texasboy Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 hi, I'm new to this website,and making fishing lures so I just want to ask a basic questin? Whats the best way to get started in making crankbaits out of balsa wood?I'm fairly good with a knife and had tried to make some out of some ceder but never got anywere,thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 If cedar didn't work out for you, balsa will probably be worse because it's much softer and you can quickly "go too far" working it. I'd try a few of the ready made balsa bodies from Jann's Netcraft or similar suppliers to get your feet wet. Add hardware and a lip, paint it, clearcoat it and voila, you're fishing. Hand shaping a symetrical crankbait from soft balsa takes experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasboy Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 thanks man but the problem was not that the ceder was too soft.ceder is a wood that ,a:has a lot of hard knots,and b:when you try and put the hardware in will spliter very easily.Thanks though,will try Jann's Netcraft.Does he have a website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zib Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 It is best to make all those critical cuts before shaping, ballast holes, eye screw holes and lip slot. That way, if you screw up, you don't lose an hour of shaping. Also, the body can be shaped to compensate for any misalignment, or just start again. Always use forstner bits, or at the very least, sharp drills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Tboy, I wasn't trying to steer you away from crankbait making. A bunch of guys here on TU are addicted to it and others do it for income AND fun. TU has tutorials and lots of posts describing more techniques than you can imagine. If you read them all, your head will explode. So use the tutorials and the search feature on the hardbaits forum to explore your options. Starting out with a pre-made wood body bypasses some of the hardest stuff and gets you to a fish catching first crankbait faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasboy Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Bobp,don't worry I didn't think you were trying to steer me away from anything:) what I posted last night was just to state what my problems were with ceder.I followed your advice and went to Jenns Netcraft and bought a few balsa bodys,thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 The Netcraft bodies will get you safely past the first hurdle and get you to the waters edge a bit quicker. But don't give up on the carving. Give yourself an uninterrupted 20 mins a day, for carving practise. There is far more pleasure to be had, catching a fish on one of YOUR OWN creations. I suspect that this is the message that BobP was making, I just want to make sure you got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Tboy, I wasn't trying to steer you away from crankbait making. A bunch of guys here on TU are addicted to it and others do it for income AND fun. TU has tutorials and lots of posts describing more techniques than you can imagine. If you read them all, your head will explode. So use the tutorials and the search feature on the hardbaits forum to explore your options. Starting out with a pre-made wood body bypasses some of the hardest stuff and gets you to a fish catching first crankbait faster. HAHAHA, that's so funny. Note to self, "Don't read all post and tutorials... head will explode." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Pick wood to carve that has no knots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasboy Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Don't worry Vodkaman,I always intended to carve my own lures.I also knew Bobp did not want to scare me away from making my own lures.He just gave reply to my question about how to get started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishPork Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Im guessing your from TX,Texas fish game magazine did an article this month on me and my balsa crankbaits.It is a basic step format but I think it will steer you in the right direction.The article is called ( Turning Wood Into Bass) Its not what ya think. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PikeMastaRapp Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I wish someone would have told me earlier about your head exploding if you read all tutorials.. i kinda need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I remember my first experience with wood carving came from Boy Scouts and did a check of web based wood carving merit badge resources and came up with this. There seems to be an effort to put the merit badge information on the web, but the manuals aren’t posted there yet. It used to have some good carving exercises in it. http://www.woodworking-news.com/woodcarving_merit_badge.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOZ Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 lol my head has about exploded a few times already...usually reading one of vodkaman's posts about vorticies, fulcrums, displacement, ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Sorry Loz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Vman, Your posts are great. They clean out the cobwebs, and make me use my brain. No wise cracks, please! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
