Importance of flat, parallel wood for baits?

[exx1976]

I'm new at this.  Currently, my shop consists of a belt sander, a drill press, a band saw, and a router table.

I've been buying wood from the local big box store.  In the store, I use the edge of one board to check other boards for straightness to avoid buying anything with an obvious bow in it.

Is eyeballing this wood "good enough", or should I consider adding a jointer to my shop?  I'm already considering adding a planer.  For my first few, I've just been using the band saw to resaw the boards to the thickness I want, and then using the belt sander to get them nice and flat on the resawed side, but it's not "perfect".

I'm willing to spend the $300 for a benchtop planer, but it occurs to me that a planer may not be as useful by itself as it would be paired with a jointer.  So, I ask:  How important is all this?  Am I overthinking it?  I'm not making 24" long baits.  Currently I'm making 7", but plan to do some 10-14" baits in the future.

Excited to hear thoughts from more experienced builders.

 

Thanks!!

[eastman03]

Probably can easily get by with the tools that you currently have.  I have all that stuff, plus an old jointer (all my tools are 1940's era stuff).  So you can find small jointers for pretty cheap.   I do like the jointer to work my way down to the thickness that I want.  I see your lures you posted are larger flat sided musky lures, so if you make a lot of 8-12 inch flat sided lures, maybe a jointer planer combo might come in handy.  I like to make all kinds of shapes and types of lures, so I haven't really missed out on the use of a planer.   As soon as you make a lure that has a "3d" shape with contours on the top and side,  it is probably unnecessary to start with a perfectly flat/square piece.  Lets be real though, more tools is always better no? 

[exx1976]

17 minutes ago, eastman03 said:

more tools is always better no? 

Absolutely!!!  But since this is, at the present moment, only a hobby, I'm really trying to minimize expenses.  If this turns into something that I end up being quite good at, I'm well aware the market (and appetite of musky fishermen) for custom lures, and I could more easily justify equipment purchases if this were a "for profit" endeavor - even if it were only a small profit.

Since lure making is, at the present moment, the extent of my woodworking (all the tools I bought were for the sole purpose of making lures), I do not want to spend more than is absolutely necessary to produce the desired results.

Also, I find your remarks about using the jointer to get to thickness curious.  My understanding is that the tools were the opposite?  A jointer creates one perfectly flat side (used to remove twists, bows, or cups), and a planer is then used to bring the wood down to the desired thickness, while maintaining a parallel surface to the side that was run over the jointer.  I'll admit to owning, nor having used, neither tool.  All my knowledge on both of them has been gathered from reading about them and watching YouTube videos such as "woodshop 101", et al.

Edited November 26, 2020 by exx1976

[eastman03]

You are totally correct.  Ideally I would joint one side so it is flat.  Then plane it so it is parallel.  I don't have a planer and over my 8-12" lures, I've never seen it to be a problem.  I'll joint one side so it's flat, then scribe a line parallel with a caliper to the desired thickness.  Then i'll use the jointer to work down to that line.  Ideally you would plane it down to that thickness, but I've never come across a piece that I couldn't get pretty much bang on with my sander or jointer.  Yea a planer would be nice if I was making batches of 100!  

There certainly is a market for custom musky lures. Guys have no problem paying 50+ bucks for a custom lure.  When I used to guide more, I was often selling lures right out of my tackle box that I made for myself. lol  I'm not even in the market to sell specifically, I just like making stuff and experimenting with ideas that I have in my head to trick those muskies.

[Vodkaman]

I agree with all the above; as a hobby no, if you go commercial then yes.

You guys make me wish I had my workshop back, I had the belt sander, drill press, band saw and a table saw. The table saw would probably achieve everything you want for a more commercial application, allowing you to set the blank width. But the table saw is an expensive piece of kit at this stage.

Dave

[exx1976]

2 minutes ago, Vodkaman said:

I agree with all the above; as a hobby no, if you go commercial then yes.

You guys make me wish I had my workshop back, I had the belt sander, drill press, band saw and a table saw. The table saw would probably achieve everything you want for a more commercial application, allowing you to set the blank width. But the table saw is an expensive piece of kit at this stage.

Dave

A table saw also consumes more floor space than I'm willing to part with at the present moment, even for a hobby-grade unit.  I definitely see their utility, however with the fence on my bandsaw and the right speed/feed, I'm able to make some pretty square cuts.  Cuts that I'm happy enough with, anyway.  Since I really don't have much of a "flat edge" on any of my baits, if the nose or tail flats get cut a bit crooked, it's not that big a deal.  About 1.5 seconds on the belt sander and it's as perfect as I need it to be at this stage. 

[JD_mudbug]

As Eastman03  and Vodkaman said, if you are making large quantities of flat sided lures the planer would be useful.

