sims7 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I am making a PVC swim bait and need ideas for the tail anyone have any suggestion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 carve the tail out of pvc too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks ! You think a brisol tail will work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimb8s Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Take a look at JRHOPKINS lures at link above , great work, uses paint brushes and makes his own molds and pours his own tails, I have also used lexan wich worked well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks ! You think a brisol tail will work? i don't know what a brisol tail is. i have used paint brush bristles, fibetts ( google "fibetts"), cast them with epoxy resin, carved them from pvc, levan, cut them out from old bait boxes, etc. the fins here were made from a thin slice of pvc and then crimped with round nose pliers for the vein effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 John, Are those fins made from AZEK trimboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 I got mill works PVC ? Those are some mighty fine lures John if mine would looks as half as good I'll be doing great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 John, Are those fins made from AZEK trimboard? Isn't it time for an update of your avatar picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 yeh, pvc. i cut wide strips approx. 1/8" thick. use round nose pliers to crimp the vein details after cutting the fin to shape. thats my grandsons first fish ever! he was 4 1/2. trout was approx 18". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 thats my grandsons first fish ever! he was 4 1/2. trout was approx 18". Nice trout. Great you got to be there when he caught his first fish. Bet it would have been a toss up as to who had the biggest smile. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 Nice fish, nice kid. How old is he now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted February 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 So do you think the millwork PVC work? I got it from Lowe's. It is a inch thick. Do you user a stencil or free hand the drawing of the fish on the board? Every time I draw it its never right one side is bigger than the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 sims7, Try drawing your profile on a piece of paper or shirt cardboard, so you can use it for both halves, if you're making a laminated lure. Then use double sided tape to join them temporarily so you can shape them together as one, and still split them back apart to add anything you want to inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted February 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 Ok I got ya I never thought about splitting them. Thanks Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted February 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 What would be a good thickness for a 6" . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 I typically make my swimbaits solid, from either AZEK trimboard for the floaters, or from the AZEK decking for the sinkers, since it is a little heavier. For 6" floaters, my stock starts at 7/8", which is what's left after I remove the surfaces. I leave it that thick for cutting it out, and then shape it, tapering the lower 2/3rds from 7/8" down to 5/8" at the belly. It's not exact, but I want less of the buoyant material at the belly, so the bait doesn't roll on a fast retrieve. For slow sink and fast sink, I may start with 3/4", tapering down to 1/2", so I have to add less ballast to get them to sink. Try to keep whatever ballast you need to add in the head, or first two sections, and the rear hook hanger in the third section of a four piece lure. That way the tail is still buoyant, and will swim more freely. Plus it helps the bait to fall level, and sit on the bottom in an upright position. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted March 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Thanks well time me to get to the making part thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted March 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Ok I'm down to putting the tail on. How do you form the tail with the bristle. And get it to stay in the last section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 I've never been able to do it well. I'm too impatient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammy01007 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 For tail fins, I put a dab of epoxy on the inside portion of a plastic milk carton. I then add some fin material (I use DNA Fish Fiber from Cabelas). I then sandwich the fibers between another piece of milk carton, leaving the fin material sticking out. Make sure the epoxy penetrates through the thickness of the fin material. I can then carefully shape the fin material to my liking, and leave it to dry. I use 5 minute epoxy and allow it to sit for 30-60 minutes. The epoxy will not stick to the carton material. After it is dry simply peal it off, and you have a fin. Both ends of the fin can be trimmed as needed to properly fit your bait. Hope this makes sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 For tail fins, I put a dab of epoxy on the inside portion of a plastic milk carton. I then add some fin material (I use DNA Fish Fiber from Cabelas). I then sandwich the fibers between another piece of milk carton, leaving the fin material sticking out. Make sure the epoxy penetrates through the thickness of the fin material. I can then carefully shape the fin material to my liking, and leave it to dry. I use 5 minute epoxy and allow it to sit for 30-60 minutes. The epoxy will not stick to the carton material. After it is dry simply peal it off, and you have a fin. Both ends of the fin can be trimmed as needed to properly fit your bait. Hope this makes sense. Thanks Sammy, now one more thing to buy for the lure building obsession. LOL I will give this a try on the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) Thanks Sammy, now one more thing to buy for the lure building obsession. LOL I will give this a try on the next one. Got milk?? Sorry......I couldn't resist. Edited March 3, 2012 by RayburnGuy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sims7 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Great post it would have taken me month to figure it out. I wish I knew about this site a long time ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I cut my fins from Lexan and shape them on the sanding drum, I also sand a key on the whole surface of the fin. Next I mix up some 5 min epoxy with some soft plastic bait dye to color the fin, I coat the whole fin in the epoxy. When the epoxy begins to set I use a small hard bristle brush or even a toothpick to add in fin/bone texture. I then epoxy this to slots previously made in my swimbaits before giving a final total coat of epoxt to the body and fins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzy-Wuzzy Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Okay I use a strip of Magnum Rabbit Fur strips, nothing looks more natural in the water then this for a tail. AMAZING!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
