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Jamie- Panel beaters/ spray painters use something like this to sand curves on fenders etc. It has a spring steel backing, and looks like a 'Surform' with a flexible sanding face - I threw one away about 12 months ago - darn. pete

Daffy- you can not beat raw wood and a bit of pencil, they look a lot more natural than paint colors, Nice work . pete

Because of my fair (but ruddy) complexion and baby smooth skin , I wear one of these, cotton with U.V and thermo nuclear protection - cause this is the skin cancer capital of the world - You can wrap the cape across your face, for even more protection, you would not know it from the glow on my mush here.They're called an 'Arafhat'. pete

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/12763-pvc-trick-layering-colors.html

A quick-I mean quick dip in acetone will do it. Personally I spend most of my time trying to keep them shiny/clear, so they disappear under water. pete

Someone on here mentioned white water pipe to practice on, actual lures would be an expensive and last resort. Just wipe the pipe over with acetone to remove dirt and gloss coat, it's curved, paint away and throw it away. pete

Bruce/ Phil- The best part was, I needed some small floats to float live shrimp/mullet and the straps were perfect, just cut a strip off, floats like cork and is very visible, and I still had the shoes, all for 10 bucks, what a bargain. pete

Thanks Sonny, theres some good info here - this stuff scratches so easily, these tips will be real handy. Maybe you should repost this in the "Quick Tips" post. pete

These are not 'Createx' colors, but clear is clear, as everyone is saying, what you put underneath, changes the color on top- start with light colors and work out to darker shades. These are not all 'clear' colors, but some are that watered down they may as well be - some are 'Tamiya' clear and some diluted'Liquitex'. As Dean say's, just play with them. pete

Spike , it better be clear by end of April or you are going to be held responsible. pete

Do you guys mind if I bring my Fishin shoes, if there is anything left after cutting them up for floats.Pete http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/docks/12683-brought-tears-my-eyes-2.html

I forgot to bring my 'Dunlop Volley' fishing shoes on a recent fishing trip, so bought a pair of 'oyster proof fishin shoes' at the $ shop. My best mate could not help himself and took a sneak picture, plick. Can't trust anyone these days!! Bill dance is my hero.I've never got the chance to meet him. Pete

Great Tutorial redg8r, great pics, simple, cheap to construct and great result. Thanks mate. pete

Jamie- great idea, but watch out for silicone based polishes, you may finish up with birds eyes all over your finish coat. pete

Like to thank everyone working on this forum- every time I log on, there is something new or a section 'tizzed up'. I just found another one ' Upcoming Events for the Next 90 Day(s)'. There must be an enormous amount of hard work going on behind the scenes and I would like to congratulate you all. Thanks pete

I use denatured alcohol exclusively, no bubbles, hates w/b acrylics and is cheap, mixes with water, so you can shoot straight after cleaning. great for cleaning the brush body too, although you would not know it, just looking at all the paint runs on mine. pete Methylated Spirits

muskyman - for straight bends there is something much more simple- pinch your wife/daughters 'hair straightener'. Set it at 160"C (or whatever F equivalent) and it will work like butter. There is one of my posts in here somewhere on it. Don't tell them I told you. pete

I have some old lures (25yr) I finished in this, and they have cracks everywhere, as opposed to some the same age, done in a clear floor finish, slightly yellowed but still pristine. KC -maybe the should try some of the crackle finish products around, for instant ageing. pete

Six Feet, no problem , it's all good info and thank you for the tip. Mark - I don't think this is personal or unique, we all slave away and could never recover the time spent in $ terms. My sander is a bit 'blunt' at the moment, and it depends weather they are 'split body' or not, but, about 10 minutes to for a standard body with screw eyes or 15 for a split one. As you would know painting is a different story - some recent prawn colors took about 1/2 hour because of all the colors, a lure with all the blob colors probably 1 hour, because you can not heat dry the paint. Standard 2 or 3 color ones take about 5-10 minutes, I spend more time washing out the brush than painting. The one above with the inverted platypus lip is not paint, it s 'Mylar', and the few I have done, I do them in halves as I think it is easier, and you can get the film right up to the edge, with few creases, probably takes 15 minutes to glue and stretch the mylar, very fiddly. Thanks for the compliments on the paint, and as you would know, with some of your jointed lures, the hours just drift away.pete

Great stories her guys, you don't know how lucky you are - I made my daughter a hat pin out of a fluro lure 25 years ago she was 4, and she still talks about it. pete

I was doing some Bream fishing (different to yours) last week in a small river leading into a salt water lake on the coast. The cunningest, dirty fightingest, wileyest, touchiest, cheating, ambushers, we have around here - not a lot of bites going, but as soon as a boat went past, and scared them out of their little mangrove hide'y holes, smack'o, they may have been scared, but could not pass up a free feed, even when in full flight, probably thinking the little bait fish and prawns we were using,were just as disorientated. So NO, and it was a fun morning. pete