rofish

When I saw you are going to use oak for a tiny crankbait, I knew you are going to build a sinking lure, willingly or not. But Mark and others have already warned you about this. As to the use of a very small drill bit in an usual drilling chuck, I also ran into this problem, and I think I have found a better way than using masking tape. I used copper wire, wrapped around the drill bit, in tight coils, one after the other. Sometimes the drill bit might be off center, but you can try clamping it several times, until the bit is perfectly aligned.

Very nice swimming, indeed. And, most important, something the pikes have not seen before. If you are concerned by the fact that this lure comes too quickly to the surface, I guess you might try a thicker metal sheet. Or perhaps an "S" shaped metal section. Do you also consider attaching a soft worm or a soft plastic shad to the spoon? I have not seen such lure yet. Just an idea, which was triggered by yours.

My All crankbait builders are aware that heating each paint layer before proceeding to the next is essential. But not all of them apply the same principle to the blank, which I think is also essential to get rid of the air which could cause bubbles to go through the sealing material. So in order to avoid risks, I always preheat the blank before I apply the sealer. There are many ways to do that - hair dryer, heat gun, open flame (my favorite, since I almost started a fire once in the kitchen, and now I got the hang for it). When applying a sealer to a preheated blank, the sealer will be sucked into the wood, as the blank cools. And when you heat the lure with a hair dryer after a coat of paint, there will be no air left in the wood right under the sealer which could cause you problems.

Ben, I asked the same question a few years ago. I was using 2 parts epoxy putty to glue the twisted wires in, to make indestructible hook and tow eyes, but it was too much work to do. So I started to use epoxy, just as BobP says, with a piece of wire to help epoxy plunge into the hole (a small diameter hole, just 1.9 mm, or 0.0748"). I could not fill the hole with epoxy this way, but the epoxy in the hole and the epoxy which you put on the wire is enough to make a safe wire eye. Do not use Devcon 2 ton for this, because you will not be able to glue too many hook hangers from one mixing. I use now a 2 hours cure epoxy for this. The epoxy is safe even if you have to glue a less than 1" long twisted wire.

Mark, I think you could see that I have no problem in understanding what the maximum air pressure automatic shut off is meant for (safety matter). My problem was in understanding why some compressors have the auto air on at 3 psi while others have it at 40.6 psi. And they are both meant for airbrushing. I thought that since the air pressure comes from the tank, and the pressure in it could not go under a certain value (in my example 40.6 psi), then what will you do in case you need a lower pressure in your airbrush? Obviously, you will adjust the inline paint regulator as you say. But I didn't know about this small aspect. I felt from the very beginning that I have asked a dumb question, but I couldn't figure out why. Many thanks for replying to such a question.

Sorry to jump in in a thread where the only knowledge I have is from TU. I have never had a compressor, nor had I saw someone using it. But I have a question about the technical data. That Harborfreight compressor has the auto shut off at 40 psi, and the auto-on at 3 psi. I wanted to see if I could find something similar on ebay Germany. I found many compressor types, but they do not seem to have the auto-on at such a low pressure. Here is an example, an oilless compressor with a tank, with 2 auto shut off possibilities, at 4 bar (or 58 psi) and 6 bar (or 87 psi). In both cases, the auto-on is at 2.8 bar (or 40.6 psi). Does that mean that you cannot airbrush at a pressure lower than 40.6 psi ? Or is there a further possibility to reduce the air pressure in your airbrush, if needed? They say it's an airbrush compressor, so ....? I have used an inline translator to have that information in English, but I think I have already mentioned the important data for my question. http://cgi.ebay.de/Mini-Profi-Airbrush-Kompressor-KAS190-nur35db-Zubehor-/380324358831?pt=Modellbauwerkzeuge&hash=item588d192aaf

