Vodkaman

It is the flanges on the claw that give the action. That is what this lure is all about. The rest of the lure is aesthetics. I haven't read the patent, and I am sure they will site other features, to drag your attention away from the important flanges, that is what I would do. If the flanges are not well covered by the patent, then Rage do not understand their own lure. Elrat69 - I am looking at the 2nd image on the BTS site, there are flanges shown on the claws. Flanges, ribs, ridges, call them what you like, they are there in the pic. Dave

I am surprised Bob got away with the 706. It is all about the flanges on the appendages that create the action. Dave

I don't think members understand about the amount of weight that is added, it is a lot less than you think. Epoxy and other finishes have a specific gravity (SG) of 1.2 water has an SG of 1.0 so only the .2 is adding weight or in simpler terms, 1/6th of the weight of the epoxy added is ballast. This is a hard concept to grasp, but I can explain in more detail if you want. Dave

No one will be making a mold of this bait. It is protected by patent. Dave

RCBV - those are crazy numbers! Dave

I too was apprehensive about wandering into the soft plastic arena, but I think that both hard and soft offer knowledge that is applicable and transferable. I have lots to learn from both/all forums - I read everything. Dave

RCBV - those are very fine ribs and spacing, especially with a rib depth of 0.25". It strikes me that getting the plastic to flow through the ribs would be an issue. When I am designing for Bob, I try hard to give him a minimum cutter of 1/16" diameter, more if possible. If the customer wants finer, then we have a discussion about the design and the customer has to accept the consequences of higher costs due to breakages and machine times. I have come across this in my work, were the machinist bends over backwards trying to accommodate my design. Had I known that there was an issue, I would have been more than willing to change the design to suit the machining requirements. My bosses did not like it, but I always tried to get a meeting with the tool makers before starting a large pressed panel design, to get the design rules sorted out. Design is always a compromise, talking is good. Dave

I just had a read about tungsten. It is only affected by the strong acids, but you do not want to be messing about with hydrochloric and nitric acids. Tungsten does not combine with oxygen at room temperatures, but it will corrode above 400C (700F). So this is your best option, heat it up with a gas torch for a few minutes and let it cool slowly. There is no danger of it melting. Dave

I am thinking pocket inserts and heat seal the openings. Dave

It certainly looks the business in the water. Dave

Ben - thanks for posting this pic. I would love to know how they mold the air pockets. The materials that I have available are too heavy and need air pockets. Dave

There are regularly posts here on TU about phone service problems, so I thought I would start a thread giving my thoughts on the subject and inviting yours. This thread is not targeting anyone, so do not feel singled out or threatened. This can be a fun, informative and an enlightening discussion. To many of you, this is going to seem like a very patronizing article. This is certainly not the intention. I am merely inviting you to think about some of the problems. Feel free to add more ideas, as this is just what is in my mind to get you started. Phone limitations - In order to save data volume, not all frequencies are transmitted, the high and low frequencies are clipped. This causes problems with certain letters and numbers. The most difficult letters are ‘S’ and ‘F’, ‘T’ and ‘D’, ‘3’, ‘5’, ‘9’. When speaking the numbers, use ‘TREE’, ‘FIFE’ and ‘NINER’, this makes it easier to distinguish the numbers for the phone operator. When speaking the letters, be as clear as possible and be aware of the problems. If you order by phone regularly, take the trouble to learn the phonetic alphabet. This is an internationally accepted standard; alpha bravo Charlie delta echo…. It only takes ten minutes to learn and a few minutes practice per day for a week and you will have it cracked. Every time subtitles appear on the tv screen, have a little practice in your head, just to keep it fresh. Using the phonetic alphabet and the number suggestions will get you respect from the phone sales person. As professionals, they will certainly know their phonetics. Making words up for the phonetics is no good, because the phone operator is going to have to think about each word and that slows things down and will cause more confusion. Ordering – this may seem obvious, but make a list of the names, part numbers and quantities of all the items that you want to order BEFORE picking up the phone. Nothing is going to irritate the sales person more than indecisiveness as you try to ‘wing it’ on the fly. Be organized and precise. Vocal skills – phone operators HATE mumblers, they are just problem after problem and then more problems. If you are a mumbler, like me, clear your throat before dialing, Try your first words aloud as a quick practice and then dial. When I did phone sales, I was taught to always stand and even pace around when on the phone. Raise the pitch of your voice a little, this helps keep it clear. Talk louder than normal and be precise and clear with your words. If you are a fast talker, SLOW it down or you will be repeating yourself a lot and annoying the phone operator. Don't speak in a mono-tone voice, add some inflection (up and down). This will feel a bit silly and false, but will make your voice more interesting to listen to. Try it in your regular life conversations, it only needs a little practice. Social skills – confirm you have the right number; ‘Hello, fishing skirts?’ ‘Hi, my names Dave and I would like to place an order please’. The start of the call is not the time to make small talk, unless she leads the conversation that way. ALWAYS follow the lead of the phone operator, let her be the boss and run things. Once the business is concluded, a complement on her professionalism would be in order. You have to feel the operator’s state of mind. If it feels that she is tired and needs a break, let her go. If she sounds jolly and sociable, try a short conversation; ‘how’s the weather there’, busy day’, ’all the customers being nice today’ and so on. If the answers are short, one word-ers, let her go. Follow her lead. If the call was a success, ask for her name for future reference. Leave the operator smiling and feeling good, and you will be remembered as a good customer. Dave

