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My opinions on painting plastic lure blanks are well documented. I was even reprimanded by the TU management for upsetting paying advertisers. Reprimand is a bit strong, more of a 'please stop it' Strangely enough, people who attempt to copy famous, successful lures do not bother me in the slightest. I know that there is a lot more to copying a lure than shape alone. Most will fail but they will learn something about lures on the journey. In fact, I would recommend trying to copy a favourite lure in the learning process as many experienced builders also suggest. Those who can copy a commercial successfully have all the skills to produce their own masterpieces. I often wonder why they bother, but I guess it is a challenge. I was even considering writing a thread dedicated to reverse engineering a lure without destructive examination even though I have never done it before. I never view the gallery. I am not really interested in the current trends. I do not want my design ideas to be affected by what others are doing. Basically, body shape is a covering over the internal structure although it does have some functionality. Because I am not commercially competing I see no reason for secrets. I even received a couple of angry PMs for revealing design secrets that they had been cashing in on for years. However they need not worry, many read the articles but very few try the ideas out. The few that do are only producing lures for personal use. I probably got a bit off subject with this post, but there you go, I am rambling Dave

I cataloged all mine in a spreadsheet, printed out a list, had them closed on shelves with the number on the end of the wood handle showing so I could find it on my list, then looked for the number of handle. I had the shelves with numbers so I had location numbers on my list and still couldn't find what I was looking for when I needed a mold. so I put them on peg board .The pic of my molds takes up a lot of room but at least if can find what I am looking for. and while looking for a mold i'll see one that i forgot i had, so that is helpful.

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!

Oh, and its also easier to drill the pin holes in the block before cutting... youll need an acurate center line around the block to line up the tru hole on each side.... heres an easy way to mark the center of any flat piece of material

There’s a fine line between vents too small and vents too large. If they are too large, you will get plastic that flows out of them causing little nipples on your baits. Too small and the baits won’t fill. Mold also needs enough of them. So if you are opening up some vents to solve a problem, go slow. Remove a little material and try the mold. Wash, rinse, repeat until it shoots well without the flash....or nipples, if you will.

Glass guy in town gives me a deal on his cut off ends. Last time I got a 6ftx1ft and a bunch of other strips 2inch and wider of 1/8 for 5$

And the basketball courts are a joke with all of the players out there. Just like the golf course, the football fields, and the baseball diamonds. But the cream always rises to the top doesn't it? Most of us recognize true tallent, don't we? "How bad you want it?" Skeeter

Yeah, I’d rather not see the Devcon-ETEX war start again. My take is that both work well. Maybe ETEX is a little more flexible in cold weather, at least many musky bait builders think so. I’ve tried both and for the bass baits I make, I prefer Devcon for several reasons. It goes on thicker so you need only one coat versus several for ETEX. It hardens faster so you need 45-60 minutes of rotation after application instead of several hours wth ETEX. It is less prone to develop fisheyes than ETEX. I don’t think the end product is any better than with ETEX but it’s a lot less hassle and faster to use in terms of the process. My gut feeling is that all SLOW cure epoxies, including glue epoxies like Devcon , decoupage epoxies like ETEX, or rod thread epoxies like Flexcoat produce topcoats that are very durable, glossy, and waterproof. I say choose one, learn the best application techniques for that one, and never look back.

you can use a toaster oven for bending and forming lexan/polycarbonate. do not exceed 300 deg f. you can make molds out of pop or any heat resistant material. just my .02

The joints are all lined up and moving freely. Just need to fill the cavities on the sides of the dowels and some final sanding and she’s ready to test swim and mold.

Lakeland has a blade called a Royal blade or Royal Willow blade. I think they have more thump than a Colorado or Mag willow. https://barlowstackle.com/Royal-Willow-Spinner-Blades-P1956/

I don't think you could use that in a microwave.

