Jaw

I played around trying to get a mirror chrome look about a year or so ago and spazstix gave the best results out of anything I tried but it's temperamental and easy to dull when trying to scale or add accent colors to,any overspray kills the look finally got tired of throwing money at it and moved on. Spazstix is a lacquer if I remember right. I have alot left so l know I'll try again but it's not cheap or easy to use for what I want to do.

Did a horse fly about 4 or 5 yrs ago just on a whim cleared with Sally hansens and a little epoxy it's still hung in the shop with little to no rot but I never fished it

Thanks I'm not planning on doing it but just curious in case my plans change. I understand what the original excise tax was developed for but I would like to see proof of the money being spent correctly. I know here they are limiting lock access base on deteriation of the nations lock system and lack of maintenance funds. So we pay a tax that is supposed to benefit sportsman but we still get penalized for lack of funds. That's par for course these days though

No what? It doesn't work like a regular tax number? Or it doesn't work like the first part of my statement.

So let me get this right. If you don't have a form 637 and but your material you will be charged 10% on your material then another 10% on your finished product if you decided to sell it. If you have a form 637 you can buy you material tax free but will owe 10% on the finished product. Does the excise tax work like regular business tax exemptions where a business owner can present their tax number at any retail stores and purchase a product at a reduced or exempt tax rate. For example if I was short on hooks to fulfill an order could I run to the local tackle shop, present my tax number and purchase said hooks excise tax free? Just wondering I don't sell but if I did I would want to do it right if for nothing else but a clear conscience.

You can also take a little clay and put it on the eyes as a mask.

As far as the wire for tying I just use it on silicone/rubber skirts with a collar once I put my skirt on my jigs I take wire (I use 26 gauge I believe) and make one or two wraps around my skirt material and twist it tight then slide my collar over it. Some guys remove the collar after they wrap with wire but I just like to cover it up so thats the way I do it. I have never used wire on skirts I've tied with thread because the thread cement seems good enough for me.

That should read surface tension. Also on the subject of just pushing your master into the mixed rtv don't do it. Secure your master in your mold box,tube or whatever your using firmly and pour the rtv from a hieght sufficient enough to allow air bubbles in you mix to disappate as much as possible. Pour an even stream and slowly to keep from trapping air in your mold. It doesn't hurt to cover your master first with a brushed on layer of rtv to help eliminate air pockets in your mold cavity. If you intend on making two piece molds using clay make sure your clay does not contain sulfur. Sulfur prohibites rtv from curing

Seal your balsa with epoxy then if you feel the need for a mold release use a little petroleum jelly. Heat the jelly up a little then paint a thin layer on if you want this will help break the suave tension when demolding but is not necessarily needed as rtv silicone will only bond to itself. Mold release is usually used on two piece molds to keep the two halves from bonding to each other when making the mold. The baby powder tip you mentioned is used to make smoother pours when you are casting with resins. You just brush on a little powder in your mold and dust out or blow out the excess. This has been my experience with rtv molds there are a lot of guys in the hard bait section that have mastered this type mold making and may have more tips and tricks. Hope this helps

Thanks for the quick replies and great information I'll be ordering some soon. Thanks again

Thanks guys I'll check them out

Should read the hook shank is to short and the gap is to small for my liking.

I purchased this mold from a friend and also some eagle claw hooks he had for the mold. I want to use these jigs for flipping/pitching but the hooks seem to short to my liking. I poured a few but I'm not satisfied with the hooks so what other hooks would you recommend that will fit the mold and be have a longer shank and wider gap

Would like to see a mobile version. I don't make it to a desktop much so guess I won't subscribe until it's made more accessible

If you decide to use the foil tape make sure you get the thin adhesive type the is another type with a thick gray looking adhesive that is also sold at lowes that I bought on accident that will not work

Not sure how well the tape would conform to scales already carved or cast into the bait but I would assume it would have wrinkling issues and lose detail. I have just applied a scale pattern to the foil prior to applying it to the bait

Try the hvac foil that you can purchase just about anywhere . The roll I'm using was purchased at Fred's. Like stated above the rounder the bait the harder it is to maintain scale detail because you have to work the wrinkles out. I haven't foiled near as many baits as alot of the guys here but I get my best results by applying my foil to the point where the sides break over both at the top and belly of the bait the burnishing out any wrinkles with something round like my exacto knife handle then I use solarez to build up over the foil edge.

What type foil are you using

There are far more experienced foilers on here than me but I have found if I extend the foil to far past where the bait body starts to round I have more problems getting the wrinkles out. I try to cut my foil where it just makes it to where the side ends and the top begins this seems to work better for me. Hope that makes sense

I only use the metal foil tape that has the adhesive already on it but I am experimenting with a chrome vinyl again and contact cement but the adhesive on the tape is sufficient enough to stay put usually

They have more elasticity and are very durable but I find them harder to get started on a screw lock and I really don't care much for them myself. Kvd perfect plastics are kind of the same

Thanks smalljaw I'll look into it. There are so many variations that it's frustrating sometimes. I don't pour much just some jigs for myself and a few friend, so I was surprised when I looked at all the options and even more surprised when I couldn't find one exactly how I wanted it but I only got to look in one location before I asked this question. I did order the mold I mentioned and I'll just modify it if I don't like it or order the one you mentioned. I'm not a big fan of the screw lock on a jig seems I tear up more baits with it. Thanks again

I just trace mine from the original

What do-it mold would you guys recommend for a shaky head in the 1/8 and 1/4 oz size preferably in a 2/0 to 3/0 hook size with a barbed collar. There are so many molds that it's hard to decide. I'm not opposed to modifying one but wondering what stock mold you would use. Although the hook size is a little off I'm thinking of ordering the do-it rhb-8-48. What do you think?