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Coley--Maybe Bi-annual, if so I may just arrive next year. Pete

Hang in there Dan, I might just make that one, start brewing now mate. Pete

Coley /Dan / Gene / Jerry & all - unfortunatly unable to make it this year-- spending a week or so in isolation up North @ " Dundee Beach " N.T for a change - will try my luck again with some home made lures and Barramundi, (they won last time). Wherever the meet is at, say hi to Nath and family, Dave (V /Man- if he turns up ), etc. Early August, will miss, but be thinking of you all. Pete

Good site Bob- these look like they would be handy on chucks etc. http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/CTGY/One-Way-Bearings Pete

This is the same blank shape by 'Blazt' which I also used: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/9112-100mm-jerkbait-baby-bass/ Pete

Last Summer I bought a heap of blanks (4")-- when they arrived the lips were way over what I thought I was getting (probably1" long). As I was after a slim shallow diver to about 4' max, I just stuck them on the sander and ground them back to about 3/8 - 1/2", painted them up and they worked a treat, more a shallow sway than a solid shake though,, which was what I was after anyway. Pete

'Rapala CD' in a brown or rainbow pattern swum slowly. LaPala- I'm with you, beautiful work there, if only we had the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pete

Try 'Tamiya' alcohol based paints. Pete

I would have both, BUT I just gave away a new cheap diaphragm type compressor because it sounded like a helicopter taking off. Compressors made from old refrigerator compressors are very quiet, slow if you want to spray a car, but good for an airbrush. All you need to know: http://www.instructa...ompressors-101/ Or make your own or for airbrush: and while you are at it , here is a cheap air brush. http://www.instructa...-super-precise/ I have used one of these for about 25 years, just hook it up to an air tank, on the noisy side but fast for its size : http://www.instructa...from-Car-Parts/ Pete

If you don't have a band saw try something like this, I made a blade and fitted it in a cheap drill then made a mini saw bench---just cut the "jigs" to the angles of your choice ( I have about 4), then rip them through along a parallel fence--as Dave says do it before you even think of shaping the lure, when the blank is square. If you have a "Dremmel" they make a small circular saw blade---OR check out these tools, I discovered in Sweden (made in Germany) similar to Dremmel but they have a vast range of accessories -- They make everything from mini CNC machines and mini lathes, to mini Vacuum cleaners with heaps of accessories---see page 43 of the catalog for some of their 4'' blades (10mm or 3/8 arbor) http://proxxon.com/p...micromot_uk.pdf S- -t, they even sell their stuff in Au Pete

Thanks for the tour Dave, now I can see/appreciate what you have been up to for the past 12 months,, very interesting. also liked the fish eye view of your lure, something I know I tend to forget is that top reflection, wonder if it spooks them at all???. Pete

Gene-- Just got back from the trip and missed out, count me in next time. I think I would have been too busy unpacking, removing cobwebs and killing spiders around here anyway. Are you going to post pictures of all the 'swappers' lures?? Pete

Never tried this either, BUT my guess is if the lure is weighted-- the position of the weight (ballast) will probably work better for one or the other of the ties, but will not be perfect for both - so maybe it (weight) needed to be moved/tuned before you painted etc to get a happy medium. Pete

I am no expert either, but I know "fatfingers" ( Vince) amongst others tried this (leaf foiling) a few years back with some stunning results. You may have to do some searching. Pete

Today, from my local bank I picked up my U.S $1000 cash for general cab fares and tips for my upcoming trip to the U.S (Clinton) -To my surprise it only cost Au $934, That's a saving for me, compared to 2008 of US $315, which equates TO--- about 2 X Iwata air brushes, 48 Rapala lures, probably 200 beers, 30 meals (with fries), 3 X nights accomodation, 90Gal gas, Blah ! Blah! Sorry, I'm really not gloating, I just can't believe after 2 trips over there that we are finally getting some $'s back---unfortunately, by the time I leave there it will probably be in reverse. What's happening?????? are we suddenly NOT the down trodden 'Down under'--- BUT the cruisey 'Up Over'.????? Pete

Thanks Dieter- I will be there for about 6 weeks, that's a lot of ferry trips/ boooze . Pete

