Do you like fishing the StrikeKing XD series of crankbaits? Me too. They get deep quick and stay there�the lures action is great and they do catch bass. Just one problem, the fit and finish sometimes just isn�t there...it�s not bad just not good. I fished an XD3 in a blue pearl pattern regularly over the last four months and was disappointed with the results�not the case with other XD3�s in different patterns. So it was selected for a little tweaking and some new paint.
The process starts by stripping the bait down to bare plastic. Its messy and time consuming but necessary in order for the lure weight to be near factory specs. First the �too small� eyes were removed using an Xacto knife. The eyes easily pop off�not the case with some other lure brands. Next a little 400 grit sandpaper and a lot of elbow grease got the finish off leaving just the paint. Using throttle body cleaner the paint wipes off and you have a plastic blank ready to be base coated.

For this repaint I used an Iwata airbrush. It�s a great precision tool �not that I can use it to its full potential. It�s well balanced, has a micro air control valve, and will atomize anything up to 90 weight oil�just kidding, don�t try that. But really�. it�s an awesome airbrush.

So getting started the diving bill is taped off using regular painters tape. If there�s too much adhesive on the tape just stick it to your jeans or shirt to get some adhesive off, and then tape the bill. I normally cut the tape to several different sizes and angles in order to cover the diving bill as close to the lure body as possible. For this project Opaque White was used to basecoat the blank. White or Black base allows for quick and even top coat coverage. Each base color has a different effect on the top coat color so experiment before deciding on White or Black.

In this instance the topcoat colors were sprayed over the lure in layers, back, side and belly�not necessarily in that order. The distance from the airbrush tip to the lure body determines how wide the painted area will be. Keep the airbrush farther away from the blank for a wider coverage and closer for smaller areas. After each coat allow the paint a short time to air dry then flash dry it using a hair dryer.

Wrap the lure in mesh and secure it tightly with alligator clips. If it�s too loose paint will bleed under the mesh and ruin the scale effect you�re trying to create. Also, try to keep the mesh straight so the scale pattern doesn�t run off at odd angles. Spraying paint over mesh can be tricky�if the paint is allowed to dry too much before the mesh is removed it pulls the paint off and the base coat shows or it makes a raised edge that looks bad. Using a paint retarder helps keep the paint from drying out too fast. Spray, then allow a little time for the paint to air dry, then remove the mesh, then flash dry.

Next a little darkening around the eyes and along the back to create a scale base.

In this picture you can see the head and nose scale after spraying colors thru mesh. The next step was holographic glitter mixed with high gloss clear sprayed over the entire lure.

In these pictures 5.5mm (silver-gold-black) eyes have been installed and kill dots added. Getting the kill dots aligned was done by folding a transparency over the back of the lure and marking the eye on either side of the transparency. By keeping the transparency aligned with the eyes it�s easy to mark the kill dots and cut them out using an Xacto knife. Keep the eye markings on the transparency aligned with the eyes the lure and spray one side (dot) at a time.

Faint belly scale was added by using fine bridal mesh stretched in a knitting hoop. Hold the mesh over the belly and lightly mist with iridescent paint over a base color. In this case scale White scale with a Turquoise color shift.

In this picture you see the painted lure ready for the 2-part epoxy clear coat to be applied.
[img]https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-91083-89536-12_killdot_side.jpg[/img]
In these pictures the epoxy finish has dried and Mustad #4 black nickel hooks with #5 stainless split rings have been installed.
[img]https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-91083-89537-img_4.jpg[/img]
[img]https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-91083-89539-img_3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-91083-89540-img_1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2015/12/full-91083-89541-img_2.jpg[/img]

Hope this helps folks decide to give airbrushing lures a try

Thank you for sharing. I would love to see more post like this and less of people trying to sell their baits. These kind of posts are what made me start painting.

+1

Great post bois and awesome looking bait, I plan on putting some post together in the next couple weeks that are more informative than my normal post. I will agree it is nice seeing this type of post.

Seems like the Building and Pouring forum has become an "ecommerce" forum lately. Easy to lose interest in this forum when its just another Trading Post forum. No problem showing your work and getting feedback...showing on the lake results...or just showing off.
The idea is to post something to attract new viewers to the Building and Pouring forum as well as share knowledge, ideas and opinions on some aspect of tackle making with folks who share the same passion for this stuff.

Was this a general comment or directed to me?

If it was directed at me, I try to share as much of my work as possible and I haven't had the time to make the type of post you have in this thread lately. I try and keep all my sales and sales related questions on the trading post or pms. Like I said earlier I am hoping to put some more elaborate post together in the next couple weeks I have 10 days off for Christmas and am really looking forward to doing a lot of painting for myself and coming up with some new patterns.

