allstate48 Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I think I have a dryer figured out, except for the way to hold the baits. My lures are 1 to 2 oz, or more, and I don't know how to hold them. Do you people leave the eye screws out until you coat the lure? I would like to coat mind with them in. Thanks Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
out2llunge Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 I have a 2 disc system that rotates around a rotisserie shaft. I've used cup hooks (screw eyes) on each disc. The lure gets mounted between opposing hooks with lure's screw eye on one hook and a spring (for tension) between the lures tail (or lip) screw eye and the eye on the disc. I find the extra epoxy helps seal the around the lure screw eyes and helps to keep water out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allstate48 Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Thanks for the reply. If I remember, you posted a picture. I think I got it. Thanks. Now, do you cover the lure after you put it on the wheels, or before? Do you paint it on, or pour it on? Thanks for the help. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
out2llunge Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Now, do you cover the lure after you put it on the wheels, or before? Do you paint it on, or pour it on? Thanks for the help. Doug I attach the baits to the drying wheel first. And I use a dollar store brush (synthetic not real bristle) brush and "paint" it on. The natural bristle brushes will lose their hair and you can guess where that hair ends up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellure Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 I leave the screw eyes in for the reason that out2llunge stated. Any excess clearcoat that gets in the eyelet can be removed with an exacto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoya Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 I use a rotisserie motor and shaft. I have two 6-inch wheels with sixteen 1/4-inch holes drilled around the edges. It looks like a large tinker toy wheel. I then have several 4-inch long 1/4-inch diameter dowels with small screw eyes epoxied into the ends of the dowels. I use these "painting wands" for holding the lures while painting and applying epoxy. After I put the epoxy clearcoat on I then put the dowels on the wheels and rotate until the epoxy sets up. I quick cut with a knife around the screw eye will release the lure from the painting wand without peeling the paint and epoxy. Understand though, that I make bass lures. If I were making musky or saltwater lures, I would probably use larger dowels. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allstate48 Posted November 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Thanks for all the replies. I think I have a weekend, and longer, project. The reason I asked about painting,or pouring, etex on, sometimes I put glitter in the top coat. And the last lure made, all ran off. I have always poured it over and got along good. But, things could get better.I'm only on my second bottle, so I'm new.Can I wait, after I mix the etex, and let it start to set alittle, and then put it on? Thanks for all the help. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
out2llunge Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 You can, but if wait too long it will work like glue. Try working in a slightly colder environment. It will slow the cure rate down a bit. Humidty will also affect dry/cure times. The higher the humidity the slower the cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Heres how mine works. A 6 rpm gear reduction motor mounted on a work bench. Underneath the motor is 5 lenghts of 2x6 , each being about 12" long.Each piece is mounted ,flat, one on top of the other to the work table. Then the motor is mounted on top of all the 2x6"s. This raises the motor above the table and allows for my baits to spin. Now you need a way to attach a piece of pipe to the motor. I used a 5/8" splined shaft coupling available at Grainger( all my parts came from Grainger). The 5/8 coupling allows you to use 1/2 copper pipe to spin your baits on. Heres how you attach the baits to the pipe. I went to Lowes and bought mobile home strapping. Cut it in lengths long enough to allow you to bend the strapping into a u shape with the ends turned up about 3 to 4"and enogh space left to allow your baits to suspend between each end.Mine required about 15" to 18" depending how big a bait I was finishing. I am making 6" to 12" Muskie jerkbaits. Now drill a hole in the center of the strapping 1/4" in diameter.Now take a pair of tin snips and cut out a slot into the hole. Then drill 3/32 holes in the end of the part that you turned up. This is where you insert a small piece of wire and suspend your baits from the wire. Now you are ready to attach your bait to the copper pipe. Heres how to set up the pipe. I used a section of pipe 12' long. You will have to support it a couple of times , every 4' or so, and use a bearing on the far end to allow free spinning. For the supports I used a piece of 2x4 turned upright and attached to a pice of 2x4 nailed flat to the table. The upright piece has a u shape cut into it to allow the pipe to turn. Now you have the pipe supported. Now drill holes evry 3" or so through the pipe. Try to stay in the center of the pipe. Use about a 3" piece of all thread. Insert the allthread through the hole you drilled and attach with a nut and washer on each side . I used thread lock to keep the nuts from backing off. This should leave about 1and 1/4" of all thread sticking through the pipe on each side. Now put a wingnut on each side.The aforementioned mobile home apparatus can be slid onto the allthread via the slot you cut into the side of it. Tighten down the wingnut. The bait will now turn around the pipe . I used a timer with mine and found 4 hours to be enough time with ET Lite or Flexcoat or EX88 . Any of this that is not clear , just ask and I will explain better. This apparatus is used by at least 5 or 6 well know muskie lure makers here in W. Va.. The motor I bought is a Dayton motor and the elder baitmakers I know are still using the first ones they bought over 20 years ago. They last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