Personally, I never used my planer. I gave it to a friend who makes furniture. I have not had a problem doing it the way you described. The most useful thing I have is a bench belt sander with a side wheel and shelf. Use a square on the sander's side shelf to make sure it is at 90 degrees to the sanding wheel. Before sanding the one side down to the correct thickness, I use a mini speed square to mark down on all sides how much I am going to take off.  A lot of bait bodies have a short tapered nose section, a long tapered back section, and rounded shoulders which get rid of the sides of wood block anyways. As long a you draw a center line on the top and bottom of the body and keep the tapering even on both sides, the lure will be fine. You can also use the speed square to mark dots for the center line and complete the line with a flexible piece of plastic. I find on larger baits the there is a greater tolerance with the evenness of the tapering. I have several dozen large baits (6" and up)  that I shaped by eye only that run great. The critical thing is getting the lip straight by cutting it before tapering using the flat side again the saw.  A top view template  is useful for doing the tapering.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-4-1-2-in-Trim-Square-MLSQ040/310363529

More tools is always better. The real question is what could you spend the $300 on that would be more useful? the planer or say - more paints (you already have a compressor/airbrush set up), a regulator/water trap mentioned in the Etex post, a UV set up (my next goal when I get around to building a curing box), forstner bits, micro files, maybe a stencil making setup, a shop beer fridge, etc.

 

[Vodkaman]

Agreed - stick with the hobby set-up, plenty adequate.

Dave

[mark poulson]

The reason for wanting stock with parallel faces is to make it easier to mark a centerline on lure blanks, and to cut square lip slots.

You can make any bait with the tools you already have.

I use a bandsaw, oscillating belt sander (https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Oscillating-Edge-Belt-Spindle-Sander-EB4424/202459151), and a cordless drill, plus a drill press.  I use sanding blocks and files to finish shape my lures.

I would stay away from trying to use a router, unless you're really experienced with using one.  They can be grabby finger eaters.

[Vodkaman]

17 minutes ago, mark poulson said:

ld stay away from trying to use a router, unless you're really experienced with using one.  They can be grabby finger eaters.

I totally agree. a round-over bit is fairly harmless but forget about profile cutting. If using the router table; roll sleeves up and do not use gloves.

I built a router table, it doubled as my glue station. Here is a vid of my old workshop (tear running down my cheek)

Dave

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Vodkaman

[exx1976]

29 minutes ago, Vodkaman said:

I totally agree. a round-over bit is fairly harmless but forget about profile cutting. If using the router table; roll sleeves up and do not use gloves.

I built a router table, it doubled as my glue station. Here is a vid of my old workshop (tear running down my cheek)

Dave

 

Yep, this is my first go round with a router. I have the fence and all the guards on, and am only using it for round overs. It's been saving me a ton of time. I work bare-handed, short sleeves when using that, or any of the other power tools. 

 

Unless someone else comes in with a convincing argument, I think I may be able to skip the planer.

 

As for the list of other stuff that was posted by JD, I have well over 100 different paint colors, have forstner bits, and all the other stuff on that list - except a shop beer fridge. Maybe I need one of those! Lol

[Travis]

Flat, parallel, square,  all just make things so much easier to repeat processes.  I have a fairly complete shop and know we all find different tools more value able.  That said a no 5 plane is hard to beat if you only are going to have one.

Edited November 26, 2020 by Travis

[Vodkaman]

I know you were only joking about the beer fridge, so I won't say any more on that idea

Dave

[exx1976]

3 minutes ago, Vodkaman said:

I know you were only joking about the beer fridge, so I won't say any more on that idea

Dave

Indeed. #1 rule is no alcohol with power tools. 

 

Alcohol and painting, on the other hand....  Lol   but I'm a bourbon guy anyway, and that doesn't require refrigeration. 

[JD_mudbug]

Possibly inspired by divine intervention or alien telepathic communication, you come up with a great idea for a lure. You spend several hours shaping the body. It comes out perfectly symmetrical. The lip slot is perfectly straight.  You seal the bait and get the perfect ballast placement in your test tub. You drill the ballast hole and have no wood splintering. After installing the ballast, you re-seal the lure for added protection. You are so excited about your creation you decide to take the lure to the unfrozen portion of a small river on a cloudy dreary 30 degree day to test the action. You brave walking over slippery rocks to get to the shore, nearly face planting several times. 

The sun breaks through the clouds as you tie the lure on. You feel the warmth on your face as you make the first cast. The lure performs better than you imagined. As you watch the lure’s amazing action, a huge bass comes up from the depths and blasts your lure despite the lure being unpainted and the near freezing water temperature. You get no hook up because you are testing with bent over trebles to prevent a snag. You are ecstatic about all of the monsters that will fall to the lure when it is finished in all its glory. The action is so good that on the next cast a bald eagle takes a dive at the lure. You frantically reel the lure in to prevent the eagle from stealing your precious. After your lure’s lucky escape, you get back to the shop and wait for the lure to dry for painting.

