Snook Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Hello Everyone, I have to say, I have found a new home? I just signed up, I have been reading this site all night and can?t says thanks enough to all those who post tips, tricks, and techniques. I have noticed that most members seem to be from up north, and hope you all will take it easy on me as I become more familiar with all of you. My name is James, I am from Melbourne, Florida about 20-30 minutes south of the Cape where the Shuttle is launched, or 45 minutes to 1 hour southeast of Orlando on the coast. I found this site looking for hardware to repair some of my tackle. I have a hobby of diving some very popular, very heavily fished areas to collect tackle to feed my fishing habit. It is a very bad habit, and I should probably get some help. Oh well, I am a poor Med student, so this how I afford to fish as much as I do, plus my friends and buddies stay supplied in plugs as well . This makes me sort of popular I guess, I wish it made me more popular with the ladies :-D . A lot of the Hardbaits, Jigs, and Bucktails are good to go, yet I have many which are in need of paintjobs, and clear coats. I can change snap rings and hooks with the best of them, but I am just getting in to trying to paint and coat those plugs to ugly to throw. I have tried spray paint (rattle cans I think some of you are calling them) but I hated the results, some okay, but most my 5 yr old nephew could have done better. I have a dual action airbrush new in the box, won it years ago in a art contest but never learned how to use it. After seeing the amazing art you all produce, I would be afraid to fish some them ; I am inspired to give it a try myself. I ask from all of you to please share any info or starters for a beginner in how to best repaint and protect hard plastic lures that I have collected from my dives. Again thank you and I sorry for the long winded post. James T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Welcome aboard James. Watch out for the sharks the best tip you can ever get is "go learn how to use the SEARCH feature" You will spend hours, days, weeks and even months reading on a particular topic. Most of the beginner questions have been asked so many times and answered that not all who should reply do anymore. Not that don't want to help you, but they have answered it so many times. TU is like a dictionary......what you are looking for is in here, you just have to find it. Trust me, there were some guys who were here when TU first got up that contributed a bunch of their knowledge. I don't think they forgot about us, they just got to busy to frequent as much. Good luck and if you can't find your answers.......fire away, someone will help you out! Tally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Welcome James!!!!glad to have you here. Ditto on what Tally boy said. Holler if you need anything. Blades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 This is the place James. Welcome!! Everything that you would want to know and more is here on the site. There is a ton of tallent here. Where would you like to start? There is enough knowledge between Tally and Blades to make you a major manufacturer in the tackle business. They have taught me so much and have helped me tremendously. Once again.... welcome to TU. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoodaddy Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Welcome James; If you cant find what you're looking for here I dont know what to tell you.I thought I knew something when I joined up but things have changed drastically for me and inspiration is something these guys give you right off the bat.....Now if I can learn to paint like Blades I'll have 'er licked.Feel free to just ask.. On some of your baits you find that are really mossy and grimy try some rubbing alcohol if you have'nt already.Works for me.There you got your 1st tip....Have Fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 This is the place James. Welcome!! Everything that you would want to know and more is here on the site. There is a ton of tallent here. Where would you like to start? There is enough knowledge between Tally and Blades to make you a major manufacturer in the tackle business. They have taught me so much and have helped me tremendously. Once again.... welcome to TU.Skeeter I have taught you?????? LMAO Tally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 First off Skeeter, Hoodady,thank you for the compliments. You are too/ kind. :!: It goes both ways guys,I have learned much from these guys as well. Behind the scenes we give Tally Boy hell.But when you get right down to "brass tacks" he is about the most diligent son of a buck you will ever meet.I am serious this guy may be as sharp as anyone I know.He has asked me questions ,then figured it out before I could. Skeeter is as good a crank bait man as you will find anywhere.There are many others here as well trust me.I speak of these guys only because we have become friends through the existance of this forum.Skeeter pasion to build the absolute best bait is unbelievable.Not to mention he wants you,me and everyone else here to take the time and effort to do the same. Skeeter/Cullin8's/Tally /Lapala and Coley were among the first ones to welcome me here.We have all disagreed with each other publically here on this forum,but still have respect for the other ones knowledge.I would say this goes for the majority of this forum.Ha,Ha just do a search on clearcoats.Note(please dont let that subject run you crazy)LOL I cant say enough good about this forum