mark poulson Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 I finally tried the KBS Diamond Clear that I've had for six months. Doh! It is really nice, and easy to work with. One dip coat is plenty for the plastic knockoff cranks I dipped yesterday. Today, it is hard and clear, and really glossy. I put a small wire into the bottom hook hanger, to direct the drips away from the lure. It worked, but there is still some buildup at that hook hanger. What should I use to clear the hook hanger hole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdmh Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 After a batch is done, I pull all the wire hangers and use a small wire cutter to basically score the base of the hanger. Then I use my smallest drill bit to drill out the hook hanger. Some baits, like jackal tn60 and live target golden shiners, have really shallow hangers so you have to be careful not to hit the paint/bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Fisher Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Mark, I think you might find after fishing that one coat isn't enough. It looks great but after bumping anything in the water or shore, I grind cranks a lot, it starts to come off pretty easy, just my experience. Two coats, for me, seems exponentially better. For the build-up in the hook hangers, I like a small razor knife and try to slice around each half of the hanger, just below where it meets the bottom of the bait. Then use a small piece of wire or I have had good luck with a dart tip from a dart board, to push out or remove the excess KBS. I've found if you don't score around the circumference of the hanger, the KBS can tear a little when removed and leave room for water intrusion into the bottom of the bait. Like dmdrh above, I have used a drill bit to clear a hook hanger hole, but not a line tie, for fear of causing a burr the could cut the line. On my swimbait Rats and Glides with larger screw eyes, I will use a small piece of blue painters tape and wrap the hanger. I make sure to loosely wrap it so I can make sure the two halves of tape come together in the center of the hole, kind of sealing it off. Remove tape carefully with the aid of a razor knife to make a clean edge. This hasn't worked so well on smaller baits. This is probably excessive for personal baits, but it makes for a clean look and a good seal. Just my two cents.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Thanks for the answers. I've used both the drill and the scored knife method on other bait finishes, so I'll give each one a try. As for a second coat, I'm going to fish these two 2.5's with one coat, and see how they hold up. I'm not grinding rocks very often. Mostly I'm dragging them through tules, and out of grass. The baits do look nice, so I hope one coat holds up, because I'm lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughesy Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Take AZ's advise and put 2 coats on them. I use a little stainless wire wheel in a dremel tool and it takes everything off of the hangers with just a swipe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Hughesy said: Take AZ's advise and put 2 coats on them. I use a little stainless wire wheel in a dremel tool and it takes everything off of the hangers with just a swipe. I'll try just the one, and see how it holds up. If it doesn't, I'll do a second coat on the other one. The first coat went on really thick. How long does the KBS need to cure before I can fish the bait? Edited March 6, 2018 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G rosa Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 I use a round jewelers awl. I spin it in, that forces it all out of the hole then I scrape the sides with a knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenlures Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Mark Try this when the dripping gets slow or stopped I take a airbrush while they are hanging and give them a light blow, sometimes it works. Wayne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...