pizza

Ive gone as short as 3 mm in ultralight cranks (rapala mini fat rap size) without problems. That was in mahogony. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=3185

Chicken

1. I suggest appying a coat of epoxy before painting. This helps smooth out aluminum seams on back and belly, then the layer of paint on this epoxy will further help camoflauge the aluminum seams (not that they're really noticeable). 2. Use less paint. Hold can back further and press lightly. 3. Hit the back straight on. 4. Use a quality paint like krylon, tameya, testors, or house of kolor. 5. Here are some more caps to check out http://www.montana-cans.com/products/Accessories/Montana_Caps/6 (you don't need these caps though, I bought some a few years ago but have yet to use them) 6. Sometimes I will take a q tip dipped in paint thinner and very lightly rub the sides of the bait after spraying. This will make for shinier sides. Just be careful/don't go too high so you don't make a "noticable line" bw the back paint and the foiled side.

I have a set of each of the following colors and have used the pearlescent and gold with excellent results. Haven't tried any of the other colors yet. "Squeeze bottle gently, adding dye to resin drop by drop, stirring dye thoroughly into resin before adding hardener. Several colors may be combined to make other colors." http://www.iasco-tesco.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=674&category_id=31&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2

Also my experience has not been with the "high density" balsa that is suggested, but rather the "whatever/less dense" balsa that hobby stores sell. Ive noticed that density of balsa in these hobby packs can vary tremendously.

My guess is that you can get the CA to penetrate about 2 mm. This is based on firsthand experience coating with superglue then drilling hanger/tie in holes. Once the tip of the drill gets about 2 mm in, it takes off... Now i think it penetrates (better wording would be has the ability to penetrate) a little further when you glue in hangers but this has to do with grain orientation of the wood.

I was a materials science engineer. My specialty was tribology which is the study of friction, wear, and lubrication. Got to do some cool aerospace stuff like work on the liquid oxygen fill-and-drain-valve on the space shuttle, make microlenses, and work on body armor (SAPIs for our troups). Although I was fortunate to do some cool stuff, I changed careers and now teach kids. If asked, "does being an engineer help with builiding baits?". I answer with "sure but not really" (hopefully basic concepts like center of gravity, action/reaction, fall under "general knowledge" and not engineering). Most important is passion. Building baits is more art than science. I've never made a drawing, calculated ballast wt or position, or for that matter even weighed anything(though I did just buy a scale so I can be more scientific in the future, though I probably won't end up using it much, if at all). When I mix epoxy, I just eyeball it. 99% of my baits swim fine (some don't dive as deep as I had intended and some dive deeper than I intended but no big deal). and the 1% that don't were my two attempts at a (3-segment) swimbait. p.s. Berkely is a marketing and advertising company -case in point, there are no nanofilaments in their nanofil line.

Out of 100+ or so baits I have built I have only thru wired 3. I just have not seen a need to thru wire as strength has never been an issue. I bend my hangers by hand using those "useless X tools brand plastic fishing pliers". I leave anywhere from 3mm (I've made cranks the size of mini fat raps) to over 1 cm in length when I cut the end of the twisted part of the hanger off. Then I glue with a drop or two of super glue about 3-4 times over a 3-4 days period. It absorbs real well and I sand off the rough surface with sandpaper. Sometimes I seal the lure before gluing in hangers/tie in (usually with thinned etex but I have also sealed with superglue), sometimes after, and sometimes I don't even bother sealing (this is typically when I work with basswood or mahongony). I end up coating with at least 3 final layers.

The real thing wont split, but the lip will break off...

Hey Dieter.....what haven't you tried? (insert 3 bow down emoticons here).

Saltshaker, as i read the descriptions from your link, some of the leaf is "patent" leaf which is "attached to a sheet for easy application". This appears to be the type of stuff fishstick is using(see his first pic) Probably easier to work with than the plain leaf sheets.

Looks similar. It is the most fragile material i have ever come across. It is a challenge just to remove a piece from the package without ripping it. As i recall i had to breath lightly and not face the foil or the force of my breath would tear it. Heres what i used, the silver leaf http://www.unitednow.com/product/6107/mona-lisa-metal-leaf.aspx#25%20sheets,%20composition%20gold

I understand your point BobP. I use super glue to glue in my hook hangers (only rarely do i thru-wire). Although i have sealed bodies with super glue before, i usually do this with a few coats of thinned etex applied by finger. For gluing in hook hangers(especially in balsa) i prefer super glue over epoxy bc it is less viscous and absorbs better into the wood. Having said that, epoxy would probably work fine too for gluing in hangers(seems like this is what most use anyways, but not many comments when working with balsa) When working with balsa, i leave the hangers out a little extra (like a mm or so), then final coat with 4-5 layers of thinned epoxy to further add strength by building up material around the hanger/balsa interface.

I use epoxy thinner.

I use the $7.99 one from harbor freight as pictured earlier(got it on sale for 4 bucks) It "gets the job done", but not much more. Works good for smaller baits, but the motor is not so powerful so i would not recommend it for musky baits. This replaced an original "old school" single speed dremel (which i tossed after getting sick of replacing the electrical contact springs"). In summary great tool for the $, but it aint no dremel.

