What kind of wood should i use?

[bc trout boi]

What kind of wood should i use to turn some pencil baits on a lathe? they are a gift for a couple of people that have helped me and i would like to use a wood that looks good just sealed...no stain, no paint! These are purely decorative baits. I am planning to add a special hook that i make, and burn the eyes on, as well as burning in small details like gills etc. But for the most part just plain wood? Is there a wood that fits my idea?

[pat28]

Hello BC Trout, Just a silly question on my part... If the baits will not be used, why would you choose a plug-related type of wood? You could simply go with woods that come out nice as is, like cherry, yellow birch, red cedar, bloodwood, tigerwood and others. Add some tung oil for a finish, and you get a really sexy decoration! Pat

[redg8r]

Yup I'd say if the baits are purely decorative, any wood will work.

I see you mentioned earlier that you would prefer the wood "doweled" to save labor, Maple, various Pines, & Poplar are usually available in dowel stock.

Also, try Googling some "pen blank suppliers" for some really cool exotics & engineered blanks.

[Swede]

You could try Masurbirch aka Curlybirch see my lure for an example

[diemai]

@ Swede

This one looks great , almost like amber . Does it work in the water (wood density) or its only a showpiece ?

I like it , one don't have to bother for a paint pattern design !

Greetings , diemai

[gldnbear93]

for purely decorative work-curly cherry birch or maple are beautiful (cherry is my favorite), birdseye maple, kingwood, zebrawood, canarywood, almost any burl has lots of figure (cherry, maple, walnut), tulipwood, rosewood, olive

less to no figuring but nice colors-purpleheart, padauk, yellow heart, bloodwood, walnut,

[Swede]

diemai the lure swims nice with a tight action sinks very slowly depending on the choice of hook

the only problem with birch is that if you use thicker material it gets abit heavy

[diemai]

@ Swede

Yeah , I assumed , that this special birchwood would be a little heavy , but if the lure still works.... that's just fine:) !

[jamie]

just an idea how about glueing a few different types of wood together and turn them down that would an eye catcher.

[Coley]

I have 2 of Swede's baits finished like that.

Natural, they are beautiful.