Matador Customs

Will createx adhere to this polytranspar paint.

Really quick question for those who use a middle man to distribute your work, what is the average percentage a middle man should receive. Im really new to the business side of this hobby and any advice would help.

Same here, used it for the first time last night , im using the 18 inch ge bulb also. Its Taking at least 15 minutes and its also kinda soft. I'm thinking of making an enclosure around my lure turner And covering the inside with aluminum foil before I break down and buy two of those nail lights. Lights join them together

Very cool stuff, I've been following this thread and reading all the positive feedback and I'm Ready join in on the fun. I'm buying the light bulb someone mentioned earlier, the GE 18 inch. Can someone chime in on how this stuff works on pvc swimbaits or wood swimbaits. I make some three piece baits that tend to eat away the d2t at the joints, will solarez hold up to that abuse.

Thanks guys for sharing, sounds like im going with featherlite, but before i do im investigating a product i found called polywood. Has anyone used this stuff. On paper it sound like a good choice for someone who wants a Buoyant resin.

Im hoping the people that have used 16lb foam can help me out with my questions. Im gonna use an rtv silicone to make a mold from a 6inch two piece wake bait that ive been making from poplar, it takes me a few hours to carve out the shape and detail and want to make them faster. I searched this site already for different types of casting resins and saw two that might work. Ive read alot of people here like to use feather lite and im gonna give it a shot to see if it works out for me, the only concern i have is it might end up a bit heavier than the original wood bait. The other stuff i saw was the 16lb foam, which i couldnt find much info on. I read that it turns hard as a rock, if thats true will it hold eyes screws?, since im using the pin hinge to join the two pieces. And the other question, will it have a smooth finish after it cures, good enough to lay some paint on also would d2t, etex, amazing clear cast work well for a clear coat on this foam stuff. Any tips would help alot.

Does anyone know where i can find some red cedar dowels. I need some in 1 1/2 and 1 1/4.

How well does it pick up the details also how strong is it after it dries. Does it hold the eye screws good. Ive been wanting to try this on a very complex jointed top water lure that takes me hours to carve the detail on.

Ive seen your work and your paint jobs look great. The way i do it is just google the patern i want and mix colors accordingly. I pay attention to to how the colors on a real trout blend into eachother.

You hit the nail on the head. It is just a hobby for me and im not looking to make a living in this business. Ive only made a few swimbaits so far for my own use and selling them is not a top priority, nor would i be willing to sacrifice the little time i have on the weekends to make a few dollars. This is a great hobby and thanks to TU and its members ive learned alot. Now i just have to find a way to send you all a share of what i make in the future : )

I can take the bad criticism as well as i do the good but name calling, are we still in grade school. Rookie, ive always enjoyed reading what you post and the ideas you share as sarcastic they might be but if you want to insult someone there are better words in the dictionary to do so with. Dipstick just sounds childish. Anyway, thanks for giving me a bit of your wisdom, im sure one day i will sell something but rest assured it wont be anything like your 100 dollar lure.

This is the kind of mixed response i was hoping for. It validates my own thoughts and feelings both the positive and negative. Positive being that if i did sell my lures i would have to step it up and create something better than what is out already, negative being that if i did in fact sell something i made i would feel bad taking credit for someone elses design . I know i said its feels gratifying when some one had asked if i sold the lures i make but i never said i actually did, i have never sold anything i have made. In fact i have several lures that are pretty original and those i would not hesitate in selling, i only hesitate when it comes to certain lures i tried to mimic but not exactly clone. A year into this hobby and ive learned that some designs and shapes plainly work well, and ive seen many lure companies adapting these ideas in to their own lures. When it comes to wood swimbaits how far off the road does one need to veer off into to become truly original in todays market. I will probably sell my lures one day but when i do i will make sure its something ive put alot of time effort into to make it my own even if by then its not 100% original.

