biggamefish Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 whats the best way to cut a true even slot on a lure for the bill/lip? Do I need to make a jig of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Do you have a band saw? The easiest way is to cut the slot on a bandsaw while the blank is still square. If you don't have a bandsaw then you can place the blank in a vice with the lip slot lined up along the top edge of the vice. You can then take a coping saw, hacksaw or whatever saw you have that is as close to the thickness of the lip as possible, and cut along the top edge of the vice. Ben 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Make a jig, or cut it flat with a table or band saw while it's in its square shape, before you have carved or cut anything besides the 2D shape. Without those flat edges it will never really be perfect. I am very good at just starting a random lure with nothing really layed out. my best recommendation for these kinds of projects is to take it slow with at saw after laying out the angle on both sides with a protractor. It is hard to get it looking semetrical and you may never get it perfect. Sometimes having bad or not so perfect cuts and symmetry are what make the baits special though in my opinion. I'm sure someone who is more of a perfectionist that I will chime in! Just my 2 cents :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Ben I posted first! Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Ben I posted first! Haha! Ahhhhhh, but you forget. Us old coots get a 30 second head start so you lose. Ben 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted July 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Lure is already carved and shaped will have to try on a vice and slowly cut the slot, tried it on the bandsaw and it's hard to get a true cut with a lure that's already shaped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 If you take a piece of paper, wrap it around the lure where you want the lip slot to go, and line up the two ends of the paper on the far side, holding it snug to the bait, your lip slot should be close to even. After that, you can clamp the lure into a vise, with the jaws padded to protect it, and use a hand saw of some kind to cut the slot. I use a dovetail saw, but a hack saw will cut it fine, and the blade is rigid enough that it won't wander. Just go slow, check your alignment often, and know that you probably won't get the slot perfect, but you can move the lip in the slot until it looks right to you. Use some shims to the lip so it looks like it's at right angles to the lure's body, epoxy it in with the shims holding the lip, and then shave the lip if need be to get it right, once the epoxy had set. A center line on you bait and on your lip make that part of the alignment easier. Trust your eye, and don't glue anything until it looks right to you. All this hassle will help you remember to cut the slot while the blank is still square next time. It did for me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 starting over is also an option... i know its more work, but its work applied with a higher chance of success....... on the flip side, its also more work to finish the current lure, but with a lower chance of success i speak from experience, im good at screwing stuff up (ha ha!)..... i would not like to disclose my "failure to success ratio", but ive learned so much from each failure that im almost smart by now heres a little tip... keep a pen and paper handy throughout the entire build process, write down everything you do in order and use it as a guide for your next build.... your lip slot is just one of many examples of how skipping one step can put a hex on the whole build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 The hard part is marking the body for the slot. I use a thick rubber band, stretch it over the front of the lure until it looks like the right angle and even, then mark it with a sharpie. To cut the slot, I use a Dremel with a thin fiber reinforced cut off disk, so i can see both sides of the bait while I cut. Not ideal, but if an already rounded body is what you got.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted July 27, 2016 Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) Here is a jig you could use. Best with squared stock. but you can also use balsa wedges to hold rounded bait in place. The saw is a couple of hack saw blades glued together. Edited July 27, 2016 by Chuck Young 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted July 29, 2016 Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) I have a jig that slides along the table saw and squared to the blade. As long as I have flat sides I'm good. I've found that this does not always work in all conditions. The lure can slip, etc. So I listened to the members here and added one thing. I made a print of the basic shape of the two dimensions, then I placed the prints to a squared stock of wood. These prints have ballast locations, lip depth of cut and degree of pitch. There are just so many things that can go wrong in doing the lip and ballast after you shape the lure. BUT don't get me wrong, you can do it. Success will be greater doing this in squared stock. It's just so much easier this way. You won't throw so many lures away and your blood pressure will be much better. I don't even use the table saw anymore for this. This is my two pennies worth. Dale ps, If you are doing this cut by hand, the lay out (measuring) will be easier in the square stock form. Edited July 29, 2016 by DaleSW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted July 30, 2016 Report Share Posted July 30, 2016 if its larger lures ,table saw. we run 3 pcs at a time. assure your squared up in blank,and saw fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