I believe that the comment was directed at whomever it resembled. Nobody is attacking anyone in this sub forum and that's why I like it here. I personally try to keep my original patterns to myself since as soon as I post one, two other people are posting their version of it in the classifieds. If you don't want someone copying your pattern just don't post it, because I am going to plagiarize the snot out of it if I like it. I just don't try to sell it on this forum. I also realized that my earlier posts were an attempt at selling my baits, so I stopped doing it. I would only post when I had lures for sale or when I was saying that "a customer ordered these" so I stopped. I don't like reading other people's advertisements when I am not browsing the classifieds so I don't want others to have to read mine. I enjoy the more informative post and others do to, but I don't think that I have a lot to offer in tips since I have only been airbrushing for about 6 months. I am well rounded in lure building since I make pretty much everything that I fish with, but am not an "expert" in any of the one lures. I think that most everyone would agree that boisarc is the most talented painter on this site and I look forward to any tips or tricks that he has to share and I hope that he continues to share his wealth of knowledge.

I'll be the outsider here. Since I do not paint lures I just admire how all you do these. So when I see your works I'm am drawn to the question of "can I buy that"? I may, like others find it very interesting and amazed what you guys do, and how you do it, it still boils down to can you paint this for me or change it a bit for me so I can buy it. I have thought about painting lures but I just can't pull myself to be as committed as you guys are to this. The closest I've gotten to lure painting is learning to wrap/make hair jigs or rod guide wrapping. So I come to this forum for both reasons, admire and purchase. I know I will never get into the painting part but I appreciate all of your works. And look forward to seeing both the method of the madness as well as being able to buy. Thanks

Well put GoArmy.....I do the same on this forum.

It took me a few hours to clean the XD3 blank and another few hours to come up with a pattern and a few more hours to put paint on the lure. Took about an hour to put the post together and 15 minutes to upload everything and edit it. I'm not suggesting everybody should do this...I do it because I want to. Personally I like seeing the work of folks who've just started painting and enjoy offering constructive suggestions, observations and encouragement. Selling lures helps offset the cost of paint and lure blanks. I can keep learning, sharing and enjoying my hobby with folks who share the passion by selling some of my work. Seems to me the Trading Post forum is the best place on the TFF site for advertising and selling our work. I've met some great folks thru this forum...some who make tackle and some who just like to see the work posted here. If this forum turns into an eCommerce site I'll move on... if not I'll keep posting. Who knows what the moderators had in mind when they created this forum. We all get to choose what we post here...its about making the right choices.

Here's a novel idea...post your work and add a link to the items being sold on the Trading Post...folks who want to buy it can click the link .

I certainly hope that the window viewing even it may lead others to become more than viewer and desire the product, that is what the pm's are for. At least that is what I thought.
I am totally amazed at what "grass roots" can make away from factory machine and very inflated costs that I have noticed are only sold until the retail commercial fad fades.
I am in hopes also for others to show their results in hand-pouring and injecting soft plastics. Especially making product from soft plastic scraps/recycled, which is where I am involved actually in passing along to others as a ministry.
I hope this does not come across impeding on others beliefs just explaining my interests.
Y'all have a Happy Hannukah, and Merry Christmas.

_________________________
(Psalm 46:1)GOD bless our troops

Thanks for your psalty...hope more folks who pour plastics will post their work and maybe some helpful info on the process, too.

Interesting response. It only makes sense that some viewers would want to get there hands on tackle that the other guys don't have. Only takes one off-forum PM for the viewer to ask if the item in the post is for sale. Or one link, by the person who posts their work, to take a viewer to an ecommerce site or the Trading Post on this site. I'm sure that all of us (builders and pourers) want to know, "We produce something good enough to compete with the retail stores". This forum is "Building lures and Pouring Plastics". The name implies that the forum is about tackle crafting and for the most part that's what it is. This forum provides a great way to share ideas and post patterns requesting comments from other tackle makers, hobbyists and knowledgeable experienced fishermen who might have some insight that could improve the item. So its up to us, the folks who post our work, tips and ideas. Is this the right forum for selling our work? Do we sell directly from our posts? Do we post here with a focus on selling? Do we stay with the craft concept and do the selling elsewhere, like on the Trading Post forum on this site? Over the last few weeks about 65-75% of all posts on this forum have been slanted toward sales and marketing. Other sites are able to keep things separate...I guess its up to us to decide whether we're going to use this forum as a place to learn and share and get better at tackle crafting, or for marketing and selling stuff. Either way its been a good forum. this post is aimed at nobody in particular

I personally don't see the issues with posting some baits a customer has ordered, but that just me maybe I should move my stuff over to the plugs and anouncements sub forum since I'm painting 99% of them for customers or a tackle show. I posted almost a how to on painting one of my best sellers anyway and no one has even responded to it. Kinda makes it not worth going through the effort of taking extra time taking pictures through the process and posting all of them. I'm happy to share information with most of the people on this sub forum and help get others started with lure crafting, heck I'm still a newbie to bait building and continue to learn as much as I can every time I sit down at the work bench.

Wrong column....look at the views. You are out there with a big net....the internet. Everybody can see your work...no better way to advertise your products. In the past I've linked stuff on the Trading Post back to this forum so the buyer could see what he's getting for his money. The cost of a custom bait seems like a lot when compared to a Bass Pro Shop's off-shore foreign made sale item. Folks may be interested in how much work goes into building, pouring, painting, etc. a quality custom lure. I like this forum because of the info on crafting and the posts showing folks efforts not the selling of lures, but that's just me...not saying never post anything connected to selling tackle...just hoping for some discretion and moderation. Love the TFF site and this forum...good folks.