MEISTERICS

Thanks guys, the issue was that the rod i used was not an exact fit after i grinded it down. It is a square drive motor. I feel pretty stupid for not thinking that one thru and being a touch more observent. I put some tape on the rod to fill the gaps a little better. Temporary fix for the time being.

I have this one motor that wants to keep stalling, but it is only the turning of the wheel, the motor is clearly still running. Then suddenly it starts turning again and then turns in a falling sort of way, than stops, and works back to it gradual slow turn. The problem is that is is too frequent. and is obviously a problem when turning epoxy. Is the motor bad? I make sure I spread my lures out evenly. This particluar motor has done this since purchase, but has gotten progressively worse. i am going to guess that one of the gears inside may havew a bald spot. The wheel can't have more then 200 hundred hours on it. That's nothing compared to the other motor which is the exact same model. Anyone else encounter this same issue? Thanks in advance.

The Line tie will change tons of things in the action. I suggest mixing up the positition and heights to see what it does to the action of your particular bait. It really is the best way to learn. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve with your lures.

Hey guys, Have any of you had issues with bubbles popping out around your eyes during the Etex curing process? About 50% or so of my baits get this while they are on the wheel. I take a good amount of time to clear all of the bubbles and smoothing out the epoxy with a torch and have started to get a top notch finish. The bubbles i am mentioning happen well beyond the liquid phase of the epoxy cure and are showing up in the sticky/unbrushable phase of the cure. My process to insert eyes is drill a hole about the diameter of the eye and epoxy in the eye, followed by an epoxy coat of the entire lure. My biggest issue is once the bubble is there its VERY hard to get it filled in with extra coats of epoxy. Any hints or suggestions?

I just bought a two gallon kit. 18 for shipping.

Rofish, You are right. I have been able to experience a number of things. I guess i have not thought them all out or applied them to prior mistakes/findings. I will take it as a compliment. Thank you. Sometimes i read the posts from advance builders talking about all the axis' and physics..... i just get lost and say thats way beyond my understanding. This is the first time i related an axis to my work. Trufully i have never even had to weight a lure for ballast(some i wish i had). But i am giving it a whirl. I am hoping a LITTLE does a LOT. Being that the weight of a hook can ballast a lure i would guess it does not take a signigicant amount of weight to help out. most of the issues i have with my baits is when they achieve high speeds. 4.8mph or higher. Meisterics....

I totally agree with both of you. I have been trying to hone in on one specific bait that is one of the consistency's. Thank you for all your help.

Ok, this is not me trying to sound like an expert, but after posting my question and reliving my experience along with responses from the experts. The line tie pointed down below the horizontal axis causes the bait to dig more, explaining the widder wobble. While have a higher line tie makes the bait not want to dig as much causing a tighter wiggle. BUT the lure requires so much dig in order to swim. Baits with line ties exaggerated downwards will not accept speed as willingly as a line tie that is higher. Someone please correct me if there findings are any different. My question and and everyones post really helped me look back at a ton of other baits i had issues with to understand why they did not run. Variables that must be condsidered are ballast, and line tie position(if line tie is on the lip). and lip design. Boy, either i am catching on, or i am falling behind.

in regards to .092 screweyes. It would have to be one serious fish and one strong man to not want use the drag. Yes they are bendable but that kind of pull that the test in the picture above is not natural. i am by no means beating on his test. i am just saying a fish pull and a straight pull are two different things. If you want an even longer screw eye look up magnum screw eyes. Lure parts online sells them, they are 2 inches long and .092. Thats the biggest i have ever found. Hope this helps. Please send pics of fish straightening the .092 screw eyes if you come across one. i want to catch it! Oh yea, i would not buy the open loop, bending it i would suspect compromises the steels integrity. Off to the basement.

I have had baits where the tow eye was coming out from the bait that did not swim. The remedy was to bend the tie down.

Oh yea, I bought the book. It was listed for $4.95. That was an easy decision!

Thank you for the responses. I had already been reading the crankbait ABC's. There is so much good info on there its not easy to remember it all it one our two swoops. The sensitivy of these baits big or small is humbling to say least. I have concluded that the height of the line tie is changing the action. The picture that Rofish linked reminded me of a bait i made last year. However the big difference was that the bait's line tie was inserted into the nose and not the lip. What i am saying is that this principle can be applied in both instances. What a fun never ending experiment lure building is!

