lure holders

[feason]

I am almost ready to paint some reconditioned old poes:(. What is the best way to hold the lures for painting. Have tried the medical clips and block of wood. Tried a search but not much there. Any suggestions. Thank you.

[VANNDALIZER]

Try the handle of an x-acto knife handle. I use this while painting then use the bill to clip it to the drying wheel. Good Luck! MAV

[Basseducer]

Feason,

I just ordered a copy of the Exacto called Excel Hobby Knife. It is the same, but a lot cheaper. I found them at Blick Art Materials (http://www.dickblick.com/zz574/58/?wmcp=yahoo&wmcid=SiteSubmitProducts&wmckw=Excel+Hobby+Knives)

The more you get, the cheaper they are.

TJ

[cullin8s]

thanks for the link, I use the xacto's and 1.31 each for 24 or more is a lot better than 2.12 that I am currently paying. I have 26 or so right now, but will spring for 25 more at that price.

[BobP]

I cut reusable "false lips" out of lip material, drill a hole in the end to hang the baits from nails. Insert the false lip into the bait so it holds firmly (a little masking tape added if needed). Use a pair of locking forceps to hold the baits while painting and the false lips keeps everything out of the lip slot until it's time to glue in the real lips.

[hazmail]

Bop- liked that ONE, saves dirty lips and lip slot, so simple, why didn't I think of it . Thanks Pete

[rjbass]

I use hemostats, 6" with the vinyl handles. Much easier IMO than the xacto handles, operate with one hand, three locking positions and you can hang your baits using the holes in the handle. I make alot of Musky baits and xacto handle will not hold those. I got mine on ebay, 25 for $15.

Rod

[feason]

Thanks for the information. I will purchase some of the knives. Using the old lip is a great idea. You people are awesome. Any suggestions how to get a broken lip out of an old bait. I have several.

[fatfingers]

Removing old lips is difficult...But you can try this. I did it a couple of times and it worked OK.

First grind off as much of the lip as you can without harming the finish on the bait. Next take a rotary tool with a cut-off wheel and slowly slide the cutting wheel into into the lip itself but as close to the lip slot as you can. Take your time and you should be able to grind it out a little at a time and install a new one. Wear goggles and be careful though; those wheels can hang up and break sometimes.

As to holding the baits...Try using a small bench vise. Clamp the bait into the vise by the tail's hook holder. That way its held firm, you cannot drop it, and you can swivel the vise left and right as you paint. You can also clamp it in

vertically to paint the back and belly colors. It give you a stationary position and leaves both hands free to guide the airbrush.

Try it. You'll really like it.

Its also a great way to hold the bait to apply the netting and spray your scale effects.

I also use the vise to hold the bait while applying gill details at times.

[Vodkaman]

for one off or very low volume, the methods stated above are practical. But I see a need for a design of an 'easy to make' tool for runs of a dozen or more lures made at a time. Two 'clamps' to remain attached throughout the art process and fit the drying wheel, providing total hands free conditions.

I have given this some thought time in the last few months. Something on the lines of 6mm dia dowel, slotted to make a jaw and tapered to enable a collar or even a split ring (hook ring) to be used as the clamp.

The aim has to be (a) very cheap, ( very easy AND QUICK to manufacture.

Has anyone else any ideas for this tool?

[hazmail]

I have been using xacto type clamps attached to an RCA (?) jack for a few months, works quit well, but I am finding that my Propionate brew ( thinners based) is melting the plastic blade clamp. If you buy the metal type clamp ( see

[Vodkaman]

Pete, another great solution to a problem. Nice one!

Pete also informs me that the hemo's are available quite cheaply, so my post may be irrelevant to most, but I would still welcome any ideas.

[hazmail]

Vodkaman-Dave. I can see the dowell would also be good (and cheap) and you could stick the dowell into the end of the jack, it would have a wider jaw than those exacto knife do-dars. pete

[Vodkaman]

The action of inserting into the jack could be the clamping action. Lots of possibilities with the jack.

[fatfingers]

Pete, that is a great idea! I never thought of using any type of electrical jacks. Ordinary microphone jacks would be another fabrication option and are readily available in the US at Radio Shack.

And keep those pictures coming. I get great ideas from your posts.

[rofish]

After reading this thread, an ideea came out of my head. It took me about 6-7 minutes to make the jig in the pictures. I used things which I had in the house. Ordinary metal sheet, screws, drilling machine. The result is satisfactory, the lure is clamped pretty good in this jig, but it can surely be improved. By using steel metal sheet, or by doubling the metal band at the end, or by using a special nut or screw instead of the small usual screw, the kind which you operate by your fingers, not by using a screwdriver or wrench. (could it be called butterfly nut or screw?)

The long screw (which is 4 mm in diameter) could stay in a nut which, in turn, could be fixed on a drying weel, or something else.

[Vodkaman]

Rofish, that'll work. Should be able to knock 50 of those out in an hour, with a bit of organisation. With the wing nut clamp as close to the eye as possible, the clamp should be plenty strong enough.

Could also be used with the jack plug, electrical or audio as Fatfingers suggested.

[deepsessions]

I've been using one of these for painting my swimbaits. I was thinking of rigging up some of the X-acto harnesses on the tips for the heavier baits.

http://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X75170-X-tra-Hands-Magnifier/dp/B0006NDZR6

[Maypo1979]

Pete,

I also like your idea of the Electrical Jacks. A nice modular kind of approach. You could even install a couple of these on the inside surface of you Paint Booth to hold your lure while painting or in between color changes. BTW I am familiar with these types of jacks and they are normally called Banana Jacks (RCA Jacks are the jacks usually seen on the back of a set of speakers). These are easy to find at Radio Shack (Expensive) or Mail Order (Cheap) from Allied, Newark or Digikey any many discount online stores.

Thanks,

Steve

[clamboni]

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10292

[fatfingers]

When handling a bait by hand, for paint or final clear coating, another option is the small vice grips sold at Walmart for $1.88. I bought about 5 of them and keep a few at my bench for clear coats and a few in the paint shop.

Because the small vice grips are heavier than hemostats, you can easily set the bait down while clamped to the vice grips without worrying that it will fall off the bench.

[muskydan666]

Hi guys!All you idea a great!!!But not very good for large musky cranks!I made a costum lure holder a few month ago and it work awesome!!I posted a little video at that time but there it is anyway!maybe it could help someone out and give some ideas!!cheers.Dan

[rjbass]

Super job Dan....good idea!

Rod

[hazmail]

Dan . Great idea and beautiful machineing. Might have to copy that. pete

[jklett]

Another idea kinda combining rofish and hazmail's ideas. Drill some 1/2" holes in a block of wood with a hole in the center to attach to the spinner(think tinkertoys). Take some 9/16" dowels and slightly taper one end so they fit snug in the 1/2" holes. Cut a 3/4" long slot in the other end of the dowels and drill and tap a #6-32 tap hole(#36 drill) 3/8" from the end. Open up one side of the hole(through one fork of the slot) to a #6 screw clearance(#25 drill). Put a thumbscrew through the clearance hole and screw it into the tapped hole so the thumbscrew's shoulder is pressing on the side of the fork with the clearance hole. Slip the bait's eye into the slot and tighten up the thumbscrew and the slot will close up clamping the bait's eye. Then paint/clear your lure and jam it into the block of wood you mounted to the spinner.

I don't have a camera and I suck with paintbrush, so an explanation is the best I can do right now. I hope it makes sense.

By the way, the sizes I wrote are only for sample(except the drill sizes for #6-32 screws) so feel free to use whatever stock you have lying around.

Here's a tap and clearance drill size chart: http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/tapsizes.html