fishon-son Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 anybody doing this.? I wanted to do a body but don't know where to start.....I don't have any tools but just though it would be interesting to do... thinking balsa wood.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) What are you wanting to do? Carve a realistic crank or just carve a crank? I prefer basswood, palowina, or jelutong when carving. Balsa just not great when it comes to taking detail but you can shape it easily with a knife or just a few passes of sandpaper. For most cranks I use a flexcut knife or similar to round over the profile. If looking at detail I will do the same but use a dremel and various bits. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/26592-wooden-lure-templates/ Edited November 8, 2015 by Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Far more rewarding imo! I like to hold the block or board i srarted from in one hand, and the finished product in the other, and pat myself on the back with.... Wait... I only have 2 hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 just wanting to try it .. just a plan square bill at first lite paint work then go from there looking for a project for the winter time....after work ..was also thinking of using the 5 axis mill trying to program something with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 The thing that make balsa difficult to carve is it's grain. It is a hardwood, with closed cells, but it is the most open grained of the harwoods. I'd suggest you shape your lure body and finish sand it, and then seal the wood, so the grain is locked. After that, you can either carve it with a knife, or use a dremel with a sanding drum. If the grain begins to rise again, just add some sealer to that part, and you can continue carving once it's dried. Having said that, it is a bitch! If you look at most, if not all, balsa baits, their details are painted on, not carved. There is a reason for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted November 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 im thinking thats what id like to do carve it and paint...im guessing hobby store for wood and tools... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 (edited) If I were just starting, and wanted to use wood instead of PVC, for ease of carving I'd pick poplar for heavier baits, and pine for lighter ones. But sealing wood baits is critical. No top coat is bullet proof, and wood expands and contracts as it changes temperature, potentially causing micro cracks in a rigid top coat, so getting the wood really well sealed is essential to making a successful bait.I was never able to seal my wooden jointed swimbaits completely (too many potential points of water entry) and that's why, at JR Hopkins' suggestion, I began using Azek PVC decking and trimboard for my lure building. The decking has the same buoyancy as poplar, and the trimboard is very similar to pine. There are other woods people here use successfully, so maybe they'll chime in on both what they use, and their system for using it successfully. Edited November 9, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aulrich Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Look up Paul Adams' youtube channel, there are a number of fun beginner project and more advanced. It's a good start point at least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 The issue I have with PVC.....I find it messy and it just lacks the "warmth" and tactile nature of wood. Simply it is more enjoyable to use wood in my book but I would recommend trying PVC. I have to disagree with poplar or pine as being a wood I would intentionally source for carving cranks. As far as carving the three I listed above are definitely where I would start if going to carve with basswood being the easiest for most to source. Balsa is my second favorite to use for cranks (but not because of carving just the lively action and heavy weighting you can get in a small bait). You can get basswood at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc... but they are charging crazy prices. Much cheaper to get it from a mill or local sawyer and being in Michigan you shouldn't have any issues finding decent sources of basswood. Worst case I can send you a priority mail box of the stuff. As far as tools all you really need is a good knife. A specialty carving knife would be what I recommend for ease of use. Keep it sharp and use a strop and cuts like butter is almost dead on description of using basswood. I use Flexcut knives (just a solid entry level knife) and use the roughing knife, detail, mini detail, and cutting knife. Definitely other options for knives and if the Hock knives (Ron Hock) are as good as the plane blades he makes definitely worth the money. As mentioned you do have to get a good topcoat and glue in ties and lips good to avoid issues. I never found it to be an issue in the cranks I have made and definitely don't worry about it. Worst case it fails....you build another one. You are far more likely to loose a plug fishing than loosing a plug to water issues, unless you just use bad techniques. