swimbait drying

[b75nweav]

Anyone have some techniques for drying a jointed swimbait? What's the best way to keep the epoxy from filling up the joints using d2t? Guess I need some kind of jig to keep it straight, just wanted to see what you all were doing........

[mark poulson]

I take the joints apart, and coat the insides with D2T first, so I can take my time and get it brushed out well, with no buildup. I only do one lure at a time (4 section), so I'm not rushing too much. I mix a two inch bead of epoxy on a strip of masking tape (thanks to whoever suggested that, it's a great idea), and that's enough for the joints. I do both faces of each piece, the hinge and pin faces, and then hang them from a shelf with opened paper clips. I try not to put too much on the inner joint faces, but I do let the epoxy lap up onto the big faces of each piece to allow the Etex topcoat to lap onto it, for a good seal. If I have some drip buildup on the pieces, I try to catch it as soon as it shows and take it off, or I let it set up and file it off the next day.

The next day, I use a piece of the same stainless steel wire that I made the pins with to re-drill the pin holes that have epoxy in them, put the lure together, and coat the big faces with Etex after I've mounted the assembled lures on my drying wheel horizontally. The Etex laps over the D2T that I put on the hinge faces without actually going into the joints, so there is no joint epoxy buildup.

This adds an extra day to the process if I'm doing it during the week, or a half day if it's on the weekend.

This is my drying wheel:

Wearing latex gloves (thanks Pete) and having a tray with 1/2" of denatured alcohol in it close by to wash the finger tips of the gloves if they get epoxy on them, and to clean the epoxy brush between lures, really makes things easier.

It's taken me a few lures, and a few screw-ups, to come up with a system that's relatively efficient. Not perfect, but it works for me.

Edited April 8, 2008 by mark poulson

[borderbasser]

do a search under my user name. I posted a pic a few months ago on how I do it and it is very effective. I can't recal if I attached it to a post or put it in the gallery...thinking it is attached to a post. I would call it up and post it again here on this one if I knew how.

[Spike-A-Pike]

Mark - your picture didn't post.

borderbasser - after you figure out where the picture is and your ready to post it:

1) In the Quick Reply window, select the Go Advanced button at the bottom of the window.

2) Below the Reply to Thread window, there is Additional Options area with a Attach Files section.

3) Click on the Manage Attachments button

4) Follow the directions to either Upload File from your Computer OR Upload File from a URL.

It's pretty straight forward

________________

Say - If you have a hinge joint on one half and a hook or line tie on the other, could you use open paper clips and rubber bands to hang your lures on the your drying wheel? Or not...

[b75nweav]

Well great advice but this is a repaint not a homemade. Not really sure you can take it apart without destroying it. Ive done a lucky craft pointer before and they have quite a few joints but it didnt move enough to get the epoxy in the grooves. This one only has one joint and I know its going to flop on the drying wheel.

[Cuttem Jack]

Borderbasser,

Here's your pic you had to your original post. Hope you don't mind me posting it for you.

[mark poulson]

Mark - your picture didn't post.

Say - If you have a hinge joint on one half and a hook or line tie on the other, could you use open paper clips and rubber bands to hang your lures on the your drying wheel? Or not...

Bruce,

I hope the picture shows for you now. It did when I opened the TU site this morning, at least for me.

I actually use a rubber band and hemostats when I'm painting an assembled bait. It puts enough tension to keep the lure kind of even, instead of folding up. One trick is to hang it vertically from the hemostat, with the rubber band at the bottom. Makes scaling and painting multiple segment baits much easier.

I spray against a big sheet of masonite that's leaning next to my work table, and have multiple screw attachment points that I use to hang and anchor my lures, depending on size.

I leave a 90 degree flag on the end of my hinge pins, so I can remove them easily while working on the lures before they're top coated. Once I'm ready to top coat, I push the flags flush with the back, and just coat over them. More than one, being able to dig out the flag and disassemble the lure for maintenance ( read that repair after wind-aided rock encounters) has been a lure saver.

[b75nweav]

My paint booth uses springs, one stationary and one connected to a dowel which goes through the wall of the paint booth and is connected to a handle which I can pull in and out for more or less tension. The painting isn't my problem, It's how to keep the baits joints from touching while its rotating on the drying wheel. I cant take it apart because its a repaint.

[b75nweav]

I think I see! just rotate it on its own axis. Gotch ya!

[BobP]

I wrap a rubber band around the hinge to immobilize it. It works fine on double screw eye hinges, not sure about other styles of hinge.

[mark poulson]

It would probably be easier to top coat it in two steps. First, do the inside of the joints, so you can take your time. After that has set, put it on a wheel and do the faces.