# foiling tutorial



## JamesT

I know everyone does things a bit differently so I would appreciate any comments. Here is my starting bait - an AC Shiner 450 clone. It doesn't look like balsa bc I was messing around with some paint.


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## JamesT

Here is my "scaling" setup for this bait. That is a cylindrial piece of cherry tomato webbing(its stretchable). It is a small rattle can (2" diameter), I've also used standard size for bigger scales. 

I use aluminum foil tape (sometimes called HVAC tape). I've checked out foil tapes and seen many brands. There is a shinier thinner tape (I prefer) and a thicker aluminum tape that is not as shiny. I got the shiny stuff at wall mart but when I was last there they didn't have any. If memory serves it was Duck brand but I could be wrong, the roll doesn't say anything and I tossed the wrapper. They just had the Nashua brand that was not as shiny. I also haven't seen the shinier stuff elsewhere like ace, lowes, harbor freight, true value, but I haven't been to Home Depot. The aluminu tapes come in 2" (most popular size) and 3" tape (only seen this at Lowes). The shinier thinner stuff presses into the scale pattern to create a more distinct pattern.


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## JamesT

There are many things for scale patterns. Shallot packaging, different files (for smaller baits), the insides of older automobile lenses (need to find some), etc. I've even used the bottom of an old glass bottle I found in the river one day. Keep an I out and let me know, I am always looking for new foiling tools to create different patterns.

The first real step is to trace the profile of your bait onto the paper backing of the tape. I use a pencil or fine sharpie. Its best to do before you install the lip but it seems like I always forget that. Just do the best you can and try to make it so that the line you draw corresponds to the "fattest" part of the profile(ie the center). That is just a rough guideline and will vary on how flat or curved your bait is, etc. You'll find what you like best.

When you cut them out, cut out about 2-3 mm outside of the line you drew. Of course this will vary depending on your baits size and its curvature.


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## JamesT

Next place foil on webbing. You can place it any direction depending on how you want your scales to look based on the directionality of the webbing pattern. Of course you can also do this on a flat surface. I've just found that for this cherry tomato webbing bag a rattle can works well. The best way I've found to get a robust pattern is to press straight into the foil with your thumb and fingers. I try to cover every area of the bait 3 times.


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## JamesT

One thing I've noticed is that it is possible to get lines in your foil depending on how you pull them off. This has happened to me a couple of times when I was using bastard files. I think it happens when you grip the tape and pull it all off the object at once (ie you don't reposition your hand that is pulling as you pull tape off). The reason I show this picture is bc 1) the webbing will stretch as you pull it off so it is good you put your hand like this and 2) I repositioned my hand about 5 times. Whether or not this repositioning thing is true or not I don't know. I just know that since I've starting doing it I haven't gotten the vertical lines/wrinkles in my foil. I think if I would have tried to pull the foil off all at once I would have gotten a few vertical wrinkles towards the front of the bait. Who knows, just blabbering. Oh yeah to get the initial piece of tape separated I just use an exacto.


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## JamesT

Next gently place the foil on the bait and check for alignment. The first place I place the foil down is usually about 25% or so from the front. I place just a little bit of foil down and check for alignment and that the angle of the foil placement is correct. Most important is front/back alignment then top bottom alignment. Getting all 4 aligned pretty well is not that difficult. On the front and back I like to have a little foil that can be pushed into the eyelets. As long as you you put the foil on lightly you can pull it off or up just enough to reangle it slightly, etc. If you need to cut a little bit of foil off the front or back, just cut it off.


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## JamesT

Next just press moderately on the foil so it is flush with/sticks to the body of the bait. I used to press pretty hard bc I was worried about adhesion but the tape is pretty sticky and will also be coated with a couple coats of epoxy as the final steps. If you push too hard you will make the scale pattern less pronounced. There will be small wrinkles on the top and bottom but these will be taken care of later. The metal tape is amazingly flexible and goes around curvature pretty darn well without getting wrinkles. Note how I didn't mess too much with the front bottom. Press the foil in enough to see where the lip is underneath the foil. Next you want to cut the foil along the middle of the lip up to where the lip becomes flush with the bait. Use an exacto. I didn't take a pic of this step.


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## JamesT

After you've cut the foil on the lip push it down on the bait around the lip. Use your fingernails or a dart tip, the back of an exacto blade, etc. The dart tip also comes in handy for pushing the foil in around the tie in and hook hangers. In the pic I haven't yet done this to the rear hanger. I also showed a top view. I only recently started cutting 2-3 mm outside my original drawn pattern(pic in post#3). This brings the foil closer to the middle of the bait. If you can get the foil to come all the way up to any "mid" hook hangers all the power to you. I'd say I lucked out on this bait. Sorry one of the pics came out blurry. Sometimes where the foil meets the lip on the side of the bait you may need to use your fingernails to make it purtier. I forgot to take a picture of the bottom. But I lucked out as the foil came up right against the front hook hanger. This makes things easier later on when I apply a thin strip of al foil on the top and bottom. If the foil doesn't come all the way up to the hook hanger you need to cut a slit in the strip of foil and its a PITA.


