Jwags

Mattman, The rod is a factory two-piece blank. I was just informed that modern two piece blanks come from the factory with a built-in ferrule so there is nothing that needs done. What can I say, I'm a newbie and it was a newbie question. thanks, jeremy

I've never built a two-piece rod. I am looking for advice on building the ferrule section. The rods are graphite. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated. thanks, jeremy

Wow, you guys are like walking encyclopedias!! If it weren't for this website and the expertise of the people on it, I would be an utter failure at building lures. Thanks so much for your willingness to share your knowledge with those who are just starting. I'll do my best to keep you posted on how things go for me. I'll post some pics in the gallery when I get a chance...probably in a week or so. thanks again, jeremy

When you guys put ballast/weighting in your crankbaits, do you put just enough in so that the lure sits upright in the water and doesn't spin out, or do you put enough in so that the lure sits low in the water? If I weight them enough to sit low in the water, will that make them dive deeper? I'm making some 8" muskie baits out of oak, maple, and poplar. I am making them to be shallow divers (3-4ft) and I am concerned about making them to heavy because I'm already using a dense wood. I'm completely new to this so any advice I can get will be greatly appreciated. thanks, jeremy

Megan, There is a local gentleman here that I've gotten to know over the years and he builds furniture for people. He always has scrap lumber laying around and he gives me as much as I need. He has everything -poplar, oak, maple, and cedar. Check around your area and see if you can find someone like that, they often don't need their scraps and they are happy to get rid of it. jeremy

I'm looking for a supplier of diving lips for small crankbaits. So far the only one I've found is Stamina with a lip that measures 7/8" by 3/8". Does anyone know of another company that makes small diving lips? Also, if anyone has tips on making my own, I'm open to suggestions and advise. The only material that I've found to make my own is 1/8" lexan which is way to thick. What else can I use? The diving lips are for some 2" balsa minnows that I'm working on. They are through wire and resemble a Pin's Minnow. Very small! thanks, jeremy

I use Createx. I'm pretty happy with it because it's easy to find, easy to use, and easy to clean up. However, I'm getting jealous of some of the paintjobs others are doing using pearl powders... jeremy

Pete, thanks for the info. It's not something that I had thought that much about- I appreciate the warning! jeremy

I run a dehumidifier in my basement, along with a coal stove. Do you think it'd be a problem for me to cure my propionate coated lures there? How many volatile fumes are a few lures going to give off? jeremy

Does anyone know a source for plastic/rubber swimbait tails? I plan on experimenting with swimbaits this month and I'm trying to gather all of the components that I'll need. thanks, jeremy

Thanks guys. As an aspiring rod builder I value your input. If anyone has anything to add, I'm all ears. jeremy

I have the opportunity to buy some "unpainted" rod blanks from a rod builder. The sticker on them says that they are SCV graphite rods, but the color doesn't match. It is my understanding that SCV rods from St. Croix came with a spruce green color. When I asked him about the color, he said that they came from the factory unfinished. Has anyone ever seen blanks like this? Is there a possibility that they were left unfinished because they were flawed in the building process? Also, is there much of a market for rods built out of blanks like this? (once the blanks are finished of course) I appreciate any advice I can get. thanks, jeremy

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to hold a lure when painting multiple lures. Right now, I have two sets of vise grips that I use. I'm looking for something that will help me to be a little more hands-free when painting. Does anyone have any good tips for me? Right now I'm leaning towards buying a fly tying vise, can anyone recommend a fairly inexpensive one? thanks, jeremy

Thanks Mark, I'll give it a try. jeremy

I've been using my Badger 150 airbrush for about a year and a half now and I'm experiencing some problems with it. I'm having trouble getting it to pick up paint and when it does, I get the splatter effect. Also, it blows bubbles around where the tip threads on. Is this just a problem with the washer on the tip wearing out? Can anyone give me some advice on what I need to do to fix it? (if it happens to be something other than the washer) I did do some adjusting to the pressure from my compressor (also a badger) prior to these problems. Is it possible that I need to adjust the air pressure again or could it be a coincidence? jeremy