Max

Yes ... How do you guys start a new bait ? I've just understood that as a newbie on this forum I'm asking a lot of questions ... So just to explain how I personally do .... My tips ! Ok I guess it ain't no tips for guys like you ... guess you all already know that ... But just to share So I'm kind of complicated ... I like to draw before I start carving .... It helps me figure out the bait I want ... I'm not very good at drawing to be honnest but that's just a way to figure out ... then I like to cut a form in paper to help me during the carving process ... usually cutting two forms (a sideview and a view from the top) Then when it comes to details, gills and stuff... I'm really bad at carving the same on two side without the help of a paper .. so I cut a paper as well ... (like on the second pic of my last proto). kinda like a stencil actually and it works great for me ... So I can trace twice the same on both sides .. and then I can start to carve te details ... That's the way I do ... Guess most of you do the same Max

So Thanks guys for your answers ... gonna follow your tips ... Gotta get to shop tomorrow to buy the different stuff like rtv silicone and urethane etc .... And I think I'll try to pour my first mold ever this week ... Hopefully, it won't turn into a disaster .... Check the news Thanks again, Max

Well you guys are lucky ... I've never had a lure on which I maid a minor mistake .... Hum I'm not showing off .. It's just that I only make major mistakes .... As simple as that, the bait runs normally or it doesn't at all for me .... That's why I'm expecting a lot from my first mold attempt ... I'm tired of having to cry for my lost or broken lures (only for those which proved they work) Max God bless,

Thanks Husky for the quick response .... Actually I first thought also that the trick was to make another plastic copy (not supposed to ever go in the water) That would be less risky that way ... And then I was like, maybe a silicon rtv mold is flexible enough to cast foam in it and still be able to get the copy out of the mold .... (eventhough there are huge "under cuts" (not sure of that word) Cheesehead : That's also what I'm going to do ... I will cast the two sections separaty .. way easier that way ! Thanks for your great advice, I'll wait a bit to see if somebody already had the same problem ...and maybe the solution . Max

Hello everybody, I've just come back from Austria where I was studying .... I had found your awesome website there ... and got to loose the address somehow ... I remember I posted one question about a popper ... But I eventually got to find your site once again ... I've been reading most of the hardbait section over the past few days ! Awesome job you guys did .. I'm actually totally new when it comes to make mold ... I used to carve wood a few years ago ... and I had time to kill last year so I thought that was a great idea to carve some pieces of softwood .. which I did ... But you know you just can cast such a soft stuff in the water for bass .. so I'm trying to understand the process of making mold out of RTV to cast copies in Foam .... But I'm wondering whether it is possible to do so with the proto on the pictures ... As y'all can see the first section has a V-shapped back ... and I'm not sure it would be able to release that part from the mold once it's been casted in ! Do you guys have an idea ? Should I try it and see if it works (and risk to loose the balsa proto) ? Cause a mold in RTV is not flexible, is it ? I would appreciate your help since you guys are almost professionals ... and I know nothing about casting foamies If I can have a little bit of success with my first attempt at casting foamies I think I'm gonna become a new addict . Thanks y'all, Max

Geee Silly guy that I am ... I'm sorry... I did not mean to post a new topic ... :oops: Well I'm just another Cyber dummy I guess Sorry, Max

Hello guys ... Thanks for the quick answers to my "not-so-new" questions .... Here's a pic of one of the poppers i'd like to mold (or try to) .. well this one is not finished yet .... I still have to do the finish with some 400 sandpaper ... which i have to buy here in Vienna .. pity i could not take all my stuff with me when i leave Paris So if i got you right, what I'm supposed to do is : - put some epoxy when the lure is completely sanded .... - then use some RTV Silicon rubber to make a 2-part mold (following the great tutorials of this forum) - then put some foam-it or featherlite or 16 lb foam in the mold .... ( no matter which one i use, the lure will float ?) - then release the lure from the mold .. again some devcon s 31 on it ? .... And then I'm going for the paint job .... I think that's about all I'm supposed to do : Thank you guys for the help Keep casting, Max