Here are a couple of simple homemade tools that are working out well for me and may be of some help to you too. Photos were necessary for clarity. The first two pictures show a simple homemade screweye driver for use in your drill chuck. If you have any access to scrap pieces of stainless steel or steel tubing, the first picture shows a short length of SS tubing that will not fit over the screw eye. By using vise to squeeze the end oblong, it will easily fit the screw eye. The screw eye will not go too far into the tool either because it does not fit into the unflattened tubing. However, if desired, you can turn the tubing 90 degrees and make another squeeze immediately above the first squeeze to stop the screw from going too far into the tubing. Just make sure the unflattened tubing will fit into your drill chuck. The next four pictures are for a tool I needed to devise to help me fit up the hardware for Prop Baits I have been making lately. LPO has all the hardware I need for Prop Baits similar to the one in the background of one of the pictures. Where I had trouble is I could not hold the cup washers in order to drill out the center hole as needed. For example, when using the large cup washer for the wood chopper or other large prop blade, I use the cup washers for a bearing surface of the prop. Even though the cup washer is drilled out to 0.095", it is difficult to fit over the 0.092" size screw eye because even though the screw eye is made of 0.092" size stock, the threads are raised on the stock and the diameter of the screw eye at the threads is actually over 0.100". Therefore I needed to find some way of holding the cup washer in order to drill out the center. It was even more needed for the smaller cup washers for smaller prop baits. I found a small steel hinge measuring only 1" long by about 1/2" wide and drilled for small No.6 flat head countersink screws for a flush screw head once installed. For the large cup washers, the countersink for the No. 6 screws was perfect to put the cup washer in. Once you close the hinge on the cup washer, a light squeeze with small needle nose vise grips will hold the cup washer securely and keep it from rotating while you drill out the center hole. For the smaller cup washers, I had to drill a pilot hole larger that what I would drill the center out to but much smaller than the base of the cup washer. Drill this out with the hinge closed together for perfect alignment. Then open up the hinge and on one size, use a counter sink or simply a larger bit to provide the countersink. Once you place the cup washer in the countersink and close the hinge, the countersink keeps the cup washer centered up perfectly and holds it while you drill out the center as needed. One picture shows the hinge open with two different sizes of cup washers installed before folding the hinge over to clamp the cup washers. Of course you can't do both these sizes at the same time, one at a time please. It was easier to do than explain but I think with the pictures it will be selp explainatory, hope this help some of you. Barrybait

Just make sure your threads on the jar and lid are clean from any drips..I add a shot of Bloxygen just to be safe..have kept it in Mason jars for over 18 months and still going..Nate

To me its your choice I do both, more twist wire epoxy in than screw in or wire through. have no problems. Wayne

I found that putting a groove in the "forehead" of the bait, from nose to line tie, with a round file seemed to enhance the swimming action. I think it probably increases the turbulence (thank you Vodkaman) of the water as it passes over the bait's nose.

Hi @Nim713,, Lots of good suggestions in the comments above. For me just practicing with the airbrush gave me the best results. Each time you mess something up, and you will mess something up, makes you think harder about it the next time around and forces you to get better. One thing I found very helpful is to paint a bait with whatever base colors you choose, then allow it to dry fully. Then lay a piece of tracing paper over the bait and draw out whatever lines/gills/etc. you want exactly where you want them to be on the bait using a pencil with a thick point. Once you draw the outlines flip the tracing paper over and lay it onto a piece of card stock, index card, or some other rather thick paper, and then draw over the lines you made. This will transfer the lead/graphite you did on the lure body onto the thicker paper. Then just remove the tracing paper, go over the lines again to make them more pronounced, cut the shapes out with an exact knife and bam! You have a stencil that will line up perfectly on your bait. The first image I did using the tracing paper method and the second image I did using a mix of the tracing paper method and free hand with the airbrush.

If the second coat of epoxy is going on nicely - it sort of points out that there is an incompatibility of the last coat you're spraying and the epoxy. It doesn't matter how you apply the epoxy, finger, brush, pour it on.... if those two surfaces doesn't like each other it will always fish eye/ripple. I'd recommend trying to spray an acrylic clear coat over the entire bait. Let it dry for a good 24 hours - then epoxy. Don't touch the surface before epoxy and don't even wipe it down with anything... blow air across it if you feel the need to clean it. That has helped me..... I still get spots here and there... but it's drastically improved the finish. J.

I did however find a good use for the bad tube... since i also make soft baits, i used it to seal my masters... doesn't matter if theyre cloudy, as long as theyre smoothe and shiny I use alot of devcon too, so getting the one bad tube is not indicitive of the quality of the product... theres no telling how many good tubes i went thru before and after that one... I always say D2T is like the Franks Red Hotsauce of my shop.... i put that sh*t on everything

I believe the Mid Wee R was a 6 - 8' diver. It was supposed to fill the gap between the Wee R ( 4.5 - 6' ) and the Deep Wee R ( 8 - 10' ). I think it was only made for a year or two around 2002.

