MasterChief

Just buy the finest powder they sell, paint your lure however you want then mix the powder with the epoxy top coat, once cured then do your second coat of epoxy without adding the glow powder.

You can't fish the create waterbased paint without a topcoat. Paint, heat set, top coat, let cure at least 24 hours (I wait 72) then fish.

I wouldn't, just be sure to heat set each color with the hairdryer. Wait a day to clear if you want to ensure the paint is completely dry, but not required when using the heat set.

I have taken several heavy duty 90 degree flippin hooks and bent them to fit in a 60 degree mold and vise versa. I made sure the bend was in the main shaft below the angle to the eye and it is fully encased in lead when poured. There is physically no way for the eye to pull from the hook at the bend point unless it can go around a corner. Never had an issue and it has allowed me to use much heavier hooks, and also use wide gap hooks in a mold not made for that type hook. I never used any type of heat and always just used needle nose pliers.

The molds that I have issues getting the full pour on I make sure and flux my lead really good with paraffin wax or canning wax, and I use Drop Out on all my molds. After fluxing and cleaning the wax allows the lead to flow very smoothly into the full cavity of the mold, even in my 1/8 and 1/16 ounce jig heads come out complete, and the hook blocks a good portion of the area required to get past to fill the cavity on the smaller heads.

Diamond II rod Building epoxy

Making them is very simple, and you can come up with some really cool variations. Go to your local hobby store and pick up a cheap watercolor paint mixing tray, it will have small oval shaped recessed cups to mix various paints in, Mix up your epoxy, add black or whatever color you want the pupil to be and pour in the recessed cup to the size pupil you want. Once it has set up mix another batch of epoxy, any color you wish the background to be, then pour over the pupil and make the size you want. Once it is all set up, the eye should slide right out and you can trim to fit if it wasn't perfect. Glue in place and you now have a 3D eye in any color combo you want.

Another good way is with a soldering iron with the smallest sharpest bit you can find. I actually took a needlepoint bit and ground it down to a fine point, go easy as it will melt away from the point if you get it too hot. You can use a flat point to smooth out any wrinkles formed from the vacuum process.

My work space looks a whole lot like my wife's sewing room, the spare bedroom for guests, the room where all the extra clothes go, the room that the cat likes to sleep in the window, ect.ect But in the Summer time when the boats in the driveway, I have 18 feet of countertop in the garage with cabinets underneath and above. I build rods, paint lures, pour lead, reload shells, airbrush decoys...and everything else the wife doesn't let me do in the house when the weather is warm.

I have done several Glow in the Dark Lures, fishing rods ect. I just take the pigments (similar to sand) and mix them in the epoxy before I clear coat the lure. Works really well and you get a good even coat and doesn't effect the underlying paint scheme.

When using two part for lure coverage I use Diamond II Rod Epoxy. It is super clear and made to cover rod threads so it isn't effected by the sun like some of the others. I am, however, going to change to using DN through my airbrush when I get back home and in the shop again. On my final deployment in the Navy and really looking forward to applying some of the techniques learned out here on my next projects. Chad

I don't use flex coat, but I have been using Diamond II for a couple years and it has worked perfectly well.

I have all my eyes on the sheets, organized by size and color, placed in a plano waterproof box. I also added a couple of those silica packs that come in shoes and such to keep the moisture out.

I realize I am bringing this up from the past, but I have found a bone that I feel matches as closely as any I have found before. It is in the acrylic tube paints in Walmart, and the color is called CREAM. I just squeezed out some in a plastic bottle, added a couple heavy magnetic beads to help the mixing process when I shake it, and added 4011 reducer until I reached the consistency I needed. Adding reducer slowly and mixing thoroughly kept the paint from having any clumps and it sprayed really well through my .35 tip. Can't find my Wiggle Warts pictures I painted at the moment, but I think they were a dead match as far as my eye can tell to the old Bone color.

My Grandpa gave me a rod and Johnson 225 reel when I turned 4 or 5. Had that thing for a long time and caught a 4.25# Smallmouth with it. That Smallmouth stayed in the freezer for years and everyone that came to the house got to see it. Man I miss that reel, and Grandpa.

