bluetickhound

I reload a lot of ammo and have been using 9mm cases filled 1/3 up with lead shot and have had mixed success... Some of my baits sound like a maraca being shaken (maybe would be great for catching Spanish macarel??) and some hardly make any noise at all.... Not sure why this is.. Possibly variations in balsa density muffling (or enhancing) the ratlle? On bigger baits I'll use .45 ACP casings and these have been fairly foolproof, but to a guy like me who is fairly talented at being a fool NOTHING is foolproof!!

I have made my best running baits with balsa that I almost have to tape it to the bench to keep it from floating off into space.... The lighter the better, in my experience.

I wa hoping Mark would come through.... SOMEBODY had to do the honors!!

Personally I dont use the oval rings. I prefer the #2 size. For topwaters (especially Spook style TW's) i go a size larger so the hooks hang a bit lower and have more "swing"...

We actually DO have those here in the States... We call 'em strip joints though.....

I thought this was gonna be a thread where folks posted pix of their workshops.... I can't wait to see what Mark is going to chime in here with!

I have one and I LOVE it! It was a bit finicky to set up but once on the beam it has stayed put fabulously. The blade length is odd (72 1/2" IIRC...) but they are easily available to me from Highland woodworking in Atlanta hust up the road from where I live. Check iut their website... They have a goldmine of stuff that luremakers have a hard time finding, like bulk quantities of CA glue, forstner bits, etc... Just Google Highland woodworking Atlanta and it should come right up.

What BobP said... When I first got into luremaking I had faint aspirations of someday getting to the point where I could do it and get paid. What I have come to realize in the eight or so months I've been at it is that I enjoy the process too much. I take my time with each lure and tinker with it until I get it to do what I want it to do. Sometimes I get it right quickly, most of the time, not so much... Like others have said, I don't obsess over having my baits exactly, perfectly symmetrical but I DO obsess over whether the bill is exactly, perfectly perpendicular to the plane of the lure. Get that right, and (for me anyway) the rest will usually work itself out.

I too have been lurking this thread for a while now to see if anyone has tried Solarez on balsa but i haven't seen anyone post on it yet. Also, is a light box an absolute necessity or could I just go the sunlight route. As I build in low volume (read:one at a time...) i wouldn't need a setup for even 10 lures at a time...

I have been tinkering with my version of this bait for several months now and have had limited success. The blade shape is important but there is a curvature to it also... Very tricky, at least for me, to get right. Almost all of my baits have caught fish but the action is hard to pin down on a lure to lure basis.

I may have to add this to the arsenal myself.... I have been alternating between my ACC and D2T... My DN went south on me... I had an extended period of time away from the bench but I'm getting back on it now... My DN didn't survive "vacation"...

That is really nice work Nate! I have still been tinkering when I can with what I think is a new design myself... Like you said.... One tweak at a time....

There is iron in Skeeters words for all Comanche to see...

I have been using Bloxygen hoping that would slow down the process (i didn't even try to fool myself into thinking it would PREVENT it...). So far, i have to say.... Bloxygen seems like a waste of money...

Hey guys!! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... Just been extremely busy at work and with a few other commitments... I finally got to sit down at the bench for a bit today and as expected my DN had skinned over in the mason jars i transferred them into when I got the big can. Is it toast or can I just scrape out the skin and keep on truckin'??

Here's a link... http://www.highlandw...om/ca-glue.aspx Go to the dropdown menu to get diffrent sizes ( up to 16 oz(!!))....

As far as bulk CA goes, you can get it it either thin, medium or thick from Highland hardware in Atlanta. I haven't tried it as I've been really happy with either DN, ACC or D2T... depending on my whim at the time.

Oh no you DI'INT!!?!!

There was a thread about this not too long ago... I think what was mentioned was white with just a tiny bit of brown and/or yellow ochre... I think this is the thread... http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/24806-bone-paint-help/page__hl__bone also, try the hardbait cookbook thread stickied at the top of this page... IIRC there are a coupe of recipes for bone there also.

Very cool!! Thanks Ben!! I have necer seen one of these before but i never have fished for musky either.

I'm not familiar with this style... I googled it and came up with a pretty neat soft plastic swimbait but that was all... Is your concept based in this or is it something completely different?

If your lure is an opaque or transluscent body with a dull finish DN will shine 'em up but i don't know if it will make 'em significantly (if at all) clearer...

You've come to the right place my friend!! I can't really offer anything new in the way of advice other than to say using the search function and typing in "airbrush" will yield page after page of threads on the subject. The alligator clip deal a lot of us (including myself) use is called "helping hands" and i get mine from Harbor Freight (along with my nylon bristle airbrush cleaning set) although they can be purchased from many different sources. I think Ace hardware has 'em also. Keep at it and soon enough you'll rise to the level of mediocrity i have myself attained!!! Seriously though, welcome aboard and do spend some time using the search function for practically ANY subject you can think of from soup to nuts!! Karl

Can't wait to see how that puppy performs in the water!! Karl