SW Lures

I would like to ask this question here. I make mainly wooden baits now, I get what BobP has stated about plastics when I do them. My question is, what can I use when epoxy gets on a lexan bill. I understand about MCU, but I try to buff it off and then spray the lure. Is there a better way? Thanks, Dale

Loading ballast and testing is part of the routine. After you find what you need then I agree with Aulrich. Take notes, you can go back and use this info again. I myself use spreadsheets on the computer. Pictures can be added in. BobP is right about sealing, with you using cedar the grains will need a little more attention from the raising. You may find yourself using a little bit heavier grit sand paper. I agree with you about allowing 24hrs to dry after painting, even with heat setting. I talked to Ben a little bit about it. I rushed to finish some lures for a trip and sealed the lures a bit to quick I think on a few. These baits had fine line cracks where the others didn't. You'll find your way like we all have, at one time or another. Enjoy, Dale

X2 BobP

I agree with Mark. If you use a band saw try this, draw your pattern out on a piece of paper with the lip marked out. Then wood glue it to your wood piece. This will help you with staying in the area that you want the lip at, depth, width etc. There is a con for a band saw, the multiple kerf cuts. You will have some clean up. I don't have this with the table saw. I also can put any angle that you won't with the table saw. From parallel to the Y centerline (or greater) to perpendicular to the line (or greater). If I wish I can clamp the work piece down for safety, by using wood clamps that installed on my jig. Which is most of the time. If you are going to stay with a table saw then get a fine cut blade. I use a angle gauge and a height gauge to get a precise cut. These gauges are not real expensive. I have no blow outs even on soft woods, but what Ben has stated will help a lot. Use hard wood for the sandwich pieces and clamp it together in some way. I like the table saw to do this and I get very precise and clean cuts. This is like anything else, the work piece of wood, saw adjustments and jig most be square. I have a 3/16" blade in my band saw for fine contour cuts, which is not fun for lip cuts. I do other work in my shop other then just lures. With the band saw set up with the attachment for that blade, I leave it alone. Very nice for tight cuts. So that's why I don't use a band saw for lips. Let us know if there is something that we have not touched on. Have a great day all, Dale

Another thing, it appears the grain of the wood got you to. Sometimes some people here will seal and harden the wood before installing the lip. That could help you to. The only time that I blew out the nose of the bait is when I forced it. Dale

.20 is about 13/64 of an inch, which is just thicker than 3/16". Must table saw blades are an 1/8" kerf cut. So a dado can cut a 3/16", but that is going to be a tad tight. Which is probably breaking the wood out. What has been shown to me is to make your cut while the wood is still in its rectangular form. I have a slide jig for my table saw to hold my pieces in place while making this cut (homemade). This will take some math to get your cut deep enough. You could do a little sanding to get the slot wide enough if it's to narrow for the bill. You can also use a band saw if you have one or a scrolling saw. But to me I would buy lexan at 1/8" unless you feel you need a thicker bill or you can't find it. Don't force the bill in. Epoxy drill holes, tow line hanger can secure your bill or just drilling in a pin and epoxy it to hold the bill. The bill/lip should go in snug, but not forced. Hope this help, Dale

One thing about this group, y'all have an imagination. Daredevil.......Evel Knievel (or just Evil) wore the colors, nice name. Just having fun, Dale

What is the saying around here? It doesn't matter as long as it catches fish. Good luck, Dale

Thinking that it's maybe a few that he was making I throw out one that will do fine for quite some time. Tested and will last. Everybody deserves their opinion even if they tried something or not. I used this product last year and have many baits out there still being fished. Looks just as good. I guess I could have gone main stream and put products out there like mcu, uv, d2t with the brand names. I've used d2t for a long time. Now I'm using mcu and this product, because of the weight issues. Yep I know you can thin d2t down, but what a hassle. I like the uv idea but I believe mcu is just as good, IMO. Most of these need some sort of a special tool, turner etc or even brushes. The whole point was what was stated, my first bait, don't have specialized equipment. Figuring that a spray that will last is what was needed. Quick, easy and cheap and no equipment, but will last. So the debate goes on. Have a nice day, Dale