I will correct you, if you don't mind. The only thing that I can find wrong in your post is that you are afraid not to be seen as trying to sound like an expert, while I can see you have already become one, since you were able to answer yourself a specific question. The question was clear - what happens if I raise or if I lower the tow point of the same, unique crankbait? There is only one variable involved here. And I think you have found the right answer. When building crankbaits, you have to take into account that there are a lot of variables that affect the action, and in this case you have to take notice of what BobP said. Indeed, there is a "sweet point" for the eye location on the lip, but further on, you can put it higher or lower. Or use 2 tow eyes, one on top of the other. Instead of a setup with 2 wire eyes, as I mentioned before, I think a better one could be made out of a small piece of metal sheet (SS, brass, or other) of an appropriate thickness and size. You make 3 holes in it, in a row, out of which 2 will be on top of the lip, and the third one below it. From the third one, you could attach a wire that goes into the body, just as an usual wire eye, then put some epoxy along the wire. This is just an idea that can be improved. This way, you could see the difference in action of the same lure, but with 2 tow points, one raised, and one lowered.

I have never tried to play around with the height of a tow point on the lip. But I did that with the tow point on the nose of the lure. It seems we have come to the same conclusion. If you use hard tempered wire, I think you could make 2 tow points on the lip, one on top of the other. Some have played around with the tow point which was glued a little further from the body, thus being able to bend the wire of the tow point, to see how this change would affect the action. I think we need some expertise here. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/3761-twin-tow-eye-twins/

Maybe you mean 25 pages of thread titles relating to clearcoats?

BobP, I would slightly disagree. “Experimentation is good, but only as long as you don't necessarily expect to get a fishable crankbait at the end of the experiment.” Remember all the discussions here about using plastic cups dissolved in acetone to make a fishable crankbait? If my memory serves me right, there was even a “how to” tutorial about this subject on this site. That’s how I started anyway. And then, I tried to find new types of plastics which could be dissolved in different types of solvents. I have even managed to dissolve polycarbonate, and right after dipping the first coat I got a perfect clearcoat. Sadly, it didn’t last more than a minute (it started to peel off), because the evaporation process of the solvent was too quick. So I ran into another problem – how could I slow down the evaporation process? This is where I had to stop, because I couldn’t get the necessary additive to slow down evaporation. Anyway, why not trying to make your own clearcoat ? Just because there are too many types of clearcoats readily available on the market? If we would apply the same principle to the lures we use, TU would have never come into existence. “My concern is that we hear so often from newbies who try random combinations of coatings which end in disaster, usually followed by posts asking "What did I do wrong?" We have no answer because none of us ever tried that one. Instead, we had our own distinct disasters, then read TU and adopted a few "known-good" coating combinations to avoid all the drama.” I cannot remember of any such “ending in disaster” case. Instead, I would show here some of the “good” coating combinations: 1) Epoxy + propionate. In fact, thinned epoxy + propionate. I have lightly sanded the epoxy, for a better bond with the propionate solution, then I have applied as many propionate coats as I wanted. I have also applied propionate solution to non sanded epoxy, and it seems OK. True, I have not tested any of these lures in hard conditions ( like trolling a lure behind a pick up truck ), not even in harsh conditions in the water (rocks, sand on the bottom, structures in the water, etc), but up to now I have nothing to complain about this combination. In fact, my idea was that since Devcon 2ton was reported in some cases to be brittle, causing the clearcoat to crack and go off the lure, why not protect the epoxy with something softer, but waterproof as well, which would lessen the chance that epoxy would crack, when you hit the lure on a rock? Anyway, since I cannot be 100% sure yet that this combination is a proven one, I see no reason why others could not try it, to see for themselves if it fits their demands for clearcoats. 2) DN WRTC (S82) + epoxy. A combination which works and satisfies customers. See comment by Yardape in this thread. 3) If I remember well, epoxy + DN 1 was also tested with good results. (I think Lure – Proof tested it, but I am not sure). 4) Some have even mixed up epoxies. Here I mean Devcon 2 ton and Etex. Devcon cures a little bit too fast, and it may be brittle, while etex needs a very long time to cure. So what the would happen if I would mix up the 2 of them? That’s the question some have asked themselves, and the result was a longer cure epoxy than Devcon 2 ton, which would not be brittle, and would not make you let your turner run overnight. Maybe there are other combinations I can not remember of. Anyway, I think we are all here because we have asked ourselves a fundamental question - WHAT IF ?

