Diving Lip Position

[YoungForge]

Hello all I was wonder how impoRtant the position of a lures diving lip is? What I mean is, how it is centered. I know it must lie along the center line. Speaking of which do any of you know how to precisely measure the center line? I ask because I have been very paranoid about the mechanics of my lures since my last one was a failure. Sorry for all the questions but I would really appreciate it THANKS!!!

[RayburnGuy]

Once you have the profile of your bait cut out and it still has two flat sides take a compass and set it to half the thickness of the bait. Check your setting by marking from first one side and then the other making sure to keep needle end of the compass riding along the edge of the bait. If the marks line up then your compass is set to half the thickness of the lure. Then it's just a matter of continuing this line all the way around the bait. This will give you a true centerline to line up all your components. Hook hangers, ballast, line ties, etc.

Ben

[Vodkaman]

I don't always manage to get my lip perfectly aligned, but I have never had a problem getting the bait to run, by tweaking the tow eye a tad. I think the tolerance is quite generous, more than people might think. However, if you are selling or even giving the baits away, you have your reputation to consider.

You really need to find out why the bait failed for future reference. Failures are our best instructors and should be savored! Don't throw it away until you understand what went wrong.

Dave

[littleriver]

Young Forge It's position is important. There are many factors to consider and i completely agree with Dave's advice. To understand what went wrong, you must think of the bib and it's relationship with other parts of the lure. Things like Toe eye position, ballast position. and lure shape. If you would like more specific advice on this particular lure, post a picture.

Vic

[BobP]

You're right to be paranoid about centering. Maybe you can build an off-centered wood bait that works just by dumb luck but you won't get far building baits by dumb luck. Like Ben, I use a compass to mark the center line on the bait body. Do it after you first cut out the blank and the lip slot, while the sides are still parallel. As far as centering lips - that can be a fussy task. First, you have to be mounting a truly symmetrical lip. I use a CAD program for lip templates so I know they are symmetrical and I include a top-center mark on the template that I transfer onto the lip. When I mount the lip on the bait, I can shoot a laser down the belly along the tail and belly hook hangers and align the top center mark on the lip with the laser beam. I use that method with deep diving baits with long lips. On baits with short lips, it's usually sufficient to visually sight down the belly of the bait and see that there is equal lip showing on both sides of the body. A corollary to this method should probably be to avoid using a fast cure epoxy or glue to mount the lip. Everything is a lot easier if you have time to check alignment and make sure.

There are unlimited ways to build crankbaits. Everyone has to develop methods that work for their equipment and their levels of skill, artistic ability, and patience.

[mark poulson]

There are unlimited ways to build crankbaits. Everyone has to develop methods that work for their equipment and their levels of skill, artistic ability, and patience.

Amen to that!!!

[littleriver]

Speaking of which do any of you know how to precisely measure the center line?

Micrometers work well.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=digital+micrometer&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18147350575456712707&sa=X&ei=ZqZ7T9XnHsvMtge5qrm-CA&ved=0CLUBEPICMAQ#ps-sellers

Divide the width by 2 then use this to mark

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2003483/35923/wheel-marking-gauge.aspx

[BobP]

I mark the center by measuring the bait's width with a millimeter ruler, putting a tick at the center, then using the compass from both sides of the bait. If you don't adjust the compass correctly, you will have 2 lines and the center will be in the middle. If you get 2 lines, they will be close together and the center will be obvious, which is close enough. Before I do that, I also use the compass to mark off the finished width of the blank on the top and bottom. Then I use a sander to sand it down to final width, using the marks as my guide.

I use hand held power tools to shape the bait after the blank is cut out. For me, the less free hand work I do, the better the crankbait. So I measure and mark everything I reasonably can on the blank when removing material. I mark and cut the head and tail tapers first. Measure them with a ruler placed across the center line at the nose and tail (top and bottom too) and make tics with a sharp pencil, then mark them using a piece of acetate as a guide. Cut the tapers with a disk sander. Then I use the compass to mark limits for the facets I will cut on the edges of the body as I begin rounding it over. There is still considerable rounding work that has to be done "by sight" even with all the marks. You're shaping a wood body with complex curves. It has grain effects that will fool the eye. So the less I depend on eye judgement, the better.

[YoungForge]

Sorry for not thanking any of you earlier but I was busy. I usually like to be gracious of all the comments people make. At that note I thank all of you for the help!!!!!!!!