Hot Wire Plastic Lure Split

[cheapskate]

I was trying to try to split an 1/9 oz rebel crawfish. ( creek fishing lure) so I could make a two part hollow body mold.

it was pretty small and hard to handle.

I took bassnbrad's advice and heated it up in boiling water.I felt like I was at the worlds saddest cajun cookout. One guy standing over a pot with one 2 inch long mudpuppy cooking and no friends to share it with.

I kind of cut and split my way through it. The cut is a little rough but I may be able to clean it up with sand paper.

While trying to split my first lure cold with a razor blade. I came up with the idea of a hot wire.

I got my trickle charger and strung a copper wire between the clamps and set it for low. The wire got red hot in about 5-10 seconds and cut through the lure scraps (it was already cut in half) like a hot knife through butter. (literally) Including the bill.

I would like to try it on lexan for bills but I can't find any in my area thin enough.

The kerf line was a little wavy but that may have just been my hands. I am going to try it again when I can get a hold of a scrap lure and if it works may make my first tutorial.

Unless this is old hat for you guys and once again I have only re-invented something.

[bassnbrad]

That's a excellent idea, couple of questions, how long was the wire from terminal to terminal and what gauge was it?

[cheapskate]

This was a real quick slapped together idea. Just a test of concept first run. The distance was about 3 inches. I may make it smaller so the wire is stiffer. It was very thin only about what you would pull out of a multi strand speaker wire. It turns out it may not have been copper. It would not conduct electricity at first so I thought it may have a protective coating on it. I put it through a flame and it burned all the copper color off. The wire was made for fly tying and is only decorative.

I got part of the idea from a guy on youtube who was making "Foam Factory. He had a good directions on a build. Try putting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiitiKyu_Iwg into the search for youtube.

[cheapskate]

sorry computer glich. Try putting 5 minute foam factory into the youtube search bar. There should be a video by Make magazine.

[bassnbrad]

Kewl, Thanks,bb

[bassnbrad]

Okay... You got me thinkin' about tinkerin'! Bounce this back and forth upstairs for a bit. After watching the video you suggested it made me ponder for a bit. need something like that but smaller..

.

Take the roller wheel out and insulate the wire blade from the handle, attach your clips and voila!!! instant cutter... Hmmmm, How about a table top model...

Notch the cutting board out to hold the lure in place and cut away, Hmmmm, I like the hand held model better. Should know better than start thinkin' about things like this, was in the middle of painting when I thought about it and figured I better put it in here before I pull a "Ben"... or is it a "Dave"? Dangit I FORGET!!!

[cheapskate]

I don't know Kind of a Cheezy Solution.

[cheapskate]

I like the table top model you could set the lure up in a jig to hold it in place and then cut straight down the spine of the lure like a guillotine. That may keep the cut one continuous line with few waves.

One thing I noticed is that it helps to remove any hook hangers that you can they get in the way of the straight cut. I wonder how often ballast and weights would get in the way.

I want to try this but I don't have any old lures on hand right now.

[cheapskate]

A big blob of clay would work to hold the lure in place and you could cut right through it on the way down. I would use Polymer clay like sculpty. It would better with heat than the modeling clay from what I have seen with my thermo forming experiments.

[cheapskate]

I was just thinking if you had the wood working ability you could make a sort of c-clamp with a handle shape out wood. Then wrap the wire and clamp the clips on the two ends, draw a line with a marker down the spine for reference and cut away.