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Well done Birdman, I appreciate the time you have spent here. Some of the attachments don't open, not sure if it is me or TU - not a problem though, I think I have got it all. Thanks again. pete

Daemai - say no more, you don't have to it's all there and beautiful work it is too. Here's some more, this is the last page (225), just work your way back and see some classic euro lure makers. I lost this site in a crash about one year back, and have been looking for it ever since, thanks Daemai. pete http://www.kalamies.com/foorumi/viewtopic.php?t=32&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=5600

They are probably not paying Walmart enough to stock it, that's what is happening here, one brand of everything, take it or leave it, I'm having a withdrawal symptoms, trying to find my favourite "tomato sauce" (Ketchup, I think you call it). pete

Spike- Sorry for hijacking this eyes thread, but this may be worth reading too. Mike I am not sure what you mean by "Smelting", but assume you mean heating steel to remove the carbon?? Last time I saw anything that would do this was when I was an apprentice moulder - at the foundry they used a 'Bessemer Converter' to to air blast steel to get rid of impurities and carbon from the molten steel (very old process, but best). This converter held about 10 tons of molten steel. If this is what you are after (smaller of course), I have no idea where you could get or make such a thing - I'm thinking it would be simpler to buy the right grade wire and go from there-- If by smelting, you mean something different let me know and we will see what we can come up with. My baits range from 2" to 4 1/4" and I use a home made sanding wheel - there is a thread started in October 2007 which is full of many different ways of sanding/routing etc, mine is Post No 38 in this thread - http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/10621-rounding-hardwood-lures.html You should read the whole thread, as there is a heap of great ideas all through it- maybe it all should be in the 'Tutorials' .pete

John- those look simpler than what I have been doing, and like someone has said previous, 'you can use your left over D2T to fill the moulds', nice and quick too, which is what you want when poking epoxy around. pete

As another who has done a couple of these, I too appreciate how much work (and money) you have put into this. Great job, hope you have as much enjoyment using it.pete

BUSTED - this is what the Rookie gets up to NOW, when he's not swanning around with his celeb fishing mates, or blowing paint through a straw. pete The Rookie Cook: How to Peel Peaches - Video

Here's another two 1/4" eyes on a partially finished 4" 'swim bait', it's amazing what 'Macro' shows up, NOTE- small air bubbles, layers separating, placement of eye on lure!!! all fixable, I think I better get one of those magnifiers with light surround. pete [/img] [/img]

DT- just to satisfy my curiosity, I made some more 1/4" from 'Glass Coat' about a week back, and no bubbles compared to D2T, it's so tedious though************ have made some others since and are better than these. pete [/img]

They make baking trays out of silicone now- what temp does the powder paint melt at?? There is also some they use for exhaust gasgets etc, that must be up around 600 deg, you might have something there DT. pete

Mark , I'm searching for the garlic bags, as a bonus you get a scented bait as well. Thanks .pete

Yeah, soap would be good too, just make sure you wash the fat off the stamp, or for that matter the wax as well. Will the ink take to the silicone stamp though ??pete

Nice shot Wanna, I have fished something like this a few times (more vertical fish pile) for no result, never thought of fishing under it though!! Must give it a try next time. thanks for your input.pete

Chief - I use them all the time (tube), like anything though, you get what you pay for, especially when you get into pearls etc - Good quality gives you good colour fast colours and fine pigments that will not clog the air brush, so go for brands like 'Liquitex' JoSonja' etc. I have had some tubes for years, but I don't make very large lures either.pete

Try my old favourite, bees wax - get a ball piont pen and write your name in it, then pour a positive out of silicone whatever.pete

Thanks Bob, that is very reassuring, I sometimes wish they would make a good quality 'shallow' sonar as I would never fish in water deeper than 100' and usually it is more like 20-30' max. I will also check out that link, sounds interesting. Sorry I have not posted any pictures lately (as promised), it has been too hot to lake fish, about 100 here all week, and in Adelaide and Melbourne it was 115 (43-44C, which is a 100 year record temp for Adelaide)), you would cook on the lakes.pete

Matt- gee a few pictures would help, I am having similar problems, although not as advanced as you, I have half completed just one.pete

I just remembered it - 'The Amber Room' , thought to have been stolen from Russia by the Germans in WW2, all the amber has bees and other bugs intombed in it, so maybe in the future these eyes will become part of an 'epoxy' room??????????????? pete

diemai-thanks for those videos, no problem not having sound, because you would not be able to understand him, the camera man sounded Scottish, or some English dialect, but I could not understand him either. He makes it look so easy, why is it I always make it seem so hard???? pete

RM - I have never used DN, they would not send it over here, but I have used 'Plucid', and from what I have read on here it is the same stuff. I coated about 10 lures with it and dispite decanting it etc ,lost the rest - although it also is an excellent coating, I can't justify $50 for 10 x 3" lures. I too have been waiting in anticipation (see KC reply ) for DN's supposed new packaging, after he read it here about ten months ago, actually it was just after the TU meet in May last year, we bought it up after seeing some bags at Daves ' Hook Solutions'- it's a shame a can of lure coat (and Plucid) goes off so quick, but he is so slow.pete