exx1976

Well, we all know there's no money in lure building, so....

70 GRAMS?!? Is that a typo? That's nearly 2.5 OUNCES of lead. For only a 7" bait? What are you making them out of, styrofoam?! My 8" blanks only use ~5 grams of lead (they float), but I could sink them with ~15 grams... Anyhow... I'm sure some others will be along shortly, offering all manner of (blind) advice, however, before offering any advice myself, I have (a) question(s): What type of lure is this? Is it a glide bait, does it have a lip, what is the result you're looking for?

Out of curiosity, how is the speed with using that method? I mean, I'm not like "assembly line" style over here, but.. If a belt sander takes me 1-2 minutes, I'm sure I'll get better at it (read: damage less stuff) over time. If the method you mention doesn't take much more time, that would certainly be a safer route to go. If it takes 2-3x as long though... I'd have to think about it some.

The 404 appears to have been the hot ticket. Still have a couple things to sort out with my application method, but this attempt came out far better than I could have anticipated. I'm quite pleased. This is most assuredly FAR more time consuming than screw eyes. I plan to charge accordingly.

I gave up on making my own lips myself. I found a fab shop a few blocks from me who doesn't mind working with small customers, and even doing "one-offs". So I'll make one lip exactly the way I want it, and then take it to them and tell them what material and how thick I want it. Go back the next day and pick up all my lips. They have a waterjet, CNC, laser cutting table, all sorts of stuff, and can work in whatever material I want. It's much more efficient, and still allows me to get custom parts. The price is quite attractive as well when you factor in the amount of time it takes to make each lip exactly like the one next to it, and depending on the material, the size of the mess you will make doing so - not to mention with things like G10, the dust is hazardous. Plus, I don't have the expense of buying my own CNC, nor the headache of learning how to work it, or buying/replacing/sharpening bits, or any of that nonsense. I can just focus on what it is I'm trying to do - make lures.

The purpose of the baking soda is that it acts as an activator. You also cannot use gel superglue with it, it has to be the super super thin stuff that literally flows like water. There is no "mix it with baking soda", you'll end up with a rock faster than you can blink. The baking soda trick is to fill the slot (partway, depending on depth) with baking soda, then drip the THIN superglue onto it. It has to be the thin stuff so it can soak into it at least a little before it kicks. The gel stuff won't soak in, and will harden right on the surface, so you'll wind up with layers of baking soda, then superglue, then baking soda, then superglue. Not structurally sound at all. If ease of sanding is your goal, baking soda and superglue is not any easier to sand.

IDK. But since these are 1/16" wide, which is the same thickness as my slot, I ordered some. If nothing else, they'll save me from having to cut veneers.

Update: Belt sanders with 100 or 120 grit belts at 3300RPM eat wood. And wire hangers. No matter; the epoxy on those two baits was an absolute disaster. The 404 showed up today. I mixed some up to somewhere between peanut butter and frosting consistency, and began by jamming it into the slot with a popsicle stick. This was mildly successful, but not fully. I ended up shoving it in with a thin piece of G10 and my gloved fingers. Prior to doing so, I taped up both sides of the slot, then cut out around the ballast. The results? Well, it's not fully set yet, but it was set enough that I peeled the tape off the sides of the test bait, and it looks marvelous. Not at all fast, but, speed is not *necessarily* my goal. I'm sure my time will improve with repeated application, however. Also came up with a way to design a jig to cut the slot. Have the idea all worked out, started on it a bit this evening, then decided it's already been a long day in the shop so I took a break to update you guys and enjoy an evening bourbon. Tomorrow that epoxy/404 should be set up, so I'll come back and update further. I'll also hopefully get to work on that jig. Thanks for the continued ideas and motivation to me, you guys have been a tremendous help in this process.

With the baits I made, one single ballast in the front of the bait gave me a "dead" action. I mean, it still wobbled, but only a little. I didn't care for it. Maybe that body design will do better? Let us know!

I'm guessing you bought them online last time. Depending on what email you use, you may just try searching your email for the order confirmation or shipping notification. I've done that many times in the past when I couldn't remember where something came from. Sorry I don't have any better advice to offer... Hope you find what you're looking for!!