Dieter-- I could NOT hear the rattle (I'm half deaf anyway) but I could hear your wife banging on the bathroom door --- Love those spoons (and your hard-baits), the action is great, can you contact me by P.M, here or on L/Lovers--Trout season is coming up and I could do with something like these -- I will be in Sweden in about 3 weeks, are you anywhere near there?? Pete

Thanks Bob- you have given me an idea, we used to use those crystals in the cooler/moisture trap in some old oxygen re-breather sets at work- I'm going to try and source some as it worked VERY well in those old sets, I am thinking if I can get enough it should be able to cope with an airbrush--Problem is I have retired so will have to get a mate to 'find' some for me. Thanks again. Pete

I'm so glad I can't speak REAL English!! Pete

Excellent Dave,-- to the uninitiated it would look like one of those one lane 'lap pools', just wish I had the room I would be all over this one. As always , thanks. Pete

Blazt--- cleared with epoxy-- swims with a very subtle sway at a slow speed, and at about 2-3'. No mate I have not tried casting resin. Pete

Good stuff Dave, and I do appreciate your time spent, bring them on. Pete

Thanks Douglas, they are still a bit random, but every now and again you can get a good pair . S/F - Great result, I had not seen your video before - it seems no matter what method we use it inevitably is very tedious, especially the epoxy phase. Dave- I think I have posted somewhere before that I used those cheap bear/ doll eyes, I just remove the back and use the caps as an epoxy mold - you can get 1000 eyes for about $10 on fleaBay-- I use 6 & 8mm but they come in sizes right up to about 12mm (I think). I didn't like that method on Taxidermy.com (or the $3.50 / cap, even though they are polycarbonate), it may work for larger eyes, but trying to draw with a pen, a symmetrical iris / pupil in a 8mm cap is near impossible with my shaky hands. For the eye filler I use a slow setting epoxy @ about 4 -6 hours to tack (not rod finish, its too soft), this gives the air bubbles time to escape, and like S/F method this is where all the time goes. I have not tried your printed eye method which looked pretty good-- You could probably stick the printed eye on the back of the caps (filled with resin) which would probably give them that magnified 3 D effect. I have not done much of this lately, only made 3 lures this year, another wasted Summer . This one is No 2 in a set of 3 , pupil is a bit large (eye is 8mm)-- Pete

For me this - "Lure Eyes" - is the 'Holy Grail' of lure making - ----- On and off, I have been at it since my last trip to the 2008 TU meet in Clinton Mo- and IMO I think I am getting close (BUT I'm quite a bit biased) . I usually make 8mm eyes (5/16th") and have tried the 'epoxy meniscus' blob method - the epoxy 'blob/ sag' method - the molded method (several variants)- the epoxy/'brass ring method AND the ordinary- http://www.taxidermy.com/eyes/ method --- all these are great ideas, but for my money all produce second rate results-- we will never beat mother nature but some of us aspire to get close. I recently went fishing for some Bream down at the coast and was fortunate enough, over two days to catch (between three of us ) about 130 of them, they all had those 'sorrowful' golden ringed eyes, which I am fascinated by (don't worry, we released them all)-- The floating black blob with THAT golden ring, weather round or like Flathead here, which is a teardrop shape, for me makes our lures 'live'--- I am trying to get my 'bit's' together and bring them over for the upcoming TU meet in Clinton and do a 'How To' for these golden eyes- As we all know, this is all very tedious, no matter which method we use - I 'm just trying to imagine how Jerry is going to shrink a couple of hours of my bumbling around into 5 min's of video. Here is some of my eye examples, in evolutionary reverse, from late 2010 to about early 2009, some with that 'golden ring' , and some with just RED eye: Pete

I know exactly what you are talking about, B----y annoying, and time consuming. I use some 5 minute epoxy to install the eyes, making sure the whole of the back of the eye AND hole it fits into are covered-- What causes it?--- small amounts of air behind the eye or in the wood beneath, which once coated with your finish coat, expands from either the differential in air temperature or from lamp heat (or heat from the cureing epoxy) which causes this SLOWLY growing bubble as the trapped air expands- driving us crazy!! Pete