miragestalker Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Finally have all my stuff together. I just started with my first project, and I thought I would post here just to share pattern on block thur wire canal cut into block pattern cut out After carving and sanding.... Thats all I have done thus far. I drew some blood when I scratched my thigh as I drew the knife from the block. No worries. A couple of drops. Whadyathink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Looks to be basswood which is my favorite to carve. Nice job.........keep up the good work. jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellure Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 ...and folks ask why wooden lures come with a higher price tag ... the pics sums that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 .I carved the resistance ball to make the tail wag a little better. Next step is finish sanding and joint set up decision making. How many joints? What lenght will the joints be? Inputs welcome. I am thinking two joints and stabilizer fins in the front to stop the head from turning. I suspect that might give me a stabe front section and just a slight wag from the tail. If I wanted it to do the S walk, three joints? /bing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPala Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Depending on what you are trying to achieve; I do see a lot of carving still needed. The ball tail is a good idea but I think the ball may not offer enough resistance to make the tail wag. A SoftPlastic kind of tail would be more effective but that said, tail movement on a hard swimbait do not need it actually. Cut a slit to insert a tail fin be cool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 couldnt wait for the drill press. had to order it from sears. pressed on with the build just to get the process down in my mind. bought a carver bit to carve out the channel for the hook hanger. here are the results for the thru wire front section. first build will have one hinge. second build will be thought out better and have two hinges per joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) I am having problems designing a simple thru wire/bent wire jointed swimbait with two hinges per joint. I can't figure out a decent design that I am confident in. I may give up on the thru wire and settle for a brass tube reinforced/hinge pin jointing system or even a flat plate hinge pin design. Any suggestion on the best jointing system design with hook hangers that will take on a 20 pound striper? How to the fancy hinged swimbaits secure their hook hangers? Screw eyes? Edited October 28, 2009 by miragestalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Here is a couple of links that will give you some idea of the variations available. I am sure there are more out there, just waiting to be discovered. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/17246-hinge-ideas-please.html http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/17138-double-pin-hinge.html Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Great stuff VM! Thanks for sharing. /bing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 I just had my first joint. I am already sure I am not doing the next one like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 You chose probably the most difficult project for your first attempt. It looks to be going well. Keep posting your progress. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) Trying out the joints.... YouTube - IMGP5798 I am surprised that the hinger works so well. I guess a sea trial is the only way to really tell though. The thing is also producing a nice clacking sound I take that as a plus. next step, ballasting and sealing, /bing Edited October 28, 2009 by miragestalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Looking good. Don't forget, water tests before painting. Seal the wood and fit some hooks. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) well, ballasting is another aspect of this lure I did not think thru well. I had to get a little creative with hammering some lead to fit a the ballast hole. It would have been better too if I had put more wood to under the thru wire. I could barely get enough clearance for the 1/2oz lead cylinders I made. BTW, where do you guys get you ballast weights? You dont have to custom make them do you? What is the preferred format? Lead cylinders? Lead shot? Lead Strip? I sealed the wood and did a hydro test. It took 1.4 oz of lead up front and .7 oz in the back for a slow sink of a little less than a foot a second. Will post pics this pm when the epoxy sets on the lead. Later.... /bing Edited October 28, 2009 by miragestalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Ballasted trout.... Or maybe I meant blasted I should have put more thought on sourcing the lead. I ended up hammering some of my surf fishing stash into shape. /bing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 This is a little tip that might (and I emphasize the word might) help you in matching the lead ballast size to the size holes your drilling in the bait to receive the ballast. I used to take two pieces of steel angle iron and clamp them together, back to back. I would then drill a hole where the two pieces of angle met. This resulted in each piece of angle having one half of the hole drilled into it. You could drill the holes to different depths to achieve ballasts of different weight or you could cut a bit off if it proved too heavy. You could match the hole diameter in the angle to fit the diameter of the holes your drilling into the bait which should provide for a fairly snug fit without being too tight. I can't remember if the lead weights we poured shrunk very much, if at all, but you could allow for this if need be when sizing the drill bits. I do not profess to know anything about carving baits or weighting them. I'm sure if others who are proficient at lure making read this post they can tell you if this will or will not work. I just remembered the way we once poured weights and thought it might work for you. Hope this helps. RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 RG, yes it does work well. I use the same method, only with two pieces of wood, drilled down the join. Yes, the lead shrinks slightly, but this is a plus, as the slugs just push into the holes in the bait nice and easy. A drop of CA glue to hold them in place and you are done (make sure you let the lead cool before adding CA glue, I nearly gassed myself once). Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rofish Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 I have 2 molds for pouring lead, 1 diameter for each, which were made out of brass, long ago, by a friend, on a lathe. They work perfectly after more than 25 years of use. But the methods described above by RG and Vman work also good. But I have to add something. I think it is better that first you drill a very small hole through (maximum 1 mm drill bit), so that the air in the hole could be pushed down and out through the tiny hole. Otherwise, there is the risk that the lead would splash while pouring it. The metal mold will not work properly until it reaches a certain temperature. If cold, the lead would become hard instantly, before it would fill the whole hole. If your option would be wood, choose a hard one. Instead of steel, you could use aluminium, brass, copper, etc. When you have your cylindrical lead, you can cut it with an exacto knife, or similar, to the length (and weight) you need. And do not forget to wear safety glasses when you pour lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishwhittler Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 Looks good so far. Can't wait to see it finished. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 I guess pouring lead is unavoidable. I will need to give some attention to that before my next build. Thank you for your suggestions. /bing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) rofish is right about heating the mold. I forgot that we used to take a few passes with a torch over the angle iron mold we had. It's only been around 25 years since we did this. This also removes any moisture from the mold. Hot lead does NOT like water. Any moisture and you can have a small explosion so be sure to wear safety glasses or even a face shield. We didn't have a through hole in our molds and didn't seem to have any problem. The temp of the lead your pouring is also a consideration. Too hot and it will run like water. Too cold and it won't pour right and can leave voids in your finished product. We didn't have the electric pots like they have these days. Ours was a cast steel pot that was heated with a torch. We did have a good steel ladle with pouring vents in each side. I can't help but think that a good ladle would be most important. After all, you will be handling molten metal. Let us know what you end up with and how it works out for you. Good luck. RayburnGuy Edited October 29, 2009 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 drying.... Ive got a great idea for the pectoral and adipose fins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miragestalker Posted November 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 First, I milled out 0.10 oz of lead for a 2-3 second foot drop. Thanks for the input Eric! Then I put in the bottom fins. Voila! Finished trout plug! Its not perfect, its not the most beautiful plug out there, but I made it, my first attempt, and its mine Hydro tests this pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishwhittler Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Looks great! Now go paint it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
