Pvc Decking For Cranks, Swimbaits Ect

[Yardape]

Guys, I have been playing with some different woods for cranks and would like to get some pvc decking. Does anyone know where one can purchase it?

[BobP]

Azek decking seems to be most popular. Go to http://www.azek.com/ to see their products and a dealer locator to find a nearby source.

[jrhopkins]

also try Lowes and Home Depot for pvc exterior molding ( millwork ). it has a hard outer skin that you will need to trim off.

[Fishwhittler]

I got some AZEK PVC from Vintage Woodworks. Their PVC doesn't have a "skin" that needs to be trimmed off, which makes it a lot easier to work with. They've also got several different thicknesses from 3/4" to 1 1/4", and each thickness is available in several different lengths and widths. I've only ordered from them once, but I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

Ben

P.S. You want the Trim board, not the Decking board. The Decking board has a woodgrain on one side, which will decrease the useable thickness.

[jrhopkins]

I got some AZEK PVC from Vintage Woodworks. Their PVC doesn't have a "skin" that needs to be trimmed off, which makes it a lot easier to work with. They've also got several different thicknesses from 3/4" to 1 1/4", and each thickness is available in several different lengths and widths. I've only ordered from them once, but I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

Ben

P.S. You want the Trim board, not the Decking board. The Decking board has a woodgrain on one side, which will decrease the useable thickness.

so the trim boards are smooth surfaced? their prices are about equal to what i pay from local retailer. i may have to order some from them, trimming the skin off can be a pain.

[mark poulson]

An AZEK swimbait note.

Yesterday, I was throwing at billed, two piece 4" swimbait that I made last year, and have used off and on since then

It has caught it's share of fish, including an 8 lb striper.

Well, yesterday morning, 31 degrees, I cast it up next to a concrete pier pileing, or at least that's where I aimed. It hit the concrete, and then fell into the water. As soon as I started my retrieve, I got bit by a 4lb+ largemouth. Yeah for me!

Of course, as soon as I had released that fish, I tried to cast back beneath the pier for more action.

After hitting the overhanging concrete deck three more times, hard, the front section of my lure came apart. All I got back was the line tie, nose, and bill, through which the screw eye line tie had passed.

I saw a piece floating, so I netted it, and it was half of the remaining part of the front section.

The front section had broken crossways where I had cut in the bill, which was just below where my eyes and thru rattle chamber were located. I didn't plan it that way. The lure didn't have a bill initially, but it wouldn't swim well, so I added one later, and it clearly made a weak spot.

Plus the half of the front section I fished out had split top to bottom exactly where the screw eyes for the hinges had been located.

So AZEK isn't indestructable. But I am going out this morning to make another out of it.

I'll probably drill slightly bigger pilot holes for the hinge's screw eyes.

This time I will try not to locate the rattles right over the bill slot, and I definately won't be as agressive in trying to fit a cast under a low concrete pier!

But the paint scheme and topcoat held up just fine!

[Fishwhittler]

so the trim boards are smooth surfaced? their prices are about equal to what i pay from local retailer. i may have to order some from them, trimming the skin off can be a pain.

The trim boards are indeed smooth on both sides, with no plastic film.

[mark poulson]

I just posted a photo of the replacement lure I made.

I'll try and post it here, too.

All thanks to my 15 year old daughter Rachel, who is home sick today, and helped me post this. I am not worthy.

Edited November 30, 2010 by mark poulson

[fatfingers]

If you like the PVC stuff, you'll love sintra signboard. You'll have to check with local sign painters in your area or do a search online to find the stuff but its cheap and is in my opinion, far superior to the PVC. It is less brittle and sands and shapes just as well.

[mark poulson]

If you like the PVC stuff, you'll love sintra signboard. You'll have to check with local sign painters in your area or do a search online to find the stuff but its cheap and is in my opinion, far superior to the PVC. It is less brittle and sands and shapes just as well.

FF,

I'll check it out. Thanks.

[Yardape]

I did a search for sintra signboard it looks to only come in thin sheets.

Do you glue the sheets together of can you buy it in different thicknesses?

[mark poulson]

If you like the PVC stuff, you'll love sintra signboard. You'll have to check with local sign painters in your area or do a search online to find the stuff but its cheap and is in my opinion, far superior to the PVC. It is less brittle and sands and shapes just as well.

