FishCandy

Hey Mr Stone, I remembered you saying you don't have a lathe, and I just received an email from Instructables on turning without a lathe. The method uses a band saw: http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-With-a-Bandsaw/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email There's also this from Izzy Swan on how to use a table saw as a lathe:

I watched a video the other day of a Whopper Plopper repaint. She uses the lures sold by River2Sea. She buys them in the "powder" color, the lures are already based out and just need a repaint.

Nathan, I like that idea. More control and glitter is definitely not going to be a problem under two coats of epoxy.

I found this link today: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPBYNqn8t4ZV-UfrbJoXi4Q about a hydrographic transfer kit for home use. Then the lighbulb went on and I ran a search for blank hydrographic transfer "paper" , and found: https://www.amazon.com/Hydrographic-transfer-printing-printer-0-3X20M/dp/B01NCV1G5O for inkjet printers! I think this could be a way to print any wild pattern you can think of and wrap it around a lure.

Great idea, and a nice mold tutorial. I especially liked your use of those interlocking pieces, rather than a clay bed. Did you also print those out?

Ditto, mix it good, slowly and scraping the sides of the cup. I believe the package says mix for two minutes. Also scrape off the stick on the lip of the cup once in a while. Lit sit a few minutes after mixing, bubbles come to the top. Breath on top of the etex in the cup before you start brushing to release a bunch of bubbles. If your brush has long hairs, cut them shorter so you don't load up the brush too much. After applying etex, hit it with some heat to release any bubbles caused by the brush, especially if it's begun to gel a bit. I keep reading not to use a wood mixing stick, or a flat one. I do both, doesn't seem to matter. I usually do ten lures at a time, and mix two smaller batches, rather than a larger one. It's easier to properly mix smaller amounts, and it avoids having to deal with trying to brush on thickening epoxy on the last lures.

Maybe in the winter the wax would freeze in the cold water? Still, not very durable. It would float real nice, though. Might make a nice top water popper. At least until the first fish bites it in half.

I don't hand carve baits, but also use a small drill bit to drill a locating hole in the blank. After it's turned, I go back and use the pre drilled hole to center a forstner bit and make the recess for the eye. I then use a large round burr bit to bevel out the recess for a smooth transition to the eye.

Here's an out there idea. Make a mini tornado machine and hang the lure in it! I made one once, using a vacuum cleaner motor and little metal oil drum. I used to put talcum powder in there and watch the tornado, (yeah, I'm easily amused!). Just recently, I built a dust separator for my shop vac, which is really the same thing. Just for grins I took a look around, and found this little vacuum pump that would be perfect for building a small tornado machine: https://www.amazon.com/Uniquers-Vacuum-Diaphragm-Compressor-Silicone/dp/B071GL3XXQ/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1524365122&sr=8-30&keywords=mini-vacuum Mount a microwave platter motor to the chamber floor, run a wire through the lure and mount it standing up on the motor spindle. Sprinkle some dust on the chamber floor, and fire it up! You get an evenly coated lure, and the kids get a science project!

I may have to try some of that nail powder in clear medium and spray through an airbrush. Might make a nice scale pattern...

This might work, haven't tried it with soft plastic, though. https://www.ebay.com/i/292059266930?chn=ps

Oh, by the way. Don't try that holo powder on top of cured epoxy. It doesn't work. I think the epoxy is too hard a finish. The powder needs a softer surface to bite into and stick, so you can burnish it.

Hey Chuck, lemme know how that holo nail powder works out. I experimented with some of it for bucktails, but wasn't really happy with it. Too much work when I can just powder coat. I have to use the stuff for something, though...

Thanks for the videos. How things are made often interests me more than the things, themselves. The soft bait version may also tempt the stripers up here.

I remember that kind of sharpener. They used to be much better at eating pencils than sharpening them!

I like your video production. You've given me a clear path to follow when I try my own. I also appreciate the desire to travel off the beaten path. I didn't want to to just copy other designs, I developed a few of my own. It makes things more interesting, but it's a harder sell. People forget the "traditional" designs used to be new not so long ago! The lure drying machine you came up with is terrific.

OIR, I've seen that video. Thought about it a bit and decided the pieces coming out were too haphazard and too big. The smaller the bits, the easier it is to work with the plastic. Chuck, I'm trying to picture what you're thinking. How would that work?

CNC is serious coin. A lathe duplicator would be more affordable. You'd have to hand turn the master.

I ended up with a collection of these lures. They cast nice. They have a nice, slow spin, on retrieve. I switched to using tin for the wings. Tin is harder than the copper I was using, and I get it for free.

Over here on Long Island it's mostly salt water fishing. There are a bunch of striper anglers, and a big market for plugs. Every now and then, I'll steal an idea for musky or gar for use with stripers, bluefish, or fluke. I don't have anything fancy, most of my tools and machines are second hand-some free from Craig's List. My lathe and the lathe tools are from Harbor Freight. I ordered this e-book when I first started turning, I still haven't tried everything in it: http://www.woodenluremaking.com/ Turned out to be a good buy, he even gives you sources for materials and supplies.

I thought of using one. As far as I can tell, meat grinders work by using a screw to force meat through a die. The machine is built to grind material that is wet and soft. I think I can build a purely mechanical version of the shredder OIR posted. I can use that method of building the meshing shredder teeth, and power it with two drills.

Just what I is looking for! I was wit it right up until the electronics. Not so great with that stuff. I could probably put together a mechanical version, though. Thanks.