eastman03

I use a etex with a lure turner. I also have alligator clips or small spring clamps with the plastic pads removed. Without the plastic I can get right onto the edge of the hook hangers and basically be epoxy free. Works for me. Some guys I've seen suspend their lure with wire or rubber bands on their turner, that might work with smaller lures too. Tough part about lures without a bill is holding it while applying the epoxy. Basically need to have it installed on the turner and apply the etex so there is no handling in between.

Sounds good guys! So I'm going to try the heat and thin out the etex method. Sounds like a good solution to my question! Thanks shawnm1, your new lures you posted look great! I really need to improve my epoxy finishing skills, your finish looks perfect!

That's a great tip gliders! I just saw your post now. I've never tried that! How much heat are we talking? Would you thin the etex with isopropyl alcohol at all?

Thanks for the help. Right now I only make one or a few lures at a time. I don't want to I get into plastics. Part of my enjoyment is the craft and hand building and sanding every single lure. I think your right Bobp. I'll probably make sure the lure is good and covered with urethane. And just paint and then epoxy. I do completely agree. Fish don't care one bit. But I enjoy putting details into it. This particular one is for a guest that I guided this spring. He liked some of my lures so much he ordered two custom ones like this. That's a first for me!

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but usually for my musky lures I like to shape/sand, carve details, then seal the wood in soar urethane. At this point I'll put one or two thin layers of etex on, then prime and paint and two or three more layers of etex. Now the problem is that I'm dabbling in carving details like find and gills and when if I do a layer of etex under my paint, I fear I will lose the details in the wood. Is this undercoat layer of etex unnecessary? I like it in general because with muskies eventually (even just with hooks and rocks) the outer layers will be penetrated. So then it's often the inner layer that becomes slightly exposed where the hook rash, or (hopefully) teeth marks are. How do you guys prepare the wood when it's carved? Or what is your order of finishing?

Lisa and Ed's as well.

So when you guys are talking epoxy for the slot, is it like a 5 minute epoxy or something more like enviortex? I also have a west systems 15minute epoxy which is very strong. The problem is for me that it starts to leak out of the ends especially if my lure isn't flat bottom, creating a huge mess and not completely filling the slot. I've never added sawdust which I would imagine would help. And I usually make 8-14" lures, so 5 minute epoxy in those small tubes would be way to expensive. I usually do a bit of epoxy, then fill the rest up with bondo, but it is time consuming and difficult to end up with a very smooth product. Just looking to make this a bit easier, wondering if anyone has any other tips. I think for myself, I also need a thin kerf blade, that would help a bit also. I cut my slot with a radial arm saw that I made a jig on, that works great.

I'm with Mark. If you add a lot of the hardening agent, it sets up real fast. That is when I have run into problems getting it smooth and filled up in the slot. So I add a bit less hardener and it seems to give me a bit extra working time. I also give my lures a thin coat of envirotex before I prime and paint. I've never had a problem with the bondo not adhering to anything, but I've only made a few dozen lures, so I'm still figuring out a good process for myself. Let us know how it goes for you.

This is the way I also do most of my thru wire, and I've been trying to figure out how to do this best as well. I use epoxy just to glue the wire into the slot, then I use bondo (car body filler) to finish off the slot. I've seen guys on youtube use a two part epoxy putty which looks like a cool product, but I've never seen it in any store. Bondo works ok, bit of a learning curve otherwise you can have gaps and bubbles when you sand it. I also let it harden up just enough so I can use a sharp knife and trim off most of the excess flush with the body of the lure (usually only around 15 min). Trust me, that stuff is rock hard, don't want to sand down a thick layer, and it hardens up pretty fast. Car body filler is also relatively cheap for how much you get, and it comes with a small activator tube, so you can use little bits at a time. I buy mine at Canadian tire. Let me know if you find a better way to do it! I'm all ears.

I purchased from lisa and eds eyes as well and was very happy with them.

