Proof Is In The Puddin

[Double D]

Ok, so once a bait has been carved and it needs to be tested in the water....do I seal the bait so it doesn't absorb water. and if so, what is best to use as a sealer?

[littleriver]

I like to use different sealers depending on the wood to be sealed. For a balsa bait I like propionate. What are you sealing?

[woodieb8]

we seal with sanding sealer. rember hang your hooks and rings for testing.

[Double D]

I tried balsa but it was too soft...I moved to basswood and really love working with it.....haven't "graduated" to anything else at this point....love working with bass wood....sanding sealer? not real familiar with any of this other than putting the carving knife to wood at this point......never hear of propionate......am eager to take it to the next level....thank you all for your generosity with information...and you say I should test with all hardware attached?...yeah I guess that makes sense....only way to tell the true fishability...thanks again.....

[crankpaint]

you can get sanding sealer at home depo/lowes or the local walmart.thats what i use on all my bait that i make from poplur

[Double D]

thank you crankpaint...I'll stop there on my way home today.

[archeryrob]

The guys on StripersOnline warn people not to use that stuff. They say read the direction and it's a Cancer causing thing or something. They soak them in 60/40 Boiled Linseed/Mineral Spirits. Some do it for hours and some for 30 seconds with vigorous shaking. I just push mine under in a PVC tube for a couple of minutes. I did this too for my bay lures as the saltwater fish have more teeth and are larger and it seals the inside of the through wire hole also. I have a board with nails I let them dry for a week on before sanding to prime.

Freshwater I just seal with water base poly varnish.

[Sonny.Barile]

BLO has it's issues too. You are worse off breathing that stuff in. Also, it spontaneously combusts. You have to be carefull with your cleanup rags as they will suddenly go up in flames just sitting there.

[Double D]

What about Thompson's Water Seal?....I see that advertised on TV....or am I thinking of the wrong application....

[Firechief]

I use a thin coat of Devcon 2Ton

[mark poulson]

What about Thompson's Water Seal?....I see that advertised on TV....or am I thinking of the wrong application....

I think it has silcone, which messes with airbrush paints.

[Double D]

well that definitely wouldn't work then....don't want anything to mess with the paint....so what about regular primer/sealer, would that work?

[spoonpluggergino]

I am using 3 different wood sealer. the first is spar urethane mixed with mineral spirit 50/50 mix , soak for 15 t0 20min, make sure you wipe off the excess off the bait than hang to dry. It is a litle messy but works . Another is boiled linseed oil with a litle bit of japan-drier I do not like the smell but it does a nice sealing job. The last one that I tried is minwax sanding sealer I really like this one no smell and it dries really fast and it leaves a nice surface to paint

Gino

[MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF]

AC glue will seal it up and harden up the balsa.. after you put one coat of thin AC glue.. Hobby town Super glue its different than the regular super glue... THIN STUFF!! not Gel.. after it hardens up the bait sand it real good then.. take some Epoxy and coat the wood with that.. then wait 24 hours and sand it again.. then prime it.. if you have some holes or spots.. you can 2 one of two thing... epoxy coat it again and wait 24 more hours.. or get some bondo glazing putty. Glaze the bait with bondo wait 20 mins.lightly sand the bait and prime coat 1 more time..by now you should have a very smooth surface to paint on. You don't have to use AC glue you can just coat the bait with epoxy.. but the AC helps harden the bait and the 2nd coat of epoxy after you put on the AC glue really gives it strength. That is how I do it when I make balsa bait.. learned all this stuff from THE LURE PROFESSOR. It wasn't my idea. Hope this helps. Personally I believe this is the easiest way to seal up the wood without too much trouble. Most of us have AC glue and Epoxy. Good luck DIPSTICKs!

[Double D]

But since I use Basswood, are all these steps necessary, and if not, which ones can I eliminate....or would this process work the same for it too?

