TM - Just a quickie here. Jim Rizzuto's "Fishing Hawaii Style" Book 1 has everything you need to know about making resin lure heads. www.fishinghawaiioffshore.com.  I definitely recommend this book, it will save you a lot of trouble and give you lots of ideas.

Just another idea but you can turn them out of hardwood and finish them with marine varnish, I've seen some cracking wood heads in the past.  Very retro looking, especially when skirted with that naugahyde glitter vinyl stuff.

cheers - dustin

yeah ive heard you can get a good high off the stuff.....if you survive to talk about it

 

TM. i was in you shoes about 10 mth ago and now have a few molds for difernt heads and i also mold my own lead inserts for each head just for that veryashion in swiming style. I have given 3 lures too mates to use just to get the out there getting wet and im stockd to say all 3 have had fish on.I also came close to losing my verginity on 1 of my own lures but after a few short runs the marlin came back for the good old lumo sprocket I wasnt complaning trust me. I use a silicon compound to make the molds which you can get from a fiberglass shop its not chep about $100 per kg but is realy good to use. making the mold is the hard bit as once you have that right you can muck around with inserts and coulers till the cows come home. so go hard and good luck by next sesson you will be handing them out too your mates.

and do open the shed door!!!!!

how does one go about ordering Dustins suggestion in NZ.
Which reputable bookstore in Aucks would be best to deal with??

up here in jaffa land, Nuplex in Avondale has all the ingredients for a tutu with lure heads(except for the teddy bear eyes and sexy laminates). The cheapest in price too.

most craft shops have the eye's buttons etc etc as for the laminate shop around because I've seen prices from $25 to $70

Clear casting resin is the one you want. Another way, apart from moulding with rubber moulds, if you have access to a lathe is to pour a cylinder of resin in a film can or similar bottle receptacle and then lathe it to shape.  This allows you to get really imaginative with shape. It's a good idea to get familiar with how the different shapes of lures should run before going off and making your own. That way you will know if your home made plunger, or swimmer, straight runner or whatever... is behaving like the real thing. 

cheers - dustin <SCRIPT language=javascript>postamble();

Polyester casting resin ( un-waxed ) and catalyst from Nuplex on Rosebank Rd Avondale. Tell the geyser behind the counter what you want it for and he'll give you the right stuff.

Flexiwave silicone RTV and catalsyt from the same place.

Teddy bear eyes from any craft shop, but why not make your own from nicely coloured resin ? $.02c per eye

Prism tape of all description $5 per foot from Conaghans ( SP ) in Mt Eden.

Hydraulic tube pipe for the hole from ENZED hoses $1 per meter

Costs me about $3 to $4 per head with all the detail you'd want including any text inserted such as the boat or owners name.

awesome guys.....do you NEED to put lead inserts in them.......doesnt look like the pakulas have them in them or are those eyes painted lead????

another question......I was thinking of using a 2 litre icecream container and making about 4 different head shapes in one large mould....this should use less casting material and you could  pour 4 heads at once in the one mould.....is this a good idea or are 4 different single moulds better for some reason.......

I've never tried pouring 4 in one big mould, I pour 6 individual easy peesy..
I can't remember how many moulds I got from the 1kg RTV

I use the small cardboard milk cartons , some light weight plastic containers etc etc for moulds as they come away from the RtV easy.
Once the mould is made and left to set I pour water in and then pour that into a measurin jug ( glass one )and write down the amount of catalyst I will need depending on the time of year of course....summer = less and winter = more.
Too much in a small lure and they crack so If you had 4 different sized lures in one big mould some may set sooner than others or they may not set at all.....LOL....had that happen 1st time trying.

I probably get 16 heads or more I think from 2L of resin.

Once you have the moulds you only need to buy the resin.
Acetone helps clean out the jug to keep It nice and clean for the next pour.
I use a lot of dye's too, prisim tape, shell laminate.Even put small pompoms in the eyes and man do they look huge...

I made a copy of a JY501 and put 50 in the head for his 50th birthday.I have a photo of It but no web site and I don't know how to post pic's unless someone else wants to put It up PM me