PikeMastaRapp Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 K my birthday is comming up and im planning on taking the money i get to buy stuff for lure making, but i have never done it before so i was wondering if anyone here has advice for what i should buy? I mostly go Pike and Muskie fishing but when i go on fishing trips i will also fish walleye pretty hard. Crankbaits are what i do the most fishing with so im guessing that will be the fist lures i try to make. Any advice on equipment, paints, books, and materials to buy would realy be helpful since i dont know anyone that makes there own lures. thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikeman Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 you will need wood if u decide for musky baits basswood will perform well , although balsa is superior u will need to do some search about teeth protection on this site. Now you will want to cut some lure shapes and for this you'll need a bandsaw , this requires attention cause you don't want to search for your fingers under the table . Now if you have all the fingers in place you'll take this shape and start rounding it with a disc sander or a router. then you'll go and protect the lure from water with thinned Devcon2ton or other methods. An airbrush for painting will do the job. OK you can simplify the job with a handsaw , rattle cans and replace the wood with foam or resin mixed with microbaloons but for this you will require a mold .. and this is why you are a member of TU cause here you can find all you want to know about all this stuff :yeah:and different methods in building lures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 PikeMastaRapp In your profile, I see floor installer. If that includes hardwood floors, I think you’ll be able to get going pretty quickly into hardbaits. I would start with the member submitted tutorials for starter. You may want to look at http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue/download_tips.htm. They have all sorts of downloads in pdf formats including diving lip patterns, basswood carving patterns, and just a good bunch of beginner’s information. You also need to determine what your comfort level is. You can go to http://staminainc.com/ and see the various components and check out the costs. How you get out of this hobby depends on how much you are willing to put into it. You can make crankbaits and musky plugs for under $5.00 each. But, there is a long list of tools that can make the process go faster and llok better. Saws, sanders, air brushes, just mention a few of the coveted items. Good luck in getting started and I look forward to seeing your work in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Michael's or Hobby Lobby... Block of Balsa of Basswood 4.00 #2 X-Acto or Excel Handle with 5-15 extra #2 Blades 6.00 Fine tooth craft saw 8.00, Coping saw 6.00, or from you favorite hardware store, Scroll saw, or Band saw. Lowe's or Home Depot... Hillman 20 gauge or 18 gauge steel wire, on the hardware isle (picture hanger area) 3.00 Sand paper or Emory cloth 3.00 Wal-Mart... Devcon 30 min. 2 Ton Epoxy 2.00 paint dept. adhesives area Jannsnetcraft... 4 bucks worth of Micarta square lips 9.00 Tackle Box... A few lead weights Tool Box Needle nose cutting pliers Drill and wood bits $25-$35 bucks will get you started. Try cutting something out that looks like a 0-3' diver from the pages of Bass Pro Shops catalog. After your fifth one you will either be hooked or not. Everything else you need to know is here on TU. By the time you've finished shaping your fifth bait, you will have learned how to use the search on TU, and your family and co-workers will start to notice the bags under your eyes. You will be wondering why the nights are so short, and be looking everywhere for things to spend money on to feed you new habit. Walking through a parking lot, you might notice a scrap of metal you never would have seen before and think of a new way to use it in your next bait. I could go on but I think I will let some other member continue this story that is so familiar... Help me out on this one guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PikeMastaRapp Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Thanks for all the help! After loking around on the web page and reading some of the posts i have another question! I do use a saw when i do hard wood floors but im not realy good with saws. when i first thought about getting into lure making i saw a web page that had pre-made crankbait bodies and i thought i could finish them paint. But after reading your replies to my post do you think some one who only took wood shop for one year and hasnt realy used saws in his like could get into lure making? I am going to take Palmetto Balsa advice and buy the supplies he told me to get and give it a try but all my family members keep laughing at me and think its strange for a guy like me to get into a a craft like this.(since i was about 20 years ive been in front of a TV or PC playing games last year i averaged 72hrs a week on World of Warcraft) I need to find away to get my self away from my pc and a way to pass the time till the ice is off the lakes so i can get back out there! Im sorry for all the dumb questions but i am thankful for all the help you guys have given to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 PikeMastaRapp. I think I speak for most when I say the only dumb question is the one that isn't asked. As long as you have access to a few simple hand tools and a little determination, you'd be suprised what you can do. This is a great place to learn, but only you can pickup the tools and do the work. So, show the family what you're made of and build a few nice lures. When you stop and figure that a common hardbait can cost around $20.00 each, what have you got to loss? Palmetto Balsa - very funny very funny, but that is how it seems to happen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Always cut away from yourself, and make sure your hand tools are sharp. And don't rush. Just like life in general, it's the journey, not the destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 It is just practice. You will notice massive improvement, very quickly. Set yourself a testing period, in other words, don't just make one and decide that you cannot do this. Try one per day for a month before making a decision. If they are still rubbish after that, post a pic and ask some questions, you will probably be doing something wrong. Mark a centre line. This makes it easier to eyeball the symmetry. I have read here that people glue two pieces of wood together, but before gluing, they use a thick marker pen and color in the mating surfaces. So, as you carve, a centre line is always visible. If a piece goes badly wrong, cut your losses and start again. Small errors can be rescued with filler. Cut lip slots etc before carving. It is easier to get the slot square, also, if you screw up the slot on a square bait, you haven't wasted all that carving time. Remove small amounts at a time and examine. Work both sides at the same time. What ever you do to one side, immediately do to the other and eyeball continuously. Search the word carve and carving and you will find a thousand tips on carving. Hope it works out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 If you screw up a lip slot, stop, cut a dutchman (a small, snug fitting piece of wood), and glue it in the bad slot. When the glue sets, it'll be ready to cut again. The exterior wood glues available today, like Gorilla Glue, or Tightbond 2, are so strong if you make a good fit, that the wood will fail before the glue. Remember, if it's made from wood, it can be fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
