captjimbob

So far, the FC looks great. The $100 question for me is, does it shrink and leave "holes" in the finish like Devcon does? I absolutely know my baits or spinnerbait blades are spotless before I clear them and I'm still having trouble. Looks like I may be giving FC a try!

Wow, what a cool idea! I would have never thought . . .

VMAXX, To answer your question, I spray Auto Air the most, as it gives me the least amount of problems. I've sprayed gallons of lacquer and hobby enamels (used to customize 1/64 diecast cars). I liked lacquer but the cleanup and smell were a problem. When thinning AA, use their reducer instead of water, it works a whole lot better. They recommend that you only thin with water less than 10%. I have to agree that a good white base is important, but my eyes can't really see the difference between the base coat and the other white. Try painting over silver and gold base coats too. They will change the characteristics of the pearls if thinned a little. Also try a black or dark coat and spray a light chameleon coat over. I'm still experimenting. Different combos do different things. However, Auto Air is still one of the top for water based painting IMHO.

I'm using Createx base coat and sealer. It has some adhesive properties and when it is heat-set, seems to work well on cranks and metal surfaces, and its sandable. The thing about lacquer is knowing the right consistency to spray thru the airbrush (like milk). Once you get that down, the rest is the difference in cleanup (water's easier) and you should wear a respirator rated for those fumes (unless you like headaches). I am using Createx right now because I'm spraying inside the house. I like lacquer better because the colors are bright without the clear, so you can tell if you've sprayed enough. With Createx, I have to wait until the clear coat to see if the colors are as deep as I wanted. Good fishing!!!

Thanks for compliments. I had ordered Neck Hackle from Jann's. The hackle in red I ordered is a little different and a little stouter. I've had no problems with the 6/0 thread except my poor eyesight. I have a long drive to anywhere that sells fly tying supplies, where are you getting yours if you're buying online or mail? I also had a close up look at some dressed trebles at nearby tackle shop. Not as much difference as I first thought. Now I have to dig up the flashabou and other mylar I have buried in my garage so I can add some flash to the feathers. Thanks again! Captjimbob

While I was waiting for baits to dry I thought I'd try my luck dressing a few treble hooks. My first question is what type of feathers work the best? I attached a pic of my first try, the feathers are white hackle with 6/0 thread. Which leads to my second question, what diameter thread works best? I had heard somewhere about the feather type but the hackle I'm using seems too wimpy compared to the dressed Owners I have seen in the catalogs. Thanks in advance!

I would like to throw my 2 cents in for the resin molds. I have made dozens of molds from resin and if you treat the molds right, they last a long time. I never tried the double sided tape trick, I just layed the bait in a Plano 3700, made sure it was flat and ready then mixed up a small batch of resin. I then glued the bait down with a few "strips" across, depending on the size of the bait, especially the head and tail. It also keeps the bait from floating up thru the resin. After to resin set, I could go back and finish the pour and the 3700 shapes the mold nicely. The marks from the "glue-down" barely show and no bass I've caught with my worms seemed to care. The only thing I would do differently is pour a thicker mold. Most of mine were rarely over 1/2-5/8" thick. After a lot of heating, they curl a little. If you want shiny worms, coat the mold with a little worm oil before you pour. Good luck!

After lurking for a week or so, I had to surface and say greetings from So. Cal. I live under the shadow of Diamond Valley Lake (newest reservoir in California). Supposed to be some of the best bass fishin' in California, if the lake ever opens to the public! I used to pour plastics, doing pretty well both selling and fishing my worms. Spent a lot of time fishing club and ABA tourneys too. Work changed that and it's taken until now to get some of that spare time back. I'm getting back into making/painting lures, starting with crankbaits, topwaters and spinnerbaits. Then, if I have room in the garage, I may get back into plastics. I also am very curious about building my own fishing rods . . . but one step at a time ( or my wife will catch on!). Can't wait to get started, I've learned a lot just browsing in the last week or so. Bob V. AKA Captjimbob

I hold the molds (mostly Lurecraft or my own) on a large putty knife or drywall taping knife (about 4" wide). Makes it a whole lot easier to move the mold under the "pot", kinda like giving the mold a handle. The hardest thing for me using these pots is trying to see inside and make sure that the color and everything is right before I pour. I usually cook my plastic in a sauce pan so I can see the color and make sure everything looks right. Then I put it in the pour pot or I pour it into old plano 3500 utility boxes, used as a mold. I then have a quantity of plastic, already colored/glittered that I can remelt in the pour pot. Doesn't scorch as often and colors stay consistent. Don't forget to sitr if you add salt or glitter.