I just watched this video article. Quite informative. DAve

I am sure that cloud is the future, but I like files and back-up files on my hard drives. I am old and do not like change. I have been dragged screaming from one Windows OS to the next. But this is the way it is always going to be, change and bigger change. One day you will be trying to explain to your grand kids about these circular discs that went into a slot and you could store 700Kb of data. They will either ask, "What is data"? or "So you invented the wheel"! Dave

Yes, I understand. Hopefully, with Cadman's offered help, you can find resolution to this issue. Dave

Mayhem - first select and copy the link. This puts the link in the memory. Next write your text and wipe over the text that you want to be the link, this turns the text blue. Now press the link symbol. A window opens. Paste the link in the URL box and press OK. Dave

Good post RS. Interest in CAD from TU members is increasing, mostly among mold users in soft plastics and wire baits. But the way technology is moving with the 3D print technology, I can see a big application in hard baits also. I am hoping to demonstrate this fact when I get my project sorted out. I can also see a future need for a CAD/CAM forum, where people can share their work, ideas and experience. Also 'how-to' CAD tutorials on construction methods and techniques. Yes, models can be passed from one CAD system to another, I do this daily, as the manufacturing firm that I deal with, uses a different system. We generally use STP. My 3D printer wants STL files, my styling modeller prefers IGES. In each case, you receive a dumb model and all the construction detail is lost. Yes, you can edit the dumb model, but anything beyond a few minor tweaks would be hard work. RCBV - nice CAD work. Dave

I have paint brushes that have taken serious abuse for years and they are not glued, so I don't see this as an issue. Another thing to try, if getting the tape on is a problem, is work over the edge of the table and grip the roots with a bulldog clip, then put the tape on. I haven't tried this, just thinking aloud. I suggest you break up a cheap paintbrush and have a couple of practice goes. Dave

No, just square them up, so they fit in the slot nicely. Keep the tape clear of the glue or like you suspect, you will have problems. Dave

Paden22 - the way I see it; Lay the hair out on a flat surface. Even it out and shape it. Fix it with a strip of tape, both sides, so that the hairs are fixed as one unit, leaving the roots exposed. Trim the roots. Glue into the slot. When cured, remove the tape and tidy up. This is one of those things that needs a few goes practice rather than going for goal first run. Dave

Threads like this one make me uncomfortable, especially when they 'call out' firms that have a good reputation and receive lots of recommendations here on TU. We are all human, including the sales assistant on the other end of the phone. We are all entitled to have a bad day, and remember, not every customer is a joy to deal with. We are toying with peoples livelihoods here. Bad threads like this one can have an adverse affect, not just on business, but morale too. I would like to see the thread closed out, before it gets out of hand. Dave

A great thread by JRHopkins, well worth reading. Dave

Is this what you were trying to link. Dave

Dale - well stated and so correct. Evolution is based on imperfection. We should celebrate imperfection, not hide it away - a bit of soapbox work there Dave

Thanks Skimpy for the video, post No43. Dave