Want To Paint Baits, How Do You Hold Them While Painting

[Luke at Gouldsboro]

Hey everyone, I decided that I'm going to paint my own baits. I have a quick question about how you hold the baits while painting them. Is ther a holding device, a homemade device or do you lay them on a table..etc... Also i know people use stockings and small netting for scale patterns, but how is that done exactly? do you wrap the bait in the stocking? Any answers will help. Thanks a lot.

[BobP]

Some guys like to use the handles of Xacto knives to hold baits by a hook hanger. I use locking forceps, clipping them on the lip or on a 'false lip' inserted in the lip slot. It really doesn't matter how you do it as long as it works for you. As far as scale netting, most drape the netting over the lure's back and then tension the netting with clothespins or clips at the bottom of the lure, and the top as needed. If you like to hold your lure in a stationary fixture like a vise while painting, you can also clip netting into an embroidery hoop and just hold it agains the lure's shoulders.

[tomustang]

Since I paint a lot of small items I use a variety of hemostats, spring clamps, alligator clips on helping hands, reverse tweezers, and small vises. When I paint I also use a latex glove on the hand I'm holding the object I'm going to spray.

[smalljaw67]

Some guys like to use the handles of Xacto knives to hold baits by a hook hanger. I use locking forceps, clipping them on the lip or on a 'false lip' inserted in the lip slot. It really doesn't matter how you do it as long as it works for you. As far as scale netting, most drape the netting over the lure's back and then tension the netting with clothespins or clips at the bottom of the lure, and the top as needed. If you like to hold your lure in a stationary fixture like a vise while painting, you can also clip netting into an embroidery hoop and just hold it agains the lure's shoulders.

The Handle of an Exacto Knife is excellent for crankbaits, and for jigs and spinnerbaits I use powder paint so I usually just hold them by the hook with a pair of hemostats and dip in the powder.