Custom Baits - Forum
Soft Plastic Bait Making => Color Cook Book => Topic started by: ctom on 05/11/15 17:33 UTC
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(http://s574.photobucket.com/user/crappietomtackle/media/image.jpg1_zpsrdhv1nfw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0)http://s574.photobucket.com/user/crappietomtackle/media/image.jpg1_zpsrdhv1nfw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/crappietomtackle/image.jpg1_zpsrdhv1nfw.jpg)
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ALL TOO COOL Mr. Tom, now you may have outdone yourself.
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Larry Dahlberg had a video using a very similar process in which he literally painted the inside of a mold with pearls powders. I don't know if it was being in a hurry to cut video length or what but it was a mess. I shot these baits in simple colors and then " painted" the baits with a pearls using a soft artist brush. When I got the baits where I wanted the color wise I added the eyes andI the clear dip. Much much cleaner of a process and the finished baits are super reflective while at the same time hanging onto some of that wonderful transparency.
This is just another option to cret some awesome stuff without really making a super huge investment. The pearls powders I used here came in a set of 12 colors and cost about $16. I picked up. This set ata hobby lobby. The pearls can also be used as either a pearl or hi lite IN the plastic too, making it a very versatile investment.
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Jacquard pearl ex? I have some of that and use it in powder paint. Did you heat it before dipping like alumidust? Very cool!
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I don't even crappy fish and like those.
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Thanks Lamar.
Buck....I simply shot the plastic bait and let it cool. Then I used an artist brush to paint the powder on the bait, no heating to it. As a color is applied it's a simple matter to feather the color out so the next color can be applied and feathered into the first color.
When I first did this I found that indoors the colors were as you see them here. Outside in natural light they were very thin appearing. Put in water on a jig and the color you see in this picture got even brighter.
The primary difference that I see between doing these as I do and how Dahlberg does his is that his method uses a ton of the pigment and is applied to the mold. I tried it his way and vacated the idea about six seconds into the venture for the mess and heavy build up of the pigment. There was no way to control how it looked on the bait. Both ways take roughly the same amount of time, but the feathering, which gives the finished bait a natural appearance, is just not able to be done inside a mold. A person can just tap his finger in hi lite powder and rub it across the back of his hand to see how easy it is to manipulate this pearlx stuff, the paint brush just makes it that much easier.
I don't think this is something to bank on for large numbers of baits but from the hobbyist perspective, or a tournament angler who wants truly singular baits, this is absolutely a great way to achieve what one wants. If you stop and think about the spraying technique after the baits are injected and the costs incurred for that process, this method makes baits that are equal if not better in results because the pigment is applied and controlled by a brush. The spraying and this technique are both done one bait at a time but this method offers absolute control of how the pigment is being applied. And if something doesn't come out write wash it off and start again. What's lost is a tiny amount of inexpensive pigment. Using the spray, you also lose a small amount of color but you'll lose more to. Clean up and over spray, plus the the paint costs much more than the pearl.
As mentioned, this is just another way to expand the creativity that the plastic offers.
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Now I know you said you did this with the pearl powders, but I have also heard of people doing this with ladies eye shadow. Anyone tried that? This would also be easier to work with larger baits, I think, due to the larger size of swimbaits.
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But this is more masculine. Lol
Eye shadow works too I hear. Never stooped that low.
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It will make you pay more attention to what your wife is using on her eyes! LOL
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I'm thinking about shooting up a bunch of swim baits and thump grubs (large size) in clear plastic and then painting them with the powder.
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Pretty easy stuff Gary....go for it.
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Nice ctom.
I have used eye shadow on baits before using the same process that Tom describes, it works okay. I had a hard time getting consistent results bait to bait.
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Consistency is one of those vague things that come with working baits one at a time. Personally I don't worry about it much because I subscribe heavily to the idea that nothing in nature is perfect....or consistent. Try the soft paint brush application. You might surprise yourself if you were using the eye shadow applicator before.