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Mark, I wasn't sure if you check back on threads that you've commented in before, so I made this thread just to say, Thank you !! The advice you offered me in my injection mold problem thread was spot on! Trying to keep the story short ... I tried opening the gate up a bit and added a vent channel with a hole drilled at its end, at the nose of the bait. It didn't help at all. In fact it made it worse. The vent wouldn't let me build up any pressure in the mold, and I think it actually caused the gate to cool closed more quickly. So I got the Dremel out again and really went to town on opening up that gate. I didn't quite take it to the entire width of the runner (but I will) but it's almost there. I left the hole I drilled at the end of the nose vent channel plugged with plastic, and shot the mold again. Almost perfect !!! When I opened up the mold, the now funnel shaped gate was actually hollow. Opening it up that much allowed the bait to pull in more hot plastic. Which is what the problem most likely was from the very beginning. Your advice to me tells me you knew exactly what the problem was. And you told me how to fix it. I can't thank you enough for steering me in the right direction. I really wanted this bait to be right. And you made that possible. Once again. Thank you. Your help is truly appreciated.

I would not agree at all. If your fisheries are declining you can only blame the gluttony of your local fishermen and a lack of effort to educate them. We all have the ability to give or take when it comes to our fisheries. Just because regulation say you can take does not mean we don’t have a choice not to. We also have a choice to donate, fundraise and lobby to make change The failure of a fishery is not because of some guy selling baits out of his basement. If you don’t like what is happening with you local fisheries do something about it. Look at the big picture and not seek out petty things to blame All fishermen will get more out of their effort if they ask themselves what they can do for their sport rather then point fingers at others Sorry but petty finger pointing excuses piss me off

@eastman03 @Big Epp @Apdriver - The tutorial is posted in the "Member Submitted Tutorials" section. If you guys have questions please let me know;)

This has been going on forever, whether in fishing or any other hobby or business. I make jigs, and have been doing it for 20 years. When I started doing powder paint it was in its infancy. I then started doing multi-color jigs out of powder paint with the tap brush method, while a good friend of mine on here Smalljaw was doing multi-color jigs using powder paint with an air brush. In 2005 we were the only two at that time doing this with powder paint. The TU community exploded asking us questions on how it was done. I was selling jigs off the wall with multi-color patterns. Myself and Smalljaw literally posted our process on how it was done on TU. This is a teaching site. To this day I do not regret people learning from what I brought to the table. Some guys were able to accomplish what I taught, others struggled and figured it out and others just could not get the hang of it. Fast forward to today. I don't sell nearly as many multi-colored jigs as I did back then because everyone is doing it. In all honesty, it doesn't bother me. This is a hobby for me, it always has been and it will always be . I cannot make a living making jigs. With that said, I try to help people when I can, and if they steal my ideas so be it. This is my perception on the whole thing. Someone will steal your idea if they can figure it out and if he doesn't then China will figure it out and steal it. It's just the way it goes. Life is too short to worry about inconsequential things. JMO

I use one of two ways, depending whether the bait is one part or jointed. For one part I use papertrick, shown below. First, I trace the bait to a peace of paper and cut it out. Then I fold it in half, find the balancing point and press my pen through. Then I mark the point to my bait. Easy way to find center of gravity for one part bait. For jointed baits, I always find the CoG for each segments. I could use this paper trick to find the center but then there's an weight distribution problems... So I use this method below instead. I'll take an rubber band and twist a small wire on to it. You can also use fishing line. I'll loop that rubber band on the segment of my bait and start adding weights to that wire. I can change the distribution of the weights by moving the rubber band to front or back, or adding a second one, like shown in pics below. Weight in front of the CoG. Weight behind the CoG. Almost perfect weight distribution. Then I mark these spots, drive holes and add these weights.

Weather is acting up so no testing yet for my lightened spoon. It means, I'll go forward with this design. Kinda mimicked an Roach fish here. Pretty basic color scheme, just a tad of fluoriscent red, blue and green on the sides which shows depending the lighting. Next step would be obviously epoxy coating but also making the stinger setup. Not sure how much it inhibits the swimming action but we'll see. Have to test with fluorocarbon, leader wire and Kevlar thread would also be one option. I know all of these are being used in these kind of baits so just have to test which is best for so small bait as this one.

