aydensdad82 Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Alright I have been building balsa lures with a fair amount of success cutting a slot in the belly and running SS thru wire then epoxy to fill slot and secure the thru wire. I want to try running a dowel of poplar through the balsa prior to carving so that I can use screw eyes. My question is how large of a screw eye should I try? My baits range in length from 2 1/4" - 3" and are all 1/2" - " 3/4" thick. I realize the diameter of my dowel will have a ton to do with the size of the screw eye but I am just trying to get an idea of a "normal" size before I order a bunch of eyes. Are the eyes that I could order from online vendors the same as what I could get at the hardware store? Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Just a suggestion but if you go to any of the lure blank dealers they will usually tell you what you need i.e. eyes, hooks, clevis and so on I would stay with those recommendations to prevent overweighting the bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aydensdad82 Posted December 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 I have looked at lure parts online, janns, and wooden lure making with no success. Gon2long is there a specific vendor you have seen that gives screw size recommendations? Thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Yeah I've seen a few sites that do that, let me look around sorry I do so much internet surfing and don't keep track of them all I'm running out the door when I get back I'll dig around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Just remembered one, Barlow's just go to the lure blanks section and click on the model that resembles what your trying to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aydensdad82 Posted December 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Perfect. I am looking at Barlows now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Yo, Ive had great success with 1/4 dia. poplar dowels that are equal to-or even slightly shorter that the screws. So, if I want to install a 3/4 or 1in long by .073dia. eye in a bait, I'll drill for a 3/4in long dowel. It doesn't have to be perfect since the epoxied dowel is so sturdy. I learned about this somewhere in the archives, and aint looked back since. I even weighed the the difference between a given section of . 04'' wire that would be placed between the belly and nose against a 5/8in by .063 dia screw and plug, and it was nearly equal (lighter). Im referring here to a topwater plug since I want to keep the nose weight very low by going with a smaller screw for the nose. Some guys just drill a hole to accept a hand twisted eye and epoxy that in place. Im sure I'll hear the failure stories for chiming in.... The size of lures you mentioned should be good to go with 1/4 dowels and .063 by 3/4 screws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aydensdad82 Posted December 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 Awesome info Mark. That gives me a starting point. I do not do a great job getting my thru wires consistent and my self diagnosed OCD keeps kicking in so I figured I might try the dowel and screws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 I have read some posts from the surf plug hurlers that wire form is overkill. That's when I started looking at the TU archives for alternatives. Especially for balsa. I have leaned back on some big stripers using heavy braid, and wasn't disappointed. I hate bending wire , too. Besides that, the freedom to post ballast a plug is nearly unlimited, since there is almost no place you cant place additional weight. I post ballast all my topwater lures after the first coat of Devcon, prior to the final paint job and 2nd coat of clear. Easy... Moores lures. You can get any screw eye made. Great guy and super service. Mom and Pop supplier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) A question, probably dumb, but here goes. I'm lazy, so I'm always trying to find ways to do things quicker, with less steps, when I build lures. That's why I switched to PVC trimboard for most of my building, and Solarez resin as a top coat. But I built wooden lures for a long time before I was tipped to PVC. I have built balsa lures in the past, and had success with this method. Since crazy glue penetrates and hardens balsa so well, has anyone tried running their screw eyes into the balsa to cut the threads into the smaller pilot hole, unscrewing the eyes again, and then putting a drop of crazy glue into the threaded hole, using a really small wire to make sure it gets down into the hole? I found that it would reinforce the balsa around the screw eye so it is strong enough to prevent pull out. Then I'd brush some gap filling crazy glue onto the shank and threads of the screw eye and then run it back in, once the glue in the hole had set. I doubt this will work for muskie and salt water lures, but it worked for me for bass lures. I never did a pull out test, but I couldn't pull them out by hand. Edited December 3, 2013 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aydensdad82 Posted December 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 I have been making Xmas ornaments very similar to what you are saying Mark. I have not tried any of those in water though as I have been using devcon 5 minute since there was never a desire to fish these. In regards to the bond it does seem very strong with just super glue but obviously I cannot give a true response pertaining to anything more than aesthetics. On a side note does anyone know the user that sells propinate? I am pretty sure I spelled that wrong.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinorf Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Love that PVC. I only use balsa for topwater. That method Mark P. mentioned works very well, too. Ive done pull tests on that one with a pipe wrapped with small cable. All that happened was I bent the hand twisted eye, and nearly pulled the table over. Same for PVC. The dowels are great for my cupped faced walkers because it re-enforces the tip of the nose and the tail against damage. Also, my lure hangers have the same screws that end up in the final assy'. I use a 5/16 dowel in the tail so I can post ballast with 3/16dia lead sleeves that I pour from a homemade aluminum mold that has a .09 pin going thru the center, so having a good pilot hole in the clean drilling poplar is the easiest method for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
