ROCFISH

Incidentally, you asked for the best way to make a mold. I believe this is the fastest, and easiest way. But for the highest quality reproductions, you would need to have a machined mold of aluminum or brass, thats very time consuming and expensive.

Making a 2 part mold is very easy. I've made them for lead, I imagine they'd work the same for foam. You can use plaster of paris or floor leveling compound, but I prefer Bondo automotive body filler cause its quicker. Basically you start with your model, which has been oiled to facilitate removal from mold. Try not to create any undercut situations which will make removal more difficult, and I generally incorporate the sprue hole into my model. Now find a suitably sized container, like a plastic lure box, oil it and fill it half way with Bondo. put your oiled up model exactly half way down into the bondo and let cure. Takes 5 or 10 minutes. While its curing you can poke a few holes in the bondo wth the backside of a drill bit which has been oiled (this will facilitate lining up the 2 halves later). Once the bondo is hard to the touch, lightly oil the whole thing and fill the rest with Bondo. By the way, I use wd40 spray as the lubricant in each case. In 5 or 10 minutes the whole thing will be dried and quite hot. Carefully seperate the halves and rmove the model, oil again and let cool. you will probobly need a utility knife to take it apart, be careful, and don't wait to long as it will be nearlly impossible to seperate tomorrow. Now you have a 2 part mold ready for making molds. You can use electrical tape or a clamp to hold the mold closed when pouring, I like a vise grip, but don't over tighten, it may break. When pouing hot lead I get about a dozen pours before the heat damages the mold. I would expect you'll do better with foam, although I've never tried it. Good Luck

Try Stamina Quality Components, they have an online catalog. Also NJ takle for belly weights

Got mine today, made short work of the 2" screw eyes. Gotta luv it

If there's still room I'd like in.

You can by vmc double hooks online. I know Stamina carries them, and I'm sure there are others if you look. And yes they are handy, I use them sometimes.

When they are dry and I can find my daughters camera I'll get some pics out.

Applied Devcon 2 ton to the rest today, no problems, chrome paint held up fine. Apparently the solvent based clearcoat disolves the chrome finish, the devcon does not. I also tried a vinyl clearcoat and it damaged the chrome as well. Well that leaves Devcon 2 ton epoxy as the finish coat of choice for chrome painted jigs. At least when using Krylon chrome paint. My next batch of lead trolling heads will be painted with brass krylon, and I'll try a few different topcoats as well.

I clearcoated one today with clear gloss and it did lose the chrome look. Tomorrow I'll try the Devcon. I think the solvent in the clearcoat disolved the chrome. I'm hoping the devcon will not. Perhaps it would be best not to put any topcoat over the chrome paint, we'll see.

I didn't know that, I have a bunch now that are going to coated with Devcon, guess I'll find out.

I've been having satisfactory results with the Krylon chrome paint. Its inexpensive and easy to use in rattle cans. A lot better than the stuff the used to sell years ago. The also have gold and brass.

Although I don't use createx, I can tell you that your problem is very common with masking tape. Especially when the under coat is not totally dry or poorly adhereed to the primer. Most any paint store carries a special tape for the purpose of masking which has a less sticky glue than regular masking tape . Its usually blue and sometimes white, and comes off without taking the undercoat. I would also be careful to let the undercoat dry completely, and remove the tape while the top coat is still tacky. Good Luck

I've noticed over the years that metallic silver and gold paints are somehow incompatible with non metallic paints. I have also had paint peel off of a gold painted surface. In fact I have found that by spraying a black enamel over a semi dry silver metallic I get a nice crackle finish. I have found that by allowing the metallics an extra day to dry they can be overcoated.

The can said Bondo Body Filler. Its for repairing auto bodies. Two part mix, dries hard in about 10 minutes. Molds can be used almost immediately. I don't believe the manufacturer intended it for mold making, but it does work very well. Of course the molds are not anywhere near as durable as cast metal molds, but for 5 bucks, I'm satisfied, and there is no waiting involved. Just make your model, cast your mold, and produce your lead head.

Plaster of paris works but its a long process. The plaster has to dry out completely, takes about a week and the molds don't last long. Bondo is much faster, I made molds and poured these trolling heads in one day no problem.

Sorry the picture was to big, had to crop it

Here is a dozen homemade trolling heads, painted and waiting for eyes and tails.

Incidentally, when you do get a sticky lure, leave it to dry a few days. Then put another coat of devcon over the first, be sure to mix second coat properly. This will generally cure the problem.

Made bondo molds today from my wooden trolling head models. Cast a dozen lead heads. Primed and painted chrome. I found a decent chrome type paint. Will post some pics when my wife brings the camera back from A/C.

Try mixing on a piece of waxpaper, over a paper towel. Now fold repeatedly with a palette knife. Thin with a couple drops of reducer to a workable consistency.

Turned up 1/2 a dozen trolling head models today. All slightly different, made them a little bigger than my jap feather heads. Tomorrow I'll attempt to cast a plaster or bondo mold into which the lead can be poured later to produce the actual heads.

I've been thinkin of makin some big game stuff myself. Planin to turn some cedar plugs, and a model for some jet heads. Will use the model to make a bondo mold so I can cast the jet heads out of lead. I've done this before, but using hand carved models before I had a lathe, and was not thrilled with the results. Skirts can be tied from feathers and buctails etc, and there are also some plastic skirts available. Never found a really good chrome paint though, had to settle for paints and epoxy and glitter.

I like to mix Devcon on a sheet of waxed paper. I fold it with an artist palette knife, thin it with a couple of drops reducer and add some fine glitter. The thinned mixture is easy to spread and the glitter helps me to see that its completely mixed. The palette knife and brush cleanup with reducer and the wax paper gets thrown away. I turn the plugs a little by hand and then hang em over the oil burner. Second coat in a couple of hours or so.

I've been using Devcon 2 ton. Can somebody tell me why I would want to switch to etex. Not looking for a debate, just some pros and cons. I know there is more than one way to get the job done.

If they are 1 piece, I assume they do not have a wooden handle. That being the case they may be uncomfortanly hot to hold in your hand when turning wood. My gouges get so hot at times, the wood smokes. Also they are probably too short to allow much leverage. Thes comments are of course being made without ever seeing the tools so you will have to judge accordingly. Maybe give em a try.