Glue For Stick-on Swimbait Eyes?

[mainbutter]

Another question to help with cosmetics on swimbaits:

I've been pouring bob's line-through swimbait, and one of the things I love about it is the eyes. They're HUGE! Anyhoo I've been applying my stick-on eyes and securing them with a bit of superglue around the edges. They hold up great, but superglue doesn't give a very nice transparent and glossy smooth finish.

Does anyone have any suggestion for a quick setting glue I could use instead? I'd use a clear epoxy, but it takes so long to set up and cure that I get impatient with applying eyes.

Maybe nail polish? Anyone have any experience with using that for lures?

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 8, 2010 by mainbutter

[D.J.]

I started using the clear plastic paint from lurecraft. I brush some on the eye socket first, let it dry, then add a drop of super glue and put the eye on it. Finally I brush a heavy coat over the entire eye. It ends up looking very good. The clear paint dries clear.

[Frank]

I started using the clear plastic paint from lurecraft. I brush some on the eye socket first, let it dry, then add a drop of super glue and put the eye on it. Finally I brush a heavy coat over the entire eye. It ends up looking very good. The clear paint dries clear.

I ordered mine last week and I am going to try it out.

[Frank]

I started using the clear plastic paint from lurecraft. I brush some on the eye socket first, let it dry, then add a drop of super glue and put the eye on it. Finally I brush a heavy coat over the entire eye. It ends up looking very good. The clear paint dries clear.

I tried this and it did work.But it did make the red eyes bleed onto the white bait. Seems like the solvent in the clear attacked the red.

[bass100]

I use the lurecraft clear plastic and none of my eyes bleed. Frank do all of your red eyes bleed or are you getting a couple here and there. I have over 100 white swimbaits with red eyes that have been on the rack for about a week now and none of my eyes are bleeding.

[Frank]

I use the lurecraft clear plastic and none of my eyes bleed. Frank do all of your red eyes bleed or are you getting a couple here and there. I have over 100 white swimbaits with red eyes that have been on the rack for about a week now and none of my eyes are bleeding.

All of them did. You can see the red missing from the corners of the pupil.Not a real good pic.

[pirkfan]

Another question to help with cosmetics on swimbaits:

I've been pouring bob's line-through swimbait, and one of the things I love about it is the eyes. They're HUGE! Anyhoo I've been applying my stick-on eyes and securing them with a bit of superglue around the edges. They hold up great, but superglue doesn't give a very nice transparent and glossy smooth finish.

Does anyone have any suggestion for a quick setting glue I could use instead? I'd use a clear epoxy, but it takes so long to set up and cure that I get impatient with applying eyes.

Maybe nail polish? Anyone have any experience with using that for lures?

Thanks in advance!

I just put the smallest dab of superglue in the eye socket, then put the 3d eye in over the top of it. This keeps the super glue on the back of the eye and off the front where it makes the eye cloudy You only have to press down for about 15 seconds, and the eye is secure.

[VermontPhisher]

I have been using a mighty mend it knock off you can find at fabric stores or walmart. It claims to be machine washable so it should be able to handle a little fishing.

[jimcline]

Hey guys, I use sportsman's Goop that you can get from Walmart, etc. Also sold under the name of Shoe Goo, Marine Goop, Household Goop and so on. Same stuff, different packages. Just a little dab'll do ya. Any excess is easily peeled off. It doesn't set as quickly as super glue but it will hold better over time. Also, you might try dipping at least the head and eyes in clear plastic to seal the eyes on. hope this helps

[D.J.]

All of them did. You can see the red missing from the corners of the pupil.Not a real good pic.

Where are you getting your eyes from? I haven't used red eyes yet, but am wondering if it is just the eyes from your source. I might try a different company and see if that helps.

[Frank]

Where are you getting your eyes from? I haven't used red eyes yet, but am wondering if it is just the eyes from your source. I might try a different company and see if that helps.

Rather not say on the board but they were two sizes that were from to differant places. I looked tinight and they were both from a quality source. I have some green ones i will try it on those later this week. Thanks Frank

[Romeo D]

I use the lurecraft clear plastic and none of my eyes bleed. Frank do all of your red eyes bleed or are you getting a couple here and there. I have over 100 white swimbaits with red eyes that have been on the rack for about a week now and none of my eyes are bleeding.

Bass100, where do you get your eyes from?

[bass100]

I have used just about everyones eyes but I just got eyes from Bogs baits to try. But I am still looking for quality eyes for a good price. You either get quality and pay for it or you get quantity but again you got what you paid for. I believe I have found the source for quality and quantity and am waiting for some samples to come in. If they are the quality that I hope they are then I will be selling them because the prices are great.

Edited March 16, 2010 by bass100

[bass100]

Frank I was able to duplicate your problem. When you apply the super glue it must stay on the back of the eye, if it touches the outer edge where the red color is it will cause it to bleed. I did some samples and where the super glue is applied it will eat away the clear paint which is fine it still provided that barrier from the eye itself but when it touches the coloring of the eye it will eat away at that part of eye. So just make sure you use a tiny amount of glue on the center of the eye and don't push to hard and you are fine. I have other colors of eyes but I have not noticed any bleeding. I have also experimented with other types of super glues and the results are all the same, however, there are other brands of slow drying glues that do work but it would take a long time to do up some baits. So if anybody knows of a fast setting glue that does not react with the clear plastic paint and more importantly the eye please let us know.

[bass100]

Sorry for the previous post as it was incorrect. The super glue is not the problem with these eyes it is the plastic clear paint. I painted the eyesockets with clear paint and let dry. I then attached the eyes with super glue and let sit and there was no bleeding. When I coated over the eyes with the clear paint and there was then noticable bleeding. So I then painted over a few eyes (while they were still on their paper backing) and the eyes started to bleed without any super glue. So the problem is the clear paint for plastics. However, I do not have a bleeding problem in my process and I believe I have figured out why. The clear plastic paint is a barrier between the eye and your plastic bait and although the clear paint does cause the eye to bleed it does not bleed into the plastic unless you break that barrier. In other words they only way that I have been able to get my baits to bleed is when I don't get they eye on correctly and I have to reposition it which causes that barrier to be broken. I have done several baits with the eyes being glued on correctly the first time and none of them have bled but all the baits I intentionally repositioned the eyes on have all bled 100%.

[Frank]

So I am not doing something wrong it is the solvent in the clear. Figures. I guess I will just go back to plastisol. I really like the plastic paint and surprised it is as advertized. In the future I will be trying some differant type things with that.

[bass100]

I did the same tests on a few different brands of eyes and Lurecrafts did not bleed on me. I looked like they were going to start to bleed but they did not.

[toadfrog]

I thought of something a little outside of the box. Just about everybody has it around. pvc pipe glue. It works for plugging tires and a lot of other stuff. Put some on a crankbait and have some on a hand pour now . So far its worked great.