Vodkaman

Yes, it was a most unfortunate situation were I lost years worth of images, despite editing the images down in size. The problem for image posters these days, is that the modern digital cameras emit such large file sizes that memory allocations are soon swallowed up. Also, the ability of the average poster who is not 'in to' photography, struggles with the reduction technology. It is possible to amply represent a 10 meg image with a file size of less than 100Kb. These days, if I want to post a pic, I first upload to Photo-bucket, and then post the link. Thanks for thinking of me Dave

Two identical baits, one cedar and one balsa, both weighted to float the same, they will both weigh the same. The reason for using balsa; is that you can group the weights around the CoG and therefore achieve a wider action. If you spread the weights along the whole length of the balsa bait then you might as well use cedar. A 12" bait could weigh as much as 10ozs and require a ballast of 6ozs to achieve a 10% float. This will require a lot of holes, each hole weakening the bait. Plus you will probably need a through wire system for the hooks. Definitely a good argument for cedar. Dave

Thanks Curt, PM sent. Dave

I am unable to access TU from Indonesia without using a VPN. Can you look into this please. Dave

Good advice by Frank. Dave

Resins are heavy, generally with a specific gravity (SG) of 1.2 whereas water has an SG of 1.0. Therefore resin is 20% heavier than water, and as you discovered, it sinks fast. Check the information on your particular resin product. You will need to experiment with ratios to find what works for you. If you add 30% spheres (by weight), this will reduce your SG to around 0.9 which should float. But, you still have to incorporate you hardware and top coat, which will increase the total SG of the lure. The big problem is that; the more spheres you add, the thicker the mix will become. There will come a number were the mix will not pour. The most that I mixed in was 45%, this reduced the resin mix to an SG of 0.68. This mix had the consistency of thick mustard, and obviously it was not pour-able. I solved this by injecting the paste with a cake icing syringe. If the pour-able ratios don't work out for you, and you decide to try the syringe method, message me first and I will go into more detail. The heavy expanding foams (as suggested above) are a lighter solution, but they come with their own set of problems. It is just a learning curve. Dave

I have made resin molds, and find floor wax very effective as a release agent. Be generous with the wax, as the heat generated in the curing process will melt the wax and give you a good contact between the two halves. I apply a little heat from a gas blow torch to melt the wax, then brush it on with a half inch cheap brush. Try not to burn the house down Dave

Another method: make the lip too long, then gradually trim back. Make notes of the effect. On the test lure, keep trimming beyond what you think is perfect. You have to find the optimum, which you can only find by going beyond. Yes, you have to sacrifice a lure. On a new design, I might sacrifice 20 to find the optimum, but with each sacrifice I learn a bucket full of information. Dave

100% with Bob on this. Experiment with tow eye position. This has the most dramatic effect. Dave

Here is sheet 1 of a PDF of a simple lure. It shows the float angle calculated in CAD. In reality, it was spot on. The other 3 sheets is the rest of the design. bawal lure 13_Sheet_1.pdfbawal lure 13_Sheet_2.pdfbawal lure 13_Sheet_3.pdfbawal lure 13_Sheet_4.pdf If the PDF does not work for you, message me your email, and I will send. This goes for anyone interested. Dave

I use CATIA V5. The CAD model can be assigned a material density. I also model the ballast, harness, split rings and hooks, each with their own density material applied. I inquire the CoG of the basic assembled body shape (no density added) and create point-1. I then inquire the CoG of the assembled model with material densities applied. Here I create point-2. Draw a line between the points. The angle of this line indicates the angle that the lure will float. In the water, the line will be vertical, so rotate the model and line to the vertical, and that gives the floating attitude. As for ballast: inquire the volume of the assembly, inquire the weight of the assembly. Divide the volume by the mass. if greater than 1, then the lure sinks (fresh water). You can even incorporate sea water density and make a correction. But remember, the angle the lure floats is NOT the angle the lure swims. That is far more complex, and is beyond simple calculation. Dave

I haven't done anything on lures for a while, but I have been experimenting with 3D printing the molds rather than the lures. Of course, it all starts by 3D CAD modelling the desired lure. My aim is always to make the mold symmetrical such that you only have to print one side model repeatedly, rather than having a left side and right side. This would enable you to print out multiple molds that are all interchangeable, for a mass production situation. CAD design of 3D molds is particularly useful for creating hollow lure halves, including ballast pockets and harness slots. CAD is also useful for determining the amount of ballast required for a lure, and determining the angle at which an assembled lure would float. Dave

I can't find the video of my attempt at a duplicator. The post is there but the pics are lost. Anyone wishing to attempt such a project, I am here to assist in any way I can. Dave

Here is the Redg8R original video:

Estimating the centre of a small circle is easier than a large circle. Applying this principle: 1 - Open the bench vice slightly. 2 - Place the dowel on top of the jaws. 3 - place palm of hand on dowel and lightly push back and forth so the dowel rotates. 4 - touch a pencil on the end of the dowel while rotating. 5 - estimate the centre of the small circle. You can adjust the vice jaws to get the best rotation. This method has worked well for me. Dave

Great video. Yes, money is saved, no doubt about it. If the person decides to buy more molds with that extra money, that is a separate issue. Dave

The wood is the weak link in consistency as the density varies. I overcome this by controlling the final density and adjusting the ballast accordingly. This does not mean that you have to do Archimedes on each lure. You just need to know the density of the plank, and keep notes. This is all particularly important if you are going for a lure close to neutral buoyancy. My prefered buoyancy is a 10% floater. If you are copying a favourite/successful lure, it is a good idea to measure the final buoyancy, this gives you a reliable number to aim for. This may sound complicated, but with practice, it becomes second nature, with of course an accurate gram scale. Dave

I do believe it is mate, a rapid up and down motion. Dave

Anglinarcher - many thanks. I still haven't set up my workshop and so there will be no more videos for a while. I was doing a lot of fishing, 2x 3 hour competitions per day, but they would only let me use a specific bait, tapioca jelly flavoured to your own choice. I was doing well too, with a daily success rate higher than 50%. I have a job now and so the rest of my activities are on hold. Dave

As stated above, it is all about vortices, more specifically the Kármán vortex street. If you go to YouTube and search for 'flat plate vortex street' you will find plenty of examples. These vids are fine for explaining what happens with a front lipped lure, but for rear lipped lures it is not the whole story. Jointed lipless lures are also driven by vortices created around the nose of the bait. So, you have an alternating vortex flow which then interacts with the rear lip. You cannot consider the vortices as independent, the water flow is a complete or closed system were the vortices work together. If the lip width is tuned to match the nose vortices then a more powerful action could be developed (theory). Here is a video of a round and square lip side-by-side. The different lips should have a slightly different oscillation speed, but you will see that the lures swim in perfect sync as the vortices interact.

Mark - Thanks. Gliders - LOL If I was to build another I would make some changes so I wouldn't have to mess about with a screwdriver, and make it easier in my fingers to move the plate with more leverage. Dave

This is a video of a barrel twist tool that I designed. I see no reason why it wouldn't work with thicker wire.

The rules make sense, and separate TU from the 'also rans' in the world of lure design sites. Embrace them, don't fight them Dave

A LOT of time is involved. BUT, if you construct the model right, it will be possible to make changes very quickly and easily. Also, I can change the length of the lure, keeping the relative proportions. All the major dimensions are stored as variables, so simply by changing the variable value, I can control the model dimensions. A short stubby 2.5" lure will be no good as a 6" lure, but by changing the thickness variable I can make it useful again in seconds. Dave

Here is an image of my bluegill. I have this printed off, but I can't find it after my last house move unfortunately. Dave