kajay920

I try to leave the protective coating until just before I add the clear coat. Before I glue them in I use a fine point pencil to mark where the paper needs cut. One way I've seen to smooth the edges is 4000 grit sandpaper in a water bath. Takes forever and would be incredibly difficult on my hands trying to hold such a small piece of Lucite.

I saw some jelly fish that glowed green when I was in the Caribbean. Other fish would not go near them! Ran them all off actually, I had to leave the spot because nothing was biting then. I guess the knew better. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Sounds good Matt, I'll trade you a chunk of black walnut for some cypress. Keith

I saw your tutorial in the Gallery Mark. Excellent detail and very thorough. TU would do well to make a separate page for such topics. thanks Keith

I think it's worth a try! Are the legs wood? They would have to be of some rigid material. And the pins what would do the the weight and balance of the lure?

I use what ever wood suits me at the moment. Or more importantly whatever is available for cheap! I'm not familiar with Paulownia so I can't say. Pine can be difficult because it has bands of hard and soft wood that make up the rings of the tree. The soft and hard rings can make the surface of the lure appear wavy because the soft wood sands away easier that the hard rings. Poplar is an excellent choice, considered a hardwood but is very soft and easy to shape. I use a lot of it because a lot of interior trim is made from poplar and I get scraps from work. I have a bunch of walnut from a tree I had cut up so I've made some of those. A little hard to carve but has an awesome sound to it when you put a rattle in it because of its hardness. I use a scroll saw and dremel to shape it. Also less buoyant so works well for deep running, or suspended lures. I came across some Cuban mahogany that is very buoyant and wonderful to carve, tight grained so it sands very smooth. Honduran mahogany would be similar but is a little more porus. I've also used the PVC trim board and I like it but you do have to be cautious not to heat it when running power tools over it. Not a show stopper, just something to be aware of. Purple heart is the hardest thing I've ever carved. Very dense and has oils in it that will burn the wood very easily with power tools. I actually made one where the spots on the lure were simply burnt in with a polishing head on my dremel. Makes a great novelty "naked" lure when no paint is applied. Maple, very hard but looks good on a naked lure. Cherry is pretty hard but easier that maple and walnut to carve. Bottom line is there is no right wood or best choice. What you have available is usually the best choice. But then, I don't make production lures. I do this to spend less money, have fun and to be creative. My wife says I'm a procraftinator. But that is another thread. Keith

Some good ideas, thanks for raising the bar for me guys. Florida Strain, It looks like we have some work to do!

Yes just household bleach. The sanding sealer is something I don't have much experience with. I do like the clear coat idea though. Stain would wipe right off of a clear acrylic spray. All you would have to do is reverse mask. Porosity of the wood will be a big factor. What wood are you using?

Florida Strain, Here is a close up of the bleaching process I tried. No masking, just freehand bleach applied. It works but it is limited. Where it ran down to the bottom it gets lighter. Three applications.

I saw a lot of pirating overseas too. I've actually saw movies where you could see people in the audience of a theater get up and move to the aisle for more popcorn!

Florida Strain, I've got a couple of "naked" baits that are in my gallery. I used different species of wood to make designs in the blank then cut out the shape. The problem I have is that my stripes are all square. I tried a bleach process to lighten the belly and sharpen the stripes to a point, but the effects were very subtle. I too am afraid to use stain for the same reasons. I thought about a thinned coat of wood glue,applied with a wire, where I don't want the stain because glue prevents stain from entering the wood. This then creates the issue of sanding off the glue and damaging the stained wood and creating more scratch marks. Perhaps that "Friskett mask" that Ben was talking about using on the joints of hinged baits.

Yea, I suppose folks that live in the driest part of the world may not have a complete understanding of freshwater fishing.