out2llunge Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Hey Mark, Where do you sell your baits in Canada? I'd love to try one of your cranks. Maybe when you head up here next spring we can head out. How did it go on Elephant last spring? Cheers, J.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 I am currently following the exact process that Gene (Lincoya) outlined and it has served me well but I do worry about water getting in at the screw eye hole that was used to hold the bait. Muskie 1958...trying to remember is this Mark? You are in the heart of muskie builders my friend, the best come right out WV, Cobb, Wyde Glyde, Hughes River, etc. I have a question for you....what type of strapping are you using? Is it the stuff with holes in it already? Where do you think I could obtain some? The reason I ask is I had seven built from aluminum and they were a bit spendy....about 3 dollars each. Also..this is where I lose you...how do you hold the bait tight in the frame? I tried using wire through the screw eye on each end and then through the hole on my metal frame but the bait wants to move some...doesn't stay tight in the frame. I also found the wire to be time consuming to secure. I was thinking about going to hook eye on one side of the frame and a spring on the other so that I could simply stretch the bait tight. Anyway, would appreciate some explanation of how you are holding the baits firmly in the frame. Thx. Jed www.bikinibaitcompany.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Jed: The baits will be held securely because the metal strapping is a good bit longer than the bait. You will be compressing the rack from each end to get it to the bait.The bottom of the baitholder will start to look like a "C". About the wire: You need to use pliers and crimp the wire tightly to the metal upright of the frame. The strapping I am using does not have any holes in it already.I get it at LOWES. It comes in a roll about 30' long. It is 1 and 1/4" wide. About 1/8" thick. 30 feet of it is only $9.00. It is used for holding mobile homes to the the their piers . Yes I am in Muskie baitmakers heaven. This is Mark. The guys you mentioned are friends of mine. We only live a couple of miles from one another.Jack and Gene are nice guys. Do not know Jim Wilson with HR baits. J.P.: Trip last spring was not too good. Had a good time but the fishing was lousy.Baptiste and Elephant lakes where 3 to 4' high. Managed not a single muskie.Raised probably 30 in 2 weeks but no takers. Some pike and walleye and even a nice lake trout. Might want to try Stoney sometime. Is it one of the better lakes in the Kawarthas? Some of my fellow Muskie club members go to Buckhorn, Eagle, and Bobycageon(probably spelled wrong). As of now I have no baits in any Canadian store. Have been talking some with J.B.s Fishing depot in Toronto. Might get something worked out for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Thanks Mark, will see if I can find some of the strapping here in this little dusty town I live in. Thanks too for the lead on lure eyes; I contacted them this morning and they are sending me out some samples. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 In my previoous post I said the strapping was 1/8" thick. Checked it last night and found it to be closer to 1/16" thick. Thought I had better clarify it. Glad I could help on the lure eyes..Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Of course I can't get the strapping here Mark, figures. So instead I have embarked upon the task of carving each of the frames I need from rock! I expect to have the first one completed in about a month at which point I will post a picture. Thanks again. jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Jed, this is how I did it with eyebolts. If you use your screw method, drill for your eyehook and then a bigger hole about 1/8? deep. When you put your E-Tex on it will fill in the hole. Now when your done just remove from your screw drill with a little smaller bit so some of the E-Tex stays in the hole. Use Devcon on your eyehook, when it goes in you will have the Devcon then some E-Tex then Devcon down the eyehook. If you don?t under stand and would like me to illustrate it out let me know. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Jed, Email me if you really want some of the strapping. I will ship a roll to you. You could make 25 or so from one roll. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
out2llunge Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Mark, You've got mail! Check your PM's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Corey, I think I understand what you are telling me, sounds like it would work good, kind of like an "etex" 0-ring. I will give it a try on a bait and see what happens. I kind of like the way you are doing it too with the eye bolts in the pic. Looks like you are holding it tight with wire which seems like it might be time consuming....is it? Mark, Thank you very much for the offer...will see what I can get worked out on this end and contact you if necessary. Thank you again guys! Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Jed, That was just for that bait. All I did was loosen the eyebolt and got the wire tight, then tighten the eyebolt. On my baits I found some springs at the hardware store, so all I do is put it on the wire and put the spring on the other end. Very easy! I like this way because I have a hook that I hang it from when I put the E-Tex on. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 I have been working with the same idea Corey...hook the bait on one side and then have a spring on the other....still not as fast as my old method with the dowel but it does work. Thx. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
