Peterjay

Glad to see I'm not the only fanatic around here. I like to use tin for pretty much the same reasons you use silver. Tin has a nice soft sheen that closely resembles baitfish scales - super-bright metals like nickel or chrome are flashier, but less realistic. Striper lures were pretty much all block tin back in The Day, but I suppose the price is what drove manufacturers to using plated brass or lead. Again, thanks for the tip. I guess my next step is to see if I can produce some spoons that are smaller than the 2.25 ounce ones I made. We've got a few pike lakes around here, and I think old Mr. Esox would hammer a 3/4 ounce version.

Thanks for the heads-up PP. I'm definitely gonna pick up a tube. Sounds like it could come in handy for a lot of chores around here besides polishing tin.

I recently completed a project that involved modifying a tin striped bass jigging spoon from the 1940's. (I cleaned up the dings and closed the eye holes and replaced them with brass eyelets) The project was a success - they actually look better than the original and the action is superb - but I''d like to give them a more professional-looking finish if it's possible. I've been using a Dremel with the usual polishing attachments, and I've also tried micro-abrasive film, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. I've been reading up on rock tumblers with the thought of using stainless steel media to smooth out the finish. I guess my questions are: do any of you guys have any experience with using tumblers? Is it worth the investment? Is there another method that would work better? My metal polishing skill level is low to say the least.

I'm not sure I follow you, but if you're pouring too fast and trapping air bubbles, you can GENTLY squeeze the mold and kinda "burp" the air up and out the pour hole, than continue pouring. I've used Alumilite Super Plastic in RTV molds a few times, and that's what I've done.

This is a real shot in the dark, but an uneducated guess is that maybe the heat generated by the chemical reaction is what causes the plastic to expand. Metal expands when heated, why not plastic? Then again, maybe it's just one of life's mysteries that we mortals are better off not understanding. Kinda like why the Cubs haven't won the World Series in over a century.

I've been thinking of doing a multi-cavity RTV mold for something just like that. They're used on flounder around here and they're very effective. All you need are some sinker eyes and a means of making some round clay models. Should be relatively easy.

Just a couple of comments: for durability's sake, I use a flexible construction cement like Dave's Flexament or Flex-Seal and give the bucktail/feather butts, etc. a good soaking before finishing the heads. For a finishing cement, you can't beat multiple coats of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon, or if you're feeling ambitious, Devcon 2T. Once you get the basics down, it's a nice touch to wrap the heads with Krystal Flash and/or wrap some multi-colored stripes. There's no reason not to dress them up a bit and make them look a little special - people really notice that kind of stuff.

Allen, I recently bought Oomoo 30 to make some transitional molds for a project involving antique tin striper lures. I made Oomoo 2-piece molds from the original lure to pour Alumilite Super Plastic models that I can modify before making stronger permanent molds to pour the finished product in tin. The Oomoo is very easy to work with and is relatively cheap. The down side is that it's relatively soft and flexible, and doesn't have great tear strength. That wasn't really a problem - the plastic pieces came out great, and I even poured a couple of tins, just to see if the molds would hold up, and they did. (at least for a few pours) I can't speak to durability, but I was pleased with the Oomoo for the uses I had in mind, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again, as long as superior tear strength isn't required.

If you're just doing them for your own use, you could always pick up a bottle of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails with nylon and coat a couple to see how it works. Sally Hansen is widely used in fly tying and is very tough stuff. Or pick up a can of spray lacquer - worst case scenario is that you're out a few bucks, and you can always use the Sally Hansen to polish your toenails if it doesn't work on the spinner blades.

Glad it worked out - it sounds like you got a pretty good deal. I think the tying and lure making habit might be worse than the fishing itself. As far as fishing goes, I'm usually ready to call it quits by early December, but the tying goes on year round. Anything more than a day or two out of my shop and I get really antsy.

You may want to check out the U.S. patent office's website for info on trademarks and the application process. If I wanted to go into the lure-making business, I certainly would secure trademark rights. I've seen an awful lot of confusion and flat-out misinformation on other threads and sites about what constitutes a patent, trademark or copyright. A little research will go a long way regarding this kind of stuff. I know that most of us would rather stick our heads in a wood chipper than pay a lawyer, but consulting a competent patent attorney is the best way to avoid confusion and prevent being royally screwed somewhere down the road. And just to echo what others have already said, NEVER post anything online that you don't want to be copied. Some websites even appropriate the rights to any images or texts that are posted on their forums. They stick it in the "terms and conditions" disclaimer that a lot of people don't bother to read before they hit the "agree" button. Just like on the X-Files: "trust no one."

Thanks for the heads-up Dave, that's a great tutorial. Another mystery solved.

Come on up here and I'll show you where you can do your testing on obnoxious tourists. Also, most folks around here would have no objection if you want to fillet your catch.

I'm lucky enough to live adjacent to a conservation area with a pond a couple hundred yards from my back door. Like Zoran, I used to feel a bit strange heading down there to test my models, and I'd wait until nobody was around; now I've gotten to the point where I enjoy tossing a three-ounce tin into a quiet pool and watching the largemouths flee for their lives. I'm just living for the moment when somebody sees me nail a five-pound pickerel on one of my striper lures. (hey, it could happen) That ought to be enough to get the grapevine buzzing for a while. Mark, you beat me to it! That must have been hilarious. Gotta wonder if it started a stampede to the local tackle shops.

Just to second what John said about de-bugging. I had my entire store of materials wiped out by a moth infestation years ago and it wasn't pretty. I admit to being a fanatic about insect control ever since, but I wouldn't touch the stuff you described. Anything I get from an unknown source goes into a sealed plastic bag for a year before I'll even bring it into my tying room. It's amazing what insect eggs can withstand, but they should either hatch or die within a year's time.

