johnnytheboy Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Hi there, I have one of these topwater lures where abit of the head is attached to a propeller, it seems that the wire goes right through the full bait and all the lure can rotate on this wire, I have also seen rivets in some of the lure making catalogues that seem to be for putting in the open ends of the wood so the wire does not elongate the hole, what i was wondering is if anyone knows how the wood is sealing inside the lure?? surely if the wire runs right through then the water can get right through the lure. any ideas??? Tightlines John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 John, Usually the wire is put in with epoxy. This will seal the hole. I cut my baits in half and epoxy the two halves back together with the wire harness inside. No water will get into the inside of the lure through the hole. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musky1 Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 John, I make a lot of thru wire baits. I dip the whole lure into your sealer. It works good for me. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 I think what John is talking about is a "tunnel" through the center of the lure. The wire does not attach to the lure body so the body can rotate around the wire. Neat idea. Dipping the bait in top coat as Musky1 stated should work. I have made rattle chambers in my wood baits by drilling a hole the using a Q-tip to coat the sides of the hole with epoxy and then sealing with a wood plug. The epoxy give the BB a hard surface to rattle against. I think you could use a swab on a longer stick to coat the inside. The concern I would have is ensuring a good coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 John, most of my top water musky lures the front or body of the bait the wire is epoxy in. The back small 2 or 3 inches of the bait is what you wont to spin. Most bait makers will add some rivets to the front and back for the bearing, more than likely two or three beads. Some like the Slammer lure has a blade on the front and or back. The thing you don?t wont is your body of the bait spinning with the hook just the part with the prop. As for the sealing just pore some sealer or us a Q-Tip I think will work great. PM me, if you wont I can send you a sketch of it. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
count draculure Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Hi John, Instead of using rivets on each end of the rotating part; I epoxy a small aluminum or brass tube the full length of the hole. Thay way you don't have to worry about water getting into the hole. If I was going to use rivets only, I would use a very thin sealer like Minwax Wood Hardener or maybe even lacquer sanding sealer and dip the part in it. At least there would be some protection in the hole. Come to think of it, this might be an ideal spot to use that lacquer thinner/plastic cup sealer that I read about on TU awhile back. I've experimented with it a bit, and found that some finishes don't adhere to it real well, but I think it would do a dandy job of sealing a through hole. Hope this helps Count Draculure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coley Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 While were on this subject may I ask how you get your hole straight through the bait? Do you drill the block it all the way through and then turn it?? Coley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Coley, That is the easiest and how most do it. If you?re off on the drill the lathe will help you out. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
count draculure Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Hi Coley, If the hole is 1/8" or larger, the blank can be drilled on a lathe or with a jig on a drill press and then turned. I know alot of the saltwater lure makers do it that way. But from what I understand, they still have a fair amount of rejects. One of the manufacturers that I turn bodies for requires a 1/16" through hole; so I make the body in two pieces. I made a simple router table with a V-bit. I route a groove about 1/32" deep in the middle of the blocks. (it could also be done on a table saw with a thin blade) If the body requires a hook hole for a swivel, I drill it now into the groove on one of the halves. This insures that the hook hole will meet the through hole. Then I lay piece of stainless wire in the groove and glue the halves together with urethane glue. The wire serves two purposes. It aligns the halves and it also keeps the glue from sealing the hole back up. Then I clamp it together with spring clamps or bar clamps.After glue has set for awhile, I pull the wires out. I try to pull them before the glue completely sets; otherwise it can sometimes be difficult to get the wire back out. (ask me how I know )The blank is ready to turn. After turning, I run a 6" 1/16" dia. aircraft extension drill through the hole to clean it up. I know this may sound like more work, but it does offer some advantages. It allows smaller holes, your centers are already marked, thinner (cheaper) stock can be used, and you can also glue up very long blanks and then cut them to whatever lengths you may need at the time. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take that much time and very rarely do you get a reject. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me. I'll help any way I can. Count Draculure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 count draculure I love your idea of cutting in ?. I don?t think it would add time, if anything I would think it would be faster. I know how hard it is when you try to drill perfict in center. Your way you could do a 4-foot or bigger board at a time. Thanks nice idea! -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnytheboy Posted October 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 thanks guys, loads of ideas here thanks again tightlines john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