Here is a easy way to seal a lure. It will do well for this. Spray Rust-Oleum gloss clear coat in whatever way you like it. They put out a car clear, enamel etc. Four Coates will get you there. It sets up quickly, I didn't allow it to totally dry or I tried letting it dry and scruff it up. Either way will give you a good job. Hang them up nose up. It's easy to fine and pretty cheap. Make sure the hangers and lip is sealed well. I did mine outside. Let me know how it does for you. Let it fly, Dale

I was thinking about this thread. You people who have been doing this in for awhile, please chime in if I'm wrong it can help me to. I'll call this rules to create a crank lure. Depth= A: Ballast amount and where it is located. Head down, tail down or level in the water. B: Lip/Bill associated to the Y centerline, the length and width. C: Body shape as far as the head of the lure (lipless or a modified shape). D: Ballast must add all hardware also (hooks, hangers, rings and lip). E: Tow line location, I will put this here but this can effect some of these if not all. Action= A: Shape of the lure B: Ballast can change the action C: Lip also can change action (to wide with to light ballast the lure action "blows up") Stability & Hunting= A: Ballast needs to be low as possible in the belly of the lure for stability. B: Bring the ballast up above the the Y centerline and you get a pitch and yaw. "Swag" I call it. This creates the "hunting action". As Dave and others have stated in the past. Change one of these in a significant way and you have changed the lure. That's why I keep all info and any change in information as I learn. I am really interested in all feedback, Dale

I have just recently fished with some lures that I have been working on. Doing what Ben has stated about balance, lip angle and ballast amounts I had some diving in the 30' range (lost one to). I had a few that would float just a little, a few that sank a little. The techniques that really got depth with action was, the ballast nose down and lip close to center line of the Y line. Some had a broad back and others had a slab shape look. All caught fish, but the broad back had a aggressive action that created more strikes. My lip angled from the leading edge then had secondary angle going into the lure. I found that the lures that had an heavier ballast did better, I was mainly trolling. No big fish on this trip, but I was catching fish when not many were. So the baits showed good potential. Just to boiled this all down; this is what I have learnt from these people and from doing it myself. Anything you are doing in designing a lure changes the way the lure performes. The main point to me for action is shape, all the others characteristics enhance what you are looking for. I'm now working on a few that doesn't need the depth but I'm going above the Y line. Test are positive, but until they show fish strikes consistently this doesn't mean much to me. So really I have learnt from these people's thoughts and I'm reiterating them. I'm adding a few that I have found. Hope this helped, Dale

Since I have never had this issue, it must be the way I handle my baits. When I was young I had to keep what I had together and protected. Since it was a one time shot at getting a lure or buying that lure over and over again as I saved my money. I kept the lures in the box when not in use, because most of time my fishing was from a pier. Till I was given an old boat with oars. The box was kept in a cool area or I should say a shaded area, my bed room when not in use. The habit has continued as I got older. I still have whats left of (lost by fishin) my lures. One that I have as a show case piece is a jitterbug lure. Old, battle worn but not distorted. I believe that this is my earliest plastic body. That was my first I think. Caught a lot of fish, but was put away in time. Still was carried around for many years, fished now and again. New baits just makes you think that they are better, I guess. Keep them away from concealed storage areas that can get hot from motors, etc. Control the environment. So yes I agree with Travis in a long winded way, Dale.

When you flare out the gill plate it causes another issue going thru water. Another point for me is when a forage fish is moving fast to very fast to elude a predator fish the plate is not open very far. Speed is essential for escape. If I'm making a lure that is being cranked in moderate to pretty fast, I am just bring the body down behind the plate a little, then painting the effect of the gill. The technique is starting to look pretty good. Just less issues for the action of the lure, Dale

No matter what it's a interesting topic. Some very good opinions. Dale

Interesting Bob, no matter what we do unless vacuuming or injecting a dryer gas, our atmosphere has moisture in it. During the forming of the bait it could be trapped inside. So if here in the south during the summer months, there would be more moisture trapped then in let's say Arizona during the same time. Nice Bob, Dale

