miragestalker

Minwax Protect for sealing and Etex on top. Thanks! /bing

the groove thing is what I did. /bing

I am about to begin painting my lure. I just want to confirm that I got the info right before I begin. I sealed with D2T. Is that right? Can I also seal with ETEX? Is purpose made sealer any better? I will be topcoating with ETEX. Thanks!

After minor hinge tuning.....SUCCESS! ! ! ! ! ! YouTube - swim2

Initial tests indicate that my hinges needed more movement. My estimates for a subtle swim were way too conservative. I have since opened up the hinges and letting the new seal dry. Now waiting to do more tests. What I did learn is that my sink rate is good to go. And that the ballast allows the plug to run true. Here is the preliminary test for your viewing pleasure

First, I milled out 0.10 oz of lead for a 2-3 second foot drop. Thanks for the input Eric! Then I put in the bottom fins. Voila! Finished trout plug! Its not perfect, its not the most beautiful plug out there, but I made it, my first attempt, and its mine Hydro tests this pm

Ive been using a postal scale to measure, and mix the stuff for about 1 minute. Beside stirring, it helps to fold the epoxy into itself. Just like baking bread /bing

drying.... Ive got a great idea for the pectoral and adipose fins.

After spending 700 bucks on materials, a table saw, a drill press, a scroll saw, wood carving tools, air brush, supplies etc etc.... I was thinking the same thing to myself last night.

Ive been reading this thread. Great tips. Just wanted to add, if you guys have an AB that has gunk or does not work right, a good soak in an ultrasonic cleaner would be a good way to get it back to like new tolerances. /bing

I just bought an airbrush. Reading thru this thread, I feel like, I just got married, AGAIN!

I sold compressors to dental clinics as part of my old job. single, double, triple heads. oiled and oiless. I worked with techs, factory reps and end users. All of them generally agreed that short term reliability was the same for oiled and oil less. Long term (past 2-5 year warranty period) durability went to the oiled units hands down. This was for compressors that were on duty 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. We never changed the oil. Just topped them off. The object was not to let them run dry. But that was for dental compressors. May not be the same for our teeny units.

I had a feeling that the guy is a one man operation running out of a home and probably has a day job. That said, it makes sense that his online site doesn't operate as well as his eBay Store since eBay automates his record keeping and order processing. He has very good feedback on eBay. /bing

I ordered mine via eBay and got a shipping confirmation next day. That doesnt mean the item actually shipped, just that a shipping ticket was printed. I have my fingers crossed

I guess pouring lead is unavoidable. I will need to give some attention to that before my next build. Thank you for your suggestions. /bing

Ballasted trout.... Or maybe I meant blasted I should have put more thought on sourcing the lead. I ended up hammering some of my surf fishing stash into shape. /bing

well, ballasting is another aspect of this lure I did not think thru well. I had to get a little creative with hammering some lead to fit a the ballast hole. It would have been better too if I had put more wood to under the thru wire. I could barely get enough clearance for the 1/2oz lead cylinders I made. BTW, where do you guys get you ballast weights? You dont have to custom make them do you? What is the preferred format? Lead cylinders? Lead shot? Lead Strip? I sealed the wood and did a hydro test. It took 1.4 oz of lead up front and .7 oz in the back for a slow sink of a little less than a foot a second. Will post pics this pm when the epoxy sets on the lead. Later.... /bing

I just got the PS900 from ebay. Do I need to order the .3mm tip as well for lure making? Thanks. /bing

Trying out the joints.... YouTube - IMGP5798 I am surprised that the hinger works so well. I guess a sea trial is the only way to really tell though. The thing is also producing a nice clacking sound I take that as a plus. next step, ballasting and sealing, /bing

I just had my first joint. I am already sure I am not doing the next one like this

Great stuff VM! Thanks for sharing. /bing

I am having problems designing a simple thru wire/bent wire jointed swimbait with two hinges per joint. I can't figure out a decent design that I am confident in. I may give up on the thru wire and settle for a brass tube reinforced/hinge pin jointing system or even a flat plate hinge pin design. Any suggestion on the best jointing system design with hook hangers that will take on a 20 pound striper? How to the fancy hinged swimbaits secure their hook hangers? Screw eyes?

couldnt wait for the drill press. had to order it from sears. pressed on with the build just to get the process down in my mind. bought a carver bit to carve out the channel for the hook hanger. here are the results for the thru wire front section. first build will have one hinge. second build will be thought out better and have two hinges per joint.

.I carved the resistance ball to make the tail wag a little better. Next step is finish sanding and joint set up decision making. How many joints? What lenght will the joints be? Inputs welcome. I am thinking two joints and stabilizer fins in the front to stop the head from turning. I suspect that might give me a stabe front section and just a slight wag from the tail. If I wanted it to do the S walk, three joints? /bing

Finally have all my stuff together. I just started with my first project, and I thought I would post here just to share pattern on block thur wire canal cut into block pattern cut out After carving and sanding.... Thats all I have done thus far. I drew some blood when I scratched my thigh as I drew the knife from the block. No worries. A couple of drops. Whadyathink?