Large Pupil 3D Eyes

[Mr.t]

I'm looking for large pupil 3d eyes 8mm in size to fit 10 xd crankbait,wanting silver in color, everything I've found has been 6mm or smaller with the large pupil,I have no preference if they are hard or soft eyes.anybody know where I can get them?

[fshng2]

1. Reasonable price and most sizes including 8mm silver.

lisa.staton.home.insightbb.com/lure_eyes.htm

2. Ebay

Edited January 19, 2016 by fshng2

[Mr.t]

I've looked at both of those places I'm looking for the large pupil like bustin bass carries except in an 8mm

[mark poulson]

http://www.predatorbassbaits.com/id81.html

[Mr.t]

Exactly what I'm looking for,looked there earlier guess I just looked over it.thanks

[JRammit]

Mark

You mentioned making 3D eyes out of solarez some time recently... But i cant remember where??

Sounded simple, but how do you do the pupils??

[Mr.t]

CRAP! I looked again the 8mm silver doesn't say large pupil, the item above it in the picture has the large pupil so I'm not sure, I may have to settle for the normal pupil in the 8mm

[mark poulson]

Mark

You mentioned making 3D eyes out of solarez some time recently... But i cant remember where??

Sounded simple, but how do you do the pupils??

 

When I drill the eye recess (1/8"+ deep to give the resin a defining size and edge), if I want a pupil, I paint it in the center of the recess that's already painted with the base color.  I'm sure one could use discs of reflective material as the base color, too , and add whatever color pupil you want.  The dripped-in resin will act like a lens, if you build up a dome to made a convex eye using it's surface tension.  Just go one drop at a time.  This is one instance where I wouldn't warm the resin, so it didn't flow.  

Three minutes under the nail light will set the eye on one side enough to let you turn the lure over and do the other eye.  Just be sure to hold the eye level under the light until it is set.

I've put powdered GloNation green/white into the recesses, added a couple of drops of super glue to hold it, and then made the resin eyes.  They glow in the dark like high beams!

Edited January 19, 2016 by mark poulson

[fshng2]

http://lisa.staton.home.insightbb.com/lure_eyes.htm

[Mr.t]

They are not what I'm looking for,I'm wanting the 8mm eyes with the large round pupil,the pupils they have aren't perfectly round

[Vodkaman]

Mr.T - you may have to give up on the perfectly round pupil or make them yourself. The eye retailers are giving the customers what they want which is realism. Eye pupils are rarely round in the real world.

 

Dave

[Mr.t]

I think your right dave.I like the look of the large pupil,I just figured they had to be out there somewhere that I didn't know about.I'm pretty sure the fish won't care as much as I do!

[RayburnGuy]

Making your own eyes really isn't that hard. You can use foil of different colors or patterns, to use as a backing for the eye. As for the pupil just spray a dot of whatever color you want the pupil to be on the background. Then it's just a matter of using something like epoxy, or Solarez, to make a dome on the eye. It takes a little while, but not difficult at all.

 

If you'll look in the "Hardbait How To" section of the tutorials Solarfall has a video of how he makes his eyes. It's in his "My Painting Tutorial Videos" thread.

 

good luck,

 

Ben

[Richard Prager]

• Predator has 8MM silver with huge black pupils

[Mr.t]

If your talking about 8mm silver #45 it doesn't list it as large pupil

[Richard Prager]

Yeah ...I have the 7mm.....you might want to ask him.....I just figured everything under the picture was that item. 

[Mr.t]

I found some eyes on ebay that I'm gonna settle for since I couldn't find what I was looking for ,listed as superrealistic fish eyes, they are from norway. I think they may be some of the best eyes I have seen.

[Vodkaman]

I found them on Ebay, they look very nice. There is another company using the same name based in Sweden, probably the same guy.

 

Dave

[MasterChief]

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.

[jonister]

If you find the eye size you want, or make it the right size using Masterchief's method, you could make a silicone mold of it and achieve the perfect size and shape each time. I actually was playing around with this last night. I poured them clear and when they were dry added a black paint pen dot and nail polishes the backs for some interesting colors.

Edited January 23, 2016 by jonister

[Pickadoll]

I have tried a couple of methods in making 3D eyes. My favorite method is photographing real fish eyes. Edit them in photoshop a bit. Print them out, cut them out and then use a doming gun to put clear bubble free resin over them. If you are going to make a silicone mold you can just mold teddy bear eyes, wood plugs or 3D eyes you have bought in the store. but it is really hard to get bubble free casts in molds. You will need a vacuum chamber to get a 100% result. 

[Mr.t]

These are all good ideas and I'm sure they work great, but seems like way to much time and trouble involved for eyes,but doing it yourself would definitely add an extra custom touch to any bait.I don't think I'll attempt it.I can image what mine would probably look like!!thanks everybody for the help trying to find what i was looking for and the ideas for making eyes I may just go ahead and try it sometime just to see how they turn out.