and all it's members!Period Paragraph! As for the repaints. There is more to this than just slapping some paint on.Things that will become more and more important as you get deeper in to this are things like: What kind of topcoat is on the bait before you start Does the bait suspending before you start Wood or Plastic Most of these would be taken in to concideration when the decision needs to be made to strip the bait down completly or just get it prepped like it is. If it were me starting I would do the basics: Supplies needed are as follows: Sponge sanding blocks (sand paper covered sponge) Normally one side is fine grit and the other is coarse. A Scotch Brite pad Some soap and water Krylon gloss white (be prepared to get some Enamel Spray white) Protection for your hands Prep for repaint: 1-Sand good with the Sponge.You can turn the square sponge different angles to get to the crevises. 2-Go to the sink and wash the bait using the scotch brite pad as a scrub brush. 3-Rinse very good in hot water 4-Lay the bait on a clean shop towel to air dry 5-Try to use some protection on your hands like surgical gloves or rubber kithcen gloves when doing this next step. When you are sure the bait is dry take some type of alcohol/thinner or some type of NON OILY SOLVENT and wipe the bait ever so lightly with a paper towel . (it dont take much the key is something that evaporates quick) Try not to lay the bait back down on anything until the solvent is dry. (this only takes a minute) If the bait has a lip mask itf Base coat with Krylon (at first just spray a very light coat and give it a few minutes to dry. If you see the paint start to crackle or look funky reprep the bait and go to the enamel) The enamel takes a hell of a lot longer to cure than Krylon white. The reason for the test shot of Krylon is that some baits have a top coat on them that just dont like Krylon.And I dont give a crap how much you sand it the Krylon will crackle.(Some Bomber/Manns/Bill Lewis products give this problem) The reason for Krylon first rather than enamel is most cases the bait will take the Krylon.Krylon dries much quicker. This is a quick and dirty prep for a basecoat.I normally prime my baits first with automotive lacquer primer but all that can be discussed once you get your feet wet.If you prep the bait like mentioned above you will have a nice base to began painting on.And it all starts with a good base. Sorry to rock on here. Hope some of this helps. Blades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddoxBay Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Good read Blades and I believe class has just started? All of these guys posting above are the real deal, I would definitely listen to anything they have to say. What Tally said about the Search will result in a Gold Mine of knowledge. Just about everything you need to know is already somewhere on this site. With that said, don?t be scared to ask questions if you can?t find something. There are some extremely knowledgeable people here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 WOW!!!!! Talk about a place that makes you feel good for your efforts, this is it...... Best of all, these guys are willing to help you every way they can. Trial and error is the only way to learn so get ready to ruin a bunch of bodies before you get everything just the way you want it. Now don't expect to get all of the secrets that these guys have.......it flat won't happen!!!!! I have experimented so much with lures that every now and then I run across something very special. For guys like Skeeeter, Coley,LP, C8 and Blades, I pass on what I find only because they were so willing to help me. Unforytunately we all live to damn far from each other or who knows what we could come up with. When you finish a lure, ask yourself if you are 100% happy with it, cause you are the only one who knows where you wanted to be at the final stage of that design. Just because a block of wood has 2 trebles and a lip does not mean it will catch fish...... good luck and thank you guys for the most satisfying comments Tally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snook Posted April 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Wow, I can?t thank you guys enough already? I wish this class was offered at the University, I would maybe change majors, he he he . Blades, I like the idea of the Krylon base coat for prep, however this raises a couple of questions for me. I most always harvest plastics from my dives and the majority of questions will concern these styles of baits. Some baits as you know appear to have flash within the plastic. If I was interested in preserving this, could I lay down Krylon clear to watch for cracking, then just paint the head, back, and belly? Or would you stick to the white base coat and try to adhere some flash over that? Second, the lip on most is clear, so do you mask this off, or just paint? I ask because when I finally feel I have a bait worth trying to topcoat, I was unsure if I should go over the entire bait or top coat around the lip? I will be starting out with pre-manufactured bait bodies where the lip is not removable. Tally, I thank you for pointing me towards the search feature in your post. When I initially found the site I never even saw it. As soon as I found the forums I just started reading and tried to absorb as much as I could. I thought I had hit the lottery or something. I will try not to ask to many of the same redundant old questions you guys get from newbie?s like myself with out searching first. My garage already looks like a fishing / tackle