It's getting to be shad spawn time, so I decided to make a smaller plopper in a shad pattern. It swims and plops even at low speeds.

I keep a vile of cooking oil on my bench. Before I start injecting I dip my plungers into it to lube the o rings.

I’ve owned Badger, Paasche, and Iwata. My Iwata is clearly the best built and has been trouble free for 10 years. Mine is a Revolution B with a .03 mm tip. Eclipse is of similar high quality in the Iwata lineup. Just IMHO, your Eclipse sounded like it had a problem in the trigger system which caused most of the problems you cited. All airbrushes are precision instruments that require daily cleaning and periodic deep cleaning. They're easy to break or get misadjusted so that they can’t work well. Finicky? Yeah, a little. But there’s no other tool that can do the same job as well.

The Iwata HPCS is an excellent brush and I use it for 70% of my work. Cant say anything about the quality and longevity of the compressor or the quality of the paint in that kit however. good price but if you price out the same brush, a California Air Tools compressor, sprayout pot and a selection of quality paint like Wicked you will be in the same range and have a compressor and paint that is of high quality. As far as cheap blanks go, Cedar Run Outdoors has some good ones, and excellent service

My work shack. Kinda small, so I probably need to move some air.

Here is the metal tape on the outside of mold with a pin hole in it. Fixed my problems tail fills Perfectly every time now

I remelt em to cubes

Yes, the brand is Rod Bond epoxy and its sold online at Rod building sites like Mudhole. It comes in two varieties. A regular slow cure and a fast 20 minute variety. I prefer the slow cure because I build baits in small batches and the slow cure has a work time of at least an hour, which gives me plenty of time to tweak lip positions. I’m not in any hurry and slow cure epoxies have one big advantage: they are always stronger than fast cure varieties.

What Is Patent Infringement? When someone sells, imports, uses, or makes a product that someone else invented without permission, patent infringement has occurred. From here: https://www.upcounsel.com/patent-infringement While Zman likely wouldn't go after a guy in his garage making a couple of baits for personal use, it is still patent infringement.

Thanks guys for your insight and opinions. i like the tubing idea for a test spacer to see if I can get the blade rotation to start and hold up. I was thinking along the lines of using a thread ball and changing its position on the shaft to get this figured out. If that works I will use a thread ball and a heavy chenille yarn ball winding and add scent to it as an added attractant. The two blade upper wire is definitely an awesome rebuild idea. I will post my results once I get a chance to get back to these. As always you guys and this site are top notch.Can't say enough about being able to be a part of it as a member and hopefully contribute to this great hobby addition. Cheers.

Bob do you remember a jig company call ProPoint Jigs that was made in Winston Salem back in the late 80's early 90's? He was selling to WalMart in W.S. They ended up putting the guy out of business due to wanting more and paying less for the jigs.Even if I ever decided to go that route Walmart would never b on I would sell to. When I had my tackle shop in the late 90's I couldn't even compete with the prices that Walmart was selling the same stuff as me.

That said. a 4 ounce jar sold on volume should be full tho. Or close to it, Those jars are larger then stated for obvious reasons tho.

This should be a sticky at the top of the Soft Baits Forum. So much great information. Thank you Travis.

Both of these are good choices. The saltwater ss leader wire is more bendable than hard temper ss wire but is much stiffer than soft temper “bend and stay” ss wire. I’ve used #12 Malin ss leader, which is pretty thin (.029”) but I really prefer .041” soft temper ss wire on bass sized baits. It’s very easy to shape but strong enough to maintain its shape as a line tie or hook hanger. Buy it in 1/4 lb spools from McMaster Carr online for less than $10.

Unless you are making your living painting custom baits, I think there is no reason to hide your paint schemes. I am no painter, but my self-painted baits get bit, and everything I know about lure painting I learned here at TU, and from Barry Starud (Barry Baits) and John Hopkins. People shared with me, and I think I am obligated to share with others. One of the most generous artists here on TU in terms of answering paint questions is also a very successful commercial lure painter.

