CoreyH

Thanks for the info...glad to know I can use the smaller wire with this mold.

So I can upsize the hook, which is good. Am I able to go down slightly in wire size from the .050 to the .045 or will that not work? If I have to stick with the .050 I will, but I feel like I'd prefer to go with the .045 if I can. Or build some with the .045 and some with the .050 to see which work best. Thanks again.

Thanks for the help and advice. I think I'll do what Apdriver suggested and buy the forms already pre-formed from Barlows. However, the Do-It mold I'm looking at getting shows a wire size of .050 for the 3/8 and 1/2 oz mold size. I've never used lead molds before, so I'm not sure if I have to use the .050 wire size or can I use the .045 with that mold? Same goes for hook size. They have a 3/0 size hook for the 3/8 oz cavity and a 4/0 for the 1/2 oz cavity. Can I upsize the hooks to a 4/0 for the 3/8 and 5/0 for the 1/2 oz?

TU Member 36 110 posts Report post Posted 4 hours ago (edited) I'm looking at making some buzzbaits for bass fishing. What gauge wire is going to be best for bass fishing applications? I'd be making 3/8 - 1/2 oz baits. Also, in order to make clean looking R bends and other bends (like the downward bend in a Cavitron-type buzzbait), should I be able to do that with just a pair of round nose pliers, or am I going to want to have a wire bending/forming tool of some kind?

Sorry guys...somewhat new to the board and I started with making crankbaits and this is where I always posted. Didn't even realize there was a separate forum for wire baits. I'll post my question there or look for the answer there. Thanks!

I'm looking at making some buzzbaits for bass fishing. What gauge wire is going to be best for bass fishing applications? I'd be making 3/8 - 1/2 oz baits. Also, in order to make clean looking R bends and other bends (like the downward bend in a Cavitron-type buzzbait), should I be able to do that with just a pair of round nose pliers, or am I going to want to have a wire bending/forming tool of some kind?

Thanks for the replies. I've seen some spinnerbaits being sold and they seem to tout the piano wire as though it is inherently better, so I wondered if that was the case or not. I don't think it will sway me one way or the other when looking to purchase.

What would be the reason(s) for using piano wire over standard stainless steel wire for things like spinnerbaits or buzzbaits?

Glad I read the latest replies before I did anything. I think I'll just brush it on around the lip area and then dip the rest of the bait. Thanks!

Thanks guys! As always I appreciate it.

I've been making baits mainly with PVC trimboard. In a previous thread I had asked some questions and someone (I think it was Mark Poulson) had said that they dip their PVC baits in acetone prior to painting and topcoating so that the acetone helps to close the foam cells and lessens the likelihood of having gases come out and ruin the paint or topcoat. I have already epoxied in the line ties, lips, and hook hangers in several baits, but they are not painted yet. If I dip the baits in acetone now, will that negatively affect the epoxy in any way?

BobP, thanks for letting me know about what will happen with regards to the browning of the topcoat. Luckily, I haven't made any baits that I'd be really disappointed in ruining with a bad topcoat. I'll mark this down as a "learning experience" and move forward with either KBS or a good slow cure epoxy. Thanks again.

Thanks for the link eastman03! That answered my previous question and also helped with with my original question as well.

OK, next question...how long do I need to wait between coats? Do I want to wait until the epoxy has completely cured (24 hours at least) or do I not need to wait that long?

I realize that I should use something other than 5-minute epoxy, but I had a few baits I really wanted to try and get finished (I'm not very patient at times) and saw a video of a guy just using 5-minute epoxy and it seemed to be coming out ok. The ones I have done with the 5-minute have turned out ok for the most part, but just like building baits, I want to continue to get better and have cleaner builds, and that means using a better product for my topcoat. The videos I have seen of guys applying topcoat have shown them applying one coat. Maybe they do two or three and just don't show it, which is why I asked if that is the better route to go. My baits are just intended for bass, but I do catch some pike on my bass baits, so I'd like the topcoat to be durable enough to handle the occasional pike.