Travis

Nice and clean. Good job.

The other option is just to make more lures. I did this a few times on some cranks I was wanting to slowly rise. Just weighted them differently. Didn't make much sense to do just did it. Suspend strips and dots way to easy to use for those rare times I thought I needed it.

Considerable difference. If you have a kitchen scale at home you can make salt water for testing. 3.5 grams salt then add water to reach 1000 g total. Brackish water, heavy rains, temperature, etc.. will also all play into effect. I personally would make a batch of ocean water and float test and take suspend strips when fishing to make any slight adjustments that may be needed if you are wanting to get a slow fall rate.

White pine is typically the best pine to use if carving. Different species of pine have different traits in regards to carving, density, resin, etc. I wouldn't be too worried about chasing wood species for lure making. Find a wood you like that suites your needs.

I typically used less than a gallon of plastic in the presto pot. As long as my stirrer kept it going good but definitely not something for small batch. Just go traditional.... electric burners were the mainstay for about everyone at one time. Lee plastic production pots (I never liked them). Long time ago guys constructed set ups with multiple heat lamps to heat pots. Might be able to find a few posts but these were a long time ago. Lots of ways to heat plastic.

Have not used the gel to seal a bait did use to seal a few pens I turned when ran out of the regular super glure. It won't be absorbed as readily as the liquid due to viscosity. Personally I find the liquid easier better to coat things and the gel reserved for applications where I need it to stay put (mounting coral frags for example). A finger cot or vinyl glove makes short work of coating a bait. On my lathe I have sealed much larger pieces (bowls) with superglue in no time. Apply in low humidity settings and cure times will slow dramatically. A dehumidifier in a bathroom or walk in closet will let most get down to much drier conditions, even in humid environments. One year we had a small lab space 8 ft x 8 ft approximately that the AC had issues in and had to do some work on some materials that were sensitive to humidity. I could start out in the mid 70% range and get down to near 12% quickly running two run of the mill big box store units.

Several colors I have used over the years seam to be fairly close to the base color. With some tweaking should be able to reach if from a few different directions. Most of the photos on the internet use the same stock image but there are a few that don't. A lot of the Arkansas shiner recipes would come fairly close (ditch the pearl in the belly color). I used to pour a lot of flukes and sluggo baits with backs in a cinnamon, root beer, brown pumpkin range and tweak to get the desired hue/transparency requested. On large orders would typically have them send me a lure or stop at the store and buy a pack of what I was looking to match. Even then you would find some manufactures colors varied. For some large orders would send several packs that were slightly different so they could pick but those were larger quantities.

That is Rainbow shad but I haven't ever had one in my hand. The 3 inch model looks completely different color wise. I think the photo makes it look purple because of the tail section and comparison with the light smoke/near clear bottom pour.

Five minute Devcon is fine for lips and line ties if that is the route you want to go. Other options will work also.

It gets difficult because guys use so many different things. "Solo" cup gets mentioned but individuals were using various different plastics. The same for the "virgin" lacquer thinner. Those also end up being different chemical compositions depending on location and brand. Reason so many hit and misses with the solo cup method. Propionate was easier for most because they were sourcing the same product from Swede or Palmeto Balsa for instance. Even then I was never sure what exactly propionate they were using. I assumed cellulose acetate propionate based on the initial Rapala reference and coming a few sites across the pond with google translate.

Response earlier was no. Might have to check LPO site to find out.

Plenty of information about performance and pros and cons for DN MCU. Personally I would buy a pint and be done with it. If I don't like it I am out 90 bucks. Figure I am saving a lot more making my own lures versus buying good custom baits or even good mass produced baits for that matter.

You are correct. They still can be bought from various vendors painted on unpainted.

Dark colors don't care about heat stabilizer... For old plastic make sure it is mixed very well. Stuff that comes out tacky has cured after a few weeks from my experiences but haven't poured much old plastic besides a few times (plastic was probably 8 years old).

