to everything I bondo now, just to give it that added strength and hardness.

That's what I use.