[Mustang]

My Iwata HB Plus just came in. Im anxious to start painting and was curious as to the device you guys are using to turn your lures (to aid in the clearcoat curing process). Thanks.

[doomdart]

Most have constructed a lure turning wheel using a small motor. Rotisserie motors have been used, but some have reported problems with the motor burning out too frequently. Of course, you'd need some way to attach the lure to the wheel (alligator clip, clothespin, etc.). Do a thread search...there used to be a complete tutorial on this. Even if that was lost in the crash a while back, I'm pretty sure you can find enough info to get you on the way toward a completed wheel.

[Mustang]

Thanks. Is it absolutely necessary to turn the lure while the clearcoat is curing?

[doomdart]

I can only speak for Devcon topcoat, but would assume that the same is true for the other topcoats.....yes. If you use Devcon, the coated lure needs to be turned for at least twenty minutes, maybe longer. You still can't touch the lure after twenty minutes (don't try for at least six or seven hours if not longer).

But if you are just making one or two at a time, you might not even bother with the turning wheel. A set of locking forceps can grip the line tie so you can turn it by hand.

If you don't turn the lure, you'll get dimples, incomplete coverage, a superthick coat on the lower portion of the lure, and little to no coverage on the upper end. Plus it will likely drip on you and make a big mess.

You need to turn, just be careful not to drop the thing whether turning by hand or clipping to your wheel.

[goldenshinner]

you could also try a rod(fishing) drying rack. designed to turn a single lure or ahhh..rod. some rigging would be needed to make it work.

[Dean McClain]

Rotisserie motors work great for turning lures and turn about 4 rpm which is what you need for epoxies. As long as you're not trying to turn something akin to baseball bats, they're very dependable also. Mine is going on its fourth year and has untold hours on it turning E-tex coated lures, which require several hours on the dryer; I typically coat mine at night an let them turn all night long. You can get by without one for Devcon by turning by hand for 15 or 20 minutes, but for longer drying epoxies such as Envirotex and other bar top type coatings, or for rod epoxies such as Flex Coat, you must have a turner.

I bought a rotisserie from Wal-Mart for $20 (Gardening Section) and use the main shaft, motor mount, motor, and shaft bracket for constructing my turner.. I mounted this is a frame about 20 inches high, which is about an inch higher than the shaft. On the turning shaft I mounted two four inch wooden wheels about 4 inches apart with a center-drilled dowel between them, making it look like a giant wooden baitcaster spool. I drilled 8 evenly spaced holes in the circumferance of each spool and stuck 16 10 inch long 3/16th dowel rods in the holes parallel with one another, and mounted alligator clips on the ends of the dowels; it looks a lot like a tinkertoy. I don't use the gator clips for holding the lures directly; I use them for either holding hemostats to grip the lures by the rear hook hanger, or for holding spring clips with plastic covered jaws to grip crankbait lips. Works like a charm. I hope this helps you out.

Dean

[BobP]

A turner is nice to have. I think mine cost about $8 total and uses a 4 rpm AC timing motor that's available on Ebay. Do a search on lure turners for previously posted info. As an alternative: if you are using straight Devcon 2 Ton (not thin runny clearcoats) you can make up a couple of hooks and attach them to the nose and tail of the bait. Switch the bait nose/tail every 2-3 mins for the first 15 min and then every 5 min or so for the next 15 mins, then hang it by it's nose. Leave the unused Devcon in it's container and touch it at the end of 30 mins. It's an indicator of whether the epoxy is cured enough to stop turning. Slightly more labor intensive, but it works fine.

[Yake Bait]

http://www.tackleunderground.com/for...8&d=1171140765

I do single lures at a time and use a coat hanger bent to fit my cordless drill. A bit of masking tape on the trigger keeps it going.

[Mustang]

Very helpful all! Thanks.

[TMI]

I paint before adding hardware, so my process is a little different. To hold my baits, I stick a "panel nail" into the tail where the tail screw/hook will eventually go - that gives a good compression fit to hold the bait while you paint. I hold the nail with a exacto handle during the painting process. When I'm done, I remove the nail from the exacto handle and stick it on a long magnet that I have attached to my rod drying motor. It then rotates nose over tail during the drying process...and there is a little movement from the nail on the magnet that ensures a smooth distribution of clearcoat.


Actually...now that I think of it, you could probably use my set-up with the drill turner shown in a Yake's reply. But you could just put the nail directly into the drill bit without needing the extra hanger. The key is to get Panel Nails so you get a good strong compression fit.

My approach isn't as elaborate as the other's drying wheels...but it actually works pretty well and is super simple.

I think I have a post somewhere else on this site showing my compression holder...I'll hunt it down and update my post with a photo.

(found the photo...here it is!)



The nail is a "panel nail" that you can pick up from Lowes, Home Depot, etc. I clipped off the head of the nail so it fits easily into the exacto handle. When I'm done, I unscrew the exacto top and plop the nail onto my magnet. I did have to add a few glue ridges to the magnet to keep the nail from rolling, but other than that it's actually a pretty easy way to do your painting and turning.