Here's Lookin' Atcha, Kid!

[Piscivorous Pike]

3D eyes are so cheap the only reason I found to make my own eyes is: I ran out and needed some right now!

Here is the parts list:

I used silver and gold holographic pattern mylar gift wrapping or gift bag. (should be paper backed. Howerver I got some that was pure mylar, silver on one side, gold on the other. I sprayed adhesive on some paper and put that on the mylar)--Cost $1.00

Acrylic gloss paint, 2 fl. oz.-- cost $0.59

single hole paper punch

A syringe and hypodermic needle or precision oiler of the same style.

a needle

blue, light adhesive masking tape.

This set up cost me less than $2.

Using the hole punch I popped out dozens of little gold disks into a container. Pluck them up, either side up, and put them down face up on the sticky side of the blue tape. I tape it down on the table top. Put a spot of black paint from the syringe in the center of each.

Once dry I pick them with fingers or needle and on the soft plastic I put a small drop of super glue and put the eye down. I dip the head or more of the soft plastic into melted clear plastic, drip them a couple seconds and drop them into cold water.

A twist to the plan is I roll the soft plastic in cheap glitter, the kind that melts in the plastic, but it will stand up to a dip. The plastic dip must be 350 degrees or less or the mylar melts.

To dip a couple dozen I put 3 fl. oz. into a pyrex cup and hold the cup on an angle, put in the head, when the quantity is lower I will give the lure a twirl and coat all sides.

Here is a photo of the set up and one of a collection of a bunch of trials from marker dots, 3d eyes and my homebrew yellow eyes.

I feel like that guy that works at Rapala, you know the one that dots the eyes...

CLICK THUMBNAIL PHOTO TO ENLARGE

LURES; 7" Fin S and copies, BP Jerk Shad and copies, Franken Minnow, JAVALLON (Lake Fork Tackle Magic Shad) and copies, and several colors of each.

Edited March 23, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[StrykerLures]

Thanks for making that post. I'm going to use those and the instructions you've told me and try and put some big 14mm eyes together for my Musky Lures.

[Piscivorous Pike]

Thanks for making that post. I'm going to use those and the instructions you've told me and try and put some big 14mm eyes together for my Musky Lures.

Wow those are huge!

Eyes play an important part in strike locating and food recognition to fish that sight feed. Why else do so many like reds and shad have the fake spot? Pike and Musky certainly are mainly sight feeders, using vision for the completion of feeding, taking the prey.

Thank you, good luck!

[StrykerLures]

Yep, But those 14mm's will produce some big ol' muskies (I hope). Its going to take me a little while to get the stuff to make them and then it'll take a while to actually get the hang of it. If anyone makes some 14mm (or so) eyes I'll buy a few Doz of them off of you,

[FishingBuds]

Yea, great thread, thanks

[Piscivorous Pike]

Yep, But those 14mm's will produce some big ol' muskies (I hope). Its going to take me a little while to get the stuff to make them and then it'll take a while to actually get the hang of it. If anyone makes some 14mm (or so) eyes I'll buy a few Doz of them off of you,

I thought about this and realized an easy way to get these going for you; I am going to switch mine!! To about 10 mm. Here is how to cut them out, quickly...

Take a cartriged case or two or desired mouth diameter. Champfer the case mouse, there is a hand tool made to do this inside and out. With a dremel stone it is easy to do an inside champfer. This makes the case mouth sharp. Drill the case head so you can insert a wire, rod or something to "poke your eyes out" (sorry, I couldn't resist).

Put the paper backed mylar gift wrap on a resilliant pad. Hard rubber, wood, phone book , etc. With a mallet punch your cartridge case "cookie cutter" on through several layers of the gift wrap.

Now you got BIG EYES !

I am going to use 10mm and 12 mm sizes.

Notice something familiar? Size chart.

5.56 = .223, e.g., .223 rem, .222 rem, 5.56 nato, etc

6 mm = .243, e.g., 6 mm rem, .243 win

6.5 mm = .257, e.g. .257 Roberts, 6.5 swede, 6.5 cacarno, .257 Weatherby,

7.62 mm = .308, e.g. 308 Win., 30-06,

9 mm = .355 close to .357, e.g. 9 mm parabellum, .38 spcl., .357 mag,

10 mm = .40, e.g., .40 S&W, 10 mm auto

12 mm = .45, e.g., .45 Automatic Colt Pistol, .45 Colt, 45-70

Ammunition over centuries has been named by several totally different conventions of assenbling the characteristicsthat is why there appears to be no pattern to naming the cartridges and why some have more than one designation.

This little chart may help you choose the size you want.

[Piscivorous Pike]

Now you got BIG EYES ! ...

5.56 = .223, e.g., .223 rem, .222 rem, 5.56 nato, etc

6 mm = .243, e.g., 6 mm rem, .243 win

6.5 mm = .257, e.g. .257 Roberts, 6.5 swede, 6.5 cacarno, .257 Weatherby,

7.62 mm = .308, e.g. 308 Win., 30-06,

9 mm = .355 close to .357, e.g. 9 mm parabellum, .38 spcl., .357 mag,

10 mm = .40, e.g., .40 S&W, 10 mm auto

12 mm = .45, e.g., .45 Automatic Colt Pistol, .45 Colt, 45-70

...This little chart may help you choose the size you want...

I found a better way to make big eyes. I put the cartridge case, you could use aluminum, steel or tubing from the hardware store hobby supplies, most have those short pieces of tubing, into a drill and keep the reamer handy. I spin a chambfer inside and out on the mouth which makes it a punch. Then while in the drill I spin it on the mylar paper, backed by cardboard or wood. It cuts clean and fast!

Once the shell, tube, is full I punch it out with a rod.

I spread them on a paper plate, flip them up with a need and then drop the paint on them. Fast method.