joetheplumber

2 coats of etex works like a champ. I can coat 14 lures at a time per batch of etex before it gets to thick. As stated above you need to check it in the light to see for missed spots, especially when doing the second coat.

You can use hemostats or use exacto knife handles. Just clamp them on the hook hangers when you paint. To make a holder for the handles just get a piece of scrap 2×4 and drill a few hole in it slightly larger than the exacto knife handles. That will hold them in place while you're changing paints,stencils or whatever. Plus if you got a dozen lures with a scale pattern on the back of the bait to be painted you can line em up on the 2×4 and shoot em all like an assembly line. Works pretty good.

I use etex on Mirrolures with not to many issues. I feel the lure is slighly heavier but I haven't noticed an increase in the sink rate. I apply 2 thin coats unless it's one that I have foiled. Sometimes they require 3 coats. Not sure if it etex would mess with the action on the YoZuri lure though. I love all my old 3-D minnows so much I haven't bothered trying to paint one a new color...LOL I would try the etex and see how it goes. To me it's the best clear coat for "my" saltwater lures. Specks, Reds, Flounder and Stripers are my inshore fish of choice and etex holds up very well for those fish.

I caught em all day sunday on a 1.5 ko. As long as you do a little research prior to ordering blanks the quality of them is very good. The only real LC's I buy now are the ones from the discount bin for $5 at our local tackle shop.

Larger lures and orders I ship in a flat rate box. Single lures are rolled up in bubble wrap and placed in a padded security envelope which also has bubble wrap inside of it. If I can ever find a cheap supply of clam shell packaging I'll feel better about using the padded envelopes but I haven't had any issues with broken lures yet. Just make sure you cover the hooks well so you don't stick the post man..

Badger has some airbrushes on their website that are discounted right now. I use one and I like mine. It's a syphon feed but I think the mass of lure painters all like the gravity feed guns. They have a couple of badger gravity feed guns with good discounts listed under their "garage sale" section. Maybe you can save a few bucks. They are good quality airbrush guns IMO..