Hybrid project

[azsouth]

Pin it with tooth picks or metal rods, I use tooth picks, drill 1/16" hole ...stick tooth pick in a cordless drill and wrap 180 grit or less sandpaper around tooth pick and sand until it fits snug.

Tooth picks will swell tight in the water and are easy and cheap. Metal glue is usually needed not so with the picks.

Addressing the tail issue, quick fix/quick redo.. just dip the part of the tail you want thicker in heated clear plastisol.

[Hillbilly voodoo]

51 minutes ago, azsouth said:

Pin it with tooth picks or metal rods, I use tooth picks, drill 1/16" hole ...stick tooth pick in a cordless drill and wrap 180 grit or less sandpaper around tooth pick and sand until it fits snug.

Tooth picks will swell tight in the water and are easy and cheap. Metal glue is usually needed not so with the picks.

Addressing the tail issue, quick fix/quick redo.. just dip the part of the tail you want thicker in heated clear plastisol.

Pinning it is a direction I was not thinking about but would work. My main goal is an easy to switch out joint without parts that could be lost or the need to pack other parts or clean up glue.

Some days the pike are brutal biting off tails so the goal is a bait that I can swap them out easily 

thanks for the tip on how to make the tail thicker. I have a lot of learning and practice in my future to figure out this hand pouring soft plastics. Today’s lesson pouring in a shop below freezing is not a good idea lol

[mark poulson]

Epoxy a large Owner centering pin screw lock into the recess, and just rotate it until the tail's in the right position.  https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_CPS_Centering_Pin_Spring/descpage-OCPSS.html

[Hillbilly voodoo]

2 hours ago, mark poulson said:

Epoxy a large Owner centering pin screw lock into the recess, and just rotate it until the tail's in the right position.  https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_CPS_Centering_Pin_Spring/descpage-OCPSS.html

That is what I attempted and I tore the male(soft plastic) end of the connection twisting it together on 2 prototypes

maybe if I widen the socket but I was thinking the friction of the screw is why it tore

I will have to try again with some mods

[mark poulson]

5 hours ago, Hillbilly voodoo said:

That is what I attempted and I tore the male(soft plastic) end of the connection twisting it together on 2 prototypes

maybe if I widen the socket but I was thinking the friction of the screw is why it tore

I will have to try again with some mods

Before centering pins I used to make my own 1/4" diameter screws by winding spinnerbait wire around a 1/4" bolt that was held in a vise.  I would wind 3" of screw wire, and then cut off what I needed for my lure.  The larger size kept the plastic from tearing.

[Hillbilly voodoo]

I will attempt another variation in a few days when I am finished my set of nightshift 

Thanks for the suggestions 

[eastman03]

@Hillbilly voodoo I had similar problems with the tail I made (as far as the action).  I was hoping for a wide thumping action at slow speeds, which was ok when I softened the plastic, but then the tail "straightened out" and loses action sometimes.  So when I made a stiffer plastic version, it stayed straight, but had to be reeled in pretty fast to get the desired action.  

I'm sure this is an issue for almost every paddle tail, and it was originally why i got into making my own (also because they are super expensive).  A popular Muskie lure I liked had soft really good action paddle tails, then they changed their formula or maybe manufacturer and the plastic was stiffer and more durable, but the action at slow speeds disappeared. 

Anyway, I'm sure there is a way to balance the durability with the desired action.  I might try pouring the bottom of the tail/shaft with harder plastic, then softer plastic on the top half.  See if i can keep the paddle down, but still have a wide waggle.   Did you use any softener or hardener in the plastic you used for your tail?

[Hillbilly voodoo]

Eastman03 I poured the tail out of a stiff saltwater plastic so it’s stiffer 

I think it’s more the design with the tail only connected with only a think spot at the top of the tail. My thought is to redesign with a shorter paddle that has more support heading towards the tip and move the thinner section a bit closer to the body 

I am going to take it slow redesigning this project to get it right. Also I have another prototype in the works that is going really well and some mad scientist ideas are running through my head on this other prototype