DJR

I have been looking at various portable spray booths that can be purchased and versions made by hobbyists. The commercial offerings from companies like Pace seem like a nice setup, but the prices are high. I have a shop full of woodworking and metalworking tools, so making my own is certainly a possibility. However, a lot of the homemade designs on forums incorporate an inexpensive kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan which seems unsafe. In contrast, the homemade designs that utilize a shaded pole blower (i.e., squirrel cage) would be the way to go, and it appears that most of the commercial versions use them. I came across a design which seems like a winner to copy. What do you think of the homemade paint booth in the initial link? The second link is for Pace booths which are popular on many forums. I could build a wooden version similar to Pace for a lot less. All I need is a Dayton blower. http://scalefirehouse.com/sfh_brd/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2847 http://www.pacepaintbooths.com/pace/

Thanks Cadman and Smalljaw for the advice. I am going to continue to utilize vinyl paint for the smaller crappie jig heads, and switch to powder paint for the larger sizes. Ron

I built a fluid bed based on Cadman's instructions for jig heads, and have to purchase some powder paint. How much powder paint is used in a 3" diameter cup? Any brand of powder paint easier than another? Also, does anyone know of a source for unpainted lead free jig heads in smaller sizes (e.g., 1/64 oz.) that could be powder painted? It seems that most offerings are made from a low melting point bismuth-tin alloy not suitable for powder painting? Thanks.

I haven't had the time to try it out.

You can purchase a color wheel or a reference book from Hobby Lobby. If your interested in buying one, print out their 40% coupon. http://shop.hobbylob...g-guide-579425/ http://shop.hobbylob...es-book-634766/ http://hobbylobby.co...ekly/weekly.cfm Ron

They will send you some free samples. Make an email request. Ron

That approach might be an ideal alternative for a hobbyist like myself. Cheap materials that are readily available locally, lacking the health risks of plastisol, and safer for the environment. I am going to do some experimenting with it and will report the results. Thanks for the sharing the link. Ron

I would like to utilize Durham's Water Putty to make some two part molds for panfish size baits. It seems that a lot of people make molds for bass size baits. How small and how detailed of a bait could realistically be expected from a homemade two part mold? For example, could a 2" with appendages such as a cricket style bait be possible? Thanks. Ron

I watched a tackle underground video on youtube about pouring soft plastics. The individual on the video mentioned that there was going to be a series of additional videos to accompany this introductory one. As a beginner, I would be interested in viewing the other videos. Are they available on this site or somewhere else? Thanks. Ron

Jordan. I am a beginner like yourself, so can't comment on preferences for a specific body style or company. I mainly purchased 1.5 and 2.5 square bills, as suggested to you by gekhang, because of my style of fishing. However, they seem to be a popular body variation. I would suggest contacting someone like Jake at dakotalakestackle and ask for recommendations on which bodies would fit your particular fishing needs best. In addition, he has pictures of what many of the bodies can potentially look like when painted which might be helpful towards deciding on one as a opposed to another. Ron

Jordan, the following link contains the responses to the same questions that I asked last week. http://www.tackleund...ankbait-bodies/ I ended up purchasing from http://www.dakotalakestackle.com/, but haven't received them. Ron

Here are two more videos that might be helpful. Also, there are plenty of airbrush related sites that could assist with some of your questions. http://www.howtoairb...sh-lessons-179/ http://www.theairbru...m.com/forum.php Ron

Kyle, the following link contains a series of videos about painting lures and two about cleaning an airbrush that might be helpful. http://www.youtube.c...d&view=0&page=1 Ron

I have been locating sources to purchase unpainted crankbait bodies and there are a lot of potential options. Barlows, Jann's Netcraft, Lure Parts, bustinbassbaits, Predator Bass baits, Vanndalizer, etc. It seems that many of these places offer the same bodies, but the prices can vary considerably from roughly $1.00 to $3.00 a piece. The bodies are probably all made in China, so are there any differences in quality among the aforementioned places? In addition, any suggestion concerning specific bodies would be appreciated. Thanks. Ron

I don't know what basis that BBK has for his comments about Caney Creek and whether they are justified or not. In addition, I certainly don't want this discussion to ultimately turn into a bashing of Caney Creek or any other company. I am only interested in opinions based on actual experience. Thanks. Ron

I am considering where to place my initial order for colorant. Prices across the various companies are similar except for Caney Creek's X2 being higher than the rest. However, Caney Creek claims that less product is needed to achieve results which could make their offering more cost effective in the long run. Do you think there are any standouts in terms of one brand versus another? Is X2 worth the extra money? In addition, what is the approximate shelf life of colorant? Thanks. Ron

I was thinking about purchasing some molds from LinMar Fishing. They seem to have good prices on their molds and various Lurecraft products. I did a search, but didn't find any information about them. Does anyone have experience with the company? Thanks. http://www.linmarfishing.com/ Ron

Thanks Ben. Ron

I would appreciate a copy of the RTV mold tutorial discussed in the following link. Does anyone have a copy to share? It is no longer available via the provided link. Thanks. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/20266-excellent-mold-tutorial/page__p__151163__hl__%2Brtv+%2Bmold__fromsearch__1#entry151163 Ron

Thanks for everyone's input. I contacted the companies mentioned for a free sample as recommended. It seems from your responses and older posts that like a lot of things in life is a matter of personal choice as opposed to something being the end all/ be all.

I have never hand poured or injected plastic baits. This forum has been very helpful from a beginner's perspective. I plan on hand pouring into self-made 2-part molds made of water putty and heat the plastisol in a microwave. The baits will ultimately be utilized for panfish and bass. I need further direction concerning selecting a particular companies plastic. Who would you suggest based on my aformentioned factors (beginner necessitates ease of use, hand pouring, heated via a microwave)? In addition, price is certainly a factor to consider, but not the most important towards selecting which plastisol. Thanks. Ron

I am considering building or purchasing a portable spray booth for airbrushing water based paints. There are a lot of designs found on various forums, youtube, etc. However, many are questionable in terms of safety by utilizing kitchen range hoods and bathroom exhaust fans in setups for solvent based paints. I have looked at units that can be purchased, but they seem expensive for essentially a simple box, filter, and fan combination. I have a shop full of tools, so building one is certainly a possibility. Does anyone have plans for a portable spray booth for water based paints that they built and could recommend? Also, does anyone have experience with the unit in the following link? It seems reasonably priced compared to other variations offered. Thanks. http://www.ebay.com/...=item231e171ba9 Ron

Cadman, I would appreciate a copy of the plans. rd7434@yahoo.com Thanks

There is a tremendous amount of information available on airbrushes in general, and I have attempted through searches/reading posts to narrow my options as far as which one to initially purchase. However, I have never owned/operated an airbrush before, and ultimately find myself rather confused as to which model will suit my needs best. I already own a tool compressor that has a regulator and moisture filter, and want to spend approximately $100 or less on an airbrush. Which brand/model would you recommend to a novice that wants an airbrush that has the ability to do a variety of painting tasks for crankbaits/plugs without spending a small fortune? Thanks. Ron

I have been an avid fisherman for approximately 25 years, and recently decided to add lure making to my existing rod building as well as fly tying endeavors. This site seems rather informative, and I look forward to participating in the various forums. Ron