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Fatman, I too would be interested in hearing the results of your phone call with them. Sounds interesting, so please post your findings. Thanks.

Gammi's have a strong reputation for being the 'premier' hook, while Mustad has the reputation of being a 'good' hook. But this is "out of the box". Once the bait has been used a bit, the controversy is that Gammi's cannot be re-sharpened anywhere near as well as a Mustad. Somewhat of a huge waste for something that costs that much money. If I fished around a lot of rocks, this decision on which hook to use would be a no-brainer for me. Hey, I have stuck a lot of fish with Eagle Claws over the years, and people bash them alot. It all amounts to what you want in performance from your components.

I use Pro-Tec glitter mixed in Pro-Tec Clear, applied from a fluid bed. Never really have been 100% satisfied with it because all the different color glitters seem to have a different weight value which makes it very difficult to evenly fluidize the stuff to give you an even application. It is something you have to experiment with as to how much to mix in your clear to give the coverage you are after. Another thing I have noticed using this method, that the hotter your lead is the more glitter will stick to the bait, less heat and you will not get much glitter. The Pro-Tec glitter is too fine and wish it was just a tad larger - IMHO. For what it is worth, I guess I have just learned to live with it over time.

BassAssault, Occasionally you can find them on Ebay. Contenti usually has some as well, they are on the east coast (Google-Contenti). Or you could give Chuck Vanover, Tight Line Anglers Products (has an ad on this site with phone #), he may have an extra collecting dust in his shop. Of course you will want to find one as close to your location as possible, they weigh a bunch which will hurt on shipping costs. Mine weighs 500 lbs. just to give you an idea. Also you will need to get the 12" mold frame, about $350 new.

Ted, Hopefully this will answer your questions: Confessions of a Grubchucker Appears it is quite simple after all.

That nut that you show in your picture should be the needle locking nut, make sure it is tight. Actually I would remove the housing around it, loosen the nut and make sure the needle is free by just tenderly pulling it back and forth. Once it is for sure free, push it all the way forward to seat it in the nozzle and tighten the locking nut. Pull the trigger back and the needle should move backward. If it worked OK yesterday, did you tear it down to clean? Have any parts left over (my favorite trick)?

hawkman, Some great tips given by Basseducer and Hawnjigs, especially about possibly starting with a sinker mold first. This will build up your confidence, which is important. If you don't want to shell out the $$ for a sinker mold, and are set on a spinnerbait, I might suggest that you do a lot of pouring first without the inserts. May save you a load of time melting down rejects, but that is all part of the learning curve. You may want to select a spinnerbait mold that has the sprue on the bottom side of the bait, so you can use a bottom pour pot. Do-it has a couple that are set up this way. I don't like to ladle pour as I always feel like I am about to wear a ladle full of hot lead, but that is just me. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Matt, Your problem sounds like the needle is not allowing paint through the nozzle. The PS900 is a dual action brush. Just in case you are not familiar, I will explain. By pressing down on the trigger you will get air only. By pressing down on the trigger and slowly pulling back on the trigger at the same time, you will get air and fluid. The more you pull back on the trigger the more paint will be released. This is the part that takes some adjustment of the brush and getting accustomed to on your part. If this is not new news for you, then I would check the needle adjustments. The needle should be locked in the seated position and it may not be which is not allowing the needle to retract when the trigger is pulled back. Look for the needle locking nut, should be located at the back end of the brush and make sure it is tight. Pull the trigger back and you should be able to see the needle moving back and forth in the nozzel. Hope this didn't confuse you as it is a little hard to explain. The problem sounds like an obvious one, but then ???? I don't have a PS900 but it looks almost identical to the Paasche Talon that I do use. Very similar features, and I am sure one of the guys with the PS900 will jump in and clear things up for you.

Rob, Those look like the Living Image series that Charles at FishingSkirts.com carries. You can see them at www.fishingskirts.com If the exact one you are looking for is not on the website, give him a call and tell him where you saw it and if he handles it, he will get some in your hands. Good luck.

I will echo what Cadman just said. The nail polish is probably your best bet. It is cheap enough and can fit in your tackle box to be able to do quick touch-ups on the water if needed.

danny, Don't be nervous, it is more of a friendly visit as you enter into this phase of paying taxes. They want to make sure you understand the parameters set that regulate your end of the business. Have all your records handy for their review as mentioned in the previous posts, but most of all, I would ask HIM more questions than he will ask YOU. Once it is over, post a detailed account of the visit as this subject has been of great interest to most and confusing to even more. Good Luck!

