hazmail

Longball That's exactly what I have been doing, as it's winter here now, nothing will set, it's so cold and we are finally getting rain, can't complain though, as it has not rained for 5 years- who says global warming is a myth !! global drying I say. You can find the lip punch here in 'home brew tools' http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9255 I have only made round bibs with it (20mm) but it's up to your imagination. As for the lip alignment jig, it's still pretty rough, but my best so far. As you will see it will accommodate only up to a certain size lip and lure. I only use 30mm x 20mm pre cut lips (about 3/4 " x 1 1/4"), so if you use anything bigger then 25mm wide (1") you would have to scale it up with larger Al angle to accommodate what ever you need to use. Some of those huge lures I see on here would need a RSJ to make a jig. Hope this is of some help, if you need any more info just ask. See 'Photo Bucket' Link below for pics, you may have to 'zoom' them-sorry about the quality they were taken at night.Have fun pete...... http://s206.photobucket.com/albums/bb290/hazmail/

Yep, I agree with all the above, the days just drift away. BUT- Don't forget the time to make the saw table for lip slots, router table and jigs, lip jigs, eye jigs, centre marking jig, lip aligning jig, sanding wheels, sanding jigs, drying wheel, clamps for drying wheel, stencils, Poly carbonate press/bender, lip punch- etc etc. I have not even started the spray cabinet or dust free drying cupboard yet. But S--T I'm having fun. Pete

Thanks 'Dampeoples', I will sign up tonight, I am allready a member of google mail or something, so should be easy, if only I could remember my 'password' ! !. pete

Still trying for the 'spawning' colors- a bit dark I feel, but only the trout will know ! ! This 'Photobucket is O.K - pete http://s206.photobucket.com/albums/bb290/hazmail/?action=view&current=Psycho1.jpg http://s206.photobucket.com/albums/bb290/hazmail/?action=view&current=christmas1.jpg

You say the epoxy is from a past project, HOW past, resins go off after about 12 months, especially after being opened. I would mix another batch and test it on something disposable before spending another couple of days poking and cleaning a sticky mess. Hang in there and it will fall into place. pete

F/F. Just got a heap of poly lip blanks and screw eyes from them. They were a bit slow getting here (3 weeks Australia), most places normally take about 1 week- From the date on my credit card account they seemed to take most of the time assessing and filling the order, actual delivery time was pretty quick. Screw eyes are pretty good quality and Poly blanks are a bit furry around the edges, need some sanding. To me, here, 10,000 miles away , prices seemed quite reasonable. Pete

I ike that- Very erratic, I first thought it was a mouse in the pool, had to blow it up a bit. I'm sure there is something in Malaysia, that would chase it, I know there is here. You and I must be the only ones up, your time zone is similar to here (Aus). Pete

I think it depends on the fish (type)- trout which I fish for quite a bit, are pigs - they seem to focus on a color, size or silhouette and gorge themselves on it to the luck of anything else that swims past. I liken the color response to you/me in the back shed, looking for that screw driver, the one with the blue handle- can't find it anywhere, then later you do find it and it has a green handle not blue- Our brains simplify things down from shape / size, silhouette, to something simpler like color, so we fail to see it because there is nothing blue in the entire shed. I do this all the time and even I am smarter than a fish (I think). I feel this theory could also be applied to size and silhouette also, but I think scent and movement are a different matter. Movement of a lure could be seen as an "on" "off" of a certain color as a lure wobbles, generally a slow wobble seems to work better than fast- a fast wobble probably has more to do with vibration than movement. Look at the plain angular red and white pattern most manufacturers / home builders make, this color can be dynamite. I think this color (red) is only made for our (the buyers) eyes. Under water (5'-6') the red goes to black, what better contrast is there than black and white which would be like night and day swimming past to a fish. We could use this on- off reasoning, to a lesser extent for any two or more colored lure. Silhouette, who knows, except again maybe it is the shape they have imprinted on for that day/night - nothing better than a very slow retrieve at night, with a jet black lure to get a response, the black shape against the moon lit sky, I suppose this is contrast and silhouette at work. For what it's worth, these are some of my thoughts, which keeps me coming back, just to try and fool them. If we knew for sure what "turned them on", we would soon get sick of catching fish and start throwing bricks at them to amuse ourselves, or just stay at home and take up quilting. After years of convincing myself that, at least some of this may be true, I still don't seem to catch any more fish than the next guy! ! .Pete

Pikeman - Once you get past the bandsaw bit- there is a whole new world of tools, most of which you will have to make yourself. I have included a picture of just some of them- This is just to shape lures - then you get into painting and finishing- this is another world, which I am still trying to master. ALL this is not to scare you, just trying to let you know what you are getting into - hope you have an understanding wife and plenty of time. Pete

DSV- There are heaps of posts on cutting Lexan or polycarbonate (same thing), just search "Polycarbonate". But in short you can cut 1/16 th with scizors or tin snips. A band saw , if you have one, is the go for 1/8" or just buy the blanks (about 30c each). Whatever you make, fashion a jig for it, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel every time you make one, that goes for any part of a lure as you can see from the previous SUPERB post by "Terrythebassman". Pete

Custom Lure Painting--If only the it was that simple and the Hand could keep up with the mind. Pete

Emmett I'm a bit obsessed with making and bending up Lexan lips at the moment, I just have to get them to fit the curve of the lure body and like every other phase of lure building there is this obsession with getting it just right. For me, it used to be paint and colours (colors) then it was back to lure shapes and primers. An old and very wise "French Polisher" (not sure what Americans call them)told me many times "what you do underneath, you get on top" (I was about 23 and he was 82) and from finishing furniture, to tiny fishing lures - he was right, not that I ever disbelieved him, a loverly old guy, who had fought in the 1st World War at "The Somme" in France and survived. What's "The Somme" and 90 years ago got to do with fishing lures - PERSEVERANCE - Try and achieve every step (and there are many) in building a lure (or house) to the best of your ability. When you think you have won go back to the raw wood and you will find there can be improvements made in just about every step of our lure making, it all comes down to "what you do underneath you get on top" , reminds me of something else.! ! ! I don't use a notebook anymore, I use a camera. I lost 15 years of colours (colors) and lure shapes, to lack of memory and a notebook. I still don't think I am a perfectionist ! !! ! - I'm 57yo, half blind and still learning - Hang in there . Pete

Sorry about the waste of space , I have just found the other post- thought it did not "send" ?//? Oldtimers is setting in. Pete

A couple of new 3" x 1/3 oz, glass eyed trout trickers. I'm getting a bit carried away with these spots and dots I think ! ! Pete

I would not be using vinigar in my brushes- It's a mild acid and some needles are steel- would not take long to take the point off it- also the most bodies are brass/ chrome plated (on the outside) acids also love brass.Pete

A couple of new ones-getting the hang of the new lips- A "Spotted Dog" and "Christmas in July"- Pete

This article talks about acrylics and spraying models, BUT they are still acrylics in various disguises. Some good advice (and links) here, amongst others "you get what you pay for", especially when air Brushing.Pete http://www.craigcentral.com/models/thinning.asp