After resisting the urge to paint the lure too soon, you are finally able to continue your masterpiece. With great skill and effort, you apply an incredibly detailed paint job with gill plates, fins, scales, 32 different colors, perfect shading and blending, the works. It comes out flawless. The ghosts of Michelangelo and James Heddon appear before you and inspect the lure. They simultaneously say ‘sweet’ as they disappear. You wait for the paint to thoroughly dry. You put the lure on your turner. You mix the epoxy which comes out crystal clear and bubble free. You apply a nice even epoxy coat, not too thin, not too thick. You flip the switch on the rotisserie motor. The lure starts its graceful rotation. Then…

Disaster. The lure turns 2 inches before it falls out of the holding clips because you did not set the clips securely. The lure bounces off the table and onto the floor. You are momentarily stunned. You pick the lure up and see that your clear coat is now a gelatinous mess encrusted with vilest shop debris. Saw dust, grit, hair, grease blobs, clipped off fishing line bits, even a small brad nail, yup, it’s all on your bait now. You start to feel grief, but you realize you can scrape off the epoxy and sand the ruined paint, repaint, and maybe salvage the situation. Then, like a lightning bolt from the sky, it hits you; the crushing weight of your own stupidity. You realize the fall also cracked the lure’s lip.

Your only solace is cracking a cold beer and weeping in the corner. This is what the beer frig is for.

[exx1976]

9 minutes ago, JD_mudbug said:

Possibly inspired by divine intervention or alien telepathic communication, you come up with a great idea for a lure. You spend several hours shaping the body. It comes out perfectly symmetrical. The lip slot is perfectly straight.  You seal the bait and get the perfect ballast placement in your test tub. You drill the ballast hole and have no wood splintering. After installing the ballast, you re-seal the lure for added protection. You are so excited about your creation you decide to take the lure to the unfrozen portion of a small river on a cloudy dreary 30 degree day to test the action. You brave walking over slippery rocks to get to the shore, nearly face planting several times. 

The sun breaks through the clouds as you tie the lure on. You feel the warmth on your face as you make the first cast. The lure performs better than you imagined. As you watch the lure’s amazing action, a huge bass comes up from the depths and blasts your lure despite the lure being unpainted and the near freezing water temperature. You get no hook up because you are testing with bent over trebles to prevent a snag. You are ecstatic about all of the monsters that will fall to the lure when it is finished in all its glory. The action is so good that on the next cast a bald eagle takes a dive at the lure. You frantically reel the lure in to prevent the eagle from stealing your precious. After your lure’s lucky escape, you get back to the shop and wait for the lure to dry for painting.

After resisting the urge to paint the lure too soon, you are finally able to continue your masterpiece. With great skill and effort, you apply an incredibly detailed paint job with gill plates, fins, scales, 32 different colors, perfect shading and blending, the works. It comes out flawless. The ghosts of Michelangelo and James Heddon appear before you and inspect the lure. They simultaneously say ‘sweet’ as they disappear. You wait for the paint to thoroughly dry. You put the lure on your turner. You mix the epoxy which comes out crystal clear and bubble free. You apply a nice even epoxy coat, not too thin, not too thick. You flip the switch on the rotisserie motor. The lure starts its graceful rotation. Then…

Disaster. The lure turns 2 inches before it falls out of the holding clips because you did not set the clips securely. The lure bounces off the table and onto the floor. You are momentarily stunned. You pick the lure up and see that your clear coat is now a gelatinous mess encrusted with vilest shop debris. Saw dust, grit, hair, grease blobs, clipped off fishing line bits, even a small brad nail, yup, it’s all on your bait now. You start to feel grief, but you realize you can scrape off the epoxy and sand the ruined paint, repaint, and maybe salvage the situation. Then, like a lightning bolt from the sky, it hits you; the crushing weight of your own stupidity. You realize the fall also cracked the lure’s lip.

Your only solace is cracking a cold beer and weeping in the corner. This is what the beer frig is for.

Holy.....

 

I was like "Wow, what an amazing story!!!"  Then, the motor falling off thing...  Yep, that's already happened to me.  Luckily, the lure just fell on the table, and it happened SO soon after applying epoxy that I just picked it up, brushed it out, added a bit more, and stuck it back on the turner.  LOL

 

However, in order for that story to become true for me, I'd first have to have all those other perfect things line up for me - which isn't likely to happen for quite some time given my current skill level. 

