What are your methods of holding a jointed swim bait while painting/turning?

I do not want to take the bait apart and looking for some ideas... Otherwise I may not sleep the next couple nights. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/doh.gif

I just don't know??? Good luck Mike http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif

Mike - I posted this question a while back. Short of clamps and rubber bands, no idea how to do this one. I have one downstairs that has me stumped....

It's like this bait... Huge screw eyes, and not on the tail.

http://www.collectibles-articles.com...0530944938.jpg

Rubber Band. Wrap it tight around the joint. After your done just cut it off.

But I need a way to paint and put it on my turner. I might use the rubber band trick, but still looking for a way to hold the bait.

I made a jig type thing with 2 clamps on a square rod

3 tried and true methods in ease of use order;

it may sound overly simple, but take a clothes hanger cut both straight parts just past where they turn up from the bottom, bend a hook shape in each of the cut ends then form the wire into an arch that is quite a bit wider than the bait, clip one of the hook ends into the front of the bait and the other into the tail section on the pin holding the tail or on the rear hook hanger. You may have to experiment a bit to get your hanger wide enough to fit the bait but the idea is it wants to spring out to straighten out the bait and thus keeps tension on the bait and the joint open. I have used this method to paint BBZs and a number of other jointed baits.

OR if you have LARGE C clamps used in wood working etc. take a wire and tie the nose of the bait to the fixed end, and a second wire to the tail of the bait and wrapped around the clamp screw. Then open the screw handle until it puts tension on the bait. This can also be done with the sliding clamps if they are tall enough, just reverse the sliding part on the handle so that when you squeeze it puts tension on the bait.

If you dont have a clamp large enough, cut a wide enough and deep enough C or wide U shape out of 3/4 in plywood and create a 'clamp' using a long 1/4 20 screw and a couple of nuts to hold the screw in place on each side of the pilot hole through the plywood and keep the tension steady put a nylon bushed nut on the end to secure the wire in place when it is wrapped around the screw. A bit extreme but definitely reusable and effective.

You should be able to use the line tie to hold the bait, If you wrap the rubber band tight enough the bait wont move around.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...00825-1831.jpg

The rubber band works but you have to go back and touch up what the rubberband covered.

I hang mine from a swivel so I can rotate as needed. Took some practice painting vertically.

I'm liking most of the ideas, but the rear screw eye is not on the tail. As you pull some tension this bait bends to where I cant paint it properly. I thought about hanging the bait, but I struggle painting horizontal, I cant imagine vertical. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/embarassed.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

Please keep thinking of a better method for me, I only have one bait to screw up. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 21XDC &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Please keep thinking of a better method for me, I only have one bait to screw up. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif </td></tr></table>

One bait to screw up ??? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/crying.gif

Can you suspend it tight from both sides using swivels and braid?

I'm gonna try these and find a way to turn the bait on the rotisserie. Or I might take the mini vice grips and make some metal "U"s to grab the screw eyes and clamp the "U"s.

http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/1/ha...etal+clamp.jpg

Mke, i use an exacto and attach at the front hook hanger and then wrap some wire around and tape in place thenuse the end to hold tail i place several different ways to do this this one has a soft tail which wont hold paint

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1...D550/ry%3D400/

hey mike, those are the same welding clamps i use for mine.you could put two aligator clips in the clamp to give you some more room to paint around to if ya like. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif

if that tail is removable,you could put a small eye in the empty part then you would have a rear eye to use also. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif

Thats a great idea, but.... These screw eyes are huge and wont fit the exacto handles. I have painted the bait already and it is on the turner now. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif I told my wife I was trying to think of a way to attach this vise grip to my turner, And she said zip ties... I would have thought of it, but she beat me too it. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/roll.gif

Worked great... Hope to post finished pics tonight.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...11baits001.jpg
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That looks real nice Mike. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif