Fishwhittler

Glad you like it. Here's the rest of the review if you're interested: Trondak U-40 Review. Both Flex Coat and U-40 are available from Mudhole.com. I've done some experimenting with my mixing process since posting that thread (not this one). Now I mix U-40 steadily for four minutes without stopping or heating, and then let it sit for ten minutes before application. I still get some bubbles, but not as many as I was getting. You can pop some of the bubbles once the epoxy is on the bait by blowing through a straw; I find that this works better than simply blowing on the bait without a straw. Edit: Forgot the pics. Below are some pics of a bait that I coated with U-40. The scratches you see on the shoulder of the bait are from the bait slamming into a rock at high speed. I had got the lure tangled in a tree close to the water, and so I gave it a few jerks to pull it free. It came loose, but it came flying back at me and smashed into some rip-rap next to where I was standing. The marks on the back of the bait are the only damage the bait received from the impact.

Figured it was time for an update. I've been using U-40 now for over two months and still no signs of yellowing, and I don't think it's going to yellow anytime soon (if it ever does). Here's what I've noticed about U-40 and Flex Coat: Trondak U-40 LS Supreme High Build: 1. Somewhat slicker to touch than Flex Coat 2. More durable (U-40 can tear if you get a hook point or other sharp object through it, but it doesn't chip or crack) 3. More teeth-resistant than Flex Coat. U-40 doesn't scratch as easily or as deeply, mainly due to its extra flexibility 4. Cheaper than Flex Coat U-40 is also considerably thicker than Flex Coat, but that can be either an advantage or a disadvantage. This probably wouldn't be an issue if you used the medium-viscosity version of U-40. Flex Coat Ultra V: 1. Easier to mix bubble-free than U-40. I can mix Flex Coat completely bubble-free, which so far I haven't been able to do with U-40. 2. Slightly longer cure time, which means you have more application time. 3. Less odor (U-40 doesn't smell very much, but Flex Coat has practically no odor at all) 4. Easier application. Flex Coat is thinner and spreads easier than U-40. Those are the main points I can think of, but that should give a pretty fair idea of how U-40 compares to Flex Coat. Neither of these can claim the title of the "Perfect Topcoat", but both are excellent coatings that provide very good protection for lures. Thanks for reading. Ben

I've heard a lot about Devcon yellowing from guys that have used it a lot, so I would suggest using something else. I've used Flex Coat Ultra V with good results, and I know Big M uses it on all his baits. Some of the more commonly used topcoats are: Devcon 2 Ton (epoxy) Flex Coat Ultra V High Build (epoxy) Envirotex Lite (epoxy) Dick Nites Fishermun's Lure-Coat (commonly known as Dick Nites or DN; this is a moisture-cure urethane) The only one of these topcoats I've used is Flex Coat, but there are a lot of guys on here that can help you with any questions you have about the other topcoats. Ben

2.25" body, carved from 1" thick cedar, weighs 1/2 ounce.

I've used Krylon primer under acrylic paint with no problems at all. You may run into trouble if you use a solvent-base topcoat over Krylon (or any aerosol paint), but if you use an epoxy topcoat you should be okay.

I use water to thin the Folk-Art paints. I usually thin to the consistency of milk or a bit thicker. You'll need to experiment to find what works best with your airbrush. I prefer Createx white paint to Folk-Art white because the Createx does a much better job of covering. That's the only paint I've had coverage issues with; all the other Folk-Art paints I've used cover other colors just fine. Hope this helps. Ben

Beautiful! Can't pick a favorite. 8-)

Here are a few more baits: catfish swimbait, carp Dog-Walker, and a repaint. The repaint has some blue paint still in the bill from the last time I painted it, but I was really just trying a new color with this bait so I don't mind very much.