SB paints dry fairly quick, usually you can handle them in 5 to 10 minutes. Dry time is affected by how much paint you lay down and ambient conditions as well. Some residual tail solvent will take longer to completely leave and it is recommended to let them dry over night before packing if doing so. As far as the other Post there is something else going on as it shouldnt be tacky, need more info on that one. See above. Same applies to for all SB paints as Clear 3000. The addition of SB Coat Retarder if needed will slow dry time, the amount added will determine the final dry time. The process of handling or fishing a recently painted bait should be treated different than if you package them for storage or re-sale. This is where a over night dry time should be practiced to avoid "fumes" becoming entrapped in the packaging imparting a less than pleasant smell; even though the paint is dry and should have no issue with adhesion its the smell is what you want to avoid for obvious reasons. If by "brush" you mean an actual paint brush and not airbrush then note the following: Since the SB Coat series is solvent based it can re-wet underlying paint layers which can ruin your pattern if you over work an area. Unless you have a technique that works or your pattern requires the use of a paint brush for detail work an airbrush works best. Obviously any paint can run if you apply too much either by brush or air brush. Controlling the flow or amount you load into the brush like all paints is the best method, as well as how fast you pass with your airbrush. The Dotting series are better designed for detail work since the are thicker and have a higher pigment load for coverage; trout speckles is a good example if you dont want to use a template and want that hand crafted look. The Clear SB Coat Dotting is designed so you can mix your own colors in and create your own custom colors as needed. SB Coat paint can build up on the tip like all paints but usually doesnt clog as in dry in the airbrush unless you forget about it and leave it for hours. Most clogging issues arise with Pearl colors or even Fluorescent colors as the pigments can jam in the needle orifice. Needle size and orifice size may need to be swapped for a larger size, or open up the needle to allow more material through. While still wet Acetone can work for clean up, If dried it is recommended to use the SB Thinner 3001 as it is more aggressive and can re-solvate dried paint. Regular lacquer thinners are not recommended as they can be incompatible or may not be aggressive enough to re-wet dried paint. As far as I know most all airbrushed are designed to handle solvent based paints. There shouldn't be a need to purchase a separate airbrush unless that is your preference. Do note LureWorks is blessed to be busier than ever in this crazy 2020 Covid-19 year. Just understand that the sheer volume of inquires and orders has made it difficult to respond in a timely manner. Let me know if you have additional questions.

I would love to jump in on this post, but everything I want to say has already been said. Dave

With a pure clean ingot dross should be minimal. If your buying from a reputable refiner such as Rotometals here on the USA it should be really clean. But for scrap lead from a scrap yard or anywhere else it will vary every time.

I've had good luck with baltic birch plywood. Not the normal plywood from home depot. Normal plywood uses low quality plies in the middle. Baltic birch uses high-quality plies all the way through. I got mine at Rockler woodworking store. They sell smaller pieces (1ftx2ft) so you don't have to buy a whole sheet. No problems with grain, it finishes fairly smooth and then wipe on layers of lacquer and final dip in floor wax to get gloss finish. The plies show up as alternating light/dark lines that help you keep symmetry. You can get pretty fine detail. If I wanted super fine detail I'd carve either PVC trim board or a tan-colored casting resin (urethane). I really like having the lines built-in to guide my work.

I think it may be a center of gravity thing. If the blade is getting fouled on the case, the bait is probably tumbling on the cast, instead of traveling ass first. Try adding more beads behind the clevis as spacers, so the body begins at the back of the blade. That way, it should cast truer, like a spook with more weight toward the rear.

Every now and then I see that there's a new topic in the cookbook sticky so I open it up to see what's new. It seems like a lot of folks are going in there asking how to make a color and that ends up with a lot of messages back and forth. I would suggest that if you need help with a color that isn't in the cookbook that you ask in the regular part of the soft plastic forum and once you get the color dialed in you post the recipe in the sticky cookbook thread. Just my opinion though

Through wire is way too much overkill......use stainless steel wire and twist your own screw eyes and set with epoxy. No fish is going to pull the hook hangers or line tie out.

I have looked for my phone, with the flashlight on my phone. I’m only 36...

I am well aware of the Robert Pittman act. We both know this generates money from many different outdoors related products used by more then fishermen. Now let’s not exaggerate the impact on basement baits because it is a drop in the ocean when looking at the big picture I stand by what I posted and I practice what I preach. If you don’t like the direction your fishery is going DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Maybe rather then complain about these small builder try approaching them for donations of cash or their lures to be auctioned off to generate $ for projects to benefit your local fisheries. Lure builders are fishermen that are impacted by the local fisheries as well Your choice be someone who does something to improve things or be the guy who sits there and complains I give the challenge to all fishermen and lure builders get involved support your local fisheries

I simply pull the wire over a wooden dowel at 90 degrees. Works well enough. Dave

Ill 'll give this a shot. Try a twin injector with one color per side and the plunger bridge off. With the blending block in place start injecting the first color then start the second color while stopping the first color and finish out the push. Just MHO.