Expect to go very slow, and don't be afraid to stop and walk away for a while. My first rods were built while deployed to Iraq and it was not uncommon to take several days to get all the guides on. I built several 10 1/2 foot Salmon rods on that deployment and each one had its own challenges. Most important is the prep work ensuring you put enough guides on the rod for a smooth transition all the way to the tip. I don't have as many issues now I have been doing it for a while and a lot of my rods are spiral wrapped so guide placement is easier for me. Oh and I can build a rod in about 4 hours vice days now that I have moved to a power wrapper, still have to get up and walk away a few times cause my back starts to ache from bending over the table. Be careful, it is addicting and you will want to build a new rod for every type or style of fishing you do. I am currently on deployment again and have already bought 14 blanks and over 300 guides for my return and the wife keeps asking, where do you want this box that came in today put?

Createx wicked burnt orange, started on a white background. If it isn't as dark as you would like, you can do a second coat. Personally I like to thin mine to a point it is transparent, then do the amount of coats that makes it the shade I like. The shade will come out close and then misting black over the back letting it overspray slight down the sides and your gonna be really close. Hope this helps.

I have been vacuum forming mine then I draw the pattern on the lure with a sharpe pen, then place the vacuum formed stencil over the lure and draw the pattern. Cutting them out I use a exacts knife, then go to a hobby store and buy some of those sticks that are similar to a file, they are found in the model area. The are used to clean up the pices used in making model cars and stuff to clean up the little knobbies that are left over when you break the parts off there hold before putting together. If you are really steady, you can get a small bit for a dremel tool and use that as well, the only issue is if you run it too fast it will melt the stencil and require a lot of sanding and smoothing.

I make sure that I have a paper plate wrapped in aluminum foil, mix epoxy well and pour it on the foil plate. The spreading out of the epoxy allows the bubbles to release. I have been doing 8'6" rods lately and have no issues with epoxy setting up too quickly. I also am using flex Coat High Build.

I purchased my set from Airbrush City on EBAY. I picked up a compressor and 3-4 Airbrushes for under $200. I realize some will say stay with name brand, but the compressor is the most expensive part and the airbrushes have worked out great for a year and a half. I wanted to start out slow and make sure I really would be into it and it has not failed me yet. I have not found anything I could not paint with the AB's and the price was right.

During my last deployment I purchased around 50-60 molded 6" salmon trolling lures. They are right out of the mold and the big stuff has been removed leaving a shiny plastic lure with the hook swivel and line attachment. (very similar to Tomic Plugs) What is the best way to knock off the shine and prime the lure for airbrushing? I really want to prime them to ensure a good adhesion of the topcoat. What is the recommended primer for Createx Airbrush paint topcoat? Thanks, Chad L. US NAVY MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER ATG PACNORWEST Everett, Wa

I have upgraded from OEM to ABE7 on all my ABU's. The only gain from moving to the ceramics is going to be speed on cast, and you will pick up some noise. If you are mainly casting big blades and lures for musky, do not waste your money going to ceramics. It is very easy to replace brass bushings to bearing in the spool of your C3 also, making it a C4. Add the worm gear bearings and you now have a C5. Chad

I am in the same boat as you, so I went with research and bought through Airbrush City. I picked up 4 AB's and a twin piston compresser for around $240, then bought a Capital 2006 AB for $60. If it all works out I am hoping it will allow me to teach myself how to paint lures. Chad L.

Another suggestion to spraying small stripes, especially if you'll be doing more than one bait and want to have it equal on both sides. Go to any arts and craft store and buy a couple sheets of mylar, .010 or so thickness, and a solder iron like used for soldering wires together and melt your lines the way you want. Then you can make it even on both sides. Basically you make your own personal templates for your library.

I would really prefer the non-skirted. The color is most important to me and I could cut the skirt off if that was my only option. I am now thinking about 100 3" and 100 5". That way someone isn't just mixing the color for a few. You can hit me through email if that is easier. chad.lukehart@yahoo.com I am currently deployed with the US Navy in Djibouti, Africa. These probably won't be sued until late fall-early spring.