Jwags Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I'm looking for some advice on the best way to hold a lure when painting multiple lures. Right now, I have two sets of vise grips that I use. I'm looking for something that will help me to be a little more hands-free when painting. Does anyone have any good tips for me? Right now I'm leaning towards buying a fly tying vise, can anyone recommend a fairly inexpensive one? thanks, jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) If you need to hold it extra steady use a pair of surgical hemostats. Cheaper than a vice and more versatile. The other thing you might try is binder clips. I use these on the bills and put them in a crack in my work bench. My bench is made of 2 x 6 lumber so I have a seam from one end to the other. It is great for holding a lot of baits. These are cheap solutions. Edited December 29, 2008 by Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 It all depends on what size/kind of baits you paint and what is most convenient for you and your painting techniques. I use the locking hemostats like Mags does to hold the lure by its lip. When I finish a color shot, I dry the paint with a hair dryer and hang the bait on a nail above my work bench by a small bent wire hanger inserted in the line tie. Other guys prefer to clamp lures into the handle of an Xacto knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 i use the cheapest fly tying vises available. sportsmans warehouse sells them for about 9 bucks apiece and they work great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskietom51 Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 just done this tonite. I have a screweye in the bottom of the baits. I had some foiled backing insulation board stuck a little hole in a piece about 6x6 inches hold the baits great, now thats cheap lmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 One of the best, cheapest tips I got here (thanks Hazmail Pete) is to use disposable latex gloves. I only use one, on my left hand, to hold the lure when I'm painting, either suspended on a paper clip, held in needle nose vise grips, or held in forceps. That way, I can turn the lure however I want to without worrying about redecorating my hand. They clean up when you wash the airbrush with Windex, and I get several paint sessions from one glove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikeman Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 think you can use a drilling machine / screwdriver with an accumulator like this one http://uk.mazzel.tv/images/products/87.jpg the idea came from here usefull cause you can rotate the lure, also I've built a support for painting lures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 That's a great idea. By now, most of us have "obsolete" cordless drills whose batteries are no longer made, and it would be easy to just take the battery out and mount the drill to a piece of plywood for a base. Great fly tying vise. I'm making one for myself today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Me too Pikey, that's a great idea, I have a few old cordless drills in the shed. Remember the really old ones that had a swivelling head (multi angle chuck), they would be ideal. Think I have chucked it away though. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crankybaits Custom Lures Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 its called Helping Hand Clamp i used an extra alligator clip in place of the magnifying glass though. it works GREAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clamboni Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I take the hemostat thing a little further. I have about a 6" piece of a 2X4 that I cut a slot in. Put the handles of the hemostats in the slot and it holds it for you. Infinitely and instantly adjustable, and lure changes are a snap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 think you can use a drilling machine / screwdriver with an accumulator like this onehttp://uk.mazzel.tv/images/products/87.jpg the idea came from here usefull cause you can rotate the lure, also I've built a support for painting lures very good idea. I think that also can be used for drying topcoat layer provided blocked button turns on a small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 How much money would we spend on a simple tool we need for airbrushing? If you have some steel wire around the house, about 0.1" in diameter, you could have a tool for free. Just bend it to fit your lures, so that the lure is kept tight at the ends. This tool is versatile, since you can make several "S" shape wires, different lengths, to fit different lure lengths. This tool is also good to airbrush a swimbait, because it keeps the segments in line. I have wraped copper wire at the ends, leaving a coil larger than the rest of them, (the wire hanger will go there), then I soldiered the copper wire: http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k5/rofish_2006/rofish_2006-4/wirelureholder003.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Nice one Rofish, I am just about to start shaping a swim bait, when (if) it comes to painting it, I will certainly use this little trick. Thanks .Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 My plan takes this idea one step further. The simple wire frame can be designed to fit a rotating clamp in the spray boothe. The frame also fits to the drying wheel. So the frame can be used for dipping, hand holding, hands free operations etc. This way the body endures the minimum handling necessary in the build process. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Vodkaman, I designed this lure holder with the intention to put a swimbait on a drying wheel, after applying the epoxy clearcoat. This tool is to be used on my drying wheel, for swimbaits. But it can also be used for airbrushing a lure (you can put it in a vise, if you need it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Good job, we are working in the same direction. Maybe you could post a pic of your idea and save me having to re-invent the wheel. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikeman Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) ok, I promised that I'll post some pictures with my paint tool here they are, 3 pieces of wood bond together with 2 screws . In the first picture the springs are missing so I've put some pics with two symbolic ones. I've done one hole in each vertical piece of wood and placed a bend wire in each so they can rotate ( for rotating the lure ) , and in one of them I've put a toothpick for the wire not to rotate so easy and the lure not to flip (due to the ballast) . In the second picture I want to show further improvements on the project. Larger holes with one ball bearing in each , on one of the axes it will be a tooth wheel for stopping the lure in the desired position. Also the ax can be let loose and connected to a 4 rpm motor for drying the lure . In this stage of the project in fact you can place on each ax an larger wheel and place lures between them as in the drying wheel pictures I've seen on TU. Hope you understand the project, if not I'll draw some pics on request Edited January 18, 2009 by pikeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCBOS Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I use the spring clamps fro Harbor Freight al lot. Very cheap Very secure. the multi-hands thing shown on the previous page it there also. A box of paper clips bent to any angle and the spring clips work best for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Vodkaman, I am so well organized with my things, that I cannot find them. Right now, I cannot find the few lure holders I made. It seems I'll have to go to where the steel wire is, bring some at home, and make new ones. I don't know when I will go there, (few days perhaps), but I will surely post a picture or 2, after making new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speechless33759 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 its called Helping Hand Clamp i used an extra alligator clip in place of the magnifying glass though. it works GREAT! I got one of these and haven't regretted at all...it holds your baits at great angles too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Still using those hobby knife chucks, although I am in the process of changing over from plastic to aluminium, the thinners/acetone keeps melting the plastic ones, and welding the lure to the holder. I am also starting to find anything over about 4" is a bit too heavy for them. Hemeostats are great too ( and cheap by the dozen) but I have a hard time putting them on the wheel, so have to change them over. KC uses a magnetic wheel, which sounds like a good idea. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassresource Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 (edited) go to you tube.com , search for tackle making . there is a vid that shows a small motor with velcro and dowelrod. Pretty cool I thought. Edited January 19, 2009 by bassresource Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdman Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I am old school on this topic. I come with a lure production background, but even for just one bait, I still use this method. If your bait is wooden and has a screw eye in tail, remove it. Take 1/2 x 1/2 strips of wood, drive brads or thin finish nails through at regular spacings and use a regular table mounted vice to hold the strips. Mount your baits upright on the nails and start painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carnet56 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 the way i hold my lures is go to radio shake and buy a pack of allgater clamps and then get a dowel rod about 1/2 inches i make a 4by 4 inches stand out of plywood and monute about 4 inches of the dowel on it the bore a hole in the top just the same size as the allgater clip then glue it in the top of the dowel i got about 30 of them made soorow guys i cant spell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
