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Painting Scales

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I am having a hard time painting scales or should i say getting the netting on the lure.. My problem is that when i wrap the lure with the netting. It always screws up my basecoat near the bottom hook ring of my cranks. I am using createx opague white for a base. And hitting it with a hair dryer to heat set it. but as soon as i wrap it it chips or gouches the paint. Anyway someone could wrap a lure and snap a pic and show me how they do it for reference. would be greatly appreciated.

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Sounds like your paint may not be fully cured and still a little soft. Or your getting really aggressive when trying to attach the netting. Something that works really well for me is to clamp the netting with two popsicle sticks or tongue depressors. I drape my netting over the back of the bait and let it hang down on the sides. I then place a tongue depressor on each side of the netting as close to the bottom of the bait as possible. Don't worry if the netting isn't tight at this point because you can adjust it after clamping the two sticks together with clothes pins or whatever clamp you have. After attaching the two clamps at the ends of the sticks you can then adjust the netting. One or the other of the clamps can be released to adjust the netting. Just tug on it until you get it like you want it and put the clamp back. With a clamp on each end of the sticks I then put a pair of hemostats in the middle to hold it by while painting. I try to center the hook hangers between the two sticks. This centers it and gives it a little something extra to hold the bait so it's not flopping around while your painting. If this isn't explanation enough let me know and I'll take a picture and post it.

RG

Edited by RayburnGuy
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With using the Chip Clip and popcicle idea, does anyone have problems with the netting wrinkling up when ya try to form it to the baits? Maybe Ive missed a step somewheres. blink.gif

I use mini clamps like the ones used in this thread http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/18894-how-to-make-3d-scale-plugs/page__hl__3d%20scales__fromsearch__1 They have worked well for me to keep the netting from wrinkling

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With using the Chip Clip and popcicle idea, does anyone have problems with the netting wrinkling up when ya try to form it to the baits? Maybe Ive missed a step somewheres. blink.gif

How well the netting conforms to the bait can be directly related to how stiff the netting is. Especially if your trying to wrap it around a bait with multiple contours. A flat sided bait is much easier to wrap netting around than a bait with round sides. A soft, pliable netting is much more forgiving. Nylon netting seems to be rather stiff where something like a cotton netting is much more pliable. I found a soft netting that works well for me on the back of a dish washing sponge from the Dollar Store. I've read posts about some guys using their wives fish net stockings. (be sure to remove the wife before painting scales) Another source of netting that some guys use is the netting that garlic or vegetables are wrapped in at the grocery store. Just keep your eye out for something that is suitable.

RG

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Will the Popsicle stick method allow you to enclose the entire bait with the scale material?

I've seen some baits with scales painted on them where the scales run from the top all the way down the side and under the belly. With no break in the pattern.

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Will the Popsicle stick method allow you to enclose the entire bait with the scale material?

I've seen some baits with scales painted on them where the scales run from the top all the way down the side and under the belly. With no break in the pattern.

Being as the sticks are thin and the clamps are placed on the end of the sticks, and not under the bait, it will allow you to paint scales in an unbroken pattern on everything except the very bottom. I always tend to paint the belly and the back of the bait in a solid color so this is not a problem for me.

RG

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When I was doing hardbaits I designed a type of "book" that I could do the scales on 2 baits at once. It was the fastest thing I've seen yet to do the scales on baits. If I remember correctly it was something like 30 seconds to do 2 baits.

I tried the little clamps and the stick thing; they all drove me crazy. Sometimes the netting would move or a clamp would pull the cloth out of postion and the bait became a second just like that. Once I put together the"book" that was the end of the problems because once you put the baits in and close the "book", the baits don't move.

I posted it on here quite a while ago but maybe it got lost during all the changes to TU over the past 2 years. If you guys want I'll post it again and share the trick.

www.novalures.com

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Hi Nova,

Please post the book method, sounds cool.

Dan

When I was doing hardbaits I designed a type of "book" that I could do the scales on 2 baits at once. It was the fastest thing I've seen yet to do the scales on baits. If I remember correctly it was something like 30 seconds to do 2 baits.

I tried the little clamps and the stick thing; they all drove me crazy. Sometimes the netting would move or a clamp would pull the cloth out of postion and the bait became a second just like that. Once I put together the"book" that was the end of the problems because once you put the baits in and close the "book", the baits don't move.

I posted it on here quite a while ago but maybe it got lost during all the changes to TU over the past 2 years. If you guys want I'll post it again and share the trick.

www.novalures.com

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All you have to do is adjust the measurements of the "book" to suit the size of baits you're working on.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

www.novalures.com

Thanks for the post nova, I think I will do the cheap wal mart frame and just piano hinge and separate the halves. Great illustration.

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Thanks for the post nova, I think I will do the cheap wal mart frame and just piano hinge and separate the halves. Great illustration.

Don't use a frame that is too thin as it will twist; that happened to me with the first one I made. If you think about it, you will be opening and closing it many many times. I just used scrap pine to make mine; little or no cost.

www.novalures.com

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I wonder if using the hoops used for cross stich would work by using 2 peices of mesh with the lure in between. Then using the hoops to secure it all. Any thoughts?

There are many ways of painting scales on baits and using embroudery hoops is one of them. It has been discussed in quite a few posts. Click the link below to check out some of the many ways the folks here at http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

RG

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There are many ways of painting scales on baits and using embroudery hoops is one of them. It has been discussed in quite a few posts. Click the link below to check out some of the many ways the folks here at http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

RG

If you are using a cloth mesh, wash it several times and dry with softener. Make a world of difference in ease of use and damage to your base coat.

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