Simple And Cheap Swimbait Holder

[RayburnGuy]

Hey guys,

 

Since I don't paint a lot of swimbaits I was looking for a cheap and effective way to hold them while painting and I couldn't justify buying one of the "helping hands" holders that a lot of you use even though they're relatively cheap. I had tried making a couple different holders from heavy wire and was never satisfied with them. The bait would flop around and the joints would move allowing painted surfaces to touch each other. Combine my cheapness with liking to build tools, gadgets, jigs, etc. I came up with the holder shown below.

 

It's made from a wooden coat hanger, a couple eye screws, 2 rubber bands and a couple of "S" hooks bent from the wire I normally use for hangers and ties. The whole thing was made from stuff laying around the house and it works great. You can vary the tension on the rubber bands by wrapping them around the eye screws. There's also an eye screw located under the bait so a short wire "S" hook can be hooked to the belly hanger.  The eye screw that holds the "S" hook on the bottom can be placed anywhere along the coat hanger to match whatever size lure your painting. The tension on the "S" hook can also be varied by changing the length of it. This is done so the jointed sections of the swimbait can be aligned parallel to each other. You can hold the holder in your hand or place it in a vice if you need to use both hands for painting.

 

On this particular swimbait I drilled a small hole in the tail to allow an eye screw to be threaded into it so the tension would be applied through the center of the lure. After painting is done a small drop of super glue is all that's needed to repair it.

 

Anyway, just thought I'd share my latest crazy idea in case some of you aren't satisfied with what your using now.

 

Ben

[Vodkaman]

Very good job, particularly the solution to apply the pull axially through the lure.

 

Dave

[mark poulson]

X2!!

Edited May 2, 2014 by mark poulson

[barrybait]

Hey Ben.  I came up with something very similar but with the additional cost of a sewing hoop.  I picked two of the larger size sewing hoops at Michaels and suspend the bait with wire s-hooks and rubber bands.  That way I can suspend from any point on the hoop.  If there is not a hook hangar or a pin for a tail for me to attach, I can generally use the back hook hangar and then get another s-hook in to the hinge eyes.  I really like it both for painting and epoxy coating.  With it suspended with rubber bands, you can flex the bait slightly to open up the hinge joint for applying paint or epoxy.  It is also very easy to hang it when you need your hands  free.

 

(My first version had the bait suspended inside a coil of leftover brake hydraulic tubing)

 

Barry

 

[Matt Moreau]

I used to do the same thing but I didnt want to have to manipulate the baits to be able to put tension all the way through it like drilling the screw eye hole. Now i just use a rubber band wrapped a few times around the joint so it doesnt move and then use a pair of vice grips and clamp on the hose screw eye. Very secure and you can manipulate the bait in any direction you want. I also take a small paper clip or wire and wrap it around the screw on the end of the vice grips so i can hang them with the baits when changing colors and what not.

 

This is just a pic i sent a buddy painting his 3:16 but its all i have on my phone...u can kinda get the idea

 

[Big Bass Man]

Hey Ben,

A Helping Hands Holder works good on swimbaits. You can get them fairly cheap at Harbor Freight. Here is a link to see what they look like. http://www.adafruit.com/products/291?gclid=CI7N5ZTEjr4CFc1j7AodUFgAcA

[Hughesy]

I use a hacksaw or coping saw. Just string it up where the blade goes. Then tighten up the blade tightner to pull it tight.

[diemai]

@ RayburnBuy

 

Ben , I like your idea of fixing the bait by it's belly either , much more stable this way  , A+  !

 

Greetz , Dieter

[mark poulson]

Man, you guys make me feel so inadequate.  I just put two deck screws into a piece of plywood leaning against my garage wall, and suspend them with a paper clip through the line tie, and a rubber band at the other end.

I'm going out right now to burn my garage down....again!   Hahaha

[nova]

I just love to see brains in overdrive. Good simple solutions to a problem. Well done.

[RayburnGuy]

 Thanks guys. I've taken so much from TU that it's nice to be able to give a little something back every now and then. I like the coping and hacksaw idea described by Hughesy as well. And Mark, don't burn your garage down. Ya'll have enough fires in California right now.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

 Thanks guys. I've taken so much from TU that it's nice to be able to give a little something back every now and then. I like the coping and hacksaw idea described by Hughesy as well. And Mark, don't burn your garage down. Ya'll have enough fires in California right now.

 

Ben

 

That's the only thing that stopped me.  It's an attached garage, and I realized all the fire fighters are busy with the wild fires, so it would take my whole house, too.

[Griffond]

That's the only thing that stopped me.  It's an attached garage, and I realized all the fire fighters are busy with the wild fires, so it would take my whole house, too.

 

Well then I say for some stress relief you just better go fishing 

[mark poulson]

Well then I say for some stress relief you just better go fishing 

 

To hear is to obey, Sensei!!!  

[bass100]

Here is another place for cheap helping hands: 

 

http://www.frys.com/product/5276537;jsessionid=tnJnxxSbC-QpZresZrFqcg__.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

I put a handle on my helping hands and then a simple piece of wood with a hole drilled in it to hold my helping hands.