Lifespan Of Wooden Lures

[Silo1688]

i second the ACC use. I really like that as a top coat.

[Vandy]

I thought the basswood might be a problem but I get it free so its kind of hard to turn down.

[rhersh]

I feel stupid here. But what is ACC and where do you get it?

[oldtoolsniper]

I watched it happen later on during the project building phase. The machinists taking the class would make drawers fit so well when you pushed on in another was forced out by the air pressure. We were 20 miles inland and it was about 10% humidity. The projects were completely finished and shown at the Del Mar fair on the coast. Humidity at the coast is around 50% and every drawer fitted like that would not budge. Some of those guys tore handles off trying to open the drawers. If they fit the raised panel in a door like that the rails or the stiles would crack at the joints, not the glued area because the glue is stronger than the wood.

 

 

 

Wooden lures of the vintage type have none of these modern topcoats or sealants applied to them. They used lead based paint and depending on how they were stored they either survived or did not.

 

this applies to the finish on old furniture as well. Shellac survives the best because it's flexible. Your pills and a lot of candy are coated with it and it is actually some kind of Thailand bug secretions. (Bug poo)

 

There was no water based paint and the only thing "Green" about a finish was the color.  I have stripped lots of them with just lacquer thinner to remove the remaining damaged finish. Even polyurethane will not strip with just lacquer thinner and epoxy will not either, some of the other stuff discussed on here would require sand blasting to remove.

 

Rubber baits and poor storage is what destroys the finish on most old lures. 

 

Valuable wooden lure collections are kept in climate controlled rooms for that reason.

 

Lead paint is flexible to a degree. 

 

The wooden lure expands and cracks the finish if it is not flexible. 

 

Summer time expansion, winter time contraction + a rock hard finish = cracks in the finish. 

 

Bottom line is this: Wood Moves and nothing will prevent it. Slow it down yes, stop it, No. 

[Brent R]

I feel stupid here. But what is ACC and where do you get it?

 

I think he is referring to ...  Amazing Clear Coat...   and i think you can get it at Hobby Lobby.  I'm sure someone else will post on this subject.

 

I've read it some pretty good stuff.

[mark poulson]

Oldtoolsniper said it all.  "Bottom line is this: Wood Moves and nothing will prevent it. Slow it down yes, stop it, No."

That's why I went to PVC  as a building material.  It is much more stable, and totally waterproof.

I got tired of having to repaint my wood lures. 

[bluetickhound]

I think he is referring to ... Amazing Clear Coat... and i think you can get it at Hobby Lobby. I'm sure someone else will post on this subject.

I've read it some pretty good stuff.

Exactly correct Brent, other than (and pardon me for splitting hairs here but if you go to HL and ask for the stuff by name the person working there will probably look at you like you are speaking Swahili..better to ask for casting resin....) it is amazing clear CAST, not coat...Hobby Lobby has it ( in the modeling clay aisle) and if you use the 40% off coupon it is around $13... I love it. I still use other topcoats from time to time but ACC is my go to topcoat nowadays... Edited July 16, 2013 by bluetickhound

[rhersh]

Thanks for the info. Brent.

[Skeeter]

WOW...... for over 10 yrs. now one of the biggest topics on this site has been clearcoats. Everyone is looking for the QUICK, EASY, and MOST DURABLE way. Boy, when Solarez hit the forum everyone on this site went nuts. LMAO, guess that did not turn out either huh? Wonder how much money was spent on that stuff from guys on this site?  Very few have any idea how many different clears Benton, Lincoya, and myself have seen come through this site. Anything Benton or Lincoya tells you is rock solid. They have been doing it a long time. Not many have paid their dues like those two have. They and a few others on this site are true professionals.

 

I usually get 3 yrs. out of a bait. But I have to fix some of them too. Smack a rock, drag them on hard bottoms, throw them up on the shoreline and drag them in, hang them up, beat them with plug knockers and have a lot of fish just plain chew on them. I say that is pretty darn good. So what if I have to repair them? There is NO COMMERCIAL CRANKBAIT and very few custom crankbaits that will out last one of my plugs. I have been making them the same way for 14 yrs. There is no magic clear for any bait. I have been on here since 2003 and was on another site with some of these guys 2 or 3 yrs. before that. If you took the combined hours of time spent by these guys on clears it would just blow your mind. So read what the "Old Guard" put on this site. They had it right (and still do). Take your time and do the best work that you can. That is the best way to make a plug. Take it one bait at a time and do your best on each and every bait that you do. That is how well made baits that last are done.

 

If you want to see one of the most wicked bait and clearcoat jobs ever done check this out. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewhandtcrankpg2.html  It is done by our very own Hughesy and a guy by the name of Jeff Thompson. These two country boys did pretty darn good.

