RiverMan

The featherlite caused alot of bubbles so I didn't like it. I don't know if you can use screw eyes with the 16lb foam..................anyone know? Jed

I have found the same thing, the resin works fine for swimbaits but I have trouble getting other lures to swim correctly. I have not tried foam but then I wonder if I would have to go to thru-wire. If I have to go to thru-wire I may as well just stay with wood. RM

That's really cool.................good kid project. RM

You have gotten some good advice already but I will add that if my Iwata bubbles it's because the front cap is not tightened down far enough on the nose cone or the needle isn't slid far enough forward. I'm willing to bet you problem is in the nose cone. The needle isn't damaged is it? Lay the needle on a table and roll it, is the tip bent? jed

Just make sure you keep one with the cup on top..............gravity feed. The bottles on the bottom with the siphon feed are a HUGE HASSLE.............way too much cleanup time. RM

An epoxy putty would work really well for this project.........you can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot. RM

Some good ideas..............I will experiment with each of them. Thanks guys. RM

I like them rounded at the bottom like those on the bait I posted a picture of. I haven't tried a comb before............maybe I will try it. RM

I'm curious if anyone on the board has ever figured out how to paint perfect vertical bars like those on the freestyle bait I pasted as an example below. I seem to get the best results if I free hand them but it's hard to be consistent from one lure to the next. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get them to look like they do in this freestyle? These look perfect! thx. Jed

I like the bait in the bottom pic too...............really cool. Jed

You can weight them just as some here have suggested or just like you would a glider. I haven't built a topwater in some time but the one I did build worked great when weighted just like a glider............some weight in front and some in back. RM

I can appreciate that RG and I respect your opinion. I will admit that DN is a good clear coat. As good as DN or etex? That depends on what you are using it for. I build mostly musky lures and DN goes on so thin that it can't compare to DN or etex for pure protection. I do like DN though for bass lures and smaller lures that might otherwise run incorrectly with a thicker clear coat. I also like it for swimbaits.........again because it goes on thinner. As for epoxy peeling, I have customers that are fishing musky lures I built five years ago that are still going strong despite being fish hard. These lures are completely covered in deep scratches from huge teeth and yet they are still working fine. If DN went on thicker and didn't have the storage problems I would jump on the bandwagon! Some time ago I bought a pint of DN. I didn't know exactly what to do with it so I bought some baby food jars to split it up. I put the lids on tight and then taped the lid seams to make sure they didn't leak. I started using one of them. I poked a tiny hole in the lid and I squeezed out a bit of DN and then quickly put tape over the hole. I then put the jar in a zip loc bag and squeezed out all the air. Guess what? In about two weeks the whole jar was ruined. It's a good clear coat and I know some here love it but the problems associated with storage make it too much of a hassle for me. Has anyone tried storing it in a syringe? A syringe would allow you to keep the air out if it were capped. jed

Seems like an awful lot of work just to store a clear coat, there are far easier options in my opinion...........one being etex, two being Devcon. RM