jeep brah Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 im am new to the crankbait making world but i baughrt some balsa and shaped it to what i wanted and and wondering if i should run wire tfor th hook or use screws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 It depends on how hard your balsa is. Unless you specifically order hard balsa, the wood you get from most sources requires thru-wire construction, IMO. Install a screw eye into the end grain of a piece of your stuff and see how hard it is to pull out. That will give you an idea of how it's gonna last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeep brah Posted November 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 thanks i will try that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 @ jeep brah I wouldn't trust screw eyes in ANY kind of balsa , they may hold the average fish , but what's gonna happen , if the fish of a lifetime is on ? I don't use balsa a lot(almost not at all) , but if I do , I always go thru-wired:yes: ! good success , diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeep brah Posted November 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 what guage should i use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 probably the easiest stuff to find is 19gauge stainless (most hardware stores)... btw, always go w/ stainless. I got some hardened stainless about 5 years back from some canadian lure making website (can't remember what it was called) and managed to get away w/ a slightly thinner diameter, which is better for smaller baits, but it was also much stouter & stronger than normal hardware store wire. The stouter wire is more difficult to form, but keeps your bait "in tune" much better than the softer stainless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 @ jeep brah Here in Europe we're not that familiar with your local American measurements , so I just advice you to choose the diameter of your stainless steel wire accordingly to the size of your lures . Won't make no sense to furnish a small lure with a thicker wire or vice versa ! I use ordinary SSt welding wire(a lot cheaper than special luremaking wire , only a fraction less rigid) in diameters of 0,8 mm , 1,0 mm and 1,5 mm(if you could figure out about those metrics , I can't about your local "gauge" !) . The latter thick one only for baits bigger than 10" or even 12" , the 1,0 mm is a good choice to cover most lures of mine . I could go thinner than 0,8 mm for smaller baits less than 2 1/2" , in this case I had to find a thinner , far more rigid kinda wire , just like A-Mac stated ! Greetz , diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
