Vodkaman

This is a very generous offer, more than applicable to lure building. Although I will not be taking part at this time, I would like to look in and soak up some knowledge. Dave

Jigman2. The nature of the beast is that you cannot rely on the machined lure being square to the stock block, because the stock is loaded by hand. So after cutting the blank from the stock and finishing the ends. The blank will be loaded into a 2pc resin mold. This mold will have all the eye and ballast holes drilled in it, as a guide. Probably sleaved to reduce wear. Also the lip slot, again lined to reduce wear. A short visit to the band saw to cut the lip slot. Collared drills to control the depth of the holes. This should control consistency without effort. This is the plan anyway. Dave

Nice job Mattlures. What material did you cast the bodies with? I'm guessing RTV for the mold, with that ventral fin arrangement. The original has incredible detail. I can't tell if it is painted of photo finish. What ever it is, it is impressive. What made you go with the lip on the last one? How do they swim? Dave

I think you have both made a fantastic start into the world of lure building, congrats. All the above advice is top notch. I would only add that if the lure does not perform as you want, do NOT throw it away. Failures are an opportunity to learn. Make notes of how the lure swims and post the question, providing information like ballast locations etc. In fact, we all get to learn a little more. After a while, you will get a 'feel' for what works and then you will get virtually zero failures. Dave

Zbass is correct. But also read up on PoP and RTV mold making too, as the mechanics of mold making is the same, regardless of the material used. After you have had a good read, post back here with any specific questions or points you do not understand. It is then much easier for the membership to give you answers, as there is usually more than one answer. Dave

I learned some from your thread too, from the ballast distribution. You seem to have it fairly well distributed. I really want to see a video, to see the effect of the distribution. Sorry I didn't post earlier, was just waiting for the vid. Good job. Dave

I notice no one has mentioned the 'T' word yet. It has to be considered as Mr T will want his cut of the profits too. Dave

Even bears find that some fish just get the better of you. Dave

Honey, you found me out! Welcome to TU Tee. Mrs Cadman

Lost fisher, you mentioned cutting against the grain. This is a bad idea, as the knife will try to follow the grain and dig in. Always follow the grain. This means you will be carving from the middle to the nose and from the middle to the tail. I use a snap off blade knife too. Blades are cheap and I find the knife very controllable. But since I bought my belt sander, my knife stays in the draw these days. Dave

The way I mix mine, is to put the water in a plastic container with round corners, like an ice cream container. I sprinkle the plaster into the water, through my fingers, slowly. Once all the plaster is added, I then stir with my fingers, Slowly, dealing with any lumps as I go. I find this method minimises both the lumps and the air bubbles. I give the container plenty of tapping and give the bubbles a minute or so to rise. Pour in one spot and allow the plaster to flow to your master, do not pour onto the master, this will trap air in the corners between the master and base. I also paint the plaster onto the master with a soft brush, making sure I get into all the corners. This wets the surface and makes it more difficult for the bubbles to adhere. You still have to tap the mold after pouring though. The above method of mixing I found by googling the web. Try a google yourself, lot of good info out there. I think Nova is on the money though, with trapped air under the tail. Dave

A-Mac, in hind sight, my comments read a little harsh, sorry about that. The stuff I am carving does not compare to the work you are doing. Mine are one piece, 2.5" bodies with no relief work, so 20 mins from block to slot and holes drilled, is reasonable. Have you considered cutting the VEE shapes with a router (table mounted), quick and accurate. I'm sure I read recently of another TU member doing this method. Some people like the carving stage, I am not one of them, this is why I am putting so much effort into the carving machine. The machine I am working on will cut at 28 seconds per inch. The master screw is 14 threads per inch (tpi) and the machine is geared so that the stock is turning twice as fast, 2:1 geared. So the distance between cuts will be 0.036" (0.9mm). So I will expect to have to skim over the machined body with some 150 grit, to remove the ridges. If I get the m/c to work, I may experiment with the gearing, to reduce the ridges, but this means BIG sprockets (chain drive). Good luck with your project and get those pics up! Dave

I too am working on a duplicator machine, however, it is still on the drawing board. Manufacture soon. As I see it, making the blank by hand takes about 20 mins. I don't know what you are doing for four hours, must be drinking a lot of coffee. To make a dup m/c worth while, it should cut a blank in about 1 minute. Therefore, cutting the stock and final shaping should bring the final timing up to about 12 pieces per hour. Please step on my neck if you think these times are unreasonable. Save me building the damn thing. I have invested so much thinking time into this project. Dave

Very good job Tunadoctor. I agree with 152nd, there has been some good feedback of late. Dave

My limited experience with netting, is that when it is new, it is quite stiff and will only bend in one axis, like paper. But after a few cycles in the washing machine, it loosens up and will form with more success, around the double curvature of a lure. Just sneak it into the linnen basket a few times. Nothing to lose. Dave

That is good advice Robalo01. Especially the multi molds idea and keeping the original unused. Many thanks. Dave

I don't think PoP is the way to go for lead casting. I have just used a mix of polyester filler (bondo) and polyester resin (fibreglass resin). The lead pours well, but there are warping issues, if pouring contiuously. The mold thickness needs to be at least 1" to reduce this. But even with the warping (I made my mold too thin), it still clamped together and poured OK. As for plastics, PoP should be fine. I believe Longhorn has some PoP molds 20 years old and still pouring. Alignment is not an issue, if you follow any of the threads on the subject. Some use marbles etc. The important thing with PoP molds is to seal it correctly, this adds some strength to the surface, preventing damage, as well as giving the pours a good finish. Some use thinned epoxy, some, including me, us Elmers glue 50/50 with water. Search for more specific information. Another good alternative is RTV. It is more expensive, but no chipping and sealing issues. I suggest you have a good long read, then post some specific questions. A lot of useful info here on TU. Dave

Great tutorial Ted. A lesson for me, in how to explain things clearly, thanks. Dave

WOW Pete! You never cease to amaze me with your out of the box brain. Once again, genius idea. Dave

Muskiefool, ddl and anyone else confused by the missing pics, if you look at the edit comment at the bottom of the post, you will see the reason, posted by the forum administrator. You have to read the rules: http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/tu-site-info-updates/886-site-rules-you-must-read-before-posting. Dave

Set the house heating thermostat to 350C the day before the hurricane hits. Stand well up wind. When wind speed is maxed out, release 6 sacks of powder of your choice. When the eye of the storm has passed, move to other side. When wind picks up again, release another six sacks. Job done. Dave

Another way (not tested by me) is to melt a couple of millimeters of candle wax or any other type that is convenient, in the pan. Position the baits, job done. This might also solve the problem of filling under the more rounded one piece masters. This method is practical only if the pan is dedicated to your molds and it does not have to be cleaned out. Otherwise it is messy. Dave

When I used balsa, I cut a slot along the back of the body. This left room for drilling ballast and kept the construction simple.Also, the front and rear eye loops could be formed before introducing the body. I fixed the hanger in position with super glue (crazy glue), then epoxy for a good connection. Filler to tidy up. The slot has to be cut deep enough that the hanger will not just peal out under load. A very shallow slot is just asking for problems. Dave

Welcome to the middle ages. I prefer to think of it as thirty ten, I'm forty twelve. Happy birthday. Dave

Darn Pete! you got me all excited. Gonna have to get me one of those. Dave