types of paint, and prosses

[Out Fishing]

Sounds like most of you are useing createx or some similar water based paint.  Was wondering if anyone has experimented with laquaers?  I keep hearing about how many ways there are to skin a cat but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  Was wondering if anyone would post step by step there painting prosses....paint used on primer, second coat?, final coat, and sealer.  From what I've read I'm doing things much different.  I got my system from a west coast fisherman. 

1. seal plug with b.l.o.
2. prime with rustoleum flate white 7790...dip lure, dry for 24 hrs.
3. Use air brush to apply pearl vinyl paint thinned way down....for durablity
4. Paint color on plug with laquaers
5. clear coat plug with a dupont automotive product i get from my brother in law who works for Dupont..

Well thats what I do....
what do you do?
  In my experience this is one of the most closely gaurded secrect of plug builders....anyone care to share?

[Out Fishing]

HAY MADDHATTER ...well my process is like this
1 seal your plug good...soak it in a sealer submerge it under the sealer so wood will soak it up give it some time in the sealer [ i use Zinsser seal coat] let dry good
2 prime your plug.... use a good primer krylon or rust-oleum
3 air prush your color of choice   i use auto-air colors waterbased  and i thin slightly  thinning your paint is another issue in it self.... 3:1 but not always the rule or till you paint pours like milk
4 once your plug is dry  i use two part epoxy by flexcoat  one the two parts are mixed well i add flakes to the mix and coat the plug  i after the plug is coated i spin it on a rod dryer  or u can make a dryer like the one NJFISH made  with motors and drying lamps.....hope this helps

[seaviewer]

I try to keep it simple. Spray bombs. The Rustoleum 2X primer & paint is the best in that category. Zinsser Seal Coat, effective and drys fast. Devcon 30 minute epoxy. I'm gonna beat the snot outta these things so museum quality work is not what I'm after. They work, that's all that matters to me.

[Out Fishing]

So far so good...keep the info coming boys.  Was also wondering if you all are turning your own or just working from kits?

[Out Fishing]

maddhatter.............yea i turn my own plugs..............plus i cheat a little.........i run a jet lathe with a vaga duplicator.........and clone a lot of saltys plugs

[njfish]

1 I seal with Etex.  Heat plug in oven set at around 130 to open pores.  Brush on Etex after about 10 min wipe off excess.  A warm plug just sucks the etex in and makes wood more durable but not to hard
2 Lacquer based paint for first coat
3 paint primary paint w/ airbrush I use Golden, Luitex or similar acrylics
4 heat plug to cure acrylic paint.  Acrylic paint needs to be heated to fully cure
5 finish plug with etex and then spin

I install lips grommets or what ever after paint and before finish.
I instally weights and fill hole before sealing
I may go back to sealing with Tung oil or BLO/MS as it is easier when doing more than a dozen plugs

[Out Fishing]

maddhatter.............yea i turn my own plugs..............plus i cheat a little.........i run a jet lathe with a vaga duplicator.........and clone a lot of saltys plugs

Yeah I hear you on the cheating part....I don't dup. other peoples plugs but when I turn one that I really like I dup. that with a duplicator.  I like to have several of the same plug when I know it produces....different color patterns and weights....although the nice part of not useing a duplicator is that it keeps you creative, sometime I get blinded by produceing with the duplicator and start to not try new shapes so it goes on and off my lathe quite often to keep me experimenting....

[njfish]

Same here on the dupe.  About the only salty one I dupe is the big mouth popper but I have changed the dimension abit.  I like to look a design(picture) then turn just using the idea.  There is one plug I do copy the original but also have one that I changed abit-it's a BM Cowboy.  I make one like orig but also turn a smaller one, may be like a Cowboy Jr. but don't know as I have never seen/held one.
Really about every plug I turn is based off something as most of the stuff has been made by someone.  What I do is see a pic then just use idea and turn not really knowing the dimensions though.  Just really know the general shape

The dupe is just so I make all the stuff I turned the same after I test it and am happy with action.  One of my favorite plugs comes from a mistake I made.  I also have a danny that I was making and screwed up, I ended up shortening the nose then sloping the head and another with no slope-awesome action.  I still now need to dupe more and paint/finish test plug as I don't paint my test plugs till I know they are right.  Without painting I can some times still make adjustment to profile

[Out Fishing]

hay seaviewer  nice plug   salty thanks u for turning the price  tag around

just bustin ya

[Out Fishing]

I am new to plug building. my question has to do with Etex. When you heat the plug in a oven set for 130 how long do you leave it in the oven ? If any one can help ?

[Out Fishing]

hay mr mike  i never used etex  and  i never put plugs in the oven......but there is a thread on this site  which njfish built with light bulbs and some slow turning motors from a gas grill....he built a dryer.which cures the paint he also uses etex leave him a message
i  lathe out my plugs ....i predrill........soak in sanding sealer.......prime.....airbrush.....and then use two part epoxy

130* seams high  to me  be carefull sum bitch might catch fire  but id say if the plug looks chard  and u poke it with a knife  and it flakes apart..........consider it well done....................im just kidding i just couldnt resist.......... but again  look for the thread  the pictures are  good  and its a nice dryer.....its a safer route leave njfish a message..........welcome aboard & good luck

[Out Fishing]

say mr mike  ...........i found the thread you might be interested in........go to plug/lure building forum.........skroll to airbrushes  go to page 3     and njfish has what your looking for...youll see the dryers and he explains the temps and the process......hope that helps...............tight lines

[Out Fishing]

Thanks for the info it will help now I just have to build one and try it out

[Out Fishing]

I use one shot lettering enamel. it's used by sign painters. great stuff!

[Out Fishing]

i got a couple of cans of one shot............u dont use that in your air brush do u .........if so  let me know