[RayburnGuy]

But since I use Basswood, are all these steps necessary, and if not, which ones can I eliminate....or would this process work the same for it too?

A lot of us use 30 minute epoxy to seal the lure where the hardness of the wood is not an issue like it is with balsa. The epoxy is self leveling so it provides a smooth surface to apply paint to. You will need a lure turner to spin the bait until the epoxy sets up enough it won't drip or sag. That is unless you want to sit there with the bait clamped in a tool of some sort and turn it by hand until it sets.

Ben

[littleriver]

Double D what sort of bait are you making from your basswood? Topwater, sinking , swimbait. The answer will influence which type of sealer to use. If your looking for quick and cheap, and max buoyancy, then the water method may be used.

The water method:

First, dip sanded bait in water and let dry.

Next, sand down all raised pores until bait is smooth.

Continue this process of wetting,drying and sanding until not more raised pores after wetting and drying.

If a sinking bait is wanted, then soaking in a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits in a mason jar would do well. Wally world should have it. Lowes for sure. The longer the soak the deeper the penetration and the more buoyancy will be lost. Depending on the desired outcome 24hrs to a few days may be required. After soaking, allow bait to dry until it odor has gone away or at least considerably less smelly. Usually at least a few days to a week or more.

After sealing, I like this stuff

http://www.google.co...IwAw#ps-sellers

It may be brushed on or dip the bait in it. Two coats will be enough for most baits. Acts as a sealer , primer and base coat all in one. May be purchased at wally worlds. Allow at least 24 hrs to dry between coats . After drying, your ready to paint.

Edited March 24, 2012 by littleriver

[Double D]

Double D what sort of bait are you making from your basswood? Topwater, sinking , swimbait. The answer will influence which type of sealer to use. If your looking for quick and cheap, and max buoyancy, then the water method may be used.

As of right now, they are all topwater...wanna perfect my skills before I start attempting concepts like ballasts and correct angle of lips and such....once I get topwater down, then I can start working my way up the ladder...the only power tool I use is a Dremel Tool....everything else is done by hand.....I picked up a box of scrap basswood from my local Woodcraft store and had a friend cut the bigger pieces down to size for me...I live in a Condo which presents its' own set of problems with having a suitable area to work in....been reading on here about paints and such and have come to the conclusion that I should probably use water-based paints that are much less toxic than other alternatives....that will help with fumes in the place too, which my better half is concerned about.... a lot of useful information on this site....thanks again for all who contribute...as soon as I get to that point I can return the favor and share my endeavors.

[mark poulson]

Double D,

This is a great place to learn.

I use the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule when it comes to making lures.

For topwaters, I put a similar sized lure that I know works in my flotation water bucket and ballast my lure until it sits in the water like the original.

I do the same thing with making cranks. I find that commercial lure makers have figured out what works, and I use their hard earned knowledge to flatten my learning curve.

I also copy ideas from the Hard Baits gallery. That's how I learned to make and mount line ties through the bill for deeper diving cranks (thanks Ben Siegel).

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing some of your lures.

[RayburnGuy]

That's how I learned to make and mount line ties through the bill for deeper diving cranks (thanks Ben Siegel).

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing some of your lures.

I can't take credit for that Mark. Everything I know about building lures was learned right here at TU.

Ben

[Double D]

Hey Mark, I read on another thread where you were talking about the Createx paints and how you use a hair dryer to heat cure the paint so that it is waterproof....a couple of questions....what duration of time does it take to effectively cure the paint? and if the final product is being sealed with some sort of clearcoat, does it really matter if the paint is "waterproofed" or not? I am new to all of this so just trying to get a feel for what I am in for as I progress in this process. Thank you in advance for your time and willingness to share information...

[mark poulson]

Double D,

I'm not sure exactly what temps need to be reached to change the molecular structure.

If you go to the Createx website, there is probably more exact info on what takes place and at what temp.

Remember Createx was designed, first and foremost, for painting T shirts, so heat setting it with an iron makes the T shirts washable.