As I was going past my local Sherwin-Williams store I decided to stop in and inquire about this product as my interest was stirred by your original post. I began by explaining what I wanted it for, fishing lures. It had to be non-yellowing, relatively quick drying, a high gloss hard tough finish and not too expensive. The store manager was aware of the product but not overly familiar with all it's properties and told me she would have to call the Sherwin-Williams Help Desk (where the experts hang out) and get back to me. She called today and said that she had gone over all the requirements I needed with them and their recommendation was - not for underwater use, it won't hold up. If your testing reveals different results than those given to me, please be sure to post it as I for one would be interested in such a product.

rat, Forgot! The little blue bender is available most everywhere, Barlows, Hagens, Janns, BPS, just everywhere. Pretty inexpensive too.

rat, Not a problem with the brass eyes. Like I said, they are called Figure '8' sinker eyes because they are shaped like an eight, you only see what is outside the lead. Should you decide to use them, PM me and I will give you the contact for the cheapest place I have found to get them, the manufacturer - no middleman. I have never heard of one failing, or a CC form either.

rat, The brass eyes are called figure 8's and are mainly used in sinkers. I use both and off the top of my head, couldn't tell you which is cheaper. Would have to check tomorrow when I go to the shop. If you are going to make the CC wire form, I would get a little blue bender. It could be done easily with pliers, but the bender would more insure the wire stays on the same plane. Personally, I prefer to cast using the brass eyes, easier to control in the mold.

Hey Ted! Could I get you to email me a copy of the tutorial also. It is on my old computer that took a dump. You have my email addy. Thanks

I sent some for a customer last year to a plater in Wisconsin (I think). If I remember right, it was about $.22 a copy for chroming. Seems a little pricy to me, but you know how those fishermen are!

Shane, I used a Paasche VL for years. All I paint is spinner baits, so never had a need for anything much fancier. I recently purchased the new Paasche Talon which is a gravity feed brush with a .38mm tip. I have put about 30 hours with it and painted a ton of baits. Let me say there is a world of difference between a siphon (VL) and gravity (Talon) fed brush. Think it is time to retire the VL forever. The Talon is a very good brush at a reasonable price and does an excellent job. I am no airbrush expert or guru, and I read tons of posts before purchasing the Talon, so these are just my opinions. BobP has offered members loads of airbrush info and I value his opinion and have soaked up his tid-bits like a sponge. Now, I purchased the Talon a couple of days prior to reading the posts on the PS900. Had I seen this post first, I would have that brush instead. In fact, for the price, quality and service everyone is raving about, I don't think I can afford NOT to have one these. After seeing the artwork that Fatfingers' brother did on that motorcycle, I am impressed. I hope that I have helped make your decision a bit easier.

Hey Phil, sorry for the late Bday wish. But then maybe you are still being held prisoner in a pub somewhere and continuing the celebration. Enjoy, you only get this excuse once a year. I owe you an email also, soon!

George, It's not as complicated as it appears to you. If you are going to order the pre-made wireform, they come in different diameters. I think I am reading that you want to use a .029 dia. wire in a mold that calls for .035. Not a problem as the worst thing that will happen is you will get a little flashing of lead where the wire leaves the head, very easy to clean off. You can replace the hook with a wireform that you can make easily on the little blue bender. I would recommend at least .035 wire for this, better if you went up to a .040. Just make a hook "J" on one end in the horizontal position to attach to the safety pin wireform and a loop on the other end in the vertical position to attach your hook. I may have made it sound complicated, but really it isn't. You asked if any size form will fit in the mold - YES up to the size wire recommended by Do-it, after that you may have to get out the dremel and open it to the desired size you need. By doing what I described above, you can thus eliminate the hook and replace it with the wire. Keep us posted on your progress, and good luck with the project.

Calihunt13, It really is an impossible question to answer mainly because there are so many variables to consider. Such as: Method of application; electrostatic, fluid bed, fluff dip Thickness in mils to be applied. Size of object being painted Component Systems once had a figure they used for advertising as to the amount of pieces that could be painted per ounce, but I just don't recall what that figure was. You can visit their website and see if they still note it.

Steve, I would just go ahead and strip them and be done with it. Not knowing what the original paint is, could pose a couple of problems. If using a torch to heat the head prior to powder, it could go up in flames on you. Also, covering black with white is not a good practice anyway. Get some MEK and soak for a few minutes. If it is anything but powder paint, it will roll right off. Powder paint will require soaking for a bit longer. Good luck.

I have several colors that work just fine, very nice finish. I have several friends who also use it and absolutely love the stuff. Good product.

Hey Rat, That is a real great tip. Will have to file that one away with all the other heavily used repair methods. Thanks for sharing.

Hat is off to you John. When a door is opened, step in and take a look around. The worst thing that can happen is you will have to get yourself a new pad of paper to take orders. Good luck.