Starting My First Swimbait

[SW Lures]

I have just laid out a 8" swimsuit (Musky). I cut the joint in a single V shape. I will take the edges off the female side of the cut to allow more movement. I've seen what Mark has done for a joint connection. But for me I need to crawl first.

I was thinking about making a ss hanger type connection. I haven't cut the shape out yet, the bait is still in a rectangle shape. The joint and lip is cut. Since this is my proto I don't know where to place the ballast.

I can glue the joint back together (temporarily). My questions are, what is the best way to lay out the hinges? Did I go about this the right way? Show I have changed the process to this point? Is there anything that I may run into from this point forward that may create a issue?

Thanks for your advice,

Dale

[mark poulson]

Since I've built lots of jointed baits, from past experience I know to put my hinging in the first joint up high enough to allow for deep ballast holes.  If I'm making a fast fall, I hold the hinging high in the next section, too.  I try not to let my lead wire ballast go up above the center line of the bait, for stability.  If you draw a center line on the side of your bait that will give you a rough guide for your lower hinge.

I've found that adding ballast from the head back gives me a bait that falls nose first, but swims level, because the tail section or sections have not ballast, so they are still buoyant and float.  This lets me swim a bait more slowly and still have it swim level, with a lively tail movement.

Edited May 1, 2016 by mark poulson

[jrhopkins]

if you can post a picture of what you have so far you might get more advise. lots of information here for free!

[RayburnGuy]

I have just laid out a 8" swimsuit

 

If you post a photo just make sure there's nobody in that  8" swimsuit. That would probably be against TU's rules.

 

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

 

Ben

[SW Lures]

That's what you get for using a pad that has auto correcting and not proofreading Ben, Lol....grrr.

Let's try this again!! A 8" swimbait, and yes Mark I'll watch the height of the hinges. When I start a prototype I draw the pattern (profile) that I want. Then I scan it into the computer. I then can run it off in paper form and glue it to the wood using wood glue, this is after marking center points in both X&Y lines on the wood. The lines will be there on the wood until I don't need them any more during the shaping. Having that line I learnt for y'all.

So I can put the hinges into the drawing once I find the best location for them and ballast.

So in a way Ben I do have a swimsuit on my swimbait. I do have picture's to, but I will not post, I don't want any warnings.

Thanks,

Dale

[RayburnGuy]

Couldn't help jerking your chain Dale. When somebody sets them up so nice and neat it's all but impossible to keep from knocking them over.

 

Ben

[SW Lures]

Jrhopkins, I'm sorry I didn't see your post yesterday. Ben's came in before yours, I guess.

Yes I know about the people here and there knowledge. I just don't always have the time during the week to put pic.'s, other then making a quick post. I work a lot. I will give it a try this evening. I have some on my phone.

Take Care,

Dale

[Chuck Young]

I am in the process of making my first swimbait, a 4" crappie, out of birch. My process was to cut center line slots in the top and bottom, leaving about 7/16" in the center. Then i rough carved. Next I ran ss wire hinges through top and bottom and epoxied them in. At this point, the final carving and sanding were done. I sealed the bait with superglue. This left a slot in the whole length of the bottom of the bait a little less than 1/8" thick (Marathon saw blades are thin). I squashed some solder with a pair of vise grips and friction fit it into the slots. This allowed me to move the weights around, tweak the amount and water test for proper action, sink rate, and attitude. Finaly, they were glued in and the gap was filled with epoxy and micro-balloons. I don't know how others do it. But this seemed like a great way to tweak a bait. I am very happy with the results.

[SW Lures]

Ok.....who said that hard woods need less ballast because of it's buoyancy. I was working on a pike/musky lure while doin house chores today.

The lures are poplar wood. One is a swimbait, the other is a stick bait. The stick bait is taking 22-23 grams of ballast and the swimbait is needing about 21 grams. This is installing bill, rings, and hooks. I want it to rise very slowly and I was told to get the lure to run 6-10'. It is for some else.

I have a mini kiln, or a friend has a saw mill with a large one that I can use if he has room. This is high grade poplar that has been dried out. I was just extremely surprised at the ballast needed for this lure.

The poplar is very nice to work with, IMO. That was surprising to. I like using poplar for furniture, but carving is just fine to.

Pictures will follow soon, step by step of the carving.