Very nice! I like the bottom one. 8-)

Great work as always! The bottom two are my favorites. 8-)

Thanks all you guys! @ MarcDavid, I got the idea for the white gill plate from Tigger over on TU. For those of you that haven't seen his work, let me tell you he is one of the best I've seen, period. Unfortunately he hasn't been posting any more baits lately, but there are still a bunch of his baits in the gallery. Here's a link to his gallery page: Tigger

Just some knockoff paints and yet another swimbait (been doing a lot of those lately ). On the carp and bluegill baits in this batch, I did a few modifications. I rounded the bills on both of them, and I removed two weights from the bluegill and one from the carp. I'm going to see how they stack up to the standard knockoffs. With the bluegill, I used b75nweav's bluegill pattern from "The custom bait paint thread" as my starting point, and then I messed with different colors until I got what I wanted. My sister helped me with the catfish RC 2.5 knockoff and the swimbait. I had her draw a fish and then I turned it into the swimbait you see below. It's 3" long, weighs 1/2 oz, and sinks slowly. I think it's going to be a very good fish-catcher. Let me know what you think. Ben

Great looking baits Big M! 8-)

Those are nice! I really like the bream. 8-)

I sprayed fluorescent green 3d scales on the swimbait, but they don't show up very well. Also did a photo-finished perch crankbait. Let me know what you think. Ben

Welcome! Those baits are just beautiful.

Thanks guys. Dave, the texture was made using a screwdriver with a knurled handle. After I put the foil on, I rolled the screwdriver around on the bait to get the pattern you see. I've attached some pics of the tool I use. The scales aren't really that hard; they just require a lot of heat setting. You do have to paint each row of scales one at a time and heat set between rows, but other than that it's not much of a hassle.

Here are some more jointed lures. The two big baits are roughly 5.25" long and the two small swimmers are 3.5". I tried doing 3D scales on one of these, and I think it turned out pretty good. The pic does not do this bait justice at all. I also did a few foil baits and another dog-walker. Thanks for looking. Ben

Very nice! This is one of my favorite batches you've posted here. 8-)

That looks real good! 8-)

This particular lure is unweighted, but that's only because of its small size. The only weight on this lure is the hook hangers, line tie, bill, and a split ring and size four hook. Most lures need some ballast in order to run well, but you can sometimes get away without using ballast if the lure is the right size and shape. BTW I use PVC for just about all of my lures, not wood. I like PVC because it's waterproof, very buoyant, and it doesn't need to be sealed prior to painting. @ Crookedneck, I did some more testing and this lure has a tight, hunting action. It dives 0-2' depending on retrieve speed and rod angle.

Thanks! No need to switch; I used Flex Coat Ultra V on these baits. I'm using U-40 on the baits I make for myself, but I'm still using Ultra V on lures I make for other guys. I'm not ready to completely switch over to U-40 yet, as I'd like to do more extensive testing (a.k.a. fishing ) to check its durability and to make sure it won't yellow. I think both of those will probably be non-issues, but I want to make sure first. @ Crookedneck, I use an airbrush to paint my lures, although sometimes I'll use rattle-can primer to save a little work cleaning my airbrush. @ SmokinShad117, the swimbait is 6 1/4" long and it weighs about 1 1/4 ounces. Actually, that's lighter than some of the crankbaits I make! This isn't a particularly large bait as far as swimbaits go.

Well, I've had U-40 for about a month now, and it hasn't yellowed yet. ;D That isn't very long, but when I tried regular Flex Coat (not Ultra V) it yellowed inside of a month. I mixed some the other day, and then I decided to try something new: I'd use my finger to coat the lures. I saw a thread on TU about using a finger to spread epoxy and I figured I'd give it a shot. Anyway, it worked great! I got fewer bubbles, and it was easier to completely cover each lure. Also some more info about mixing: U-40 mixes with fewer bubbles if you mix slowly. Flex Coat can be stirred hard and it will still lose a lot of bubbles when you let it sit, but U-40 needs to be mixed a lot slower.

Thanks! @ Crookedneck, the action is pretty good, I just need to run some more tests. It looks like the action is pretty tight considering the angle of the bill.

This is a new small swimbait I just finished. The body with the tail is 3 1/2" long, and it weighs about 1/4 oz.