To Seal or Not to Seal

[LaPala]

In reference to the thread "Lots of Questions.." in The Docks.

As discussed in the thread I referred to, Sealing or Not Sealing of wooden baits seem to elicit difference in opinion on whether it should be done or not. Or the issue seem to be just seal with the paint and primer but not bother with using a different sealer specifically for the purpose, then let the top coat take care of water entry issues.

Here's my take:

Sealing of a wooden lure is done for a few reasons,

1. as protection for the wood beneath from water entry
   
2. to harden a soft wood
   
3. as a base for paint to adhere to
   
4. to smooth out ur lure
   
5. to prevent air escaping from wood in hot day blistering your paint

and KCDano added

1. To reduce the number of paint applications to achieve coverage by preventing absorption speed up production
   
2. To reduce cost

We make custom lure for a few reasons, part of it is to make something we can't buy, tweaked to what we need and to produce a more durable bait. Sometimes we do things with disregard to cost as well.

What I'm trying to point out is that what Cheesehead expressed very well, "I still strive to do the best I can with what I have."

In this age of technological wonders and material improvements; there ARE sealers specifically more suited to be used as a sealer and preserve wood then paint. For example probionate pellets dissolved in acetone. Dipping/soaking in the solution actually soaks the plastic into your wood and subsequent dippings deposit the plastic as a barrier layer on your wood. So essentially why we want to do this is to have the wood completely protected. The paint may peel, our Devcon top coat can crack from shooting onto rocks but I have this security layer underneath that protect the lure and it would perform as design regardless.

Imagine you have a killer lure that the fish just won't stop hitting, after an hour "harvesting" fish u find the action of the lure is getting sluggish by the minute & u are loosing strikes. Is this worth all the hours of carving, custom painting, tuning of the lure u made? There's even more problem if u're fishing for toothy fishes, do you want to make a 2 fish lure? After the 2nd bite, the tooth holes in ur lure allowed enough water in to kill the action of your lure.

In making custom lures, I do not believe in shortcuts, nor cutting corners. I want all the characters of a good lure and they have to be durable.

So to seal specifically or not, it's still you as the maker who has to decide ---- a good solid durable lure or a lure that has to be dried on the clothes line after every fishing trip?

[pikeman]

absolutly right over there LaPala, I used not to protect my lures with a sealer, till the paint peel and the pikes had the nasty habit of sticking their theeth all the way down to the unprotected wood changing the action of the lure (this is a serious problem on topwater lures like poppers cause they get heavy). So now I decided that there is no shortcut in building lures cause if you take one in the near future you'll have to go on the long road ( in this case rebuilding your lure ).

I think it's a must sealing the wood !!!

[woodieb8]

bravo mr LaPala. well said. i say no more.

[apb]

Agree 100%. Have made the same arguement on others sites, though not quite as eloquently

Andrew

[doomdart]

I only spoke of LM bass lures. Once I see the problems you describe, I will change my methods. Until then, just keep pluggin' along.

[cheesehead]

I will admit that there is not one method for every lure. Certain lures was well as builders will require more or fewer steps.

We knew long before starting to make custom lures that if it was just for cost we would be much farther ahead buy buying mass-produced lures. Therfore I will not even begin to entertain the thought of not doing what we can to make the best lure possible. I firmly believe that an extra step or two in the process (such as sealing the wood) will improve the over-all quaility of the end product. Like I said in another post "sealing your lure is like kissing a loved one good-bye. You don't need to do it but why wouldn't you?

[rofish]

There is a question which constantly knocks my head: how can LaPala be right all the time?

I regard him as the God of crankbait makers, but even Gods have some limits ...

[cheesehead]

There is a question which constantly knocks my head: how can LaPala be right all the time?

Oh I am sure he is not right (especially in the head)

One fact that mot many of us know is that he will spend countless hours researching, designing on paper and in CAD, carving and testing his lures before begining to paint them. For his lures "good enough" is like a kick in the jewels.

[LaPala]

LOL, I'm only human rofish. What Cheesehead is trying to tell you is I fk up my lures all the time and it takes a loooong time for me to produce one that i deem fishable.

The is no real right or wrong in any craft, just do what your heart tells you is "the best you can do with what you have".

[Lure--Prof]

Another reason for sealing is to keep any natural oils in the wood from leaching out and contaminating a paint job. I mean you don't want to end up a sap do ya?

Dean (who leaves quickly, ducking a rotten tomato)

[doomdart]

Dean (who leaves quickly, ducking a rotten tomato)

Got a chuckle from that, Dean.

[rofish]

LOL, I'm only human rofish.

It just crossed my mind you wrote my name in bolds so you would not mean "I'm only human raw fish"

[LaPala]

Oops rofish, I pronounced your nick as roe fish , but I am half a fish as my job gets me in the water most times

And phew, Dean escapes with just a hair space btw the projectiles. Now the crime scene is littered with rotten tomatoes. Hey what's that sulfuric smell too

[Brian Mullaney]

I use Waterlox to seal AYC - good stuff!

[Brian Mullaney]

all my plugs get two dippings in Waterlox sealer - I only use AYC.