 

Thanks for the laugh though.  And yes, I'd most definitely need something to drown my sorrows at that point.  LOL

[DGagner]

What you've got is fine. For the size  that baits are few boards need straightening for 3-6". For furniture making yes, but the power tools that you've got you're okay. You actually don't need the router btw. I never use one. A razor knife and sandpaper is fine for  taking down the edges. You can carve a bait ready to paint with holes and lead in the belly in 30 to 60 minutes. Bandsaw it, carve it, sand it, drill holes. It's a pretty simple process actually for a standard single segment bait.

[exx1976]

4 minutes ago, DGagner said:

What you've got is fine. For the size  that baits are few boards need straightening for 3-6". For furniture making yes, but the power tools that you've got you're okay. You actually don't need the router btw. I never use one. A razor knife and sandpaper is fine for  taking down the edges. You can carve a bait ready to paint with holes and lead in the belly in 30 to 60 minutes. Bandsaw it, carve it, sand it, drill holes. It's a pretty simple process actually for a standard single segment bait.

Indeed - that's about what my average was per bait, right at an hour - including band saw, belt sander, center line, drilling, chisel, and sandpaper.  The chisel and sandpaper were the most tedious part, though, and ate up easily 30-40 minutes of those 60.  I may be getting ahead of myself in terms of wanting to cut down the time so I can produce more of them, and faster - but I figure even if this hobby never makes me a dime, a router is still a good tool to have around the house.   

[DGagner]

1 minute ago, exx1976 said:

Indeed - that's about what my average was per bait, right at an hour - including band saw, belt sander, center line, drilling, chisel, and sandpaper.  The chisel and sandpaper were the most tedious part, though, and ate up easily 30-40 minutes of those 60.  I may be getting ahead of myself in terms of wanting to cut down the time so I can produce more of them, and faster - but I figure even if this hobby never makes me a dime, a router is still a good tool to have around the house.   

I'm just in it for the fun of it... a good pandemic hobby for sure. I gave up on the chisels. A good razor knife that I can change the blade in and I whittle it down then sand it smooth.If it's pine or cedar it carves easily and you just end up with a few chips on the floor. It's a small amount of wood. I originally thought that it had to be put in a vise and chiseled after marking contour marks on the thing. Doing it by eye is the easiest for me. They always come out symmetrical. Just eyeballing it along the length.

I do manage other woodworking too, furniture, guitars and such so I can say that a jointer, planer, router are stuff that you do need for that stuff and it's pretty nice to have in that case, but for something you can hide in your hand... no necessary.

[exx1976]

6 minutes ago, DGagner said:

I'm just in it for the fun of it... a good pandemic hobby for sure. I gave up on the chisels. A good razor knife that I can change the blade in and I whittle it down then sand it smooth.If it's pine or cedar it carves easily and you just end up with a few chips on the floor. It's a small amount of wood. I originally thought that it had to be put in a vise and chiseled after marking contour marks on the thing. Doing it by eye is the easiest for me. They always come out symmetrical. Just eyeballing it along the length.

I do manage other woodworking too, furniture, guitars and such so I can say that a jointer, planer, router are stuff that you do need for that stuff and it's pretty nice to have in that case, but for something you can hide in your hand... no necessary.

Well, they aren't QUITE small enough to fit in your hand, but I think I get the point.  The smallest I'm making are 7", and I plan to make some 10-14" ones as well.

 

[Vodkaman]

JD - you sold me, the fridge is on order

Dave

[mark poulson]

19 hours ago, Vodkaman said:

I totally agree. a round-over bit is fairly harmless but forget about profile cutting. If using the router table; roll sleeves up and do not use gloves.

I built a router table, it doubled as my glue station. Here is a vid of my old workshop (tear running down my cheek)

Dave

 

Dave,

Did you have to abandon all those shop tools when you moved?

[Vodkaman]

The tools are stored in a mate's garage, but the two lure duplicator machines, table saw, bench, router table and shelves had to be abandoned.

I was basically made homeless. I lived in a one-room, one light-bulb with communal washroom for six months or so after that. Hard times living on a dollar a day, but character building stuff

Dave

Edited November 27, 2020 by Vodkaman

[exx1976]

7 hours ago, Vodkaman said:

The tools are stored in a mate's garage, but the two lure duplicator machines, table saw, bench, router table and shelves had to be abandoned.

I was basically made homeless. I lived in a one-room, one light-bulb with communal washroom for six months or so after that. Hard times living on a dollar a day, but character building stuff

Dave

Ouch.  Glad to hear those times are behind you!

[mark poulson]

9 hours ago, Vodkaman said:

The tools are stored in a mate's garage, but the two lure duplicator machines, table saw, bench, router table and shelves had to be abandoned.

I was basically made homeless. I lived in a one-room, one light-bulb with communal washroom for six months or so after that. Hard times living on a dollar a day, but character building stuff

Dave

I know the saying is, "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger", but it sure feels like it's killing while it's happening.  Sorry  you lost all that treasure.