RayburnGuy

I like mixing fluorescent yellow with the slightest hint of blue to get chartreuse. When I say "slightest hint of blue" I'm talking about dipping the tip of a toothpick in the blue and then swirling it into the yellow. Ben

I just tried it with several different search terms and it worked for me Curt. I've noticed that sometimes the addition of quotation marks helps when doing a search. Other times a variation of the way the search is worded helps. I found lots a replies for tapping the can while found nothing on tap the can. The search done on tapping the can, without the quotation marks returned replies on tapping powder paint as well as tapping a DN can. To refine the search I added the quotation marks and that narrowed the search to threads about tapping a DN can. Ben

I haven't built any baits that size, but it might make answering your question easier if you said what type of lipless lures your talking about. Rattle trap...........glide bait......etc. Ben

You can try doing a dip in boiling water. Sometimes that will soften it up. A lot depends on what material the mesh is made out of. I bought mesh from Hobby Lobby. There were several different colors and the lady told me they were all made out of the same material. For some reason the blue was softer than any of the other colors. Not sure if it had something to do with the type of dye or what. Ben

Have you been sniffing your nail polish again? Ben

It will work just fine AZ fisher. I've done it before. You can also use one of those glue sticks that you rub on to adhere the paper together. Husky had a great tutorial about doing it this way, but unfortunately the pictures no longer show up. Seems like every time the site gets updated we lose more information. Ben

Ooops

I'll never understand computers. Using Firefox here and not having any problem. Ben

Check out my post in the thread below. It's gives a description of how I install my lip/line ties and I've never had a failure with bass sized lures on fish up to 8lbs. Ben

There are a lot of different ways to skin a cat. Below is a picture of how I do my line ties. I do a haywire twist in the wire where it shows under the lip because I think it is more uniform and is more appealing to the eye. Where the tie fits into the lure I use a barrel twist because in tests I've done it has more bite than the haywire twist which results in a stronger joint. Like Bob, I drill one tight hole in the lip that is just large enough that the line tie can be threaded through the hole. After the lip and line tie are installed as a unit, and the epoxy has cured, I come back and epoxy the exposed part of the line tie to the underside of the lip. This will help stiffen the lip and make the joint even stronger. To epoxy the line tie to the lip I lay down strips of painters tape before applying the epoxy. This way you can move the epoxy around so it gets under the line tie and is uniform in height and width. Once the epoxy is leveled out the painters tape is removed before allowing the epoxy to cure. Ben

If your just trying to match the size and shape of a bait you can use pretty much any material you want. If your also trying to duplicate the action then IMO your better off using the same material the original is made from. This is in addition to the things Bob pointed out above. Ben

The tissue paper pretty much disappears when you glue it to the bait leaving the printed image visible. Ben

I've been using Papilio for a while now and it works for me. You'll need to let the ink dry and then spray a "fixative" to protect the ink while applying the decal. The spray can be found at Papilio's website along with the decal paper. papilio.com Ben

I've been using Papilio and have had good luck with it. You have to wait until the ink is dry and then spray a "fixative" to protect the ink before applying the decal to the bait. I use the the spray found on Papilo's website. I would suggest using an epoxy top coat when doing decals on baits. I tried using DN once and the solvents didn't play well with the decal. good luck, Ben

If you can't find something to fit over the molded eyes on a Rat-L-Trap you can always sand them down flush with the body of the bait. Then it's just a matter of gluing on the eye of your choice. A good epoxy top coat will reinforce the glued on eye as well. I do this quite often and have yet to have any eyes torn off while fishing. Ben

Good for you Dale. That's a great way to get the kids involved. Ben

All I do is sand the edges with some 220 or 350 grit sandpaper after cutting them out with a pair of tin snips. To make sure you keep the edges of the lip straight just glue some sandpaper onto a tongue depressor to make a cheap sanding block. Haven't noticed any fraying of the edges on anything so far. Ben

You could try measuring the distance between the wheels in both front and back of the wheels. Just be sure to hold the tape in exactly the same place on the back of the wheel as you do the front. This should tell you if your axle is bent. good luck, Ben

Here is Merriam-Webster's meaning of ballast as it pertains to our use. A heavy substance placed in such a way as to improve stability and control (as of the draft of a ship or the buoyancy of a balloon or submarine) As Frog Addict mentioned it doesn't necessarily have to be lead. Lead is commonly used because it is cheap and dense. Tungsten is even more dense than lead, but isn't nearly as cheap. The more dense an object is the smaller the physical size is compared to it's weight. When building lures a smaller size to weight ratio can mean you have more choices as to where your ballast is placed. Ballast placement can effect how your lure sits in the water among other things. Ben

Your right Gone2long. I forgot about the Neo. While it does carry the Iwata name it is not made by them. Ben Correction: I stated in the first post I was using an Iwata HP-C while it is actually an HP-CH.

Glad to help Curt. Ben

Hard to go wrong with an Iwata. They do cost more, but your getting top of the line quality. Been using my HP-C for around 5 years now and all I've done is replace a needle which was my fault. That's another thing I like about Iwata. Parts are easily available should you have a problem. If you have a Hobby Lobby close to you then you can print out their 40% off coupon and save a good bit of money since they carry the Iwata brand. good luck, Ben

Oh I was impressed too Dale. Pete's knowledge of all the different components used in his duplicator, and how they work together, is nothing short of genius. Ben

Great stuff Pete. Your right about the wiring though. It does resemble something out of a bomb squad manual. j/k Ben

I haven't found a minimum recommended temp for applying D2T, but Bob Smith claims their 30 minute epoxy needs to be applied at 70 degrees or above. I've applied it at temps lower than that and it seemed to cure just fine, but that is what they recommend. You might want to keep this in mind if your using epoxy for a top coat in cooler temps. Ben