[TDaly25]

Steve,
I make a few hundred bucktails a year up to eight ounces, and yes, making your own is extremely "worth it"

Buying a decent vise is important if you are truly going to tie the tail, but it's not vital if you are going to finish with a tube. I personally prepare both types.

Powder coating is absolutely the way to go when finishing, and doing so with a fluid bed makes a ton of difference in finishing quality and in amount of powder paint used. I used to make BTs in a wide assortment of colors but now focus almost exclusively on making them in ProTek SuperGlow white, which I can get on the internet for about $30/pound.

I also tried the cheap stuff from harbor freight but it is a lot heavier and denser than the expensive stuff and doesnt work as well in the fluid bed. More importantly the Glow effect on the Pro Tek makes a HUGE difference.

To get the finish to hold up well on the tails you are going to want to cure them in a toaster oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a dedicated toaster oven at Walmart so your wife doesnt throw you out of the house for screwing up hers lol.

For eyes, it's not absolutely necessary to use the 3d ones, the flat foil eyes will also do just fine. Using the right adhesive, though, is critical. By trial and error I have come to using either Bohning or Billy Goat Tuff archery glue, which is used for cementing nocks and inserts onto arrow shafts.

A GREAT place to purchase stuff if you are impulsive and cant wait for internet mail order is Mac's Bait and Tackle in Belmar on the Northbound lane of Rt 35, just over the bridge from the Marina. They are the only local shop that stocks EVERYTHING and their prices are terrific.

I do my own from start to finish and BT's cost me on average about $0.50, an obvious huge savings over the Spros. At that cost, you dont mind fishing the extreme sticky stuff where the Bog Boys love to hang. Good Luck!