I own the first set of Basstackle Twinjectors ever made and still have them. They are tanks and built well. I have a video from 2008 that I used then in and to this day have never had an issue. Look me up and see how they have evolved to what you see now. Franksrooty2 is my YouTube name. Just a fair warning There’s no beer or drums I am doing this to show how I use the Twinjector. Not entertaining just teaching.

This is why I dip my plastic cranks in clean acetone before I paint them. It reveals a new, clean plastic layer, and it clears the bills. It also allows me to paint without a primer, so I can do transparent/translucent paint schemes. The bait in the middle hasn't been dipped yet.

If you receive an email that appears to be coming from Tackle Underground that is asking you to validate your account immediately, absolutely DO NOT OPEN IT OR CLICK ANY LINKS IN IT. This is a blatant scam and an attempt to get you to enter your username and password into a bogus system. I received one of these myself and have attached a screenshot of what it looked like.

For easy soft fins, you can cut them out of a flexible plastic containers (margarine tubs, milk jugs, etc) or cut them out of plastic notebook covers. You can also make them out of paint brush bristles. Because of pure simplicity, my favorite so far is cutting them out of silicone place mats which you can get on Ebay. They come in a bunch of colors and are durable. I still haven't found a way to add detail to the silicone mat fins. You can draw lines/spots on them with some sharpie type markers which last for a while. The ink eventually washes off the fins. If you are going into carving a lot of detail like scales, you should be thinking about using the carved body without cuts as a master to make a mold. You can them cast multiples of the body to experiment with different joints, joints locations, lips, lip angles, amount of ballast, and ballast location. Just remember to take notes of what you did so you can repeat successful lures. I agree with the others who have said you should complete it. I have made numerous duds. But, those baits gave me the chance to experiment with attempted fixes. One of the first lures I made did not come out the way I wanted it. I totally botched it. The lip shifted when the epoxy I put in the lip slot was curing. I didn't drill the eye sockets equally on both sides as the forstner bit walked on the second side. I completed the bungling by painting the lure before the sealer was completely dry and the paint came out mottled. I finished it anyways. I had decent action but ran to one side. I tried tweaking the line tie, hook hangers, slightly shaving the lip on one side to no effect to make it better. I finally drilled a small hole in the side of the head and jammed a piece of nail weight in the hole and resealed the hole. The lure ran great and has been my most successful self-made lures even though it is embarrassing to look at. I am stubborn and save my duds. Periodically, I go back and try something to make them work.

Pencil surface lures are generally weighted with all of the weight in the back 1/3 of the lure so that the nose sticks out of the water. Because it is such a thin lure, the hooks and split rings act as the ballast instead of weighting below the center line of the lure. The difference is that with the back half of the lure in the water and the front half out, the drag is significantly different from back to front, which is how the walking action is achieved. Over these past weeks I just built a 10 inch glider and was finally able to test it at the local lake. With the weight distributed over the entire belly of the lure, I can still get it to roll if I twitch the bait way too hard. It's because I built this one out of maple which is much more dense than the traditional cedar glides. Maybe try to not jerk the bait so hard, but work it soft and methodical. Each lure, especially when handmade, will have it's quirks. Once you figure them out, you'll be able to get them to dance. Last thought, you can always add a rear stability plane like they have on the Drifter Hell Hounds which will significantly decrease it's ability to roll: - Andy

Charts seem to vary a little but follow the principle of the video LHL posted. It gives a good visual. Neon colours also hold longer. water clarity and waves on the surface play a roll because it’s all light penetration When I am fishing lake trout where depths are 50-250ft white, black, purple, blue, green, yellow and contrast matters. Same principles apply for dirty water fishing The funny thing is when I bring someone fishing and ope a box of lures for them to fish it’s almost never a top producing pattern. They always go for the most life like or elaborate. I am a big believer in how depth/water clarity effects colour and contrast. Fishermen who buy or use my lures don’t seem to lol

Thank you for all your responses. I have changed and slowed down the way I heat it all up and the last couple of batches with the same plastisol was fine.

If you're getting a belt sander and band saw you don't need the router. I have a fully equipped workshop and make furniture. I've never used a lure on my router table. Once you get used to it, it's about 15-20 minutes from drawing template on paper to bait ready to seal with a belt sander. Not that much longer with an exacto knife and sandpaper either. The router, with something that small is a creepy feeling. Feels like an accident waiting to happen. A must to make cabinet doors though...

I lost a pin out of a mold. I called Lurecraft and asked what size pin I would need to get. The nice lady looked me up on her computer and said she would mail me one.

