Pvc Board For Deep Diving Crankbaits

[JLester]

I'm thinking of building some deep divers out of PVC board. Will PVC board float so the lure will back out of hang - ups? I would like to know before I spend $$ on something that I don't like.

[jrhopkins]

I'm thinking of building some deep divers out of PVC board. Will PVC board float so the lure will back out of hang - ups? I would like to know before I spend $$ on something that I don't like.

pvc board is very bouyant.

[esoxbuckeye]

What type of pvc board is best to make a crankbait and where can it be found?

[BobP]

You can find PVC board at home centers sold as exterior trim board or you can buy fairly expensive PVC board under the brand Sintra online or at sign shops. The density of the trim board you get will vary according to the specific manufacturer because it's not designed for our application. A friend has used Sintra to build a deep diver and was happy with the result. It is much more dense than cedar or basswood. JMHO, it will definitely give you a different action than most wood baits since the weight will be diffused throughout the body instead of concentrated in the belly ballast like a "standard wood bait". Whether that's good or bad depends on who's throwing the crankbait I guess. For me, I prefer being able to distribute ballast without worrying that I'm approaching the sink/float threshold, and am not crazy about moving to another material for which I'll have to relearn how to finish the bait. But the consistency of the PVC board is otherwise attractive. Player's choice!

[Stringjam]

I built a deep diver out of Sintra and was very pleased.

The lure behaves very similar to a DT-16 (which was a bit of my intention). I experimented a lot with ballast......if you want you can go light enough that it will pop up like a cork (think Bagley DB3). That, of course, really hurts the casting distance. I prefer moderate to slow float most of the time with my deep divers so I weighted it down.

The lure is very lively and in the end I was able to get exactly what I wanted out of it, so don't hesitate to give it a try. It's versatile enough that you can design around a high-buoyancy bait or a slow floater.

[JLester]

Thanks' guys. I'm having a time finding some were I live. Talked with a local lumber store in town and they said that they could get me a board or two, so I'm going to give it a try. Just trying to find something different to get that edge. Nice looking crank stingjam. I like the way you did the eyes, I was planning on doing that myself, now I know I will. When I get caught up on fishing and customer's lures I'm going to get started and then post some pic's. Thanks everybody.

[Stringjam]

Thanks' guys. I'm having a time finding some were I live. Talked with a local lumber store in town and they said that they could get me a board or two, so I'm going to give it a try. Just trying to find something different to get that edge. Nice looking crank stingjam. I like the way you did the eyes, I was planning on doing that myself, now I know I will. When I get caught up on fishing and customer's lures I'm going to get started and then post some pic's. Thanks everybody.

If you want Sintra - you'll need to look at sign shops......or you can just order it online. I bought mine from foamboardsource.com. It isn't cheap material, though. You'll need to laminate it to get enough thickness for a deep crank. I buy the 1/2" sheets.

[JLester]

Stingjam,

How do you laminate the two together? with PVC glue? I found some 1" thick foam board from " Tanza " that I going to try but I really wanted 3/4" to do a deep divivg flat side.

[Stringjam]

Stingjam,

How do you laminate the two together? with PVC glue? I found some 1" thick foam board from " Tanza " that I going to try but I really wanted 3/4" to do a deep divivg flat side.

I've just been using super-glue.........but I haven't long-term tested any baits so I'm not going to say that's the way to go. I used it based on a test I read rating various types of epoxies and glues at joining PVC. The thin (not gel) super-glues ended up winning.

I cut my pieces both for side profile and for vertical profile, so I have no need to find a perfect stock width. Sintra has a "skin" on the outside anyway that needs to be cut off (I know some guys run their pieces through a saw to start with to get rid of the skin.

There are several people on this board with a lot more experience than me using PVC....hopefully they'll give you some better answers.

[mark poulson]

I built a deep diver out of Sintra and was very pleased.

The lure behaves very similar to a DT-16 (which was a bit of my intention). I experimented a lot with ballast......if you want you can go light enough that it will pop up like a cork (think Bagley DB3). That, of course, really hurts the casting distance. I prefer moderate to slow float most of the time with my deep divers so I weighted it down.

The lure is very lively and in the end I was able to get exactly what I wanted out of it, so don't hesitate to give it a try. It's versatile enough that you can design around a high-buoyancy bait or a slow floater.

That's a beautiful lure! Very nice work.

[atrophius]

I have used sintra quite a bit in costumes and a couple lures. I know that super glue is probably your best bet. The pvc cement does not quite do as well for some reason, not sure why. Epoxy just flakes off pretty much, but I thonk that is because of the sides of the sintra board, they are smoother then the porous center of the board.

Here is a link on gluing sintra together that I used to make adecision on my samurai costume and fishing lures.

http://www.solarbotics.net/starting/200207_sintra/200207_sintra_adhes.html