Rip Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 After reading threw al lot of threads I was wondering what blanks are good blanks....... what blanks do you know works once painted and hardware is added. Please let me know where I can get them...... just getting back into lure making/painting..... bought a new iwata revolution last night...... nice very very nice...... now I just got to remember how to thin my paint...... LOL.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Windex to thin your paint. Thanks Bob P. for that tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 If you are using createx paints there is no need to thin them. Spray directly from the bottle at about 45 PSI. RM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 There is no such thing as a good or bad blank, as long as the blank is symmetrical, it's a good'en. If your lure does not swim like you expected it to, there are a number of variables that can be adjusted to achieve what you want. These are: ballast position, ballast weight, ballast distribution, lip angle, lip shape, lip size, lip position, tow eye location, I've probably missed a few. I am not saying that all these variables have to be altered to get it to swim, but you should expect to have to mess with one or two to get what you want. You need to learn what effect each adjustment makes and remember it, better still, write it down. only adjust one feature at a time, otherwise you will not know which adjustment worked. This is called prototyping. Any time you create a new type of lure, you should set aside half a dozen bodies purely for testing the above variables, to find the combination that works for that body. The innitial prototyping can be done bare, but you must make your final adjustments on a prototype dressed with a few coats of paint, the exact number of top coats you intend to use and ALL the hardware attached. All these items will change the action or how the lure swims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 The easiest blanks to start out on are flat sided hardwood blanks, IMO. Easier to cut the lip slot straight, easy to mount hardware into, takes sanding and finish well. The performance still depends on you - especially the lip you choose to use, how it's mounted, and whether you mount it and the rest of the hardware straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Dave - I'm a bit slow, I just noticed your new avatar, you have been playing with the CAD again, nice work. Rip - welcome to TU and read all of the above, twice, they know their stuff. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 everything above rings true. as for bad blanks. over the years i could heat a house with a woodburner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Rip, Are you looking for plastic lure bodies that work good after they are painted or are you wanting to finish wooden lure blanks (add a lip, shape, weight, seal, paint, topcoat, add split rings and hooks)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Rip,Are you looking for plastic lure bodies that work good after they are painted or are you wanting to finish wooden lure blanks (add a lip, shape, weight, seal, paint, topcoat, add split rings and hooks)? I wanted to start with some plastic blanks so I can practice my painting. I hate striping lures. I really would like some good crank bait bodies or wake bait bobies. just to practice and give to a few freinds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Just wanted to comment on the thinning of paints. I have to disagree with Jed on what he said about Createx not needing to be thinned. The transparent colors are probably ok but the opaques or semi opaques will atomize much better when reduced. I use Auto Air 4011 series reducer which also reduces the Createx paints very nicely. It will allow you to lower your pressure down and let you get better details and finer lines without spidering or blow under your stencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 THIN PAINT 20 PSI KINDA THIN PAINT 25 PSI KINDA STARTIN TO GET THICK PAINT 45 PSI OH MY GOSH I LEFT THE LID OFF LAST NIGHT PAINT 65 PSI OH CRAP BATMAN THIS STUFF IS THICK PAINT!! 95 PSI Paintin with Tater.. Glad I helped out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Go to Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods and look through the $2 bin to find name brand crankbaits in unpopular colors. A light sanding to remove the gloss on the clearcoat and you're ready to paint a crankbait that your friends will have more confidence in than some of the "no name" blanks. I'm not putting down unpainted plastic blanks from Stamina, Janns Netcraft, etc. Some of them are undoubtedly good crankbaits. But you won't know which until you buy them, finish them and fish them. I started out with some pug ugly $2 Poes crankbaits from Walmart and am still fishing (and catching) with some of them. I know some TU members use and like the generic brand unpainted plastic crankbaits. Beauty is as beauty does. If they catch fish, that's the acid test. But if I can find a popular crankbait being sold for a price similar to the "no names", it just makes more sense to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Bob is dead on right about the lures and what you might want to paint. I have bought some of the knockoff baits and some work and some don't. Buy a group of 10 or 25 of the same bait and the quality control is all over the place. Baits with shifting ballast are a guessing game. Some will shift the correct way and some times the weight will stick and the bait can't be fished. Sammy style baits are misaligned and others need to be sanded for 15 min. to get the seams smooth. If you end up paying $1.25 per bait and half or more are crap then you just have a bunch of practice plugs to paint on and a few good knockoffs that cost about 3+ bucks each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL Rods Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Go to Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods and look through the $2 bin to find name brand crankbaits in unpopular colors. A light sanding to remove ... I started out with some pug ugly $2 Poes crankbaits from Walmart and am still fishing (and catching) with some of them. I know some TU members use and like the generic brand unpainted plastic crankbaits. Beauty is as beauty does. If they catch fish, that's the acid test. But if I can find a popular crankbait being sold for a price similar to the "no names", it just makes more sense to use them. A great example until they came out with 'tour' models was Manns baits. I have thrown them for years, but the prices went back up, even on the non-tour models. I could get them on sale now and then and you can make them look like you want, even with rattle cans and nail polish, which is what I did for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Go to Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods and look through the $2 bin to find name brand crankbaits in unpopular colors. A light sanding to remove the gloss on the clearcoat and you're ready to paint a crankbait that your friends will have more confidence in than some of the "no name" blanks. I'm not putting down unpainted plastic blanks from Stamina, Janns Netcraft, etc. Some of them are undoubtedly good crankbaits. But you won't know which until you buy them, finish them and fish them. I started out with some pug ugly $2 Poes crankbaits from Walmart and am still fishing (and catching) with some of them. I know some TU members use and like the generic brand unpainted plastic crankbaits. Beauty is as beauty does. If they catch fish, that's the acid test. But if I can find a popular crankbait being sold for a price similar to the "no names", it just makes more sense to use them. You Da Man, Bob P! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aulrich Posted May 25, 2022 Report Share Posted May 25, 2022 If you just want to practice painting, you can also use PVC pipe, if you have some kicking around the house 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaswimbaiter Posted May 25, 2022 Report Share Posted May 25, 2022 (edited) Or make some wood plugs from scrap wood you have sitting around, just sand it with a fine sandpaper before painting. I got some cheap plastic blanks from aliexpress to practice on some don’t swim bad either. Edited May 25, 2022 by Flaswimbaiter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
