DingerBaits

You can use a vinyl sealer. I use some stuff that sherwin williams makes. only comes in gallons and 5 gallons though.

durability is what guys look for. Doubt it would hold up. As for matte finish, clear your bait as normal, scuff it up and spray some rustoleum Matte clear over top. The matte finish will eventually wear off, but the regular finish underneath it should be good still.

As azsouth says, there are usually 2 different versions of blanks out there. If you put a 1.5 or a 2.5 from one supplier that you get for $1 and you put a 1.5 or 2.5 from another supplier that you paid $2-$3 for you can usually see a difference. Some guys dont care what they paint as long as its cheap in the long run it can hurt you though if you plan on selling painted baits. If it were up to me, I would rather pay more and get less lures that I know wont have issues than pay less and get more lures but the quality control isnt there. Im not biased on one supplier or another, there are just some I would not buy certain blanks from. When you have been importing for 8 years, you see a lot of baits.

Yes if you properly prep the blank. Like JD said, super glue the line ties, and put the correct size hooks on like Dave stated. I personally wont run a blank unless it is painted because there are some other possible variables (clear coat).

I also sell the bill material. Although I will admit LPO is way more tailored to the hand made stuff. https://dingerbaits.com/12x12-bill-material/

100% no way to guarantee that it wont get knocked off.... If you deal with a reputable manufacturer they will not sell it to others. But that is about as far as they will go. I have been dealing with China for the last 6 years. One company went and sold my molds to a couple other companies.

As a supplier i see it very cyclical. One day they are here, the next gone.

When i painted with acrylics (almost all Testors Aztek), I did use the Aztek clear as a barrier coat before dipping in KBS. Yellows and Blues tend to run the most. If you use the Clear it will run less or not at all. I switched to lacquer based to avoid issues and to get a better bond

I use copper fittings for plumbing to make a chamber.

if the lures are not going to be air brushed you can use any acrylic paint. As for clear coat, i would say any type of non-yellowing epoxy. most guys in the states use E-tex, Devcon 2-ton or BSI 30 min for epoxies. least toxic way to o things for the kids.

HVAC tape works for larger lures. I know of a guy who does hot foiling which looks pretty slick, but I think he only does plastic ones. The ones I get, I have the factory do them. Its expensive to pay some one to do it and is only worth it in large quantities.

Lacquer based will bond way better than water/acrylics. Just need to paint with caution. Meaning Respirator/mask, ventilation, and exhaust system

Im not a huge fan of Polytrans. I actually like the LifeTone better just wish you could get them in smaller bottles. as BobP said the Superhide White works great as a base coat though.

working on it. i get them with the D65's i sell but not enough.

if its coming out around where you screw the head into, try putting a little Carmex on their. Its the same stuff that is in their cleaning kits that they sell retail. If i remember correctly there is a small Teflon bearing right before the needle enters the cup region on the brush (I may be confusing it with an Iwata). check that.