I just wanted to get an idea of how some of you guys felt about people selling home made lures that resemble lures that are in the market. I guess This applies to myself. I started making various swimbaits a year ago and fishing them exclusively, and every time i meet someone they ask to see what i use and the response is very gratifiying, they ask if i sell them. This is where i hesitate because i know that what ive made is not of my own design but something i saw on the internet, though not 100% percent a true replica. I usually put my own twist on things and add more detail, different materials for tails and more realistic paint jobs. As all of you know this hobby is not exactly cheap and ive already bought a small wood shops list of power tools and recently a very nice airbrush, my intentions are not malicious and would only sell a few here and there just to bring in some coin to help me keep this hobby going. I guess i just want to hear what the general opinion is concerning my dilema.

Yea thats it, fanned out paint bristles. Gonna give that a shot. Thanks guys. I hope i can make it work.

Yeah that might work. I thought of using a file but i what i was trying to avoid that and find a way to airbrush and achieve a fur effect.

Does anyone know how to create a fur texture, ive recently made a couple rat lures and they are ready for paint. I want to airbrush them and i have no idea how to start. Im using createx paints and eclipse hp-cs.

Its my male pug, napoleon, he actually barks at airplanes, and i live close to March airforce base. So it walks good right? This is my first succesful WTD lure ive made. Cant wait to carve some detail and finish it up.

Same one i use, really handy to have not just for epoxy ratios either.

i couldn't wait till tomorrow so i did what you guys suggested, centered the line tie and added a tail and SUCCESS!! or at least i like it. the lure already had a hole for me to put in a tail but when i first tested it i didn't put one in. this time i put in a fat senko and musky glenn was right, it acted as a rudder and slowed down that pivot and gave it a bit of a gliding action. heres the video and as always criticism is appreciated. just don't make fun of my test tank.. thank you guys for taking the time and sharing some very valuable knowledge

Your right about the spinning with each rod twitch. You guys are good. Im gonna work on this lure tomorrow and work on everyones suggestion. First the line tie then the belly. Hopefully its just the line tie and a little ballast mod. I still have one question and ive been curious for a while especially when it comes down to WTD lures, is it better when the ballast is concentrated on one spot or in a couple spots.

Good guess Glenn it actually does sit with the tail end slightly underwater. If i add more weight should it be concentrade in one spot or distributed along the rear?

The other day i carved out a 5 inch topwater plug I kinda wanted a rodent profile so i went with a pointed nose, round belly and of course a tapered rear that i drilled into to hold a worm for a tail. Well, i like the end result, visually, but when it came time to test, it just doesnt walk that great. Im putting in links to pictures to see if you guys notice any flaws in the shape and maybe thats the problem. I concentrated 100% of the ballast In the rear 1/2 inch from the end. It has a very fast eratic walking action, side to side in a tight zig zag motion it almost does a full turn, i was hoping to get a bit more of a wider stride left to right like a punker or a super spook. Anyway its made from poplar, 5.100 in length and weighs a bit over an ounce. Any tips or criticism will help. Thanks. http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j476/bunbury81/edba20fe.jpg http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j476/bunbury81/492c1be8.jpg http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j476/bunbury81/d9c0d295.jpg

Thanks guys, good advice all around. I now think i may have thinned it a bit too much. Next time i will not use DA and not handle the lure to avoid getting any oils on them. Thanks again.

I did thin it out with denature alchohol so i dont know if this is the problem. And yeah my lure now has small craters. As it dried i tried brushing it smooth and though it did help some spots have these craters. Etex has never let me down just wish it was harder. Im not giving up on d2t i like the hard tough shell it provides. I guess i need more practice.

Quick question to the people that use devcon for top coat, have you guys had issues with the coat coming together and creating a clumps, im using a lure spinner to dry my lures. First time using devcon ive been using etex and that stuff evens out perfectly every time ive used it. I wanted a harder finish but didnt think this would happen. How can i avoid this.