[Lincoya]

I have recently made a couple of dozen flat-sided cranks. I usually paint, clearcoat, clean the lip slot and then install the lip. My question is: for those of you that install the lip first and then mask it off for painting, do you clearcoat before removing the tape or after?

Gene

[Mylures]

Hi There, I used to mask the lips and then remove the mask before clearcoating. Now I tried something and I like the way it works much better. I cut some thin strips on the table saw thick enough that they fit in the slot for the lip. Then I cut the strips into short pieces about an inch long. I put these in the lip slot while painting. When all the painting is done i remove the piece of wood and put in the lip with super glue. After it is all set up I clearcoat the whole lure except for the lip. If you use super glue make sure you get the lip in place as it sets up very fast. I guess you could put it in with epoxy and then coat the bait at the same time. For me this works the best. Hope this helps. Ken Schmitz Mylures

[Coley]

I do my lips very similar to Ken. The difference is, I put thelip in when I
do the clearcoat. I put epoxy in the lip slot and then I clear coat the
head of bait around the slot. This keeps from messing up the lip
with epoxy. I then hold the lip and bait straight up. After I swish the
lip in the epoxy, I slowly push it down into the bait. The excess will
push out the side of the lip slot and start down the side of the bait.
I then brush this on down the bait and finish clearcoating the bait.
This keeps epoxy off the lip.

Coley

[COLOR ME FISHIN]

Always remove the tape before you clear....you may end up coating some of the tape and it will be impossible to remove. That is if you are brushing on your epoxy or whatever. If you are spraying, leave the tape on so you don't get overspray on the bill. Won't affect the action. but it looks cheesy. After your last coat, peel back the tape where it meets the body of the lure.

[dtrs5kprs]

I mask with blue painter's tape and remove before applying any clearcoats. Don't like painting before cutting lip slots, mostly because I apply my paint in several layers, clearcoating between particular colors. Think with my method it would make chipping or cracking of the finish and paint more likely. I also like the way a good final clearcoat fills in and smooths out the small gaps around the lip slot that remain after installation of the lip.

[Lincoya]

Thanks to all of you who responded to this message. It gave me some insight as to what others are doing. I took those flat-sides and installed the lip in some before painting and some after painting. I masked the ones with the lip and removed it before clearcoating. It worked great although I did have a bit of paint that got under the tape on a couple but it was easily removed with a fingernail. I did find that I prefer to paint and then install the lip as the lip gets in the way sometimes when painting.

Gene

[AlamOso]

Don't be afraid to get topcoat on the lip - if you prep the lip surface. Sand the entire lip, both sides and edges with 600 grit sandpaper until it is so cloudy and ugly that you would want to throw it away. Clean it off, and apply Flex Coat. The scratches disappear - you would never know they were there. What happens is that you are removing the exterior glaze and increasing the surface bonding area with microscopic scores.

Experiment with a scrap piece of Lexan and let me know what you think.

-Garrett

3M Blue painters tape is great for masking and protecting. Price is right -vs- some of the hobby specialty painting tape.