FF,

I've found sintra online, and it seems to be a pure PVC that's expanded.

I'm not sure the sintra would work for my swimbaits. I see it as more of a balsa-like material that would need a through-wire system.

The PVC decking I've been using has cellulose fibers in it, so it has structural strength. That's how they can use it for walking decks. It is very hard, and holds screweyes very well. I did a pull test (thank you Vodkaman), and it held a 50lb bucket of drywall mud overnight with no problems.

My lure failed because of operator error.

First, I put a bill in after I'd already put a through hole and rattle system between the eyes, right in line with the bill, so I created a very weak area.

Second, I clubed the poor thing to death against the concrete pier.

I doubt the bill installation would have been fatal by itself, since I had already caught both large bass and large stripers on it with no failure, but it created a weak area that couldn't stand up to the repeated impacts of my poor casting.

I just need to learn to cast better, and not to try to fit my casts into such a small window.

[Matt Moreau]

If you like the PVC stuff, you'll love sintra signboard. You'll have to check with local sign painters in your area or do a search online to find the stuff but its cheap and is in my opinion, far superior to the PVC. It is less brittle and sands and shapes just as well.

Hey FF,

Thanks for the tip. I went and googled this stuff and looks cool but is the largest width you can buy only 1/2 inch?

Matt

[fatfingers]

I've seen it in thicknesses up to 1/2 inch but it may be available in larger sizes.

I have a supply of it in 3/8 and 1/2 inch and I find it to be a lot nicer to work with than the PVC board. It does not require through-wiring from my experience. I've made a number of baits with the stuff and used screw eyes. Caught a few muskies with the baits and had no problems.

Nothing wrong with the PVC board, I just prefer the sintra. I found the PVC to be a little to brittle for my uses.

[mark poulson]

I've seen it in thicknesses up to 1/2 inch but it may be available in larger sizes.

I have a supply of it in 3/8 and 1/2 inch and I find it to be a lot nicer to work with than the PVC board. It does not require through-wiring from my experience. I've made a number of baits with the stuff and used screw eyes. Caught a few muskies with the baits and had no problems.

Nothing wrong with the PVC board, I just prefer the sintra. I found the PVC to be a little to brittle for my uses.

I'll find some here local, and give it a try.

[Toadslinger]

How do you work with pvc decking I am new . how do you make it moldable

[jrhopkins]

How do you work with pvc decking I am new . how do you make it moldable

it isn't, you have to carve the bait same as wood.

[jrhopkins]

I got some AZEK PVC from Vintage Woodworks. Their PVC doesn't have a "skin" that needs to be trimmed off, which makes it a lot easier to work with. They've also got several different thicknesses from 3/4" to 1 1/4", and each thickness is available in several different lengths and widths. I've only ordered from them once, but I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

Ben

P.S. You want the Trim board, not the Decking board. The Decking board has a woodgrain on one side, which will decrease the useable thickness.

Ben, ordered a small peice to try out. will see how it compares to what i am using

[diemai]

How do you work with pvc decking I am new . how do you make it moldable

Hi ,..... nice , that you've made it to get in here to join the PVC swimbait folks , .......so probably sometimes it's worthwile watching YouTube videos !

And you've just encountered the right guys to talk to , I'd say !

Anyway , PVC decking comes in different densities and weight , but you'll surely be told , which stuff to purchase over there in the USA , .......I'm using PVC hardfoam , that a boardie on a German site sells , .......in fact these are remainder pieces from refridgerator insulations , that he somehow gathers from his work , dont know any details(but I surely like his stuff) .

Fact is , that this material can be shaped same way and with same tools like softer wood , also should have about the weight of balsawood .

It is dense enough to hold epoxied screweyes , but many people also like to go thru-wired .

Sometimes you'll find airbubbles inside of the PVC material , usually these are quite small and paint primer would even them out , ....but sometimes you need to fill them up with some kind of putty as well .

The big advantages of this material are that it is not vulnerable against water sepage , ......no matter whether a toothy fish pierces the topcoat , ....it cannot soak up water like a wooden lure possibly would .

Also when carving the rough shape with a knife , you do not have to take care about any woodgrain to crack up , if leading the knife's edge the wrong way , ......PVC is homogene all over !

good luck with your first trials , .....greetz , diemai