RayburnGuy

Just did a search in the archives and was going to link to threads about swimbait ratios, but Travis had already done so. Here's a link providing info on swimbait thickness that should be of some help. good luck, Ben

Gino, Someone here at TU (can't remember who) suggested putting a screw in the top of the can the same way that is done to the side of the can to draw the DN through. The screw in the top is loosened, or removed, so a vacuum isn't created while drawing DN from the can. Here's a step by step how I do mine and you can alter the process to use with your piercing valve. When I get a new can I epoxy the Lexan stiffener (talked about above) where I want the valve to be. I then turn the can upside down and make a small hole in the side of the can and through the Lexan where the valve is to be placed that is just large enough a self tapping sheet metal screw will start. You would be placing your piercing valve here. Once I have the hole through the Lexan and the side of the can I spray some Bloxygen into the can and install my valve. My reasoning for using the Bloxygen is that when the can is turned right side up the Bloxygen will settle on the surface of the DN and provide a protective barrier between the DN and any moisture laden air that makes it's way inside the can by way of the vent. Once the can is turned right side up I repeat the "tapping" process in the top of the can using another sheet metal screw as another valve. This way you can loosen the "valve" in the top of the can so no vacuum is formed. Since the Bloxygen (argon gas) you sprayed in the can earlier is heavier than air it will lay on the surface of the DN and protect it from any moisture. The can of DN I'm using right now is almost empty and it's been "tapped" for well over a year. Maybe closer to two years, and I just used it to top coat a bait a couple days ago so "tapping the can" does work. One more thing. Not sure how much difference it makes, but I try to keep the can level and upright so as not to disturb the layer of Bloxygen resting on top of the DN inside the can. If there's anything I can help with just holler back and I'll do my best. Good luck and let us know how it goes with the DN. Ben p.s. The can in the picture below was taken before I added the Lexan stiffener. I later added a second "tap" using the Lexan stiffener because the original hole had stripped out and the screw got loose letting the liquid slowly leak. The leaking liquid was allowed to harden which sealed the original hole and then the second "tap" was made using the Lexan. There has been no problem with the Lexan stripping out and the screw has been in and out countless times.

Guess I got lucky. Been using the syringes that are used to refill ink canisters for years now and never had a problem. I also use a wee bit of airbrush lube on the rubber of the plunger to make it easier to inject and have never had a problem with that either. Now that I know about the problems other folks have been having I'll probably start having trouble as well. Sometimes it's better to be lucky and dumb than it is to be smart. Ben

Only one problem Gino. When you pour the DN from one can to the other your exposing it to moisture in the air. This moisture is what starts the DN to curing. All you really have to do is take the lid off the can to expose it to moisture. The whole purpose of the "tapping the can" method of extraction is to avoid exposing DN to this moisture. Another way to strengthen the wall of the can is to epoxy a piece of Lexan to the side of the can where it will be pierced to install your valve. Just use sandpaper to roughen up the surface of the can where the Lexan stiffener will be placed. Cut a piece of Lexan to fit and then use a heat gun to soften it enough to make it conform to the contour of the can. Roughen the Lexan with sandpaper and epoxy it to the can. You can hold the Lexan in place with a rubber band until the epoxy dries. Drill hole and install valve. Hope this helps. Ben p.s. Great idea on the use of the valve you posted earlier.

You mention "pits in the epoxy". Did it look as if those "pits" went all the way to the paint? If so then my guess would be contamination on the lures surface. Easiest way to test would be to coat something that you know isn't contaminated. Ben

X2 Ben

The thing about these types of contaminants is that they are cumulative over time. I don't pour plastics, but have worked in a lot of places where inhalation hazards were a serious concern. By the time you begin to notice the effects some of these hazards are having on you it can be too late. The damage will already have been done. Ben

And those infernal little "C" clips on ABU reels. No telling how many of those little %&*#@% I've lost over the years. Ben

If you didn't have any parts left over you did something wrong. Try again. Ben

Oh I know. It's in ya and it's got to come out. You wouldn't be normal if it didn't. Oh wait..........your building baits so your not normal. Ben

