Vodkaman

Bob, I like it, a very doable solution. I agree that the set screw assembly would have to be something more substantial than wood. But having said that, I have used bolts in wood for clamping in the past. Providing you use a block of denser wood and a clamp bolt of a reasonable diameter, I am thinking 8mm diameter, it would work. The whole assembly would be dowelled to the bench, under the drill press, so that it could be easily removed and stored. My drill press only has a travel of 48mm (pitiful). But even this allows me to through drill a 4" lure. But this clamped pin method would allow me to stop the drill, slacken the clamp bolt, slide the pin and stock onto the drill and re-clamp. Not sure if this is considered a safe way of working, but I have had to do this in the past and had no problems, providing you keep a firm grip on the wood stock. I should have posted the problem first, as I would have had a go of this idea. Much easier to initially align than mine. I also liked your idea of using the chanels in the table saw plate, another very doable solution. Don't you just love being an engineer. Dave

I was working a contract in Sweden and lived in digs on the edge of the river. I bought some gear and started fishing spinners for trout and perch. In my most productive spot their was an obstacle under the water that was collecting my lures at an alarming rate, I guess that is why it was so productive. I decided to start making my own spinners, not because of the expense, which was considerable in Sweden, but because the trip to the tackle shop by public transport was several hours and I could only make the trip on Saturdays. Being an engineer, I tried to do something a bit different and get the spinner to swim higher up the water column. I had moderate success, considering I did not have a clue. Someone in the office introduced me to TU and I started experimenting with wooden lures. The neighbors were complaining about the panel beating anyway. Winter was coming and the temperature was starting to plummet, so lure building became my salvation from cabin fever for the winter. It was handy having the docks only 30 yards from my door. Security was not impressed when I tested new designs at 3am with a torch strapped to my head. Dave

Actually, the pin is the centre of the design (excuse the pun). The pin hole was drilled by the clamped drill, so guaranteeing alignment. The way it works is, a small pilot hole is started at each end of the body to be drilled. These only need to be a couple of millimeters deep. These holes define the start and end position of the through hole. One hole is located on the pin and the pin block and body slid forward. The drill starts cutting at the other pilot hole. Cut the hole half way through the body, frequently backing off to release the swarf. Then the body is reversed and cut from the opposite end, meeting in the middle of the body. It is important to take the trouble to line up the drill bit parallel to the base plate. This only needs doing once, when you make the jig. This is achieved by trimming the profile plate which supports the rear of the drill. If you trim too much, you can shim the cradle block. Fiddly process, but necessary for the best results, but like I already said, only needs doing once. The setting up of the drill press that I was talking about, was aligning a pin plate directly under the drill bit and clamping it in place. Not a big inconvenience, but I never have to do it again. Also, the bench mounted drill press in my cave, has a very small travel and useless for tackling larger bodies. This jig will be able to handle a 10" body, if I ever want to increase this number, I will simply extend the base and add a couple of angles. Dave

I just made this jig, as I tired of setting up my drill press every time I wanted to through drill. I posted the design on another forum, as a possible solution. I then thought, I really need this myself, so went ahead and built it. I won't bother with a write up, as the pics are self explanatory, but if you have any questions, I will be happy to respond. It should be useful for those members who through drill larger lures and are limited by the size of drill press. Hope someone finds this useful. Dave

Very impressive David. CAD is very absorbing. Sometimes I think I have been working on a project for 30 minutes, only to discover that I have been at it for three hours and some serious beverage time has been lost. Dave

Oh no , I can imagine all the top coat threads over the next couple of years It looks as though you have come through for the lure builders. Lets hope that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train comming the other way. Congratulations Dick, in anticipation of three new top coats. Something for everyone. Dave

Good post Bob, I am soaking up all this knowledge. I have had lots of discussions with Salty also and a lot of what you have written, Salty said the same. It seems that these programs are a tad temperamental and need patience and perseverance to get them to work for you. I sat down with my engineer partner today and explained what I wanted the CNC machine to do. After I got him to stop saying," yes, no problem" and got him to think about the details in more depth, he came up with a code solution. Now it is time to start designing the beast. I still have another derivative of the rocking beam duplicator to build and I have an electronic engineer working on a stepper motor circuit for me. Once he comes back with something that works, I can make circuits to do what I want. The stepper motor solution should give me bodies with a good finish at a rate of one minute per inch. The CNC solution I am aiming for 20 seconds per inch or less. The cost of the CNC machine is roughly in the same ball park that you mentioned. The advantage that I have, is that I can get parts machined here in Indonesia a lot cheaper than you can in the US, but you guys are probably machining your own stuff. I have so many projects on the go, but the priority has to be the new type of automotive turbo charger that we are working on. Hopefully this will provide funding for the CNC project and a long awaited trip to the states. All this takes time. I just wish I had gone independent twenty years ago. I am rambling now, so I better give my fingers a rest. Dave