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## JamesT

Next do the other side following the same steps. It is important that all foil from side 1 is pushed into the tie in and hook hangers before you get started. When you are done with side 2 you will have excess foil on the lip in the front and back. It may not be much or you can cut it off with an exacto. As it turned out my top worked out pretty good. There was slight overlap (maybe 1 mm) in most places and also a place where they just met. Once again I only recently started to cut outside of the traced pattern in post #3 to bring the foil closer together. I accidentally just saved over the bottom picture but as you can see in the pic showing the excess foil on the lip, there is a region bw the lip and front hook hanger where the foil doesn't meet. Also a small region behind the hook hanger where the foil didn't meet.


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## JamesT

Next assess your bare spots. This will determine how thick of aluminum tape strips you need to cut. These strips will run along the centerline of the top and bottom of the bait. Lately I've been cutting my original pattern out larger (pic in post #3) so that my scale pattern will cover more of the bait and not get covered with these strips. Apply strips. Initially make the strips longer than they need to be and then just snip to size as you get to the end. Once the strips are applied you need to burnish them so they are smooth and flush with the bait. This also gets out any wrinkles that were underneath them. I use the back end of an exacto and also my dart tip tool. The dart tip tool comes in handy around the hook hangers and bw the lip and tie in. Use a rolling action on the exacto and dart tip. I try to burnish just a little bit over the sides of the strips so that the scale pattern runs as far up to the top of the bait and as far down to the bottom of the bait as possible.


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## JamesT

As a final step, and one I've just started doing, I like to take some type of solvent (I use laquer/epoxy thinner) and wipe it down. This does 2 things: 1)as you burnish there sometimes will be a very small amount of gooey residue from the tape than squirts out the edges. 2) its cleans off finger grease and preps it for painting.

As you can see things rarely turn out perfect but once its painted and 2 layers of etex or D2T are applied, the imperfections become minimized.

Now if only my tie in wasn't angled down....


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## JamesT

Finished lure-4.5". Today I got some 0.025" copper and 0.015" brass sheets to try foiling with and something to make large scales. Also shown is a large slender shad which has the ruler in its pic. The scale pattern on that was made with the same cherry tomato webbing but stretched over a standard size rattle can.


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## Ultralight

James - very cool tutorial. thanks for sharing and you made a great looking bait.

Any idea where you will fish it for the first time?


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## JamesT

I think I will try some deep water jigging below O'Shay Dam. I'll probably use a 3/4 oz weight and the lightest possible monofilament conditions allow.:B


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## Minivin5

Your tutorial is awesome, thank you for this, as I have been trying to foil some baits myself.


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## JamesT

Thanks! You can also simplify things by just foiling the sides. Whether or not you want to do this depends on the shape of your bait. Works best on flatsides obviously. If you just foil the sides you can make the junction where the foil meets the wood less noticeable by painting the top and bottom after your first layer of epoxy. I haven't tried this yet since I foil the entire bait now. When I first got started I would do just the sides and then spray on many thick layers of paint on the top and bottom (but before first layer of epoxy) to make the junction less noticeable. But I don't see why it wouldn't work and plan to try it out.


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## Husky

JamesT said:


> Thanks! You can also simplify things by just foiling the sides. Whether or not you want to do this depends on the shape of your bait. Works best on flatsides obviously. If you just foil the sides you can make the junction where the foil meets the wood less noticeable by painting the top and bottom after your first layer of epoxy. I haven't tried this yet since I foil the entire bait now. When I first got started I would do just the sides and then spray on many thick layers of paint on the top and bottom (but before first layer of epoxy) to make the junction less noticeable. But I don't see why it wouldn't work and plan to try it out.


FWIW, pick up the Cheapo Foil from the Dollar stores. The brand I see here is *Ultra Foil*. It's super flimsy and thin which, in this case, works in your favor if you're foiling a plug. You have to handle it with care, but it is sooooooo much easier to blend in than the foil tapes and standard foils.


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## JamesT

thanks Husky. I'll look for ultra foil. Sounds especially good for (larger) rounded baits.