Started doing fabrication the summer when I turned 14 years old Dale and made a living at it until retirement so I know a little something about layout work as well. Trust me when I say there is no way you can achieve the EXACT same layout time after time doing them by hand. Even building a hard template and tracing around it by hand does not equal the same accuracy offered by creating a CAD drawing and printing them out. Is that degree of accuracy necessary to build a bait? Not really, but when you get my age and the eyes start to go you'll know what I mean. At one time I could do layout work in 1/64 of an inch. Now on a good day I can see an 1/8 of an inch. Can't help you with the Mac, but surely somewhere there is software that is applicable. I'm a little like Mark when it comes to a lot of this computer stuff, but if I can figure it out then it's not that hard. And if I don't drag you kicking and screaming into the 21'st century then who else is gonna do it? Ben

I use Power Draw (thanks for telling me about it BobP) to draw my lips and then print them out. There are probably other free software drawing programs available for download as well. I had never used any kind of drawing software before and it was simple enough to figure out how to use the software to draw lip shapes. It's a free download that will draw and print your lip shapes in a 1 to 1 ratio. This means that whatever size you draw the lip that's the size it will be when you print it. Once printed out the templates can then be affixed to your lip material with spray adhesive. Then it's just a matter of cutting them out by whatever means are suitable to you. One good thing about doing your lips this way is that the file that is created when you draw your lip shape can then be stored on your computer for future use and they will be an exact copy each and every time. Ben

OK. Might as well throw my in. I can definitely see the need for not being able to post ANY & ALL pictures in the discussion forums. This would only increase the amount of content someone had to wade through to get the answers they're looking for. There is absolutely no need in posting "Hey look at what I did" pictures in the discussion forums. If someone has a question, or an answer, that can be better explained by posting a picture then by all means post the appropriate picture in the discussion thread. The website rules plainly state how, when and where pictures can be posted. Should the thread in question have been locked? Personally I don't think so. I don't pour plastics, but it was obvious to me that the glass beads that Monte uses don't cloud the plastic like salt does. You could explain this until the cows came home and you still won't get your point across like a picture will. Was the thread locked by the picture police, micro managers, or whatever derogatory term you want to use just because they had an axe to grind? I highly doubt it. Different people have different opinions and just because they don't align with yours is no need to go off on them. They might not have looked at the post in the same way some of the rest of us did. It's also entirely possible they were having a bad day. Am I the only one that's ever made a mistake and later realized it might not have been the best thing to do at the time? All that giving me hell about out it is going to do is make me dig my heels in and go into defense mode. There's enough of that going on in politics and we sure don't need that kind of crap here. just my , Ben

Or you can click on his name and send him a personal message. Ben

Sorry to hear that Bass100. I wish you the best in the future. You will be missed. Ben

Here ya go Gino. Go nuts. Ben http://lurepartsonline.com/

Ahhhhhh, but you forget. Us old coots get a 30 second head start so you lose. Ben

Do you have a band saw? The easiest way is to cut the slot on a bandsaw while the blank is still square. If you don't have a bandsaw then you can place the blank in a vice with the lip slot lined up along the top edge of the vice. You can then take a coping saw, hacksaw or whatever saw you have that is as close to the thickness of the lip as possible, and cut along the top edge of the vice. Ben

Never used KBS, but I'd have to agree with Travis. If your having such good luck with it why would you want to switch? Ben

Glad you got it worked out Shaggy. As far as the product starting to cure in the can a lot depends on how much your using. If you go through a quart a week I doubt you'll have too much trouble. Probably nothing that Bloxygen won't handle. The storage issues give those of us who only build a few baits at a time WAY more trouble than someone using a bunch every day. Depending on how much your using it might be a better option to order in smaller amounts. If you can go through a pint in a couple days I highly doubt you'll have any storage problems. It might cost more initially to order it this way, but you may end up saving money in the long run since you wouldn't be losing product. That's just something you'll have to figure out yourself. If you need any help on "tapping the can" just holler back and we'll try to help. good luck, Ben

Good luck Shaggy. Hope you get it worked out. Dale, I bought a cheap Harbor Freight gravity feed airbrush to use specifically for spraying DN. Don't remember exactly what I paid for it, but it was cheap. Figured if it eventually threw craps I wouldn't be out much. I've also used my Paasche VL siphon feed when there was several baits to coat at one time. More often than not I only build a couple baits at a time so didn't feel the need to buy a HVLP gun. Ben