Hurley Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 I have made a dozen baits and have yet to try them in soft water. Feb. in Michigan is not ideal. I have been lurking around here for a few months and I figure its been long enough for me to start being involved in this forum. So here is my issue. I have been using gorilla epoxy to glue in my ballasts, my own twisted hook eyes, and my bills. I seal with d2t before paint, paint, then use D2T again as a final coat. I was informed today that gorilla 5 min epoxy is only water resistant and not water proof. Now I am second guessing if the baits I made will hold up. My theory, at first and now, is that the goal of D2T is to seal the bait along with giving is a solid outer shell. If water was to get inside the bait the water would make the balsa weak long before the epoxy fails. Thoughts? Does anyone else use this method? Whats everyone's thought on my baits holding up under use? As of now, I mixed up a quarter size piece of epoxy and I am planning on testing it in a water filled cup to see how long it lasts next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 As you've already surmised, No, you're not in trouble. As long as the interior of the lure stays dry, the glue will hold up. If water penetrates the topcoat and undercoat and gets into the wood, the durability of your interior glue is the least of your problems: the lure will explode from wood swelling before the glue fails. Durability is one reason many of us build custom wood crankbaits. But in the end, a wood crankbait will last only as long as you can keep water from penetrating the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Epoxy does not absorb water, as long as the bait doesn't get cracked or chipped to the wood it is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurley Posted February 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Thanks for the responce. Now I will be able to sleep tonight! LOL Oops, I dont think I was supposed to post that picture in this forum. Darn rookies anyway! Am I safe to keep making cranks this way? Is it just personall preference on what type of glue/epoxy to use on the inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I would say your safe in your building process. Hopefully your using the 30 minute D2T as it's waterproof and doesn't yellow as fast as the 5 minute. I use epoxy for gluing in my lips and runny super glue for hook hangers and ballast. I also use the super glue accelerator. You can position your hardware, give it a drop or two of the accelerator and move on with your building. The super glue will set up instantly when the accelerator is applied. Some of us who build cranks like to err on the side of caution and build our baits as bulletproof as possible, but that's not saying it's the only way to build them. As mentioned before as long as your top coat holds up then you have nothing to worry about and if it fails the type of glue you used to glue in your hardware will be the least of your problems. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 you could always switch to PVC and water penetration would not be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurley Posted February 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I see I need to do some searches for PVC. Is this the latest and greatest? I like using balsa because of its ease of use. Does PVC have the same caractoristics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I am just a hobby builder, and make baits mostly for myself and a few friends. For me, PVC has cut my bait making process down from four days to four hours, tops. I got turned to the dark side (PVC) several years ago by JR Hopkins ( ) when I was struggling with finding a way to seal my wooden swimbaits, without success. I can make a bait, attach the bill, line tie, and hardware, and ballast it in my test bucket without any sealing, because it is totally waterproof. PVC has allowed me to make, paint, and topcoat (Solarez) a bait in one day and fish it the same day, if I want to. The PVC trimboard I use, made by AZEK, is as buoyant as all but the lightest balsa. For feather light cranks that pop up like corks, there is nothing like light balsa. But for all other cranks, including top waters, the PVC trimboard works great. It is waterproof, light, and strong. My biggest fish on a homemade PVC popper is 8.5lbs, and that bait is still going strong. I do use the AZEK decking for my jointed swimbaits, because it is stronger and more dense (it is structurally rated to support people) than the trimboard, and it is plenty buoyant (like poplar). I have a ton of wooden baits lying around in my garage that I no longer fish because, with PVC, there is no water intrusion worry, and it is so hard that it just dents if it hits a rock, and can be touched up on the water with clear nail polish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I don't use balsa for its ease of use, in fact it's harder to build with than woods that are more dense. No sane person would use it except for the fact that it's the most buoyant crankbait material you can get. I'm sure there are different brands and varieties of PVC trim with different buoyancy but I haven't heard that any of them is as buoyant as balsa and I'd be surprised to find one that is. Expanded PVC does have some advantages: it's naturally waterproof, consistent in density, no grain effects to worry about. The few pieces I've tried seem to have a buoyancy roughly similar to basswood, which is about twice as dense as balsa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurley Posted February 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 So I go to menards and buy?... PVC deckboards? Strips? Any links or dimentions of material used? I know what your talking about but I am sure there is a few products to choose from? I searched PVC with no results. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Ask for PVC trim board. It is the most buoyant, and still plenty strong enough for one piece cranks and top waters. AZEK is the only brand name I know, but there are others out there that work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Hurley, do this: google vintage woodworks scroll down the left hand column to plain boards click on Azek PVC trimboard about 1/2 way down the page is "order free sample" they will send you a piece to make a decent size bait or two and you can experiment with PVC jr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhopkins Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 don't know why the underlining Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 don't know why the underlining For emphasis! Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