shrine as it is :-D , but now I am planning on building a small drying wheel and paint table on casters. Looking forward to getting serious, I am bit of perfectionist as I guess most of you are too, so be prepared for a rant or two in the future. Thanks again to everyone, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Sorry Snook I was a little to general in the instructions. Lets take the simplest answer first:(this is for a total repaint) When I stated "mask" i did mean mask the lip.Either wood or plastic. I use a vinyl tape that I get from the auto paint supply house. I use both the 1/8th wide and the 1/4 inch wide stuff. The vinyl tape I am talking about is used for masking automobiles for painted on pin striping or tight places.This tape stretches and conforms to the curves where the lip meets the body. The other advantage is when you are finished with the job the tape pulls away easily and if you are carefull will leave a very clean transition from painted surface to unpainted surface. I try to take the time to even mask the side of the lip on a bait that the lip is cut in to. I stick a piece of tape on and take an exacto knife and trim it nice and neat. Ok having said all that here it is straight and simple: 1-I mask the lip coles to the body first.Side as well if lip slot . 2-Trim with exacto knife if need to. 3-The remainder of the lip gets a total tin foil covering- 50% of the time I will use blue painters masking tape. 4-When I have finished painting and ready to top coat I remove all the masking 5- I remask the Lip with the blue masking tape about 1/4 inch from where the lip and body meet.I do this because i want my top coat to cover a small portion of the lip.This is strickly to prevent my paint job from being compromised at the body lip transition. Finished Results -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok for the factory foiled and prism side baits you had just rather clean up and try to preserve. Get all the hardeware off Clean it real good.Hoodady's rubbing alcohol seems good enough for me for something to clean it good. But if you encounter a problem with the alcohol reacting to the foil or prism sides(which I doubt you will), try some mild detergent-maybe some diluted "Simple Green" maybe someone else has a sudgestion. Let the bait dry good Mask the lip like I mentioned maybe 1/4th inch from the lip to body transition. The apply top coat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now here is a potential can of worms about to open. 1st and formost forget the deal with clear Lacquer for protection. Do a search on top coats here and YOU, and I mean YOU make the decision which top coat to try. If it were me in your shoes I would think seriously about a 2 part epoxy top coat for starters.Just be carefull. If the bait you want to re- top coat still has a factory top coat on it , but is just dull and ugly.you may want to go easy on the thickness and number of coats. You could wind up with a bait that feels like a wet dish rag on retrieve when you do get an opportunity to fish it. But hell, the main thing is dont put to much pressure on yourself to get it all just right.As Tally said you are going to ruin a couple baits here and there but thats just the way it is. It's not a big deal. Good luck with it! Blades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Hey JT. Is that one of those baits from Alabama? Nice paint. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerZ Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Snook, Welcome to the site. I can tell you from personal experience that there is a wealth of info here, especially if you use the search feature. I have played around with lures for years and learned more in a few months hanging around here than I had in years experimenting on my own. A lot of these guys really know their stuff! Good luck! Chris www.cpccrankbaits.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted April 14, 2006 Report Share Posted April 14, 2006 Skeeter,yes it is one of those models from Alabama. Sorry no answer sooner, was out of town a couple days and mowed hay the rest of this week. Blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkbait Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Welcome to the site Snook. These guys have forgotten more than some of us know! The advice given thus far is right on take it slow and dont hurry the job or you will ruin more than you might other wise. I found a count-down Rapal while diving Ginny Springs sp? 17 years ago and still have it in my box. Hey if you go to Stick Marsh look for my foiled crankbait in the northeast corner will you? And look out for that big ole gator! Man I used to lose a bunch of baits out in those lakes. Post a few pix. Jerk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snook Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Hey Jerk, I will keep an eye out for your crank bait while at the marsh. Depending on how long it has been since you lost it, I might practice my paint skills on it before sending back to you. When you get it, try not to laugh too hard! Something that ugly has to catch fish! :-D I haven?t personally been to the Farm in months, planning on a trip to the Gulf Stream next week with some friends from work. The bite was on this past weekend according to the word on the street. Weather hasn?t been that great offshore lately; winds are dying down so I?m itching to go. When I do get out to some fresh water I will be sure to keep an eye out for your plug and give you a report. Thanks, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
