First Balsa Crankbait

[bassmaster1]

Got my first crankbait made last night. the finished one is a about 2 1/2 inches and the not finished one is 3 inches. The 2 1/2 incher has a shad type paintjob with a red belly. The 3 incher will be about the same paintjob, but hopefully better. I messed up on a few parts, but i think it turned out pretty good for my first one. I do have one question, how do you get the lip slot so perfect? I can't get it that good yet. so,tell me what you think about them.

thanks,

aaron

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/nhoman27/100_0713.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/nhoman27/100_0716.jpg

[Coley]

You are going in the right direction.

If you are talking about making the lip slot straight across

the bait.

After you cut out the bait, before you start shaping it,

while it is still flat, cut your lip slot.

I don't know what tool you use to cut it with, if it

is a band or scroll saw, besure the blade and the table

are set at 90 degrees to each other.

Keep up the good work.

[longball]

Here is an addendum to Coley's message. Don't look at your angle settings on your scroll saw. I set up a new scroll saw, leveled it out to zero degrees and cut 12 crankbaits with the lip 4 degrees off. 12 baits to the garbage. Be sure to measure the blade to a triangle to find square. Doing it manually is the only way to find true square.

[Lure--Prof]

Here is an addendum to Coley's message. Don't look at your angle settings on your scroll saw. I set up a new scroll saw, leveled it out to zero degrees and cut 12 crankbaits with the lip 4 degrees off. 12 baits to the garbage. Be sure to measure the blade to a triangle to find square. Doing it manually is the only way to find true square.

Yes, this is essential!

I keep a small combination square in the vicinity of my scroll saw to quickly check that blade to table is always at 90 degrees.

[LaPala]

Actually I don't even trust a square. It's useful as a guide to set up then make a test cut with ur saw. If perfectly square u can feed the cut u just did from the back of the blade even if u flip ur wood over; then the blade is perfectly square to the table.

[Lure--Prof]

Are you saying my square's not square? Actually, when I said, "I do the same thing", I inferred that I flip my lure over also, for a check. From there I can make sure no movement has occured since my last cut with the square. Of course I'm cutting a flat lure at this point, and I always flip them to clean up the cut. I'm also use nothing but balsa these days for lipped lures, which means there's less chance for anything to move (blades last forever too)!

Also, let me say, that it is great to hear from you!!!!

Yours, Dean