HomeMade Stuff.....

[DAGGA]

Wait a minute im thinking of clear nail polish......
Define nail varnish?

u could try a craft shop david, they have a load of stuff that can be applied to all sorts of fishing, believe it or not

Trust me mate Spotlight is the second best thing to a fishing store!

[the_hide]

Dave for the clear coat you want a two part epoxy.

Go to your local Riot/Spotlight or Lyncraft.

Its often called two part varnish or some such.

I use envirotex which riot sell but spotlight and lyncraft both sell a similar product. Its not paint but plastic, when it dries it dries rock hard, puts a protective shell on the lure and and adds alot of shine.

Alternatively if you want to go the cheaper but messier option, get yourself some 5 minute araldite from the local 2 dollar shop. In a disposable cup mix the araldite and thin with methylated spirits. If you take this option you have about 5 to 7 minutes to get the stuff on. Paint it on with a kids art brush, avoid using brushes with real hair, the hair sticks to the lure body.

PM me if you want any more details.

[Piscineidiot]

nail varnish = nail polish.

I find it dries quite quickly with a bit of air movement and a reasonable temperature. Do you let your paint dry completely before putting the nail varnish on? That might be it...

[zimeric]

another quick tip is to use a fine sander or buffer as leaving the wood rough cut is not so appealing to the eye.
after youve buffed the wood make sure you wipe it with a soft cloth or the fine dust from the sanding will mix with the paint and make it look even worse!


you can also try wrapping foil around the body for that special shine that paint will never give - it can also give the lure added weight. and try spray-on enamel instead of brush on as you will get a smoother finish and use less paint.

[the_hide]

Piscineidiot dont you find that the nail varnish softens with enough time in water ?

Dave I only make my master copies out of wood and so I don't actually use them for the intended purpose so some of what I say might not be relevant.

I always sand the bodies with hard/medium grit wood sandpaper with no backing block then finish of with fine a tiny strip of 200 grain automotiive sandpaper. The finer the sanding the better it looks when its all painted up and glossed.

Zimerics Idea about the foil works a treat. , if you can find it at spotlight get foil tape with adhesive its easier to apply. The fine wrinkles in the foil give that scaled appearance to the underbelly and they reflect light at hundreds of different angles.

If you want to get that scaled look get some flywire offcuts from bunnings in different sizes and use them as a mask over the lure and spray them with enamel.

If you want to add weight to the lure try drilling tiny holes into the body and pushing in small split shots one at a time at various points to get the balance right.

Hope some of this helps , keep the piccies coming.

[Shortlite]

Nail varnish and polish are the same stuff. The thing to look out for is the compatibility with other paints. The solvent in nail polish can react with some paints, for example can spray paint. It makes a gooey liquid mess that doesn't dry. I don't have any problem with acrylic paints topped of with clear nail varnish.

A goo tip is to find the clear stuff that has suspended glitter in it. Tougher to work with, as it's very viscous, but you can "cut" it with a little clear varnish to improve it's flow and use that as a clear coat. It has a plasticized adhesive in it that dries rock hard and waterproof. Two thin coats of clear on top of that, and you're set.

I have also not had any softening effects after prolonged exposure to sunlight, water and salt. However, i would advise you check the lures for any cracking, etc. in the top coat and put a new sealing coat over it.

Envirotex 2 part outdoor varnish is your best bet. Good working time, rock hard waterproof finishes, and very easy to put on thin
coats.

[Bream Addict]

im with u,yhe hide, riot at and craft isnt too shabby at all, pretty cheap too.

[DAGGA]

I drill holes and melt the lead into the already made cavities and i already thought of using the fly screen stuff but i need spray cans and aparently cos im under 18 im not aloud to buy them but ill just get my mum to come with me next time. Also i been a bit hesitant to spend money on qaulity glue and resins but i think ill put some money towards it now and make them as good as i can.

Thanks for the advice and nice perch you got there Matt!

[DAGGA]

Heres some latest ones, nothing special but i cant wait to paint this lot!

[BIG PETE]

a bit of advice when painting them guys
dont go crazy with the paint or clear if you put heaps on it will look great but after a few weeks it will crack if it is to thick when it cracks water will get in and stuff every thing up just cover them and when they get all scratched rub them back and repaint





BIG PETE

[fatbream]

What are the bibs there mayde of?? the one second from top on the left looks allot like a pygme

[Brad Y]

Dagga- i used to do alot of this type of stuff and i found the best tool to use to make the shape clean and smooth is a file like a flat bastard then gradually moving down to a hand smooth. Then attack it with the sand paper- i made a few scorpion shaped ones this way with the full keel and bend on them- they were smashed by mangrove jacks though and no longer exist.


I started with a small block, cut it out with a jigsaw and then went to it with the file. After a float test i drilled the holes and put in the hooks and bib, then re tested the float ability then painted and used them. I made mine from pine so they didnt last long but they were good fun to make. I used model car paint with a spray can of varnish to finish.

[DAGGA]

Hrmmm i never thought of using spray on varnish.... that could be a easier idea.
I used CD cases for bibs at the minute.
Im not trying to copy other lures i just trying to make ultra small minnow looking lures lures but heavy enough to cast.

[Brad Y]

Small ones are hard to do. I remember i made a 30cm minnow out of solid jarrah! that thing weighed a ton and never caught a fish. I think i used it to start a fire sometime

[DAGGA]

These 4 are pretty dam good when it comes to swimming especially the orange and red one with black stripes.
The pinky one with eyes (i havnt finnished painting) swims real well also.
I have a Attack minnow and a Ecogear to compare sizes to top and bottem.