I mix my extra fine glitter into my envirotex before I apply it. Then put it on the lure and spread it out with a brush, just the same as if there were no glitter. Extra fine glitter is the way to go (thanks Martha Stewart lol), and definitely sand it all smooth and flat after that layer. It looks all scratched up, but the next layer (or 2) of clear etex with make it look great. Also, do not touch with bare hands! I have learned the hard way there. No skin oils right from when you are ready to start the finishing process until its a lure, keep it clean and wear gloves. The only thing with my method is that glitter is going on the entire lure, not just the sides or where you want. So, I will also be experimenting with some of these other methods.

Whatever you get, you will be hooked. It's intimidating, but it is a blast! Don't over think it at first. I bought the cheapest airbrush I could find from princess auto (Canada), 30$ lol. I had a shop compressor already. But, like all the warnings say, it was a bit annoying to use. Lots and lots of cleaning the parts and clogging. But it got the job done at the time. Also, I would recommend buying some sort of premixed ready to airbrush paints when you start. Just get a couple and start painting. From the sounds of it, mixing and thinning out airbrush paint is a pain until you get use to it, eliminate that as a problem right off the bat. I use the testors airbrush paint from michaels, it does the job. Also, stencils will be your friend! I use everything from just a piece of paper to a milk jug plastic, to clear plastic. Use an exacto knife and cut out stripes, fins, fire tiger pattern, craw fish, whatever you can think of. It will help make your lures look pro! And it's fun. I'm pretty new to this myself, and I upgraded to a badger patriot airbrush. It is nice to have a more quality airbrush, but it doesn't mean you can't start cheap and learn. good luck

I use a 30 minute epoxy, put it in a ziplock bag and cut a tiny bit of corner off so I can squeeze it as nice as I can into the slot. I'm working on getting that part a little neater. Usually ends up being a mess. Usually does not fill all the way up the slot, I finish the rest off with bondo (car body filler). Adds a few steps to lure creation, but I would have it no other way.

Haha, I was going to say the same. Trying to paint with lower pressure, especially with my black opaque paint, it kinda gums up on the tip and I end up with this effect accidentally. I was hoping to not spatter the baits.

Yup. Lots of great info! Thanks

In Manitoba (Canada), I have bought high quality clear cedar through Windsor plywood. They have lots of kiln dried wood in different grades, from rough to clear (kiln dried, stored inside, laser straight grain, no knots, expensive). However for me only making a hand full of baits and playing around with some copy's, its nice buying only a few board feet of 2x8's of clear cedar. I can buy two feet, cut it up into nice blocks and go from there. They had all sorts of clear lumber there! If you are mass producing, than this might get expensive.

Ok so I'm flipping through the new lurepartsonline online catalogue and to my great surprise, they used a picture of me from 2007 when I worked at the lodge. Lol freaked me out. I was testing lures for muskyburger lures (ken Schmitz) and I guess he sent them that photo a long time ago. Anyway super off topic. Sorry. Page 46

I've been working on the same dilemma. Sure takes a keen eye to hand sand/carve lures that are all exactly same. But I've learned lots from youtube and forums like this. I like some of this guys ideas on making simple jigs to replicate shapes and angles. Tough thing for me is that I like to make different sizes and shapes and stuff. https://youtu.be/Y7_asjtI2UQ

Musky fishing is hard on lures no doubt. Lol. I gather that I need to sand my lures a bit more between coats of epoxy to help them bond. And perhaps try some self etching primer. Thanks guys.

So I was trolling one of the lures I made on lake of the woods for a few days and I ran into an issue. (I caught a few big pike on it!!). Probably fairly normal as far as a lure smashing into rocks, The paint/clear coat tends to chip off sometimes. My process is seal the wood. Two layers of etex. Prime. Paint. Then three of four more layers of etex. It appears as though it chips off the outer layers of etex and paint and primer. There is still the inner etex left. Now this may be normal when a lure is smashing bottom. Any tips to help prevent this ? I'm not changing finish. So let's not have that discussion. Lol.