Cedar is a soft wood and easy to carve. It doens't hold sharp detail with regards to thin areas due to the tendency to split, chip, or break off. That said most lure guys are doing in intricate carving details. Sands easily. Give it a try but cedar, especially WRC, is a known sensitizer and known to be problematic with regards to asthma and rashes. Eastern red and white cedar easier to carve than western red cedar. Few other options also but these are typical ones used. I would go to local wood store (not big box store construction stuff) and look through what they have or buy online. I have not made many lures from cedar to be honest after repairing 100's of Poes over the years.

Definitely can use Dacron just don't see it used that often anymore in commercially available baits. Most buying worms will pass on dacron and prefer the clear lines. Very small market anymore, as far as pre rigged worms in bass fishing. I think the last time I threw one I probably was in my teens (late 80's) and even then wasn't typically used.

Monofilament was traditionally used once Dacron fell out of favor in the 50's with Dupont patenting of Stren. Most monofilament lines are extruded above working temperatures of plastisol. Copolymers usually even higher. Trilene XT seams to be the bread and butter with those currently making prerigged worms.

If the vinegar and toothbrush didn't do much then it likely isn't just minor oxidation and will need some more aggressive cleaning. Steel wool with some WD-40 and final polish with something like Mothers Mag and aluminum polish. Other methods out there cream of tartar, baking soda, aluminum cleaning products, etc.. Personally if the photos of mold were not a true reflection of what he sent and no mention of the issue was made I would send it back at his expense. That didn't happen overnight. Now it isn't going to effect the baits but the seller shouldn't expect you to restore the mold to the condition it was represented as being.

Aluminum oxidation... Few ways to deal with it but I would start with the least aggressive. Vinegar and a toothbrush is fine as suggested and might use a Dremel with the buffing triangle and vinegar. Make a paste with Borax and use the toothbrush is another option. Can try WD-40 and a toothbrush or some 000 steel wool. After getting it cleaned up I would spray down lightly with WD-40 or rub some worm oil over it. It is likely to return more readily at this point.

Old information was available just didn't really sell for various reasons. Frankly if you fish you know this information if you pay attention. Books are great but at some point it boils down to fishing and time on the water. My Uncle was a shop teacher and can spit out all sorts of facts and knowledge about wood working but yet he can't build a birdhouse. https://www.bassmaster.com/how-to/news/a-guide-to-precision-cranking/ https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Casting-Comprehensive-Crankbait-Running/dp/0966301730 Likely can find it scanned somewhere if you search long enough. At one time I had a Russian site that pretty much had any thing I possibly could think of. Research articles, books, etc..

I guess I don't see you saving a lot of space. If you are taking paints and such to do washes or hand paint etc.. an airbrush takes up very little space. The compressor is the only real space eater and several pint size offerings that will do just fine. I have on I picked up for kicks on clearance years ago. I would rather save time painting a lure to enjoy other stuff later than messing around personally. I think I could easily get everything I needed into a small plastic tool box (compressor, brush, paints, coping saw, knives, dremel, sand paper, glue, paint, wire for line ties, etc.. .

Thankfully we do have airbrushes.... As mentioned several ways of making do and in the right hands all will give excellent results. Now the issue is developing the skill set to do it well and not have it coming off like a 4 year old finger painted it.

Yes it has been done. The paint and clear coat have little to no effect. https://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=1

No gators... cottonmouths were hard to come by unless you went looking for them at specific locations and snakes don't bother me. I did collect a few on some herp trips but the only time I really came across them. I did wake up a few times with water snakes coiled up on my tube. Besides a nasty bite if you grab them nothing else to worry about.

I spent a lot of time in a float tube and kicked countless miles over the years. Some years over 100 trips in the float tube. I have been known to just pack up head to the lake and fish a few hours that night with the full moon. Tie the rods down and just sleep in the float tube and wakeup up and get to fishing. Packed food and just have breakfast on the water. With the high back float tube was comfortable and slept fine but that was in college and would would likely kill me now with the tube I have but guess being 25 years older could be a factor .