Take a infrared laser thermometer gun and put a crank into the sun light you well be very surprised at the temperature that is created. As far as pressure goes, this can get extreme. Trust me in my job I have seen extreme increase pressure from sunlight, radiation. And also rapid decrease pressure from rain, cloud cover when the vessel/plastic crank has been exposed to sunlight. I've seen polyethylene (plastic) pipe over 100° above ambient temperatures. We can not test when pipe is exsposed to sunlight or we have to cover the pipe (any pipe) from the sun. It creates erratic pressure changes and will make a test fail. So IMO it's both of these issues. My suggestion is to do what has already been mention cover them when not in use. I have a friend that that's all he does, even a clear tackle box. If we ever have and sun and warm weather I could find what temperatures are created and maybe what pressures are created. For the ones that do not it could be the construction design, another could be not being equal condition to all that we are chatting about. To many scenarios to really know. Take Care, Dale

I would like to get your video from you to. Would you please post when you are up and going again. Thanks, Dale

A very nice looking bait. I'm going to try that type of joint soon. Looking good, Dale

The tie line will be on the nose of one and just under the nose of the other on this set. I may put one in the next set out about a 1/4"-1/2" on the bill. The chamber is placed there to see if I can create a effect/hunting action. At this point I'm looking for a certain action of the lure. The rattle is also there because of the action that the tail will create. I didn't show this but on the plug and inside of the chamber a thin plate of metal is glued. This is going to create a certain click that I'm looking for. We shall see how it all turns out. Dale

Dave, I was taught when I was a wee little one by mom. Never talk politics to a friend. Because most of the time, they won't be your friend long. Me myself, everyone has their own opinion. When it comes to this I keep mine to myself. Mom's words still ring in my ears. Just sayin, Dale

You ask for it sooooo....well here’s what I have done to this point. This one is the swim bait and it 8” in length. This is both of them, a stick and the swim. The swim bait was hinged together with SS wire. I’m not going to say TIG Electrodes it makes people cringe. I can hear it sometimes. Yeah you can tell that I’m on the computer tonight. Had to for this. Here’s another top or bottom view before cutting. Here is where I start whittling them down. Yep to many of them, wheres that food again! You will notice that the paper outline is still there. It gives me a centerline reference till I don’t need it anymore. Also its better to see how the shape is coming. That rule is an engineers rule that is 6” long. I like using it. Notice the flat top of the head, its almost like a lipless lure. I guess you can call it a modified lipless with a backwards dolphin wing. Notice the recessed eye socket. Me like this technique (yes I spelt that right). I drill them a little over size and give an accent color behind the eye itself. Notice the rattle chamber, something new that I am working on. We shall see about this one. I hear your brains saying Hmmmmm. This one I made so you can see where I sealed the chamber up. Look at the grain change. I also used a different type of wood, just to make it more noticable. I will never use bond and wood putty again. A little shout out to Mark also on this one. This one is where I cut in the gills and the plate. I use the gouge and cut it in at. Then I open it up to expose the gills with a Exacto knife, then I paint. I put a little red in there. I don’t like forming a gill plate flared way out when a fish (lure) is in motion. The only time a gill plate is open that far is when the fish is usually at rest. LOL, I don’t use that size gouge much any ways, got to make it good for something. It works pretty good for this size bait. This is taking a while got anything to eat. I am going to finish the shaping soon. I’ll then find where I want the ballast to go. In the future I will know where the ballast will go and what happens if I move them around. Remember: people this is the prototype. I always wonder what If I do this, what will happen. So I’m giving somethings a try. So to this point how am I doing? Be gentle please. Yep, I don’t need to get on the computer anymore for a while so....one more face to go, or two.... Cheers...smile a little, Dale

Ben, I liked your first paragraph so much that I was laughing. Then laughing changed to shaking my head in understanding. I can't hold regular stencils anymore. So I bend large paper clips so that they look like a scissor. I put a plastic or rubber coating on the ends (tubing). Then I use them like a clamp. LOL, works for me. I am with you, brother. Dale

Wow, I need to watch this auto correct and my spelling! "I caught", should be "I fish". Dave as you know this first set of baits where specific to a trip that I was getting ready for. This is my next step to go thinner for smaller baits in the future. I will get some board from LPO and give that a try. Dale By the way Dave, they did pretty dag gone good to.