 

Skeeter

Edited July 16, 2013 by Skeeter

[fatfingers]

While experimenting is fun and we are all constantly on the look out for better products and ways to do things, lure building has certain trade offs that should and must be accepted. Do you want buoyancy or less water absorption tendencies? Do you want a hard finish with less tendency to yellow or one that is faster to apply? Do you want a basic bait or one with much more detail? Do you want realistic eyes or are dots inside larger dots okay?

As skeeter said, some of the parameters have been fully tested, especially with clear coats.

The baits are exposed to water, sunlight, and a lot of wear and tear. You can deal with those variables, but not in equal measure and not completely without trade offs.

[benton B]

I'm just a red neck that is set in his ways but I've never had a clear coat peel off unless I caused it.   My method is simple, rub on super glue, seal with flex coat's rob builder epoxy, prime, paint, and clear coat with flex coat's ultra v rod finish.   That's been my method for a few yrs now and I've never seen a failure.   If you smack a rock or the boat then of course the finish will crack and it must be repaired.   Normal to hardcore cranking has not caused any problems with my baits.   The clear coat does get scuffed and scratched by rocks, hooks and fish but it's still holding.   I'm not trying to sell anyone on my method but if you want to try a system that's been tested over time then I'm willing to share.   The bottom line is that you have to find a system that works for you and stick with it.  

 

Devcon vs Etex, those were the days.      

[mark poulson]

Wanna buy some left over Etex and NuLustre?  Hahaha

[Vandy]

Thanks for the reply skeeter. I just started building lures over the winter and have been learning alot as I go and of course this site has been invaluable. Having never used wooden cranks before I was not sure if a bait getting all chewed up over a weekend was normal (even so they have still proven worth the time). I expect the more time I put in the better my baits will get and the longer they will last.

[Lincoya]

WOW...... for over 10 yrs. now one of the biggest topics on this site has been clearcoats. Everyone is looking for the QUICK, EASY, and MOST DURABLE way. Boy, when Solarez hit the forum everyone on this site went nuts. LMAO, guess that did not turn out either huh? Wonder how much money was spent on that stuff from guys on this site?  Very few have any idea how many different clears Benton, Lincoya, and myself have seen come through this site. Anything Benton or Lincoya tells you is rock solid. They have been doing it a long time. Not many have paid their dues like those two have. They and a few others on this site are true professionals.

 

I usually get 3 yrs. out of a bait. But I have to fix some of them too. Smack a rock, drag them on hard bottoms, throw them up on the shoreline and drag them in, hang them up, beat them with plug knockers and have a lot of fish just plain chew on them. I say that is pretty darn good. So what if I have to repair them? There is NO COMMERCIAL CRANKBAIT and very few custom crankbaits that will out last one of my plugs. I have been making them the same way for 14 yrs. There is no magic clear for any bait. I have been on here since 2003 and was on another site with some of these guys 2 or 3 yrs. before that. If you took the combined hours of time spent by these guys on clears it would just blow your mind. So read what the "Old Guard" put on this site. They had it right (and still do). Take your time and do the best work that you can. That is the best way to make a plug. Take it one bait at a time and do your best on each and every bait that you do. That is how well made baits that last are done.

 

If you want to see one of the most wicked bait and clearcoat jobs ever done check this out. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewhandtcrankpg2.html  It is done by our very own Hughesy and a guy by the name of Jeff Thompson. These two country boys did pretty darn good.

 

Skeeter

 

Well said Skeeter! And thanks for the kudos, too!

 

Gene

[MaddoxBay]

Its been ages since I have posted here. I have baits thats been beat around for years and still going. On the water repairs usually consisted of setting the bait out to dry on the deck of the boat and a quick seal with super glue.  

 

Sealing the bait before any paint was applied was my best insurance to keeping a wood bait together. Super glue is an amazing sealer and it soaks into the wood. It sands smooth and allows for a nice base for a good primer.

 

As far as clear coats goes, its been beat to death for years. I have had the best results using epoxy and high soild two part clears.

 

 

Bobby

[Nathan]

Hey Bobby,

Good to hear from you....don't be a stranger....Nathan

[BobP]

Yes, most wood types used to build crankbaits will suck up moisture and expand if given half a chance.  Part of the crankbait craft is preventing that from happening.  There's a big difference between a lacquer finish on a piece of furniture and fully encapsulating a wood crankbait in a waterproof undercoating and topcoat.  Unless the finish is permeable to water vapor or damaged somewhere, relative humidity can't effect a crankbait.

 

I store cranks in a garage where they are subject to all weather effects except rain.  I don't hesitate to pull a 10 year old wood crank out of the box and fish it.  Unless I damage it, I expect to be able to fish it again 10 years from now.

 

I don't want to see guys inhibited from using wood to make crankbaits.  Yes, plastic and PVC work just fine.  But the different buoyancy you get with various types of wood makes a big difference in how crankbaits perform, and that's not something I'm willing to do without as a fisherman.