Painting: After sanding to 200 grit, drill a tiny hole in the back where your hardware would go. This is an insertion point for a thin pin or steel rod anchored to a dowel (see pic). This will hold your lure while painting and dipping. Also make a HEAVY wood block to hold dowels while drying (see pic). Before painting dip lure 3X in sanding sealer. This keeps wood from soaking up paint. If this is not done, your paint job will never look good. I use Ace #16063 water-base sanding sealer. Fully dip lure 3X. Let dry 1 hour between coats.

 

Next the primer or base coat: I do not have good luck w/ aotomotive primers or enamel primers in general. I use a base coat of the Kylon water-based paint. I have tried all colors and for some reason the Amazon Green and Dark Blue work best. This paint is water based and has no smell, it goes on thick and dries fast. It also hides any minor dents and is as smooth as glass. I usually give it 1 to 2 of these base coats.

 

Finish Paint: I use air brush at times but it is a pain in the butt to mix and clean. I like the hobby paints, spray touch-up car paints, specialty paints from craft stores, spray model paints. All of these paints are oil based enamels and give off fumes. I paint outdoors on calm days and wear a resparator when painting in the shop.

 

Techniqe: Use cut outs from cardbord to control paint.

Perch Example: Base coat green. Spray belly yellow. Spray back throught slit in cardboard black. Next the scales: Wrap dried lure in netting. I use small mesh laundry bags and the best thing-netted football shirts. I buy this stuff from the dollar store. I can paint 30-50 lures w/ 1 shirt. Wal-Mart also at times sells a great material like a heavy cheese clothe that works great. Do not waste your time with the crap they sell at online tackle shops. It is mearly wedding vail netting and way too thin and small. To get stripes I strap 1/8 or 1/4 across a cheap knitter's round loom and spray through that.

 

Clear finish: Dip lure 3X to 4X in Minwax water-based polycrylic clear gloss #SM5153000. Dries fast, fairly hard and NO SMELL. In fact I do this in my home office to avoid dust. Wife has never complained.

 

I also restore old lures for my own collection (see pic). I have sold a few but always state they are repaints and sign or stamp the bottom. Send pics of yours and I can comment. I strip paint w/ Strip-Eze and I have a vibratory tumbler to polish old hardware. CLR also cuts corroded hardware.

 

Hope this helps. Years ago when I would ask other lure builders on Ebay their secrets, they were total asses in their replies. I promised myself that I would never be that way to another and would out do them at their game. So those guys better watch out!

 

I have ruined many lures being impatient on the painting. I usually build 20-50 at a time so I can have a lot steps going at once. It is just as easy to build 50 as 1 for me. I don't mind cleaning up for 50 but not 1!

 

Good luck and let me know how it works out for you.

 

Best Regards,

 

James McDonald, AIA