I wonder how I could explain some facts so that I could be understood without hurting anybody. I think that I would think the same way if I were you. You have the possibility to choose from various types of clearcoats (epoxies, urethanes, liquid plastics, etc) and there are many brands in each category. But what would you think if you would not have ANY clearcoat available? Or you would have to order it through a third party and pay about double for it, if not more? I am lucky to have some epoxy and plastic coat from a friend across the pond, and I have combined the 2 of them to see the results. What I was thinking when I posted in this thread, was that if the DN water reducible topcoat does not have anymore the same storage issues as the original DN topcoat, but is scratch resistant and clear, it could still be used as a clearcoat, provided that you find a way to counterbalance the issue you and others have discovered, by just waterproofing the clearcoat, which is indeed a nonsense, but it is a way to solve the problem. In my case, I also try to make or improve the clearcoats I use, but lately I did not have the time (or mood perhaps?) to test or make new lures. I'll be happy when I will do it again.

Jigginpig, I just saw your lure turner, and I am amazed. If you have designed it and made it yourself, I would say you are a student in engineering and would become a very good one. I think you have much to share with Vodkaman, on PM or email. But I would also say you have used diamond to make a custom made nail. Bobv, I do not have the problem you have. I thin the epoxy with virgin lacquer (some use alcohol) and the epoxy would easily go through the thin paper I have printed the image on, to make a perfect bond with the glue layer which is between the foil and the paper.

Everything BobP said is true. You need to have an idea about how safe is your set up, because safety is your main concern. And if your motor does not heat up too much, it should be safe. But to make it even safer, I'm sure you can change the way you have attached the motor to the turner, so that the motor would not be "trapped" in a hole in the wood. By doing this, you will let the heat from the motor escape more efficiently, and therefore extend it's life time. Since you plan on coating your lures with etex, you need a very long time to rotate them. I know what etex is from TU threads. I have learned that some people using etex leave their turners run overnight, so I think you have to be totally sure that your turner is perfectly safe, in case you want to leave it run unattended for 8-10 hours or so. If you have the possibility to clip on the lures while it is rotating, that's a great plus. I need to stop my turner for about 3 seconds when I want to attach a new lure to it. Try to attach your lures on 2 points, to see if this is more convenient to you.

A very good piece of advice from Vodkaman. But be careful. You have to make up your mind if you like it or not before spending much money. In case you decide to continue, I think you will need the money you would spend on about 200 lures, just to get you started in this hobby

Well, I'll be straight. I wouldn't have the courage to use it. The motor touches the wood on a large part of it's outside surface, and that's bad for the motor, which will warm up too quickly. I would be concerned about the safety of this setup. I had a second hand microwave motor which didn't work well, and was almost hot after less than 1/2 hours working time. Eventually it went dead, and I am always afraid of the possibility of starting a fire in my flat. I think you do not need to use 3 attaching points from the lure to the turner. I use just one, and for my less than 4 inches lures, it is more than enough. http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k5/rofish_2006/rofish_2006-4/?action=view&current=dryingwheel02.jpg

BobP & others, I do not have the slightest idea about what a polyurethane topcoat is. Cannot find anything similar. All I know about this is from TU. What I see from the discussions here is that one of the 2 new DN topcoats - the water based one - might experience some problems, if, after waiting the long necessary time for the cure, the lure is fished for too long. This problem might appear because once cured, the topcoat could take in water again, if submerged for a long period of time. But in my oppinion this problem could be easily solved, by adding a few coats of solvent based plastic, such as propionate solution or even the new plastic DN topcoat. By doing this, you will prevent water from touching again the water based topcoat, and therefore there will be no way that problems could appear. Too complicated? It wouldn't be for me anyway. I guess there will be no adhesion problem to the DN topcoat, but I also think that the topcoat could be lightly sanded, and the solvent based coat would bring back the perfect clearness again. One more thing about the DN plastic clearcoat. In a recent thread, Nathan said the clearcoat could be thinned with acetone only. I doubt that. Anyway, when you can choose between several topcoats, I see no reason why you could not combine 2 of them on a lure, in order to benefit, if possible, from the qualities each one has.

