Chuck Young

I picked up two promising products from nail art supply people. One is chrome holographic nail powder. The other is just holographic. Both are .004 in. Both seem promising. I will update with pictures in the gallery soon.

From my experience with bamboo (not lure experience - but wood working experience) I have noticed the following: Bamboo splits easily. When in contact with water, it turns slimy. Cooking utensils made of bamboo tend to repel everything put at them. It is a strange medium. Expect strange results when using bamboo.

Usually when I crush beetle wings, the rest of the bug comes along with it. Nothing in that green goo resembles any kind of clear coat. Personally I prefer a quagmire to Beetleguese.

That thin masking tape is also available in auto parts stores. They use it for custom painting - flames, pinstripes, and the like. That is a great tip. I never thought of that.

I am not easily offended by remarks voicing a different perspective than mine. Nor am I offended by people correcting my mistakes, as you rightly did. Thanks for your sensitivity, though. Nobody can know everything. And this is a learning forum for all involved. I comment a lot on this sight. That doesn't make me smarter. I can only comment on what I already know (or more often than not, think). Listening to views different than mine, and adjusting mine accordingly, is what will eventually make me smarter.

I also think it matters whether your lure is designed to wobble side to side or to roll. I think that I have always seen rolling lures (Skinny minnows, like Rapalas) with round bills.

On the difference on weights of the 2 components - If Tuna has the correct weights (and I have no reason to believe that he does not), then the difference between the two is about 6/100ths. I don't think that I can measure that accurately with a syringe, esp since I only do about 1 to 2 cc at a time. One drop of either factor probably exceeds that amount. If you do larger batches of epoxy, it may be more of a factor. A scale then makes a lot of sense.

Measure it with a micrometer. Mark it with a sharpie. Cut it with an axe. Nail it with a sledgehammer. Every stage matters .

You are right. We use the term shellac here also, and that is what bin is. I suffer from a disease that affects my brain, so I get terms confused sometimes . I have used Bin in house painting. But it is only suitable on the interior as far as I know. Drying time is not consistent, depending on temp, thickness, circulation, and humidity. Put a coat over the top of it before it cures completely, and you end up with a cracked finish. I often apply a scale texture to my wood lures. Bin would obscure that, since it goes on pretty thick. Using a water based acrylic (Createx is what I use) takes about 10 seconds per coat, including drying time (with hair dryer). Yet it goes on so thinly that the scale detail remains so that future coats can utilize the detail to provide contrast. As far as durability goes, Acrylics have been used in exterior paints for at least 50 years. I am not sure about shellac. That being said, I would never fish a bait painted with acrylics without a topcoat. So maybe the point is moot. If the topcoat remains intact, so will the primer and paint. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. If something is working for you on a consistent basis, by all means keep doing it. I am just throwing my two cents out there so that others can consider the pros and cons. Maybe they are painting plastic or wood baits with fine scale detail. Bin may not be the thing they should use. However if you are painting a wood bait with a smooth finish, perhaps with some wood grain still showing, Bin might be just the thing.

Clearly, I am not a big fan of laquers as sealants on lures. Priming is a different animal - to provide a consistent color base. Your basic opaque white water-bourne paint does that for you. But sealing off stains / contaminants is a part of that. Bin does that, but laquers are very inconsistent in their cure time. There are better options for sealing the wood itself, so water will not penetrate it.

How much of a difference in weight can there be? When you receive the product, both containers are labeled 4.25 oz and appear to be identical in volume.

By factory coat, I assume you mean a thin coat that you can feel the scale texture through.

I just received my order from Get Bit. The whopper ploppers are exceptional quality. Plastic is high grade. Tolerances are tight. Seams are beautiful. Speed of delivery was great as well. Thanks Cougar.

I don't care if the paint is non toxic. I don't want it in my lungs. I use a paint booth all the time. If I can smell the paint, I up the fan or change my angle of attack. Respirators may be overkill, but I would not dissuade anyone from using them .

There are so many better options than BIN to seal a lure. Bin is a laquer - takes a long time to fully cure. As far as laquers go, it is not the most waterproof. I recommend sealing raw wood with: 1) runny super glue, 2) 30 minute epoxy, 3) moisture cure urethane 4)concrete sealer. Of these options, the epoxy will cure in 30 minutes guaranteed. All the other options - including superglue - may take much longer to cure.

As far as cleanup of those pretty syringes - denatured alcohol can be used to clean those also. Although, for a pretty long period of time, you can use two separate syringes ( one for epoxy and one for resin) and just cap them with something so they don't dry up. As long as you keep the two separate and air tight, you should be fine.

Those glass syringes look great. But you should be able to get Devcon 30 minute epoxy in the dual syringe, small quantity package. It will work great for you. If it is too thick for your taste, dilute it with a drop or two of denatured alcohol.

NM heavy - I am sure you will be happy with knock offs from reputable suppliers. Predator bass baits, Dinger custom, and Get Bit all use reputable manufacturers. These suppliers search out the manufacturers who have the best quality control. They also demand superior plastic. In some cases, they outperform the origionals.

Yeah bud, I ordered a few also.

I don't think there is any way to make a wax lure hold up. But I may want to try it if I am in a survival situation and have a candle.

Remind me to not visit Wisconsin.

It should spray real nice mixed with a transparent base. I noticed scales mainly have that holo effect on the very edges. So maybe a forward angle through a scale mesh would imitate that. As for the other pointers, they are much appreciated.

When i do the sprinkling thing, the epoxy is wet, just applied.

I use the 12 variety pack of glitter at Walmart in the 1-1/4" (guessimate) tall salt shaker dispensers. I have no idea what size it is. But you likely have one near you and that will give you a reference. I would not go any bigger than that. I also ordered some holographic and holographic chrome nail powder in .004". It has not come yet. You can apply that to tacky epoxy with a makeup brush. Or you can mix it in with the epoxy.

I agree with the size of the glitter as well. Sometimes I apply a thin coat of epoxy and sprinkle different colors in different areas. You can then get it to lay down with a disposable brush by poking it down. Hand sanding that coat after full curing removes bumps or protruding glitter. It will get scratched up, but the second coat of epoxy will clear it right up. Hope you can use some part of this.