Bob, Thanks for you response! I think what you mean by the "nose" is the end of the lip and NOT where it meets the body? All my findings and research tell me that the closer the line tie is to the body the tighter the wiggle. Where as the further the line tie is from the body the wider the motion gets. I am going to put a bit of solder around the top of my screw eye to give the bait a bit more ballast. It wont be a ton of weight but i am betting this is a case where a little does ALOT.

I started poking around in regards to line tie height off the lip and how it affects the action of the bait. My baits have a line tie thru the lip and relatively flat pitch to achieve depth. i am going to guess the horizontal centerline has somethin to do with it, but i thought i would consider some of the experts. it seems that my baits are more stable/tighter with a taller line tie. Does anyone find this same finding? the line tie is also closer to the nose of the bait than further. I am still searching around the forum to understand if what i found is a good theory/rule. but i have to help my wife with ACCOUNTING. i will be back at it shortly. My inconsistancy is the hook hangers are slightly different from bait to bait, obviously changing ballast. slowly narrowing it down. Thanks in advance. lures are sensitive little creations!

Many people often confuse Margin & Mark-up. Margin is the percentage or dollar value of profit a person makes on the sale of a good. $100 sale with $60 cost = 40% margin. The $60 is presumed to be your direct and sole cost to physically get the good. the mark-up of this good is 100/60 = 1.667 or 166.7% The 1.667 is the estimated increase in direct cost of a good to cover general and overhead cost. Buildings, utilities, marketing & so fourth. Along with making a "take home" dollar value. Generally speaking, a good company knows what amount they have to mark-up the good in order to break even and make a worth while profit. If they don't, they go out of business. Hope this clear things up.

I have never sold a lure. But there are a few things I do KNOW about business. NEVER cut the market, people will pay for QUALITY, selling high quantities does NOT necessarily mean greater profits. I would rather make and sell fifty lures at $75 than sell 75 lures at $60. No matter what it still takes me the same amount of time to make the lure(s), materials are fixed. At least for me. In the big picture, if running in batches you save 15 min on a 2 hr bait the time savings is negligible unless running in large quantities. Quality is biggest key. If you have a quality and unique product that is usefull people will pay. Just my opinion.

i use a 33 gallon compressor. One of my buddies have a air brush compressor. I would not trade mine for the world. 2-3 days of heavy 5-7 hr painting and you will have plenty of air before the motor turns on. I think mine cost $299 at sears and they threw in the air tools(junk). After reading this post i think i will be investing in a Iwata brush soon. I feel i have gotten pretty good with my PS900 from buyairbrush.com i wonder what will happen with a high end brush?

I suppose I should walk everyone thru my steps. 1. pour both types of resin into 2 differents cups. 2. add equal amount of MB's to each solution. 3. pour equal amount of each part by weight desired into cup. 4. mix vigourously for 20-30 seconds. 5. pour into two part mold to top of casting. 6. let resin cure. this is where the expansion happens, just before it hardens. The resin will push out my pouring whole. The amount of expansion that occurs depends how hot the mold is. Or at least thats the correlation. The only thing i can think of is that the resin is trapping air when i mix the 2 parts together and the heat is causing the air to expand within the resin in the liquid form and only stopping when the resin is hardened. i might be really reaching with that hypothesis.

Well i am using a silocone mold. i think this is happening when i am mixing the solutions i am trapping air and not giving it enough time to rise to the surface. My expansion is more that minimal. 20-40% depending on the temp of the mold. The manufacturer keeps telling me its moisture but i doubt highly thats the entire cause. I say that because i keep my resin bottles closed exception to when mixing batches and they are only exposed to air for NO MORE than 20 min. i was going to test without MB's and see what happens if there is any expansion. Irritating to say the least because i think compromising the strength of my castings.

i wish heat and expansion was the case. They spec's say it is actually supposed to shrink .005%

Does anyone know why the Resin expands when creating castings? NOTE, expansion increases as temperature of mold increases. The website states that the resin should actually shrink. Keep note that i do use MB's & the manufacturer is alumilite. Thanks, Jared

i feel kinda awkward walking down to the small local creek and casting into the on pool with 7-9 inch baits and a broom stick of a rod and reel.

Richfield. i am going to try the reducer tonight. Thanks

I am currently using the regular createx to paint my baits. From time to time i get a bit frustrated with the paint due to splattering. I am going to pick up some thinner today to help with this issue. Insight anyone? I think my big problem is due to the heat & humidity that has went thru the roof here in Ohio. Has anyone used the Auto Air paint and can give a valid comparison to the regular stuff i am using? Is it more friendly? Or do i just need to learn how to use paints more effectively? Thank you for your help. Jared

Thanks!!! I am going to try moving my line Tie and see what happens.