Yes, the "sawdust" I used was just stuff I picked up off my router table, it was clearly not the correct choice (as my mess of in the photo so gloriously illustrates. ) I hate cutting MDF, so I probably won't ever had any of that sawdust available. LOL All excellent advice about how to deal with the slot, I'll let you know how it works out. As for what outsells what - I'm counting on the well-known lure outselling me, the little guy. I plan to only make, at most, perhaps 5-600 baits per year, so if I had demand that was even twice that, I wouldn't be close to keeping up. My endeavor is more about having a hobby that gives me something to do all winter long, and at the end of the winter not having 500 lures in my basement or in my boat (and summarily, the next winter, not having 1000, then 1500, etc). I'm not looking to turn this into a full-time gig since I've already deduced it's simply not profitable enough to displace my day job. I do need to construct a rack of some sort to hold the baits if I'm going to begin building thru-wire in any sort of quantity (more than 2 at a time). One of the critical things I need to figure out with said rack is how to keep from epoxying the lures TO the rack, because in the photo above? You can bet that I most certainly epoxied them to that cardboard box. As for design similarities.. At some point, every lure is a similar design to something else. My INITIAL goal when I started this was "to replace all the lures in my boat with lures made by me". I like the way some of those lures function, so I didn't want to replace, for illustrations sake, a Hellhound with a deep diving lure. I need lures that behave, and cover water, similar to the lures I'm going to displace from my own collection. This relatively shallow-swimming minnow bait was my first choice. Is it unique? Is it something the fishing world has never seen before? Perhaps not at first glance, until you realize the lip is "the wrong color - what is that?". It does impart a different, and I believe, better, action than what you see in "similar lures". Once I've cut my teeth, so to speak, making things that are similar to something else, my thought is that I'll have enough of the mechanics of lure building under my belt (cutting, shaping, sanding, sealing, doing through-wire, painting, epoxying, etc) that creating something more unique will be easier. It's all about controlling the variables - but that will be a project for next winter. This winter, I still need to nail this one down, and hopefully, get a few dozen or a hundred lures into the hands of fishermen to enjoy this coming season to begin to build a name for myself. That way, when I introduce the crazy thing next year, people will at least already know who I am.

I'm well aware. But a solid action doesn't excuse the photo shared above. Nor does it excuse crappy paint jobs, or shoddy epoxy, or paint that flakes off after 10 casts, nor does it excuse hook rash so bad the lure takes on water. You know how I know that? Because if a cool action excused any of the aforementioned trespasses, I would still be buying lures instead of giving myself dain bramage trying to make them.

That was a headlock? Yeah.. They were mentioned by someone else in another thread as well.. The fact that there are so many of these "custom" makers that are getting North of $100 for screw eye lures with "okay(ish)" paint jobs is absurd. My original plan was somewhere in the $60 range for my lure with screw eyes. I just can't see my way to North of $100 unless you actually bring something of value to the table. And for how big of a PITA thru wire is, it's definitely of value. Lol

Yeah, I've considered the thinner epoxy. I don't have any here, but I know west makes some that flows near like water, perhaps like hot maple syrup, so that's a thought. I've also considered the wood shims, but haven't tried them yet. The photos you see were my first attempt at this at all, so.. My slot ls 1/16", so I'd probably just resaw some veneers from scrap pieces on the band saw if I went that route - and I'm leaning that way. As troublesome as it would be to get all the pieces the correct length between the ballast and hangers and whatnot, it would also mean the least amount of epoxy, which should help ensure an even kick and not having to wait 2-3 days in between operations. The thicker epoxy gets, the longer it takes to cure the whole way down. Plus, as you mention, voids are a concern. I fully expect these two to be compromised in some way, and am treating them as a learning experience. The jig was actually pretty easy to make, took about an hour or so. I would recommend using aluminum instead of plywood though. I've already ovaled one of the holes from the tension of the wire pulling on the locator pins.

I'm far less worried about the cleanup, and far more concerned with actually getting the nonsense into the slot. A belt sander will make VERY light work of any epoxy that is leftover. A belt sander will not, however, fill in the gaps that I couldn't cram the epoxy down into with a popsicle stick. I either need much thicker epoxy (putty) that I can force down in there, or, I need MUCH thinner epoxy that I can pour down in there (something like some of the west systems stuff). I'm not sure which. I'm also not sure I'm going to continue this build methodology unless I'm able to find an easier way to fill these stupid slots. LOL

Oye. This is a mess. I thickened the epoxy with sawdust, since that's all I had handy. Yikes. I did find some epoxy putty online that's made for boat repair, and the SG is low enough that it floats. It's still heaver than the wood I'm putting it into, but it's light enough that I won't have to worry about it adding too much ballast and sinking my lures. I ordered some of that to try. I also ordered some West 404. I'll keep you guys updated, but if this doesn't get easier, I question whether I will continue with this nonsense. I now understand why most builders don't bother with this (unless they are building with balsa).

I figured I should update my thread instead of the other one... Here's my new through wire, and the jig I made that made it. The attachment points look MUCH better than that hand-bent nonsense I had before.

