mjs

Was going to get the smaller Steelhead one, but sold out... Thanks for the heads up though. A real sale.

As someone else here does I use plaster of paris to embed the master. It is quick, but maybe not as neat as you would like... For a hard master I can take out the master and sand nice and flat before setting the master back in and doing the second half.

Epoxy outlasts the hair. I do use some superglue while wrapping as well. I was trying the nail polish because on the jigcraft board they loved it, and , well, envirotex is work. I think I realized later that they all fish for crappies. Of course the layer of epoxy is thicker. Would the same thickness of nail polish be stronger than epoxy?

I tested Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails as a clear topcoat to protect the wraps on a bucktail. It didn't survive one pike. Worked well for trout flies though. I think for non-toothies it is good enough.

I have a fluid bed and the hobby sandblaster for powder painting, but I find myself not using them. I don't really have a workshop so hauling it all out and putting it all back is a pain. Just fluff and stuff, and a fan brush to tap gets the job done for the amount of jigs I make. I think I was trying to buy instant results instead of taking the time to get better. Of course I just do this for fun so I do a few of this and that at a sitting. Easy to switch colors with a brush and jars. What I've learned is I get better results if I work with a very lightly loaded brush. You get a dusting instead of a clumping. I'm slow and take my time. I also find the mixes I make with clear and mica don't seem to tap as well. Either too clumpy, so add more clear, and then the color is lighter so need to tap on more to get the color I want. Maybe my mixing needs work...

DSI, if I'm reporting what I've read right, isn't a cone. It shows a realistic picture because it is a 2d to 2d. Just the orange beam in your picture above. Not the best for marking fish, but better to see what kind of cover your looking at. Like you said seeing your depth is the most important thing. Long lines are caused by whatever it is, fish maybe, staying under the cone a long time. When it moves in and out you get the white blob.

Jighead inserts are slipping too easily, and bond coat seems perfect, but the shipping is giving me pause. Before I bite the bullet are there substitutes at the hardware store to coat lead to help the plastic adhere better? Superglue, epoxy, pvc glue...?

Thanks. Good to know.

Well, tried again. The plastisol wasn't hard packed, but it must have settled some because a solid mixing gave a firmer plastic. Just making a few tubes for myself so I couldn't justify buying a mold. Thought dipping would be easy, and it's not that hard, but I sure didn't like my first attempts. I've been using metal rods with wooden dowel handles( makes a T) that I can hang up. After heating the plastic(about 4 ounces) in a microwave I then transfer it into a cut open coke can I place on a small burner. After a bit most of the bubbles go away and I start vertical dipping. Move to more horizontal dipping by tipping the can as the plastic level drops. Use up the last bit of plastic making panfish tubes. Makes a little bag of tubes. Have trouble getting perfect noses, got better after I beveled the end of the rod a bit, but still fix the worst ones with scissors and a candle. Open to suggestions to improve my process. Have to try a batch with salt next. Don't have salt flour. Will try to grind some at home for my small needs. We'll see how that goes. What do people think is a good amount of salt?

Thanks for the answers. If it is normally that stiff I need to mix it better next time. I'm also curious about the salt. I think I read here it stiffens the plastic? Or is there another reason to add it when making tubes?

I dipped a few tubes using MF saltwater, trying to get something like a strike king bitsy tube, but found them a little on the soft side. The tube works fine, but tears up a bit too easily. Instead of a bitsy tube stiffness I got more of a powerbait tube. First thought of getting a bit of hardener, but then thought I probably didn't mix the plastic well enough?

A cheap disposable option for small batches is chenile stems that kids use for arts and crafts. You can use a bit, cut it, use the next bit... Just make sure to rub it a bit to get any loose fibers out.

It was just an idea that was nagging at me. If I was applying two coatings anyways it wouldn`t be much more effort to use two types of coatings that complement each other. I was just curious as to what coatings play well together, or don`t... What is winter for if not overthinking?

Thanks for the thoughts. Agree softer over harder sounds better. To answer the why bother question...I have a few baits like the glidn rap that are no longer made and would like to keep them for as long as possible. One in particular has a bit of magic, and I'll be sad when it dies. That one is worth more effort. I've just been sanding and coating with e-tex every year, and I try to have a few baits to rotate them before they get too destroyed. When they get bit to the wood the foil and plastic start to bubble up. But the longer I can use the hot bait the better . Also like salmo whitefish, but without an extra coat of epoxy they chip like crazy.

I was reading the topcoat thread and was wondering if anyone had played around with applying two topcoats that are different. Like etex under a harder topcoat for example. Would a softer under layer add cushion to make a harder surface less brittle?

Would leaving a popsicle stick in while heating make it harder to burn the plastic? It sounded like he thought it was a very important detail and just wondering why. Looks like no one does it though.

I was researching making tubes and read Bojon's posts on the topic. He suggested using a wooden stir stick,and to leave it in while heating. Does it make a difference? I have had wood yellow epoxy. Plastic won't be affected? While talking about Bojon... Did he ever write his e-book? I searched for it and haven't found it.

Real Pro`s is really the only one I have found. Is that the one you are talking about? I share your frustration. Shipping to Canada is a killer.

Dick Stewart`s Fly Tying Tips and Reference. Excellent book for little tricks.

I love the mattlures eastcoast walleye for pike. But like most plastic options I only pull it out for big pike, and I keep the mend-it handy. I`ve made them survive a long time by taking them off for fixing religiously. I rotate three or so. The price does limit my collection to just a few though. It`s a bad feeling when a tiny pike shreds the thing.

Leaving the hook in... According to a musky study the fish lives in the short term, but die after a year or so. Recommendations to leave the hook in appear to be based on short term studies. This was in In-Fisherman I think.

Thanks for the feedback. The lures I want protected are good ones,like #9 shad raps, but I am afraid of turning them into durable junk. My tackle box is a reverse survival of the fittest. All the bad stuff never dies.

I'm more at the tinkering stage than the making stage, and I have just finished making my drying wheel for lures and flies from plans I read about here. My question is whether or not it is a good idea to put a coat of etex on new lures to toughen them up, or is that overkill that will hurt their action? I've tended to just fix gouges in the past as they happened, but was wondering about a more proactive approach. Some lures are pike sized, and others are walleye sized.