The magical search tool brought me many. Here are a few: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/12000-photo-finishing-foil-and-faux-finishes/ http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/20029-signatures/page__p__149711__hl__%2Badding+%2Bsignature__fromsearch__1#entry149711 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/13665-signing-lures/page__p__101404__hl__%2Bsigning+%2Blures__fromsearch__1#entry101404 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/15311-lure-stamp/page__p__115783__hl__%2Bsigning+%2Blures__fromsearch__1#entry115783 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/9250-how-do-you-sign-baits/page__p__60943__hl__%2Bsigning+%2Blures__fromsearch__1#entry60943

Mark, I think you are a genius, but have not realized it yet. I do not fully understand what your problems were when you used your "threaded set screw", (don't know what this actually means), but perhaps this is for the better. In order to make a device which you could use to see how the raising/lowering the weight in a crankbait would affect it's action, one could use a metal tube, threaded on the interior, and a screw without a head, that has a groove at one end, and you could move the screw upwards/downwards inside the tube by just using a small flat head screwdriver. If needed, a cylinder piece of lead could be glued on top of the screw, to add more weight to it. This way you could finely adjust the height of the weight to see the results on the lure's action. No need to think that this will be the only weight in the lure. You could put a smaller than needed weight in a fixed place, as usual, and the rest of the weight (metal tube + screw) is something to pay with, to see the changes in the lure's action. To prevent water to enter the wood (if wood is the material of choice) you could seal the inside of the hole, or you could use a metal tube that is somehow sealed at the upper end. So even if water would find its way up between the threads, it will inflict no damage to the lure. The rust problem could be easily solved by using non rust metals.

Diemai, why do you have to consider PVC material which is valuable to you, instead of styrofoam, (the white packing material) which I'm pretty sure you will find in your basement, thrown away somewhere, and if not, you would surely find it next corner to your house, or anywhere the closest garbage container is?

I thought I knew enough about how to use Devcon 2T as a a clearcoat to achieve good results, but now I'm beginning to doubt that. Sometimes too much science can hurt your brain, and that's how I feel right now. I only made 2 or 3 crankbaits that I have clearcoated with straight Devcon 2T, and they turned out perfect, at room temperature, but I have no idea about what the humidity in the air was. For the rest of the lures coated with Devcon 2 ton I have used thinned epoxy, but not with alcohol. Instead, I have used virgin thinner, and the results were very good. I didn't use just a few drops, but I few more, I woulds say. So that one coat was usually not enough to level out the rough surface of the lure on which I have glued the fish image, glued itself onto a rather thick aluminum foil. So I had to put on a second thinned clearcoat. I prefer to put on 2 thinned coats of Devcon 2T instead of a single straight coat. I feel that this way the epoxy becomes less brittle, but I cannot back up my feeling with scientific arguments. Besides, as BobP says, thinning the epoxy means a longer brushable time, and also a much easier way to get rid of air bubbles (just use a hair drier for that). While it is very obvious to me that the the surrounding temperature is very important when you want to brush your epoxy on the lure, I cannot understand what humidity has to do with it. And if it had to do with it, I would be inclined to say that the less humidity in the air, the better the results would be. But I obviously miss something here. If you have pity for my headache, please help me out.

Just googled for Micarta, and I was amazed about the assortment one site has to offer - colors, sizes, thicknesses http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/micarta.htm

It was impossible for me to find lead sheet in shops when I needed such material some years ago. So I had to make my own. I just poured the molten lead on a smooth, hard surface, trying to make a line when pouring. The resulting lead was about 2.5 - 3 mm thick. Cut it out with scissors, or tin snips, then with a hammer I reduced the thickness of the small piece of sheet to the needed one. Quite simple, and you have the advantage of being able to make any thickness you want.

I have a particular reason why I usually glue in the lip the last, so even after clearcoating. I have to unclog the lip slot after clearcoating, seal the wood inside the lip slot, then I try different types of lips (which stay fit into the lip slot during testing, sometimes with the help of some extra material put into the lip slot to ensure friction, to see which one of the lips I have on me gives the lure the best action (I mean the action I like the best, which is not necessarily the action the fish like the best ) The lips I try have different shapes and some are bent to different angles. I like to play with a lure's action.