Types Of Wood

[BobP]

Mark, don't know, never tried it.  When I drill out the hangers on a Solarez bait, it seems very similar to epoxy in that it has a kind of granular texture.  Epoxy will pass red cedar oil stain, so I'd be leery of Solarez until I tested it on a piece.

[mark poulson]

Thanks Bob.

[rabbittrapper]

Try some poplar.

That is what I been using to carve my fist homemade lures. Its easy to carve and sand. 

[woodieb8]

poplar if not sealed extensively will swell like a boiled hot dog.

[BobP]

Pay your money and take your chances using different woods.  There is no perfect wood for workability but there is a perfect wood for every crankbait fished in a particular environment.  But if you are starting out making crankbaits, it makes things much easier if you learn to shape, finish, and ballast just a couple of wood types.  Makes the learning curve a lot less steep, with fewer pitfalls.

 

JMHO, wood for a single crankbait is so inexpensive and the work you put into a crankbait is so much.  Never settle for less than the wood you think is best.   

[Skeeter]

"poplar if not sealed extensively will swell like a boiled hot dog."

 

All wood will. Inject water into anything and it will swell. That is how you can tell if a lure that you made cracked because you made a mistake or someone threw it into a rock or bridge piling. If the crack protrudes out it is because you did not seal your bait completely or your clear failed. The wood swells and causes the clear to crack outward. I used poplar for years with no problems. As a matter of fact I just filled an order for a couple of old clients that still like my baits made out of the poplar. If you do good work you will have no problems.

 

Skeeter

[Seeking 56]

I'm getting a case of deja vue Lol!  It seems like this topic comes up every year.  This is where I think posting pictures of lures is necessary to back up your arguments. 

 

Poplar in this case may not be suitable for all species of fish.  Woodie builds musky lures, Skeeter builds bass lures.  I may be mistaken but I think Riverman used poplar for his musky lures.  I would love to see pics of the pros and cons of using certain types of woods.

 

The pic of the jointed lure is made out of cedar.  Cedar doesn't swell as you can see.

 

The pic of this black lure is made out of pine.  Pine swells as you can see.

 

You can debate till you're blue in the face....pics speak a thousand words.

 

s56

 

 

[Knotsohandy]

Here follows the original question : 

 

 

 

I have offer from a lumber dealer to repay a debt

 

 with payment in wood and he is offering Tupelo, Juniper, and W. R. Cedar.

 

?

 

Which should I choose,

 

 which should I avoid or get some of which two ?

 

Thanks

[BobP]

Hmm, thought I had given an answer with the wood densities.  But of the 3 you cite, I would choose red cedar for its buoyancy.  But it may require a particular finish regime to avoid having the oil print through your paint.  Good luck.

[Knotsohandy]

Thanks Bob, good answers.   Actually I learned what I needed to know and I appreciate all the help.   

[woodieb8]

hi for my application on the great lakes. we have great water temp variances. guys here pull baits till ice up 32 degrees. thru time I have found theres not a lure that finish coats wont be breached from teeth/hook rash.. I have built baits in all species, some fail for density,some don't float,and some will not accept paints and hold on. every waterbody/region can send its own demands. as stating I guess theres no wrong/right as long as were building in our labs lol.

[Skeeter]

"Cedar doesn't swell as you can see."

 

Sure it does. You just can't tell it as well. But the one thing that you can tell is that the grain will rise.

 

Knotsohandy..... Just follow Bob's advice. He knows his stuff. 

 

 

"You can debate till you're blue in the face....pics speak a thousand words."

 

Seeking.... Bob, Woodie, and I have been debating together for over 10 yrs. on this site.   I have learned a lot from them without requiring pictures. And I don't believe that any of our faces have turned blue yet.

 

Skeeter

[Seeking 56]

Perhaps Skeeter, but it's insignificant when it comes to lures.  It's the wood of choice for many musky lure builders regardless of lure shape or size.  They wouldn't be using it and staking their reputation if it had an adverse swelling effect like on that pine lure.

 

s56

[Skeeter]

What type of clear is on the black lure? It appears to be really thin. Looks like the paint that was used did not stick to the wood at all. The entire paint layer is lifting off of the body.

 

Skeeter

[BobP]

Cedar and Red Cedar dust are more likely to cause respiratory stress than many other species.  Between 4 and 10% of those exposed suffer ill effects from it, according to medical studies.  Their oil content is presumably the reason that is so, and it's also the reason they are slower to absorb water than other woods.  Yes you can build a crankbait from any species of wood as long as the wood + hardware + finish doesn't yield a sinker.  But you have more build options with lighter woods and they also make baits that are more lively.

 

JMHO - the cost of any kind of wood used in a crankbait is nothing compared to the time and effort you put into building it.  It's probably less than the cost of the finish and hardware and is almost certainly less than the cost of the treble hooks it will carry.  So to me, it's a false economy to select a wood based on its cost.  Choose wood for its qualities first, everything else after.  I think most experienced builders work in only a very few types of wood because doing so controls a lot of critical variables and that is a big consideration in making consistently good crankbaits. 

[BobP]

If you don't like cedar and choose poplar, I think you can still make a crankbait that will perform excellently for any type of fish, muskies included.  I'm not saying you should build it the same way with the same finish and the same topcoat you would put on a cedar lure - but you can make both very durable depending on the finishes you choose.  Cedar is a traditional wood for musky and saltwater baits because it is less absorptive.  But developments in finish chemistry make that a non-issue if the topcoat is strong enough that neither a musky or a snapper bluefish can bite through it.  So you have to consider the wood and the finish regimen as a whole.

[Seeking 56]

It's all good Skeeter!  You guys can debate for another 10 years Lol!  I'm going to stay out of it, promise    .

 

That's one of my friend's first musky lure it's at least 10 years old.  But that was the result of catching 1 pike.

 

I don't recall what clear he used.  I suspect rattlecan clear as he used a rattlecan to paint it. I'm going to ask him and get back to you, 'cause I'm curious as well.  But you know, when I looked at it, it didn't seem like it was sealed...just primed.

 

s56

[Seeking 56]

Skeeter,

 

My friend used a fiberglass resin for the clear.  He recalls having to add hardner.  So it's definitely not a 1:1 epoxy like Etex.  He also only put 1 coat

 

He also said the bait was never sealed.  Just primed and painted with rattlecans.

 

s56