dhockey11

That was an interesting read for sure, and I would have to think the author is on to something big there. The one point I have a little different opinion on is the "tail fin" of the fish being the result of another movement. I would call them simultaneous forces, and maybe give a little more weight to that of the tail since fish still swim in lakes with little current. Some movement has to get this whole vortice forming process underway in a no current situation. Something very interesting to think about though. I may have to take on a summer project in fluid dynamics to model this problem, but the software/hardware requirements would be immense. Now who's going to be the first to make a bait that swims upriver all by itself? That will be the day Thanks for the read, Zack

As I mentioned earlier, I did dip a bait today in Future. It took less than 1 hr to completely dry, and the coat wasn't as thick as I thought it would be (no precise measurements, sorry =P) since a lot of the excess just dripped off. The only problem I had was that the hook eyes got clogged, but a little poke with a pen cleaned it all out, super easy. So yes, you can dip baits in Future and its incredibly easy. Every time I use this stuff I am amazed at its versatility for hobbyists. Zack

I'm sure you can dip a bait, but id be worried about the coating being too thick. My brushed on coatings dry in abt 20mins, a dipped coat may take longer. Again, this is not a final clear coat like devcon or etex. I can dip a practice bait today and see how it goes. Zack

You can use Future as a clear. Many model airplanes are finished with this only. I prefer to brush it on because it does make cleaning the a/b more difficult, and it self levels very well. I also use Future if i decide I want to add glitter (very fine) or want to use an oil based "inking" technique to enhance any textured details on the bait. What they mean by "masking agent" is that masking tape seals much better on Future than the regular paint leading to much sharper masking lines. It also is stronger and doesn't lift when the tape is removed. Zack

@ DSV: I think what your getting at is the dual action trigger on the airbrush. It means the same trigger controls two variables, paint flow, and air flow. Push down to increase air flow, and move backward to increase paint flow. Thats atleast how my crappy airbrush works.

Dan, I have an Aztec brush, and it works just fine. It is the only airbrush I use since it was free and I'm broke. It is light, easy to use, and pretty darn cheap. However, it's plastic. The parts are suprisingly durable, including the needles, but its a b*%$@ to clean the tips because paint bonds to plastic pretty darn well. I will be posting some pics of perch baits soon if you want to see what it can do. dhockey11

Ace Hardware does carry 2 ton.

Hi guys, I'm no lead expert or anything like that, but when I noticed the thread on lead sludge, I figured I'd poke my nose in. My girlfriend is a radchemist who works with lead on a regular basis, and she tells me about her research on occasion, so this is what I know. Pure "old" lead is an expensive commodity in the research world, because as lead ages, the heavy metals in it decay (like polonium) into lead 210, and a whole bunch of other also radiactive things. Eventually, that also decays and you have clean lead (it takes a really long time). So how do you clean it yourself? Exactly like you guys do in your garage or wherever, by skimming the crap that floats on the surface when the pure lead is melted. This isn't a very effective method since the pb 210 and some other metals also melt, but it helps. So moral of the story, that pile of sludge and ash you guys are gettign could be mildly radioactive, and you may want to keep it far away from where you work consistently. Just a heads up. dhockey11

Ok, more qs about Dick Nites: I have read numerous threads on and some mention problems such as paint wrinkling. Is this due to the solvents in DN interacting with the acrylic paint, or with something underneath the paint? One mentioned cure to this for Createx was heat setting. Can all acrylics be 'heat set' or only Createx? Is heat setting necessary for other acrylic paint brands? If a barrier was put between the acrylic and the DN topcoat, would it decrease the durability of the finish? On a kind of side note, modellers (planes/trains/cars etc.) use future floor polish (also known as Johnson's Klear and Pledge with Future) as a final clear, solvent barrier, and clear parts polish. It is soluble in ammonia, but nothing else that I know of, so a coat of this over the painted bait could protect the acrylics from DN in theory. Has anyone tried this? Thanks, dhockey11

Thanks guys, I'll have to give some of these ideas a try, especially the iridescent paints over foil, tape, and wrapping paper. I'll let you know how it works when I get around to it. dhockey11

Hi, I am trying to get an irridescent effect on my crankbaits, similar to the one I hope shows up in this post. On this bait I used Luhr tape, which looks great, but is way too thick, covers up carving details and is a pain in the behind to work with. I had to scrap two of the three baits I started with this technique. So, my question is, are there other ways to do this, special foil or paints? I have done some research on here and learned that you can get expensive paints to do this, but they're expensive and I'm in college. I also heard that layering paints can give this effect, but I'm not sure how effective that is. Any ideas, thoughts or comments? This is a pic of the second crankbait I've painted. The other is a craw. I will post em in the gallery when my camera works, but I wanted to illustrate the effect I'm looking for. Thanks, dhockey11