I tried silver leafing once. Here were my thoughts at the time. "Picked up some silver leaf sheets at the art store-here is my first crank - about 2.75". - it is super shiny and offers multiple facets for reflection - in person it looks super cool (picture doesn't do it justice) - it is not too bad to work with but if you are thinking you can put on single layer of silver leaf, forget it. I used an old can of 3M super 77 adhesive and the adhesive was all bubbly. I sprayed directly on the basswood. Then I took a sheet (about 5"x5") and immediately realized how fragile it was. Just taking it out of the package tore it. I did my best (with clean hands) and put it on. After I got most of the lure covered I realized there were a few very small places (like 1 mm X 1 mm)that were missing the leaf so I just added more. I ended up using about 1/2 the sheet (the other 1/2 was destroyed in the process)and I'm sure there are places where it is probably 4-7 layers thick but the stuff is so thin I doesn't matter. I thinned some Etex lite with epoxy thinner and put it on with my Wiha micro screwdriver like I always do. Then I hung it vertically to dry. After drying the etex was mostly uniform but there were a few places where the epoxy was thicker. So I ended up sanding. Oops. (Note to self: next time when working with silver leaf, put on 2 epoxy layers before sanding or just be more careful). I sanded through the leaf on the rear right side and "partially through" a couple other places that aren't very noticeable. After cleaning I put another layer of epoxy on. One more coat and I'm calling it done. No paint on the top or bottom, just eyes. If you haven't tried it, it looks like a great fish-catching finish and looks super cool (3-d looking). Has anyone else tried it? Any suggestions? I would use some new Super 77 (or other alternative) that doesn't bubble. Also on the back side of the lip where it meets the wood, I couldn't get the flake to like up perfectly with the lip so I put a very thin strip of foil tape there(don't notice unless you're looking). The flake ended up lining up fairly flush with the lip in the front of the lip but not the back. " Pics can be found here (I give up trying to post pics here). http://www.ohiogamef...26&d=1281382707 p.s. SamBennett- I've tried the "dozen or so" (probably more)coats of spray glitter. I had issues of cracking (it added significant thickness). But nothing a layer of etex couldn't fix...

Good topic, personally i think the choices available are mass produced cheap junk. The best props ive seen have been on the luhr jenson woodchopper and nippididdee. They are beefier that what is available and have either a better attachement (either a cylinder bushing type thingy on the nippididdee blades or two prongs similar to buzzbait blades on the woodchopper blades) so they dont wobble around as much. This causes less interference with the rear treble. Without digging up my tackle, i think the woodchopper blades are aluminum, but i think the nippiddee blades are some type of chrome coated steel. Cool lures Dieter! That last one has some bitchin blades! Large surface area for lots of commotion and dual attachement points.

The super glue (cyanoacrylate, CA, im guessing this is what you are referring to) i use (the cheap stuff like 6 or 8 tubes for a buck) soaks extremely well into wood, especially balsa. Much better than epoxy. This is the reason why i use it, instead of epoxy, to glue in my hook hangers. Never had even a hint of a problem with hangers pulling out. Youll probably be fine, but there is only one way to find out.

Try shoe goo.

Thumbs high!

I make single treble crankbaits since i mostly fish for smallies in rivers. They work great. Hook (usually a number 4) is typically in the middle of the (bottom of the) bait. I see no reason why it wouldnt work for a single prong hook, but youd prob want to orient hook hanger perpendicular to bait.

I would guess yes. Impossible to say for sure as the amount/distribution of ballast will also have a (significant) effect on whether or not it swims or "blows out" during retrieve. I believe the greater the amount of ballast and more it is to the front, the greater the odds of it swimming. But just from looking at it, nothing too extreme going on in that bait. Ive made similar style baits withi lips at least that size and they swim fine. In fact i have found that larger lips can lead to hunting cranks. And a more erratic action at higher speeds. The more erratic action one can get, the better....as long as the bait still retrieves in an overall straight line and doesnt rolll during the fastest retrieves you reel in at.

Are you guys measuring the glitter? I have seen people refer to glitter size a number of times yet have never seen a jar or package of it labeled with size? And i have tons of glitter. Usually just says "fine", or simply "glitter". Just curious.....

First burnish tape as flat as possible - the hvac aluminum tape seems to be flexible and rolling an exacto knife gets the tape junctions/edges pretty flat. Then i use a layer of thinned etex(i use epoxy thinner, most seem to use denatured alcohol). Then light sand (mostly around tape edges). The way i foil i have 2 tape edges, one on top and one on bottom. Then i typically paint with rattle can(no airbrush yet). If the foil edges are a little rough i may put another layer of thinned etex before painting I usually end up doing 3, sometimes 4 thinned etex coats total. Also it doesnt hurt to clean around foil edges with some type of solvent after burnishing foil flat since adhesive sometimes gets pushed out during burnishing. Also rattle cans seem to work fine directly on foil, but i typically paint over epoxy. Also you can put difnt layers of paint (or glitter) over difnt epoxy layers for a slightly different effect(more 3d).

A clear that wont cure can be caused by insufficient mixing or using too much hardener. If you use less hardener than you are supposed to, it will just take longer to cure, but if you use too much, it will "never" fully cure. If you mix small batches using the eyeball technique, better to use less hardener than too much. At least that has been my experience.