The great thing about threads like this, is that they show people out there what is possible. I don't think their is going to be a rush of CNC lure machines on the market any day soon, as their is a lot of learning to be done, not a small investment needs to be made, not to mention the time investment. You have done a great job and deserve respect for your achievements. I have a lure body cutting CNC machine in my head, but unfortunately have no CNC experience and I am short of investment funds at the moment. If you lived close, we could have done a colaboration. I now have a new business partner. He is an engineer also and part of his job is installing CNC for large companies. Unfortunately we are busy on other projects at the moment, but eventually we will tackle my CNC idea. Thankyou for posting and good luck with the business. Dave

Great post. Makes perfect sense. I share your dismay regarding the screw driver issue, it is all a bit O.T.T. I didn't mention the vent holes, though it too obvious, but then I am not known for keeping things simple. Keep a jig for me, I will pick it up when I come over to the US to visit Y'all. Dave

Could turn out to be a good business opportunity for you. With the more relaxed EU borders, you could find customers all over Europe, not just France. Dave

It is all down to what thickness you are forming. If you are just making some thin masks for airbrushing or packaging, then a regular size shop vac will do the job. But if you are hoping to pull 1/8" down to a nice crisp corner, then I suspect even the 5hp is going to struggle, then you need to move to a serious vacuum pump and a reservoir tank. Here is a link to a forum specializing on home vacuum forming: http://www.tk560.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1 Dave

Frank, great solution. Dave

I too thought of utilizing the clamp, but you could only do it on one half. Looking forward to seeing Franks solution. Dave

I find that the epoxy in one or other of the syringes always seems to settle back and needs to be purged of air. where this epoxy goes, I have no idea as the tubes were full when I leave them. fixing the tubes together would be a disadvantage. I also think that the individual syringes are easier to control. Dave

My guess is that you don’t play the piano. Other than asking one of the manufacturers to make you a shorter version, which is entirely possible, I can see one solution. Inside the locators and underneath the angled channel, there is room for a threaded hole, into which can be fitted two bars, one each end. They would have to be stepped, to prevent screwing in too far and substantial enough to eliminate any chance of bending. You would also have to fit them to both halves of the adapter, as you need to rotate the adapter, as shown in the video. This involves machine shop work, which will cost money, but if you know someone, it is an option. Dave

Frank, I don't do plastics, but enjoyed your very professional video's and techniques. I just wish I could get some plastic locally. You make me want to give it a try. Dave

Anything more than a cup full just goes bad over time. Dave

Happy Birthday. Keep those ideas comming. Forget the dumbbells, exercise the brain. Dave

Loved it. In fact it has given me some ideas for more vids. Dave

Taping the eye is fiddly, it would be easier to tape the hook and hold the eye. This way you protect both ends. Dave

I agree, great vid. Dave

I agree with your theory, heating the body prior to sealing will at the very least, give you better adhesion, regardless of the type of seal coat. My only concern would be gassing of the thinner coats, like propionate, as Bob mentioned. The same applies to vacuum sealing. This problem/concern only applies to seal coats that rely on evapouration. Resin and epoxy's that are chemical reaction, would not be a concern. For evapouration processes, a closed box with a low watt incandescent bulb, for an hour, would solve the problem. Yet another application for my PoP dryer project. Dave

Others may or may not agree with this. I fit my lip just before the top coat. I fix the lip in position with the slightest touch of CA glue (instant). This allows me a few seconds to get the alignment right and if I get it wrong, I can still retrieve the lip and have another go. When applying the epoxy top coat, I push the epoxy up to the lip slot, overlapping the lip. I can then flex the lip slightly. This promotes capillary action and draws the epoxy into the joint, more than sufficient to hold the lip. If the eye loads were through the lip, I would select a more secure method. But on my lures, the glue only has to secure the lip to the body and not take any loads. Dave

George, bondo is a possibility, also you can mix it with polyester resin, to thin it to a pourable state. I have only poured a few ballast weights, but it was OK. The mold does soften and distort after a few pours, but if you make the mold right, you can eliminate this. Read this post by Sagacious, post No11 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/15612-what-should-i-make-a-mold-out-of/ You might just about get 100 castings from it, I don't know, but the material is cheap enough to make a few molds. Dave

What a great idea. I am all set up with ferric chloride too. You forgot to mention that you will have to completely coat the rear side, or the etchant will just eat from the back face. When doing electronic circuit boards, I use a paint pen (called a 'zig painty') to draw the tracks, works well. Dave