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 What I mainly use to touch up baits is miniature files. A set doesn't cost to much. If you use the soft wood mentioned above, these and some sandpaper will do the trick. Cut the wood to just bigger then the baits that you are planning to design, this will save wood for the next ones. Good Luck Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 If your wanting to try out your carving skills basswood would be hard to beat in my opinion. Especially for a first try. It has a straight grain and is easy to carve with a sharp knife. When building balsa baits I don't even TRY to carve them. Once the profile is cut out on the band saw I go straight to sanding using curved sanding blocks I've made by gluing sandpaper to the inside of different sized pill bottle sections. I sand the top and bottom contours first and then the sides. Once that's done the top, bottom and sides are blended together. You can sand the shape as fast as you can carve it. At least I can since I'm not the best with a carving knife anyway. just my , Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 A sharp knife is the key to good carving, so be safe, and look into some kind of protection for your hands. I don't use any, but I've been carving my whole life, in one way or another, and have the scars to prove it. http://www.rockler.com/thumb-and-finger-guards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 The reason I mentioned the files is that they are safe, fairly inexpensive and they remove material slow....ly for someone that is beginning. I now cut out on my band saw, sand down to close shape (or use a duplicator) and then start the final shaping with the files. I just find that I can get the symmetry that I'm looking for easier. I know this sounds a tad bit crazy, but I can feel and see the creation of the shape using the files better. I do use a vise that can spin anyway I want it to be. That's what floats my boat. As Rayguy says, just my two bits. Dale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 I carve all my mold masters out of basswood. The truth is there isn't much carving for me other than the details. I use a bandsaw to get the general shape and then I use sanders to get the shape even closer to what I want. I will then hand sand the bait to its final shape. I then carve all my details out with a utility knife. It does not take long at all, in fact, it takes longer to draw the design and get the dimensions the way you want on paper than it does to make the actual bait. I just use the wood baits as mold masters to pour resin baits. I make a few swimbaits out of PVC and my method is very much the same. However you choose to do it, give it a try. It will take a couple of baits to get the hang of it and then you will be building all of your baits instead of buying them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 The Dremel is worth noting as a valuable carving tool.... Whether just used to round over edges, or used to carve the whole piece A Dremel and a jig saw are all i have at the moment... The body and lip slot i want is measured out and drawn on graph paper, then glued to card stock and cut out.... This piece is traced on my material, clamped in the vice and cut just out side the lines with the jig saw..... The Dremel with a sanding drum does the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 ok so i have a bait done i need to put a bill in and hook hangers..i used balsa wood and it was really easy to do i was surprized at how the sanding went cleaned it right up...now its a million dollar bait so no pics yet...lol can i just paint it then seal it will devcon or seal it with something else re sand and paint then devcon.??? what do i use for the bill..id hate to order some thing thats to big.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) I cut my lip slots before sealing and I make lips from polycarbonate or micarta. The lip slot should be perpendicular to the vertical plane of the bait (when viewed from the front) and cut at the proper angle you want. I typically install my lips prior to final topcoat unless the bait construction is a through line construction. Hook hangers should be installed (and the bait weighted) then sealed. I seal the bait with Devcon or Superglue then sand any imperfections out and give it some bite. Then I paint the bait. Through wire construction balsa bait with lip. Ready for paint. My usual construction method is to have the bait weighted, hook hangers installed, and painted. Then I glue the lip/line tie in and top coat. Series of carved cranks (minus the bottom one as that was a leftover from some molded baits I did). Edited November 18, 2015 by Travis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Devcon makes a fine sealer, and holds paint well Devcon, paint, more Devcon If you dont have any lexan, i know a guy here who uses old tackle box dividers for making lips.... Clever idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkman Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 The dividers work great for short lips. Haven't tried longer lips yet, figured the material was too flexible plus the dividers aren't very long. I might do some more testing this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted November 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 good idea hell who dosesnt have a few of those layin around....thanks jr. well travis , i thought i had the million dollar bait....those look real good.....im sure you have taken alot of bass with them...when paint time comes I'm sure ill have question...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 ^^^Thank Mohawkman^^^... His idea Painting still kicks my butt!... Sometimes i think i should just fish em in raw PVC... They look fine til i get paint in my hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
