This ? is for those of you who paint your baits before installing the lip and seal with epoxy. How do you turn your lures and then paint them? I guess a better form of the question would be what do you use to hold the bait when turning and painting?

I would imagine they have a turner with clip's that you can clip on the tail hook hanger while it's turning.. I use holder's on both end's of my bait's while turning but if for some reason I run into a situation like that I added some strong alligator clip's on it so I can just hook one end of the bait and let her go....

If you're asking what tool do you use to handle the bait while you're shooting paint on it, I like locking forceps. I clip it on the bait's lip after putting blue painter's tape on the lip to protect it. On wood baits that I'm building, I insert a 'false lip', i.e., a piece of scrap lip material with some tape on it to give it a friction fit in the slot, and hold the bait by the lip with the forceps. The false lips also have a hole drilled in them to hang the baits above my workbench on nails between color shots. Different guys like different systems, this is just the one I use.

If you're asking what tool do you use to handle the bait while you're shooting paint on it, I like locking forceps. I clip it on the bait's lip after putting blue painter's tape on the lip to protect it. On wood baits that I'm building, I insert a 'false lip', i.e., a piece of scrap lip material with some tape on it to give it a friction fit in the slot, and hold the bait by the lip with the forceps. The false lips also have a hole drilled in them to hang the baits above my workbench on nails between color shots. Different guys like different systems, this is just the one I use.

What about when you are applying epoxy/seal coat? How do you attach the lure to a turner without the lip? Do you have a lure turner setup like the amistad tackle guy? By the way do you cut your lip slot before or aft you seal coat? Sorry for all the ?s just trying to learn different ways to do some of this stuff.

Lee

When I used epoxy I would insert the tail wire and used my clips to hold the bait in my turner.

so many different ways, you have to try some to figure out what works for you.

Jeff

RiverValleyCrankbaits

You will need the lip installed before doing the clear coat or you run the risk of getting epoxy in the lip slot. I know some guys do it different but that's a lot of work to risk an easy screw up.

I cut my lip slots first while the bait is still nice and square.

Like Big M, I ALWAYS cut the lip slot at the time I'm cutting out the basic shape of the crankbait from a plank of wood. That way, I know the lip will be square to the bait when finished. It's devilishly hard to cut an accurate lip slot in a bait that's already shaped and sanded - there's nothing "square" to relate the slot to (unless you build hundreds of a particular bait and have built a custom jig to hold them while cutting the lip slots).

I epoxy in the lips after painting but before clearcoating the bait. That's why I use the "false lips" mentioned earlier to hold the bait while airbrushing. You want the clearcoat to cover the margin where the lip meets the body for finish integrity.

Thanks everyone for the responses. By the way Bobp do you seal coat the lure with the false lip in/out? And how do you keep the seal coat from getting in the lip slot(if false lip not installed)?