Is this the Place?

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Watch out heating mixed epoxy. It gives off heat as the two parts react and adding heat makes this reaction much faster and hotter. I tried micro-waving some once and it almost started a fire in the kitchen.

And divorce proceedings no doubt???!

[ProfessorM]

maybe bubbles are a problem with e tex but i mix the sys. 3 clear coat epoxy like a crazy fool and get nutin but bubbles. They dissipate after you apply the stuff and hardly ever have a problem with any in the final product. Maybe a quick torch passing once in a while but I gave up worrying about them a few years ago as I mixed the stuff as it didn't seem to be a problem in the final product. Now don't get me wrong I have screwed up many other aspects of the epoxy but bubbles in the mix don't require a prayer to St. George for me.

[Backbeach Jake]

With E-tex bubbles are no problem if you wave the torch. Poof gone.

[pbadad]

The e-tex heated flows like water. I mix the 2 parts together after they are heated. I previously used heat guns and torches and still had minute bumps. Thought it was dust. Used the heated mix this morning with good results. I be surveying the finish tommorrow b/4 work.

[BigFish]

Hello? (Echo....echo.....echo) Is anyone here? (Echo.....echo.....echo)

[Diggin Jiggin]

I think everyone must have been out too late last night...

[ProfessorM]

yup late but no residual effects. I've gotten smarter. I am sure there are a few sleeping in this morning.

Actually painted a few plugs yesterday and may do another few today. This is time of the year I start getting serious about finishing stuff.

[Diggin Jiggin]

I finished painting the last of the stuff I turned for this year. I had lots of ideas from plugfest that I wanted to try.

Here's a darter ala angler229, and the other is similar to one of the Greek's. I put a little pearlex in the epoxy of the purplish one, trying to mimic something I think goo goo man did...

And some topwater, Made some new mack stencils after looking at mikecc's, took 3 or 4 tries but I finally got it right. the pink pogie one is a copy of something Vic's friend Scottie had painted in a swap a few years ago.

I had an interesting 'new' problem this week. I started using wire from a new box of tig wire, and when I was wiring plugs a was getting black smudges on em. I looked at my hands and they were dirty even though I washed them before I started. Ends up each & every wire is dirty. I ended up taking a rag with acetone on it and when I wrap it around the wire and pull the wire thru it and I get a nice black streak from every wire...

[ProfessorM]

all look great. Mack is my favorite paint scheme.

[jeffthechef]

all look great, i'm doin my first round of surface poppers now, like those paint jobs....gotta go pull plugs outa val-oil....

[Backbeach Jake]

I just finished my faux-birthday breakfast and getting ready to shake a knot loose in my shop. Put up some new lights yesterday, nice to see some detail for a change, gonna add more. Gonna build some storage, friggin place is an obstacle course now, crap every where. And a couple of new benches.

[pbadad]

Just e-tex a few plugs. Extras I made Atom Jrs with the A-54 atom lip from M&D's. That lip is half the weight of the Salty jr. 4 grams compared to 8 grams. The A-54 lip is the same thickness as the original. Lightens up the front and I can use a 3/0 front hook and assure the lure on calm water to stay up. They also swam great w/ Salty's lip. Slightly nose down and shallow subsurface w/ 3/0.
With 2/0, swam along the top like the old plastic version with the classic wobble and roll.

[jeffthechef]

speakin' of shops and building, put together a new dust collection box that goes around my lathe, finished it with a "custom" collection port (mounted an old shredder paper collector), hole-sawed a place for my vacuum hose to come up thru table into box . works like a champ. can't afford a real dust collection system and this is better than nothing!

morning maestro....

[jeffthechef]

my boss.....errr wife is calling! off to the races! enjoy the day all!

[numbskull]

It has been a challenge (to say the least), but I think I'm almost there. Both sizes.

[jeffthechef]

a plug is born....looks like a surface popper, but i guess its a bottle plug in the making (see a bottle plug in the last shot)...also got some nice ideas from the pictures! (sanding jig)

[angler229]

Diggin Jiggin very nice stuff. That is a funny pattern to paint as it looks like you're painting a cow till you put the scales on it. One of those don't be afraid to make it look stupid first to make it look good later deals.

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by numbskull

It has been a challenge (to say the least), but I think I'm almost there. Both sizes.

How slow will they swim?
I can get lipless swimmers to swim but not at a crawl, roughly at darter speed.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

How slow will they swim?
I can get lipless swimmers to swim but not at a crawl, roughly at darter speed.

Don't know yet, Pete. The ones I've tried on my own in the past have sucked. Now, however, Billy lent me an original medium Musso (which I have not swum). There are a lot of subtleties to it, and copying it has been a learning experience, but I think I've got it and will be able to test prototypes pretty soon.

[JFigliuolo]

George... you really need to change your handle to Xerox. no one can repro a plug like you. (I mean that in a VERY good way)

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

George... you really need to change your handle to Xerox. no one can repro a plug like you.

No, that would be Paul (and Capesams). I'm shooting for close enough and in fishable numbers.

[mfm22]

George those lipless are shaping up nice .
I tried the small 1 oz. .. The line tie was just about dead center [good] the bottom angle and top angle were around 45 & 70 [ I don't have notes here ]. I was able to cut these with the squares on. the small lipless has concavities in bottom and top . Very small subtle hollows.
I just borrowed a med 2 oz. size different angles less concave ,the top was pretty much straight.
The line tie looked low[below center}?
I'm interested to know how you are able to replicate consistanly - jigs used

[WoodyCT]

Cloned from BM Schoolie, but will use a Lefty 2-Midslot lip since the one BM uses is a proprietary hybrid pikie lip.

Swam one with the L2 lip that I bent up a bit and got a pleasant surprise. Instead of swimming on or just below the surface as the BM did, these went down 4+ feet in a moderate current and had a nice wide wiggle witht the line tie level. With the tie bent down parallel to the lip it swam down about 12" with the same action.

After these cure for another couple days I'll wire up.

Thanks to all who have inspired, assisted and tolerated,
Jon

[WoodyCT]

I learned this when building rods-

mix your epoxy on a sheet of glass and then heat if from below to decrease the viscosity and let the air bubbles escape. Hardened epoxy easily scrapes off with a razor blade and the glass can be used over and over.

Bonus- because the epoxy is spread out the heat released by the exothermic reaction between the resin and the hardener will dissipate and give you a longer pot life than if it were in a cup.

[wader-dad]

Look nice Jon- like the slim profile. Like me.

[piemma]

[QUOTE=ProfessorM;751074]yup late but no residual effects. I've gotten smarter. I am sure there are a few sleeping in this morning.
Hey Paul, great finally meeting the legend in person.

[numbskull]

Looking good, Woody.

[pbadad]

Very nice Jon. Where did you get those eyes?? Not Betty Davis eyes!!

[chumbucket]

[WoodyCT]

Those are the 3D doll type eyes that Mike sells at CCT. The same as BM uses in their eyed plugs.

I like the clear ones- you can paint the backs any color, or just color the inside of the eye hole and let it show through the clear. That's what I did on these - Gold Pentel paint pen and a bit of Zap a Gap to hold the eyes in.

Ted The Greek uses these alot in his great looking plugs.