I think you're right about SS eyelets being a wiser choice. I'll probably make the switch if I can work up the ambition to send Barlow's a check. And thanks for the info on dynamics - what you say makes sense. If I could figure out stuff like that on my own, the folks who make Sculpey wouldn't be sending me thank you notes.

Kelly, you're a true humanitarian in every sense of the word. I appreciate the offer, but my conscience wouldn't allow me to let you drive all the way out here in the heat of summer. Besides, there are several local guys who'd like nothing better than to get in there and clean up. Fortunately, they're all terrified of the pitbulls and chow chows I keep out in the yard to greet visitors.

I'd post a picture of my own bench, but I can't seem to locate it. I think it's under a pile of rabbit fur and saddle hackle, but I'm not sure. Do any of you guys have a backhoe I can borrow?

HJ, I use pure tin for all my casting. I haven't had a problem with the eyelets so far. There's a company in RI that specializes in this type of lure based on old-time designs - they use brass eyelets, which is where I got the idea. I was going to use a drilled hole/grommet setup on my tins until I saw what they were doing. The hydrodynamics are the result of a lot of experimenting over the winter with traditional and non-traditional designs. I came up with the front grooves in an effort to produce a side-to-side wobble and maybe a little lift - the original prototype didn't have much of a raised center keel and had great action, but was unstable and spun way too easily. The higher I built the center keel, the more stable it became and the action didn't really suffer. I don't pretend to understand the dynamics completely other than the fact that they work. The top side of the lure is concave - how much difference that makes, I'm not sure, but it doesn't hurt. I have a few other designs that utilize somewhat similar grooves, and they work pretty well also. My original prototypes are made from Sculpey - if they show promise, I move up to a heavier clay, and if that works, then I make a mold. Lots more failures than successes, that's for sure. Fortunately, there's a pond in back of our house for testing purposes - otherwise, I would have run out of gas money long before I got anything built. (LOL)

I haven't poured lead in a long time, but there isn't a great deal of difference that I can think of, at least as far as casting qualities go. Tin melts at a lower temperature and doesn't have the associated health risks that lead carries. It's 2/3 the weight of lead and doesn't need painting - in fact, tin has a natural fishy-looking sheen that doesn't require much aside from an occasional polishing. For the kind of stuff I do, it's a no-brainer. The only downside is the cost compared to lead, but the 2.5 ounce lures in the picture cost less than $2.50 apiece for materials. Considering what quality store-bought saltwater lures are going for these days, it's not bad at all.

I don't know how many of you guys have AC in your work areas, but I poured some tin last week, and it was hot enough in my shop to cook a pot roast. Just too miserable to work out there, and we're close enough to the ocean that it's usually fairly cool here. Tough to think about pouring when it's this hot. I caught myself wishing it was winter before I came to my senses.

RTV silicones vary a great deal as far as viscosity goes. You can get information on viscosity by checking the manufactuers' websites. If you're pouring soft plastic, especially in one-piece molds, you could probably get away with something like Oomoo. I bought some to try, but I haven't gotten around to using it yet; it's supposed to be very easy to pour and it's relatively cheap. I figure it's worth a shot.

I haven't seen the story, but assuming that it's true: it has nothing to do with PETA or anything of the sort - if you want to tilt at windmills, be my guest, but it's pure BS. It has to do with the fact that on the national level, interest in hunting and fishing is on the decline and programming people at ESPN are well aware of it - crunching numbers is what they do for a living. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact. All you have to do is take a look at declining license sales figures from around the country, and when you've finished doing that, take a look at recent circulation figures for hunting and fishing magazines. Advertisers aren't going to invest money unless the ratings or circulation numbers are there to justify the expense. If more people are interested in watching Sportscenter or soccer, then that's what ESPN is going to give them. Considering that there are fewer than 12 million hunters and 30 million anglers in a national market of 300+ million, it shouldn't exactly surprise anybody that national TV programming is drying up, except for niche outlets on cable. (where advertising rates are relatively cheap) In this part of the U.S., you can stop anybody on the street and ask who plays first base for the Red Sox or Yankees, and the odds are that they'll know - try asking about Bassmasters, and you'll probably spend the whole day looking for somebody who even knows what it is. It's a matter of demographics, not politics - people who participate in outdoor sports are aging and they're not being replaced. There are a multitude of reasons that range from land development to the internet to the loss of rural culture. I don't like it either, but there's no denying the numbers. ESPN is a business, and businesses go where the money is.

Congrats on the 15 years bro - always nice to meet another survivor.

Considering the fact that my fly tying addiction has been out of control for decades, I should have known better that to take up lure making, but here we are. The guys on striped bass sites like to talk about how making a $15 plug ends up costing $1,000, but they're only half-joking. You've really got to love it, and it's all too easy to love once you get started. More of a passion than a hobby, I think - it's easy to walk away from hobbies, but nobody gives this stuff up until they've hit rock bottom and they're looking for a bridge to live under. In my own case, I'm lucky enough to have a stint in rehab and 25 years experience in AA to draw on - the first step is admitting that I'm powerless over the urge to put enough stuff on a hook to outsmart something with the brain the size of a pea. Any kind of hook, any kind of fish. One's too many and a thousand's not enough. Nowadays, I can walk in an out of a liquor store without the urge to buy anything, but I usually fill up a bushel basket every time I go into Home Depot or the local hardware store. At least lure making addiction doesn't wind you up in court, though the nuthouse is still a definite possibility. (I admit I get nervous whenever I see my wife signing papers) So far, so good.