Cutting A Square Lip Slot?

[Mags]

Wondering the best way to do this.  On the last rounded baits I made I cut these with the wood still flat with a hobby band saw thinking that this would give me an exactly square cut.  Unfortunately every one was off.  Played with the table alignment and still couldn't get it right.  Do I have drift in the blade, misaligned blade, or what?  Saw on YouTube that Stanford Lures uses a table saw and a jig to cut his lip slots (ceadr lures), but since I am using the micarta lips I would think the lip slot from this type of blade would be to wide.

[mark poulson]

I cut my lip slots on a bandsaw while the blanks are still rectangular.  I keep a piece of the lip material next to me, and do test fittings until I get it right.  Once I do the first, top cut, I do the rest of the cutting from the bottom so that, if I make the slot sloppy, I can have a good, square face at the top to wedge the lip against when I'm gluing it in.  

I use a piece of blue tape on the underside of the lip to mark a centerline on the lip, and check the alignment when I'm gluing and wedging.  I use a small straight edge to line up both the hook hangers with the centerline on the lip.

[A-Mac]

Mark is right on the money.  Cut the lip while the lip is still rectangular.  Once you cut the shape out, use a pen/pencil and mark a centerline all around the lure.  This will help with eyescrews are aligned and ensuring your ballast is centered.

[RayburnGuy]

I use a small, quality combination square to check blade alignment in my bench top bandsaw before making the cuts for the lip slot. The reason you need a quality square is that the cheaper models can be off a good bit.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

A centerline on the bait once I've cut out the profile does more than allow me to align the hook hangers, ballast, and lip.

I gives me a guide to use as I shape the bait on my oscillating belt sander, to help me make the baits symmetrical, since I do all my shaping by hand, and by eye.

For me, close counts, and having a centerline, and good light, makes shaping my way doable.

[Don-Art]

I also use a band saw and cut the slot when the blank is in the square form. All of the items mentioned above are very important. If you are using a narrow blade you might encounter more blade drift especially if your blade is dull or your blade tension is off. Also make sure your guide blocks and bearing wheels are adjusted correctly. I have been using a wide re-sawing blade that has a kerf that works out well for making a straight cut and accommodating the lip thickness. Hope this helps.

[BobP]

A related issue:  if your lip slot is perfectly square you will still end up with it canted unless you shape your bait symmetrically.  I think that's what happens as often as a slot cutting error.  I use a scroll saw to cut lip slots and a standard 12 tpi saw blade is the perfect width to cut a slot for a 1/32" circuit board lip in one pass.

 

If you shape by hand as most of us do, you come to realize that every measurement and mark you can put on a lure to control your shaping and maintain its symmetry pays dividends.  After a decade, I'm getting a little better at freehand shaping, but "a little better" is not nearly good enough to shape a crankbait body right. 

[Don-Art]

One thing that I started to use, is a contour gauge. I press it against one side to pickup the shape and then flip or rotate it, in order to check the opposing sides profile.

 You still need to maintain reference marks, to insure that you are taking the reading in the same spot on both sides.  But it does give you added confidence in its symmetry.

If I was making several of the same lures. I would consider making a base plate with a piece of lip material extending up from it at a angle consistent to that of my lip slot.

I would then  slip my lure on to the lip material and use height blocks to lay my gauge on, to insure that the contour was being taken from the same spot on both sides of the lure and that lip slot was square to the profile. The same could be done with a simple template if a contour gauge was not available.

[mark poulson]

I shape totally by eye, and it works okay.  For me, the top shape of the crank has the most to do with whether it swims straight, since it's what hits the water as it's retrieved.  The sides and bottoms have more to do with the width of wobble.

I've also found that making the forehead of a crank, from the lip up to just behind the eyes, slightly cupped, like a rattle trap, helps it to track straighter.

[jamie]

My findings smaller the bait the more even both sides need to be. Making musky baits you can get away with murder and eye ball one is great, but you guys who make those micro baits ,shaving wood off one sideof your baits you need to mirror the other side. Errors seem to magnify with smaller baits