I have watched some videos using plastic, heat guns, and vacuums to melt plastic over a blank to make homemade stencils. So far, I haven't been super successful at that technique. I went searching for another and I know I posted another video/topic to use Play-Doh to help conceal eyes during the painting process. Well this week I took it further and decided to test the waters on molding the entire bait and letting it dry after cutting. And to my surprise, it was remarkable. There are a few properties of Play-Doh that make perfect and not perfect at the same time, but with a couple tricks I have learned from you guys I have sealed each stencil in super glue which adds a ton of durability to each stencil. I wanted to share in hopes to give you all at tip and trick that could be beneficial to you all if you are looking to make a certain pattern and speed up painting times without needing a ton of tape or a 3D printer. Hope this helps!

Need to clamp the mold a little tighter and mal sure there is nothing preventing the mold from closing all the way

Barlows has the best mold and hook info on the planet... Thanks for all the help you give us! Mike Lohn

Andrew, Based on our test, the 291 will work in Do-It Mold SRH-6-A. It's not a perfect fit -- see the attached image -- but, at worst, you might have leakage around the hook eyes. Size-wise, here's what we think will work in each cavity: Size 2 - 1/16, 1/8 Size 1 - 1/8 (better fit than size 2), 3/16, 1/4 Size 1/0 - 5/16, 3/8 (3/8 is a little tight) Hope this helps.

this tutorial is on this site. I had to google it I made several out of corian scraps I had laying around. Still use them today

overfilled the mold and put a piece of paper and a heavy weight on top cut it clean .(Surgical Scalpel Blades Carbon Steel 10# + Scalpel Knife Handle #3) (use heat if you need a shiny bag)

I use the eraser from a wood pencil and make the size I want on the sander I have plenty of different sizes. Then dip and dot. Wayne

2.5 " tail pipe material with a plate welded on one end makes a good place to hold liquid plastic for dipping musky size tubes. The tube baits are 8" by 1.5". Spray Pam inside of pipe to help in release of plastic for clean up. I do not sell lures. I just thought this might help someone else.

I stick to rotary tools Dave

I say no, depending on the other features you build onto the bait. I use long hand twisted ss hook hangers and a tough epoxy undercoat on balsa baits, and have never had a bass break one. Imho, thru-wiring only gets you one thing, and that’s maybe the fish that breaks your balsa bait.

My .02 Buy quality airbrush paint and reducer to start with and stay away from craft paint and homemade reducers. Ya they cost more but you will reduce you're learning curve greatly and won't have as many issues. The Neo has a .35 tip and won't shoot craft paint well. I like Createx and Wicked paints and get them from Coast Airbrush, they have decent prices and a lot to choose from. Youtube has vids on painting to help get you started.

Barlow's give the wire diameter and has the pictures of the hooks along with the sizes next to a ruler.

And I would say you are pretty good about passing on the knowledge you have gained as well

Learning does not make you a hack at all. We all started somewhere and have all made ugly lures and failures with action. I still do at times lol. I can tell you myself and many on this forum are willing to help you learn as well. I can paint but not to the level of some here. I am more interested in the action. If you ever need help bringing one of your pencils to life ask I bet you will be met with help and no judgment Too many are heated over competition in their painting market and are forgetting that if you are in business finding out how to stand out from your competition is part of the game I am of the mindset I don’t worry about another’s hobby or business because it’s not mine to worry about I actually find these threads funny in a sick way

The Twinjector has been around for many years. The thought put into it is not just the two together. Making one and not thinking about simple things like pins to keep the tips on while using it is priceless. Being far enough apart to use big Pyrex cups or two presto pots makes it a no brainer. But if it is hard to get past the price then save a little longer and you will be money ahead for many years to come. I still have the first one ever made.

Lol.....and the definitely aren't easy to do cleanly either. Skeeter

Oh it’s definitely necessary for catching fishermen and there is no doubt about it. I have stepped up my efforts with an air brush for this very reason alone

Just want to say thank you to each an every one of you. You have been integral in my success and advancement in this amazing hobby and I wish you and your families all the best in 2020. Tight lines, big fish, and all that you hope for in the new year!

Green hi- lite powder , Fine gold hologram glitter , Medium black glitter . If you're pouring baits loaded with salt (like Yamamoto ) this will lighten the finished color but if not maybe a touch of white pearl hi- lite powder or a drop or 2 white liquid color should do the trick . I have wasted a lot of plastic trying to match colors before I started testing mixing up color variations using clear cooking oil . You can get the desired color very close using the oil then fine tune the recipe using plastisol .

I bought myself a Sihouette Curio stencil cutter and I make any stencil I want within the limits of the lure. Wayne