I've tried Tom Sexton and Matt Thompson forms with accurate measurements and I'm still ending up with seams open an inch and a half. My fish are cleaned to the point of seeing form through the eye but nothing seems to work. What in the world am I be doing wrong? Big bass are getting pretty frustrating. no Peace of mind- Jeff F.
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I am not sure about those forms, but the way i have learned is to have a seem in the back, i know some disagree with it, but oh well, there is a certain kind of stitch you can use to close up the seam, but i can't really explain it in type very well, hopefully some other person can help with that, but just make sure that the fins line up at the top of the form and you will be fine.
You'll have to practise with your system till you get everything downpacked...The form can be a bit bigger then your fish but you want the fins to sit properly on there positions...the centre can be off a bit but around head and anus they pretty much got to be right on your measurments eh? Thats a pretty tall order to make a form thats right on?
Thats why I make my own cause everything I bought at one time was to big
Remove everything that is not skin, it may take yu a bit to learn how to do this, but once you do, you will find the the form goes further into the head and the seam will come together.
Plan on going to the NTA 2004 show, I hear there maybe a seminar on using precast bodies, how more than one form will fit the same fish.
The seam does not have to come totally together in the mid line of the fish. You can use SMOOTHOUT and a MAC-Z scale roller to replace those missing scales.
hello.............both matt thompson and tom sextons mannikins work great but be learn about them first.......Tom Sexton forms almost always are larger than advertised and you will need to compensate about a 1/2 inch for this or you will have a large seam.Matt Thompsons are almost always exactly what they say and you will have a wider selection also.............Always try to get a form a 1/2 inch smaller than the girth you measure and by all means get everything out of your fish.you will also usually need to cut the dorsal grove out deeper on either brand of forms for a good fit with minimal shrinkage..........i hope i helped...........kenny
I use the half cast method on small fish and Matt Thompsons bodies on my larger ones. If you align the fins correctly you will always have a seam on the back. Use John C'S method to finish the back. Incidentally Matt Thompsons bodys are right on the money if,you will alighn the seams correctly
I would suspect all mannikans - since generic are a bit big as it's much easier to trim than to add. A small gap on a one sided mount is acceptable at the commercial level. But, IMHO an inch and a half is way too much.
As John stated, ensure that the mannikan is in as far as it should be. You're probably still going to be off as an inch and a half is a lot to make up. So, get a sharp fillet knife out and start trimming. Keeping uniform cuts. Once close, sand it down smooth and check your fit. Keep adjusting/trimming sanding where needed until the gap is much less or eliminated if you feel that's important...
Your fillet knife symptoms are no secret. Trust me, I have a fillet knife, a skinning knife, scalpels, jueters, and many tools that a beginner would have no inclination how to use. Trust me, I've mounted more than a few now but still deal with this inadvertant problem that is probobly nothing more than a simple fix.
And John, I'm very well aware of who MAC-Z Mc Cullough(good guy) is if I want to deal with things in that fashion. And, there will be no BUFFET in my mounts. As stated, you can see my form through the eye of the fish. My fish are clean, and I wouldn't waste the time of the contributors if I hadn't already tried the methods used in the archives. Some of you experianced guys know what I'm going through but feel inclined to make me learn through trial and error. I respect that but will take any hints. Frustrated- Jeff F.
I hate to say this but the best and only way to have a closed seam is to carve your own. It's easier than buying one and you can get the shape and curve you want.
Have you ever tried to alter those manikins on the market? Fun aren't they. Carve one out and you'll find it much easier to make up any flaws you do.
Yes, I've dremmilled the forms before . Takes quite a bit of matching up. Guess it's time to learn carving. And I know how you feel about seams Frank. I'll do what I can to alleviate it. Thanks- Jeff F.
is a gap - if the fins line up on form just fill it and go on - i fill seam with bondo and then do a very rough paint job on back - no one has cared so far - (26 yers and counting)
fish guy like Frank or Gary Bruch, or many others. I tried to teach myself, but to really learn, it helps to watch someone else and ask questions all the way through. A weekend seminar with one of the better fish guys in the country is priceless. E-mail me if you want to know more of my success story!
TJ
P.S. I have a basket of commercial forms collecting dust in the corner of my shop now that I have began to carve my own......