Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 I have been carving lures/masters for molds out of cedar for years and I find it’s not very forgiving when attempting detail. I find it has habit of chipping or you get stuck chasing grain So what materials do you guys find best for carving detailed masters for making lure molds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 17, 2020 Report Share Posted June 17, 2020 I am partial to basswood as cheap and readily available and is what most of my masters have been carved from. "Detail" is dependent on the person. Basswood can get fuzzy with fine detail but can be burned off. I don't do much detail on lures typically so basswood works well for my needs. Won't have issue with grain and there is a reason why basswood is used frequently by carvers. Tupelo is nice also but haven't used much of it. Paulowina I tried seamed to splinter easily. Aspen or pine could be fine also. Maple holds detail well and crisp but more difficult to carve and work with. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenlures Posted June 18, 2020 Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 First choice is.....Basswood...….Then Maple Wayne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 Thanks guys if anyone has other options I still want to here them. Up for trying a few things to see what I like. It does not have to create a working lure just a mold master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 18, 2020 Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 If I was going to attempt a carving project. I would make a mold and cast the simple un-carved body in Bondo and then carve. There is no grain to be concerned about, and if I screwed up, I could quickly cast another master for my next carving attempt rather than starting from scratch. Dave 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakarp Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 For wood poplar. For a different approach, I've made some out of sculpty clay that dries very quickly in the oven. You could mold it up by hand then put in details while its' soft or just make it smooth then bake it and cut the details in with a dremel. Pvc trim board is also a carving option. Hmmmm, what to do? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchilton Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 I've had good luck with baltic birch plywood. Not the normal plywood from home depot. Normal plywood uses low quality plies in the middle. Baltic birch uses high-quality plies all the way through. I got mine at Rockler woodworking store. They sell smaller pieces (1ftx2ft) so you don't have to buy a whole sheet. No problems with grain, it finishes fairly smooth and then wipe on layers of lacquer and final dip in floor wax to get gloss finish. The plies show up as alternating light/dark lines that help you keep symmetry. You can get pretty fine detail. If I wanted super fine detail I'd carve either PVC trim board or a tan-colored casting resin (urethane). I really like having the lines built-in to guide my work. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 Tried the local hardware stores for pvc trim board and it’s special order by the pallet only. Go a piece of pine to try for now till I head into the city Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 9 hours ago, wchilton said: I've had good luck with baltic birch plywood. Not the normal plywood from home depot. Normal plywood uses low quality plies in the middle. Baltic birch uses high-quality plies all the way through. I got mine at Rockler woodworking store. They sell smaller pieces (1ftx2ft) so you don't have to buy a whole sheet. No problems with grain, it finishes fairly smooth and then wipe on layers of lacquer and final dip in floor wax to get gloss finish. The plies show up as alternating light/dark lines that help you keep symmetry. You can get pretty fine detail. If I wanted super fine detail I'd carve either PVC trim board or a tan-colored casting resin (urethane). I really like having the lines built-in to guide my work. That's a really neat idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 5 hours ago, Hillbilly voodoo said: Tried the local hardware stores for pvc trim board and it’s special order by the pallet only. Go a piece of pine to try for now till I head into the city See if your local lumber yard or home center can order just one length for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 4 hours ago, mark poulson said: See if your local lumber yard or home center can order just one length for you. Tried that no go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 26, 2020 Report Share Posted June 26, 2020 3 hours ago, Hillbilly voodoo said: Tried that no go Sorry. I now get mine shipped to my local Home Depot. There minimum order is small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