Probably not going to be a bid deal with a quart of plastic, but as you get into larger jugs (and trust me.....you will!,) also make sure the plastic is mixed very well because depending on the brand, it will settle and you'll end up with a bunch of soft, sticky baits.

You may be able to twist a Q tip on the ceramic and if it pulls at the cotton fibers it’s probably grooved. You can check the eyes on a fishing pole using the same technique.

I use a propane torch. Torch a 6 oz injector for 30 seconds & it's ready to go. 10 oz I torch for 1 minute. I have been heating injectors like this for several years. I have had no O-ring problems & no tube problems.

Nice video... I think any more than 2 tabs total is too much on my jigs... Wire tying with 2 wraps is so much faster for me. I tie feathered trebles with thread though.

You can put a small bit of epoxy in the hole with a toothpick and just put a piece of clear scotch tape over it until it cures. Then you can slowly peel the tape off. The tape helps level out the fill in the hole. Edges may stll show but at least the bait will be sealed and it won't pop out. This problem can be caused by oil or dirt from you hands. But I have learned that devcon levels out best when the environment in your shop is between 70 to 74 deg. and the humidity is at least 60% or better. If the air is too dry it can cause the epoxy to cure quickly and draw up as it cures. If the temp is too cold then the epoxy becomes too thick to spread out evenly while it is on your wheel. If it is too high then it starts to cure too quickly and you could have the same problem. Everyone needs to remember that applying epoxy clearcoats is a skill, just like painting. Practice makes perfect. Skeeter

I weigh my plaster molds on a gram scale. When the mold stops losing weight in the drying process then the mold is 'dry'. From personal experimentation; PoP loses weight at a constant rate, there is no gradual slowing down of the weight loss, so it is very easy to determine the dry point. I mention this because over drying in the oven can make the mold powdery. A cracked open oven works well, but the ideal rapid method is a warm box with fan circulation. I used 3x 100W incandescent (filament) bulbs as the heat source. If you make a lot of molds, this simple wood construction oven is worth building. Dave

Heat the mold up, place the wire keeper where to want it in the mold, carefully close the mold so it doesn’t move on you, put it in a vice and crank it down. Easiest and quickest mod you can do to a mold.

Thanks everyone! Continued on today with some green watermelon with black and red flake. Also tried the heat gun trick for some extra shine. The heat gun is gonna take some practice. It goes from nothing is happening to a smooth blob pretty darn quick haha. Most still came out ok.

The only problem is the owner has no vested interest in your product so they will try to sell what they have paid for before selling your product. If you can get a high visibility location in the store, you will be better off. Also, if the store closed abruptly, you are out your product if you can't get in to remove it. We never put product on consignment just for those reasons. We lost 38 stores during the recession but were paid for the product so no monetary loss. Just my .02.

I bought some Do-It Essentials molds some time back just to see what everybody was complaining about. Sure they have a less than smooth surface and dry out of the molds the baits look a little dull, but in the water where most of us actually fish with them they look great and catch fish. My thought was … here is a cheap mold that produces baits that catches fish somebody can buy if they just want to play a little bit. I voiced that opinion here some time back and get a little bit of a thrubbing for it. Some guys complained it was NOT a good deal if they didn't get a zillion cavities for it, and others complained about the dull finish all over again. Sure they don't have the finish of a machined mold, but then they don't have the cost either. In my opinion the only real draw back is for the reseller. A bait that doesn't look as pretty in the package doesn't sell as well. My opinion of them hasn't really changed. They are a cheap mold that produces baits that catch fish. Its not a Cadillac, but its not priced like one either.

Stick to the USA mold makers, they are very aware of their designs and are good about making sure they don't violate any patents (if they do they are on the hook just as much as you are for making the baits) whereas the offshore mold guys don't care. USA patents don't apply to them and they just pass the buck on to the buyer.

I use regular rustoleum primer for base coating. I dip batches of 100-200 at a time usually. Then I just paint with various water based acrylics and clear coat. Pretty much just like a small crankbait. Some clears you can mix the glitter in, others you can't. Since I use the same clear for all of my baits, I don't add glitter to it. If I want glitter on something I will put down a layer of clear nail polish and sprinkle the glitter in where I want it. The polish holds it on well, then clear coat as normal.