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DaveGH

A couple basic questions (and not so basic)

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Hello folks. I'm painting some flat sided cranks I bought handmade from a guy in TN. They are very nice. I'm a professional artist in drawing and painting. These 2 cranks I coated in gesso and have put an initial, pretty detailed, first layer with artists oils. I mix the oils with Liquin (a Windsor/Newton drier and hardener medium) and have lightly sanded them for a 2nd and probably final coat. I may try a final varnish that I have in aerosol. I really like the look I'm able to get with small brushes and am happy with the results so far (I'll post them when closer to done). Some questions... Do any of you use oil based paints? What would be an initial "sealer" base for oil? Final top coat? An epoxy? I'd like to be able to have both a "matte" finish, not only "glossy". I'd also like a small swiveling vise or something to that effect. I also wonder about the durability in water of this "painters" method I'm using but I know that museums are fulo of 400 yr old paintings in mint shape... Thanks for any advice and thoughts. Dave H

Edited by DaveGH
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You should probably have tested your methods on a few cheaper lures first to figure out what works before laying paint on the hand mades. Epoxy would probably be your best bet for a topcoat over oils IMO. I am an artist as well but have never used oil paints on any of my lures so I don't know for sure.

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Most tackle makers use a series of processes that they develop and refine over time based on the type of wood, the target fish, and salt or fresh water. Lures also fall into to categories, decorative and functional. Generally, some type of sealer is used to prevent the colors from changing from pitch or resins in the wood, color added one layer at a time and fixed so it can be removed without effecting earlier layers. After everything to that point, a topcoat is applied with the first consideration being to keep the lure 100% water tight. All lead, through wire, mounting hardware, should have been considered in the design and added prior to applying the top coat. Epoxy or other marine sealer are the products of choice. I don't know if the glass finish has much impact in water due to the way light bends below the surface.

These are just my basic observations to the process of finishing hard baits in general... But, strictly as an observer... I stick to making in-line spinners with blades from size #2 to #8 (trout to musky). I'm still on the fence trying to figure out if these are art or tackle??? The tacklemakers on this forum can give you better details on how to proceed from here... I hope.

By the way, Welcome to Tackleunderground.com. As this was your first post, I realize you may not have finished reading the FAQ section or haven't found the All Aboard forum used to introduce yourself to the site and for members to welcome aboard. You have provided a minimum of information so we can't figure out what your interests in fishing are. As one valued member put it so well long ago, "It's sort of like being excited with a new book only to discover the book is empty; please don't be an empty book."

You'll find a growing number of tutorials in the Member Submitted Tutorial section that you can access by selecting the "How To" button on the top menu bar. Good luck and see you on campus.

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On occasion I have used artist oils thinned with lacquer thinner some worked better than others.

Solvent based clearcoats such as Urethane and lacquer might present some problems they tend to reflow the artist oils below, particularly clear lacquer. That being said, I once owned some handmade plugs that were crafted by a taxidermist during the early part of the last century. Which appeared to be painted with canvas oils. The finish was as close to a realistic rendering as anything I have seen here or elsewhere. I believe the only way to make a plug look more realistic would be a photo finish. The most of it looked to be done by rubbing colors on and the details done with liner brush or the likes of. Good Luck! Keep us Posted!

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I also think your best bet for a clearcoat would be an unthinned epoxy not containing solvent like Devcon Two Ton since it has less chance of reacting with your color coats. Over oil paint, I'd be sure the color is absolutely dry before clearcoating, however long that takes. As to matte vs gloss, I can't see a difference when the bait is submerged and besides, do not know of a matte epoxy. All this assumes you plan to actually fish the bait.

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I am not very sure about it, since I did not try it, but I guess a matte finish of the epoxy could be obtained from a glossy finish which you sand a little with a very fine sanding paper.

I do not know how a matte finish would appeal to fishermen, since they seem to like a glossy finish.

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I'm sure sunlight traveling through water will react a little different onto a glossy surface versus a matte. It may be subtle but I would think matte could even blend in better with the environment, visually, yet maybe lack some of the "lifelike" gloss or sheen coming from living creatures (and wet!). I've heard of oldtimers leaving cranks out in the sun in order to fade them, or purposely sanding, chipping them- or just a lure that has caught a ton of fish. Maybe not the same but its a little like the rattle, no rattle issue. I know shad make a sound and crawfish do, but I've never heard anything like the sound that some cranks make.

Can anyone recommend where to get the "two ton" epoxy and maybe a small adjustable vise or clamp to make working easier? thanks

Edited by DaveGH
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I got a cheap fly tying vice from Cabela's. Walmart carries Devcon 2 Ton epoxy, which is probably what you want to use.

I would recommend a little research into the paints you're using, particularly how they are affected by sunlight.

I've used a spray on glitter before I topcoat, and it yellowed. My silver trout now look like light brown trout.

I also use a pastel fixative between coats, and it doesn't seem to yellow.

I use Envirotex Lite as my epoxy top coat, and it is really clear and doesn't yellow. But it lets all of the sunlight through, so anything underneath it that can yellow will.

In my experience, oil based paints have a tendency to yellow, at least the varnishes and urethanes.

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I am not very sure about it, since I did not try it, but I guess a matte finish of the epoxy could be obtained from a glossy finish which you sand a little with a very fine sanding paper.

I do not know how a matte finish would appeal to fishermen, since they seem to like a glossy finish.

Rofish is barking up the right tree here but like him I am not sure but I have sanded an epoxy finish with 1200 grade wet n dry paper and it went so opaque you could hardly see the paint underneath. I think you need a finer abrasive like jewellers rouge or paint rubbing compound (like they use on cars to bring back the shine) to just take off the shine, you could try toothpaste or chrome polish.

Edited by philB
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