Take Care,

Dale

Edited May 15, 2016 by DaleSW

[Vodkaman]

Poplar is quoted as being between SG 0.35 and 0.5 and if fresh out of the kiln, could well be even lighter.

 

Let's say your poplar is on the light side, at SG 0.3 and your final lure weight was 40g (1.4ozs) then the weight of your ballast and hardware would be 28g (40gx0.7), so a ballast of 23g sounds about right. With an SG 0f 0.3 70% of the lure's weight is the heavy stuff.

 

Dave

[SW Lures]

I let it set out for a few days. Moisture content is relative to the the area that you are living in. IMO, let's say drying out wood to 6%, it is not where it will stay in your environment. Humidity changes that ideal number which is said to be about 6%. I have always allow wood to adapt to the conditions. This is because of cracking and such things, before staining or painting. However I keep it in my shop where humidity is just a tad lower then what is outside.

If I was giving advise to someone new to using this wood, look for very little grain and a white look similar to a good grade of balsa. The green wood needs to be left alone. The green wood has a higher content of water. Yes you can dry it out but the wood will be harder and not easier to work with.

There are different wood types in a given tree. "Heart/core" and "sap", each has a different characteristic. Pick your wood wisely. Even balsa has its grades. This is one of the reasons why I will not buy online. You think you are getting a good grade but when it gets to you, it is not. I like seeing, picking it up and feeling the texture of the wood.

For anybody new, Wood Grades 101 is over. Have a nice day.

Dale

Edited May 15, 2016 by DaleSW

[SW Lures]

You ask for it sooooo....well here’s what I have done to this point. This one is the swim bait and it 8” in length.

 

 

This is both of them, a stick and the swim. The swim bait was hinged together with SS wire. I’m not going to say TIG Electrodes it makes people cringe. I can hear it sometimes.    Yeah you can tell that I’m on the computer tonight. Had to for this.    

 

 

Here’s another top or bottom view before cutting.

 

 

Here is where I start whittling them down.    Yep to many of them, wheres that food again!

 

 

You will notice that the paper outline is still there. It gives me a centerline reference till I don’t need it anymore. Also its better to see how the shape is coming. That rule is an engineers rule that is 6” long. I like using it.

 

 

Notice the flat top of the head, its almost like a lipless lure. I guess you can call it a modified lipless with a backwards dolphin wing. Notice the recessed eye socket. Me like this technique (yes I spelt that right). I drill them a little over size and give an accent color behind the eye itself. 

 

 

Notice the rattle chamber, something new that I am working on. We shall see about this one.  I hear your brains saying Hmmmmm.

 

 

This one I made so you can see where I sealed the chamber up. Look at the grain change. I also used a different type of wood, just to make it more noticable. I will never use bond and wood putty again. A little shout out to Mark also on this one.

 

This one is where I cut in the gills and the plate. I use the gouge and cut it in at. Then I open it up to expose the gills with a Exacto knife, then I paint. I put a little red in there. I don’t like forming a gill plate flared way out when a fish (lure) is in motion. The only time a gill plate is open that far is when the fish is usually at rest. LOL, I don’t use that size gouge much any ways, got to make it good for something. It works pretty good for this size bait.  This is taking a while got anything to eat.  

 

 

I am going to finish the shaping soon. I’ll then find where I want the ballast to go. In the future I will know where the ballast will go and what  happens if I move them around.

 

Remember: people this is the prototype. I always wonder what If I do this, what will happen. So I’m giving somethings a try.

 

So to this point how am I doing? Be gentle please.  

 

Yep, I don’t need to get on the computer anymore for a while so....one more face to go, or two....

 

 Cheers...smile a little,

Dale

[Chuck Young]

Is your line connection going on the flat forehead? I am also curious about the rattle chamber placement. Not being critical, just trying to learn.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Chuck Young

[SW Lures]

The tie line will be on the nose of one and just under the nose of the other on this set. I may put one in the next set out about a 1/4"-1/2" on the bill.

The chamber is placed there to see if I can create a effect/hunting action. At this point I'm looking for a certain action of the lure. The rattle is also there because of the action that the tail will create. I didn't show this but on the plug and inside of the chamber a thin plate of metal is glued. This is going to create a certain click that I'm looking for.

We shall see how it all turns out.

Dale

Edited May 18, 2016 by DaleSW