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## JamesT

Here are some pictures that were taken outside. Outside pictures seem to turn out better due to the better lighting from the sun. Finishing this bait after foiling didn't go quite as planned. I've always had some, but not too many, bubbles in my final 2 clear coats and have been trying to get no bubbles. Blowing on them helps as does a torch helps (both during early stages of curing). I had heard from many to wait 15-20 minutes before applying etex. I tried this for the first time on this bait (never will again) and could not get a uniform thickness so I decided to get out the torch. My eyes were made from holographic paper and electrical tape for the pupils. The heat from the torch caused the pupils to go all over the place as it turned. So I sat next to the turner for over an hour moving the pupils back in place every few rotations. I had to leave after about an hour and luckily they stayed in place (not in the front lower side like I wanted though). Despite using the torch my coating was not uniform at all after it cured and turned for a day. I let it dry cure and then sanded. The top was where the epoxy was the most ununiform so that is where it needed to be sanded the most. BTW I was quite happy with the paint job before all this(simple platinum metallic that I had wiped off the sides to see more foil). Well I ended up sanding through some of the paint on the top and had to repaint. I put a black stripe which didn't look good (paint was too thick, I've since gottem some Tamiya black metallic). And when I was pulling off the masking tape for the black stripe it ended up pulling up some of the original top paint. So finally I ended up putting some krylon x-metals base coat over everything(you can see the black stripe underneath). Nevertheless I am very pleased with the overall outcome. I'm going to put some #4 owners on it and fish it in a couple days. In the meantime I'm going to start on my next balsa project, an AC Shiner 375 clone (one size down from this). I'm borrowing a friends for reference which is shown on my new official lure picture taking background. It was a chunk of driftwood I found floating down the river about a week ago and just had to have.


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## JamesT

for 30 minutes. Got out on the river for only about the 5th time this year. Once I found where the fish were (riffles) the fishing was quite good (for catfish mostly). Anyways I got to fish this lure for a total of about 30 minutes before there was a big sudden tug then nothing. It had a nice action and caught 3 or 4 channels (nothing big) and a green sunfish. Time to start making another one. This is only the 2nd handmade that I've lost. I hate it when that happens.


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## JamesT

I'm finally getting around to replacing the one I lost with a new and improved version -slightly taller and longer. Also in the works is a slightly larger AC Shiner 375 "clone". Both are balsa (the smaller one has been painted and sanded). For reference in the pic is a AC Shiner 450 and AC Shiner 375. Hopefully they will be completed within 6 months lol...there are 2 size B split shots in each position of the 450 and 1 in each of the 375.


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## JamesT

Back to building baits and foiling

My new goal with foiling is to do it with 2 pieces of foil.


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## JamesT

Work the foil into the bait with your fingers. I do back, belly, then around lip/hook hangers. Cut a slit with an exacto in the foil along the side of the lip(see pic). Cut a slit where the front hook is using scissors. Work foil in around tie in/hook hangers/lip with a dart tip. You will need to cut a very small amount of foil off the front and back of the lip using an exacto. Next I will roll the side of the exacto along the top and bottom to smooth it out before I do the other side.


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## JamesT

the last thing I did was roll the exacto on the top/bottom to smooth it out. Next step will be to put a layer of epoxy before painting.


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## ShutUpNFish

Neat stuff!


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## JamesT

finished product. I put down a total of 3 layers of slightly thinned etex over the foil. First was clear, second had fine glitter, third clear. Very light sand after 1st and 2nd coat. You can have a less pronounced pattern by pushing harder on the aluminum tape. 2 pieces of foil is the way to go when possible.


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## JamesT

these patterns were made using a smaller bolt.


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## JamesT

on the other side of the subsurface crank I just used my fingers to crinkle the foil tape. I had never tried this before and am quite pleased with the result.


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## JamesT

files of all types can also be used to create foil patterns. These used the very coarse file shown.


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## Piatu

Here is my way to make foils, i borrow your thread a little......

Supplies:
-Foil, houshold one is just thin enough, but i buy thinner from flowershop (its easier stick to lure).
-Diffrent nets
-Some cloth for base
-Roll or you can borrow rolling pin from your wife.

Pic's with little explanations:

Few diffrent nets, metal, plastic and fibreglass.








Lowest cloth, foil and net to top.








Roll over








And result.

















And using:

-Cut suitable slices from foil
-Put glue to lure, i use contact gue witch has maked thinner with acetone,
- Put slice to lure carefully in middle axis (one half first).
-Slick foil to lure with fingers carefully from middle to borders.

And same way to other half.

I haven't any pic's at this part on my picturebank, sry.

Few times varnish -painting- top varnish.

Result can be like this:










This is common technique in finland.

And again questions might get answered.


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## JamesT

Thanks for sharing, you don't mess around LOL!!! Very impressive, your baits look flawless!:B


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## eatwhatyoukeep

What an awesome thread. I can't afford to pay $20 for a plug so I am going to start finishing my own. My only question is that I have read extra weight such as a heavy clearcoat can ruin the plug action. Have you noticed any type of problem with action when the scale finish is applied?


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