ayetti

Ah, sorry I might not have been clear. My order came just fine, I was just letting the op know that I had recently ordered, and gotten updates through messenger. I only speculated, since the op hadn't received a response.

Thank you for that!! I'm definitely gonna make one. My main concern is when im doing the base coat on a bunch of baits, that paint seems to build up in the air pretty decent. I'm definitely gonna make a hood like that

Just curious what you all use for safety gear while painting. I'm just starting out and at first I would just open up 4 windows in the room I was airbrushing in. It worked out all right when I was doing a bait or two, but as my enthusiasm for the hobby increases so does the amount of paint in the air. Interested in hearing how people have set up there paint stations, and if they wear respirators every time they paint.

Not to hijack at all, but that breathe cool system sounds awesome. Do you use it while you paint?

I got a shipment from them 2 weeks. I got updates on the order and shipping through messenger, don't know if they where auto responses. Shipment came through. Who knows though, could be like auto responses and someone else is filling his orders.

Been using it for awhile now and I really like it. I primarily use the 20 minute but have some 30 around too. Kind of counter intuitive but the 20 minute gives you more work time than the 30. I have started doing 2 coats of the 20 and so far am pleased with it 1 was fine to fish with, but 2 really is rock solid. I do thin it a bit with DA. I will take one of the little hobby brushes and dip it in the alcohol and then brush up against the rim of my disposable epoxy cup. I usually do about 1 swipe of DA per bait and usually do 4-5 baits at a time with the 20. The DA does slow down the cure time a bit, I find it tacks up around the same, but stays slightly sticky longer so keep that in mind. Another thing that helps me get nice thin coats is to hit my little disposable cup of epoxy with a hair dryer after it has been mixed. Its nothing crazy just maybe 30 seconds or so on high and hot. It seems to help the bubbles escape and in general helps thin out the product. I mix like maybe 3 cc of each part to do five baits something like that. I just use a gradated mark disposable cup to measure, nothing too scientific for me, but i believe im very close to equal. Something I just started doing is clear coating the bills. Im doing not so much to clear the bill (which it does) but to avoid the inevitable lifting of the epoxy at the tape. When I was keeping the bills taped and epoxying up to the bill I was never comfortable with the buildup that developed at the edge of the tape. Honestly haven't had a chance to fish any of the baits that I have cleared the bills on so it may or may not be a permanent step in my process. Also I definitely do use a turning wheel (BBQ rotisserie). I guess you could do it without it, but it would be much harder. If i have to mess with something else while I have a bait on the helping hands getting cleared, I have a definite noticeably thicker section at the lowest point of the bait when I get back to it.

welcome to the board

Don't know if this has ever come up before, I did some searches and couldn't find it. I was curious if there was a thread somewhere outlining what blanks are KO's of what factory plugs? Some are labeled and some are obvious but others are tougher to discern. I got some medium diving blanks with a curved lip from cedar run that where labeled "medium diving" only, but I strongly suspect are a KO of a immakatsu jdm bait. Wondering how many others out there are unlabeled from cedar, or shelts or even dcb and avid (who mostly have them labeled with the original plug, but not all of them)

Thank you!! I had no idea they sold eyes! I'm in there a couple times a week!

Anyone have any advice on what sizes come up the most? I was thinking of getting every color in 4.5mm and 6mm and then get a single color of 4mm 5mm 5.5mm 6.5mm to fill in the gaps. On the single colors was thinking of going with silver gold black. I can't remember if I have run across many eyes bigger than that, except maybe on the spook KO's I have ordered a bunch of baits I haven't seen yet from avid, predator, cedar etc so I would rather have a variety, and not all the manufacturers list eye size. Open to hearing others ideas, most commonly used sizes etc. BTW thanks TU for all the help! My bait painting has gone ridiculously smoother than I had anticipated and I certainly owe a great deal to this forum.

The price is right, worth a try for sure.

Nice looking baits! Thanks for reminding me to put some yellow in some of my shad patterns.

Well that solves my eye problem, thank you!

Sorry forgot to add that, primarily lmb fishing in California reservoirs.

Got a fishing related hard bait making question. So historically I have tended to buy my hard baits painted in one of a couple different patterns. I don't think it is a testament so much to their efficacy on my local water, more that they are statistically more likely to work for me than an untested obscure pattern. My question for all you experienced bait makers out there is, when you go fishing do you tend to just reach for that trusted natural pattern or do you take a chance and work through a few patterns depending on the time of year and style of bait? I'm excited about the ability to fish patterns I would have been afraid to purchase factory finished, but im also realistic about what a huge role confidence and preconceived ideas play in fishing. Just curious how this has played out for all of you more experienced guys. Im loving painting some of the random patterns but in the back of my mind I still have that lingering doubt, thinking they may not see much water.