You've got your Outcast Kit in hand — congratulations! Before you dive in, let's take a quick tour of everything inside the box and walk through how to set up your drying easel so you're ready to build. This whole setup takes about 5 minutes and you'll be painting in no time.
What's in the Box?
Open the lid and you'll find everything you need to build two fully functional fishing lures from scratch. Here's a quick rundown of the components:
- 2 wooden lure blanks — these are your unfinished lures, pre-drilled and ready to paint and rig
- Acrylic paints — a set of small paint pots in a variety of colors to create your own custom design
- Paintbrushes — a couple of sizes for base coats and detail work
- Hooks and hardware — Hook covers, #2 treble hooks, and screw eyes to rig your finished lures
- Wooden painting/drying easel (flat-packed) — holds your lure while you work and for drying between coats
- Instruction guide — step-by-step directions for building, painting, and rigging your lures
- Outcast Kits sticker — because every great kit deserves some swag
How to Assemble the Painting/Drying Easel
The easel comes flat-packed and slots together without any tools or glue. Here's how to put it together:
- Identify the two pieces — you'll find a tall upright piece (with two holes along the center) and a wide base piece with a slot cut into it. The base has "OB Kits" engraved on it.
- Slide the upright into the base — fit the bottom of the upright piece into the slot in the base so it stands vertically. It should be snug and stable.
- Select one of the lure bodies, and insert the included paper lollipop stick into the tail of the lure. The fit should be snug. If the lure is too loose, you can add some masking tape to the stick to prevent the lure from spinning or slipping off while you're working on it
- Insert the stick into either the upper or lower hole on the upright. This should hold the lure level in front of you. You should be able to spin the stick to access all sides of your lure. You can use the other hole to stow another lure, so you can work on one while the other is drying!
- There are also two holes on the base of the easel, also for drying or storing. These can also be helpful for painting the face of your lure.
That's it — your easel is ready to use. Set it on a flat surface with some newspaper or a paper towel underneath to catch any drips.
Before You Start Painting
A few quick tips to set yourself up for success:
- Plan your colors first — take a look at all the paint pots and think about your design before you open anything. Check out our How to Paint a Fishing Lure guide for color pattern ideas.
- Have water and a paper towel ready — you'll want to rinse your brush between colors
- Work in thin coats — multiple thin layers look better and dry faster than one thick coat
- Let each coat dry fully — use the easel to hold the lure between coats so nothing smudges
Watch Our How-To Videos
We have a series of video tutorials on our YouTube channel that walk through the entire build process — from unboxing to your first cast. Scan the QR code on the side of your box to go straight to the playlist, or visit us at outcastkits.com.
Questions? We're Here to Help
If anything in your kit is missing or damaged, or if you just have a question about the build process, reach out to us at our contact page. We want your first lure build to be a great experience.
Now go build something awesome — and let us know what you catch with it!