bigfun Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Hello, I have a couple of 5 gal. pails of various lures I have found while diving. Thanks to this site and the contributers I have a good idea what to do with them. Just a couple concerns. Should I prep/prime the plastic bodied baits the same as the wood bodied? And I guess this whould include the rapalas, they seem to have a thick pastic like covering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPala Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 I notice this is your first post, welcome aboard. And you're one lucky guy. I've found tackles b4 while diving but never in a 5 gal pails My first love is Rapalas & have taken quite a few apart so let me answer briefly. Yes all Rapalas are covered with a top-coat; I still don't know what they use but if you would sand/grind/cut a corner out first you can insert a blade under the coat a peel them off. I don't know what condition the lures you found are in but if it's from the sea then make sure you check the line-ties & hook-eyes. A couple of days in the sea can corrode even those stainless steel parts & usually it's the part just inside the body where you can't see it that's been rusted out conpletely . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfun Posted September 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Hello,Thanks for the welcome and reply. I was figuring on applying the finish over the top coat on the rapalas, and the rest of them also, have you tried that? All my lures were found in fresh water. Most are structually sound. Mineral deposits are the biggest problem. I plan on sanding the crud off them. It appears that i am going to have a lot more prep work than I had anticipated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPala Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 If you just sand/scrape off the mineral deposits carefully & not hurt the original clear coat then I'd say just a clear rattle can aerosol coat can hide the scracthes & you'd be using them in no time. Just make sure you wipe the whole lure with thinner b4 you spray. Oil/grease spots will make the thin aerosol coat peel after some use. If you top-caoat again the be careful not to do it too thick. The balsa Rapalas are pretty sensitive with added weight & it does kill the action a bit. The plastic type if it's RNR then make sure the slight indentation on the front is not covered flat, it kills the action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamOso Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 I detail the refinishing of a Rapala Minnow here. http://www.rivercitylures.50megs.com/make/how2/aaa/how2lure.htm Hope this helps...good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 good tips fellas, & bigfun, thanks for recycling our lures seriously,every one you pull up makes the waters a lil safer & you score free baits to boot! the simplest fix would be to, like previously mentioned use something to get that deposit buildup off. A product like CLR or other calcium deposit remover might work well, I dont think it should hurt plastic lips or what-not. after they clean up, if they look dingy or need more work, consider following a standard re-paint process by scuffing the original finish & prime, paint & clearcoat. Id swap out the hardware while your at it. pay attention to what you find, you might have some valuable lures in that bucket :!: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 AlamOso, Nice tutorial. Thanks for sharing it with us. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfun Posted September 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 I removed the plastic finish from 1 rapala. I thought if I heated it up a little I could slip the coating off. The coating burns VERY quickly. Rapalas would make an excellent emergency fire starter. I am going to strip the bad ones and top coat the scuffed up ones. AlamOso, thanks. Redg8r, my pleasure. I feel like a little kid at Christmas every time I make a good haul. The limeaway, clr type cleaners only work on the very lite deposits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 just rub rapalas gently with cloth soaked in acetone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