Yes, I've seen numerous videos of what you describe for the belly hangers used on large (fat) crankbaits that use a drill-thru design instead of a slot. Unless I run into some serious issues, I'm pretty settled on the belly slot - at least for this lure. The belly is nearly completely flat, save for the slight upturn at the nose. Filling the back with epoxy would have to be multiple pours due to the contour - and that is not a time-save process. Additionally, doing it from the belly side allows me to seal the wire and the ballast in one fell swoop. If I did the back, I'd have to seal the belly and the back both anyway, and they can't be done at the same time, so....... That would be much, much slower - at least for this bait. I'll let you guys know how I get on. I made a mold to pour my ballast, so I still need to pour up a bunch, and I need to finish my wire jig. Probably won't get to epoxy until tomorrow night unless I suddenly find a whole bunch more motivation to continue tonight. The way it's looking, by the time I get some dinner and finish this jig, it'll be pretty late already. I'll pour lead and epoxy tomorrow night.

Got this far with a hacksaw, bastard file, and a drill press in about 30 mins. It's really easy. I used a 3/8x4" stainless bolt. Gonna go get some dinner while I wait for the CA to set, then make the handle and the jig. I even got a rattle can of plastidip, just like the the video! LOL There was a lot of stuff I needed to do this, so your shopping list may vary, but I bought: 3/8x4" SS bolt and two nuts rattle can of plastidip bastard file 5/32" drill bit Can of WD-40 to use as lubricant Box of nails (I forget what size) Compass/scribe Center punch I already have some 1/2" plywood here to use for a knob/handle, as well as the jig. The above shopping list was about $75 at the local "convenience" hardware store. Probably would have saved $10-15 had I driven to a big box store, but I like the little guy, and it's MUCH closer.

Good eye. The lip is g10, and it's not coming out. Additionally, this lure is designed for shallow work, not bottom dragging. It oy runs 24" on the deep side when twitching. Straight retrieve you can maybe get it to 3 feet. It's designed for working the top of weed flats. As for the epoxy "running out".. I'll let you know how I solve that. I'm thinking more painters tape, but we'll see. Hoping to mess with it later tonight. Planning to mix some sawdust into the epoxy to thicken it into more of a paste, too, which should help lessen the issues.

This guy has a great how-to for wire bending jigs. Having just started thru-wire myself, I plan to make one following his guidance.

Yeah, I've not yet decided on if I'll do the slot down the back or the belly. That was just a quick "proof of concept" I whipped up. Sanding was my first thought as well. However, having the slot down the belly seems much easier to me, in theory, since if it were down the back I would still need to drill holes - this time, all the way through the bait from top to bottom, to stick the hook hangers out of - and now we're back to getting the holes exactly in the center, and more drill press work, and.... Using a belly slot prevents that. Additionally, using a belly slot allows me to insert the ballast right on top of the weight, and epoxy all of it in at once. So, I think I'm leaning belly slot. I'm planning to fill the slot completely with epoxy. That seems like it would be the easiest since I can just shape it to exactly what I want it to be while filling, and not have to worry about (much) sanding after the fact. I am aware of the superglue/baking soda trick, that's how I've been covering my existing ballast. I would shy away from bondo or other types of vinyl body filler, as they shrink due to the type of material they are. IMO, having shrinking filler in a thru-wire slot would not produce the professional, high-quality product that is my goal. However, to deal with the inevitability of the sanding, I also added a 1" belt sander to my workshop to handle those duties. Also, the lip will not be in the bait when the slot is filled. I plan to use a couple pieces of painters tape to block off the slot. I like my baits to have that more "professional look" of a clean lip, rather than some trapezoidal shape from masking tape, so I insert the lips after I've already painted the bait. That way, I don't have to worry about taping it up, and removing the tape, and all that nonsense. I may revisit this as I continue to refine this new process, we'll see. I'll keep you guys posted.

It was simultaneously harder, and easier, than I thought it would be.

Depends on which side of the equator you're on.

$30-35 seems extremely reasonable for a plastic lure. Prior to my angry day on the water where I declared "I can do better!", I had purchased hundreds of plastic musky lures in that price range. To what do you attribute the difficulty in moving product? What kind of feedback did you receive at the musky show? @JD_MUDBUG - I'll respond to your comment in detail when I get to a computer, but the one model you mention with an aluminum lip and simple paint - that's one that I was referring to. Screw eyes, simple paint, high price. There are many builders that use that same formula, and all are ripe competition. There are several who have already gone after that lure by making a "copy" and selling it cheaper. I don't want to (necessarily) be cheaper, I want to be BETTER.