My experience with Createx, and all the water based air brush paints I use, is that hitting them with a hair dryer is important for making sure all the water is gone before you shoot the next coat. Otherwise, water can get trapped by the next coat, and can cause problems when you top coat.

T shirt paint is also flexible, so I try and get it as dry as possible to make it as rigid as possible. Thin, heat set coats feel much more rigid to me than coats that aren't heat set. At least, they feel harder to my fingernail.

I usually hit the bait in sections, ten seconds each, with my hair dryer on low, for each coat, and then the whole bait again with the dryer on high at the end. I am careful with PVC baits not to overheat them, because the PVC will release little bubbles, probably from the plastic itself. PVC does melt, or, at least, get sticky on the surface, at a relatively low temperature.

If it does, I use the handle of my exacto knife to roll them back down, and they never cause problems.

I am not sure I'm ever actually achieving the total heat set/molecular conversion temperature. If I screw up, I'm always able to remove the paint with water and a rag, so I never have gotten it truly waterproof.

But I get it really dry, and the top coat takes care of the rest.

I am a little more cavalier with my painting because I only paint plastic and PVC baits, neither of which require any sealing to be totally waterproof.

I rely on my urethane top coat to protect the paint scheme, not to keep water out of the bait itself.

So far, so good. I've fished some of my cranks and swimbaits for years without any problems. Knock on wood!

[Double D]

So you don't carve wood....you carve PVC...did you start out carving wood?.....before I discovered these forums, I thought PVC was pipe. Never seen PVC thick enough to be able to carve....? where would one find some of this material to try out? Do you use it because you don't have to worry about your lures getting water-logged, or is it easier to carve than wood? Or is it something that you "graduate" to after paying your dues with wood? I am intrigued.

[mark poulson]

I am a hobby builder, and only make lures for myself and my buddies, so keep that in mind when you read this.

I started out carving wood. Initially, it was to replace a buddy's Pupfish that I'd broken. Then it was to make a jointed swimbait to replace the two triple trouts he'd lost on back to back weekends.

After I'd beaten my head against the wall trying to come up with a sealing system that would work with my jointed swimbaits, JR Hopkins took pity on me and introduced me to AZEK decking and trim board.

It is a composite of some kind of fiber, probably wood, and PVC. It's totally waterproof, strong, hard, and buoyant.

The trim board is the most buoyant, and I use it for cranks.

I use the decking for swimbaits and topwaters.

It machines and carves like wood, but you need to use sharp tools. When it gets hot, it melts and gets sticky on the surface, like from too much pressure with a belt sander.

The dust is nasty, so be sure to use a dust mask whenever you machine it or even hand sand. I do my touchup hand sanding on my driveway, with a fan behind me blowing past, or I wear a dust mask for that, too. And I blow the dust off myself with my compressor when I'm done. It stick to my hands, the baits, and my clothes.

But none of those things outweighs it's beauty as a lure making material.

I can make a bait, add the hardware, and test swim it without any sealing.

And I only prime it to smooth out the surface, if I think it needs it. Most of the time, I just sand down to 220, and start my painting directly onto the PVC.

So I can make, paint, and top coat a lure in one day, and fish it the next.

Amazing how much time it's cut off my lure building process.

Once I'd found AZEK, I actually began selling my swimbaits, because I knew there would be no paint and top coat failure issues.

That's when I learned that building for sale takes all the fun out of building lures. I don't do it anymore.

Google AZEK, and you'll find there website, which has a dealer locator.

Hope this helps.

Edited March 27, 2012 by mark poulson

[littleriver]

That's when I learned that building for sale takes all the fun out of building lures. I don't do it anymore.

Google AZEK, and you'll find there website, which has a dealer locator.

Hope this helps.

Mark I agree with you. Every time i find myself building a specific lure for someone, my freedom to build what i want is suddenly gone. Work is exactly it.