Vodkaman

Most annoying - I try to unsubscribe from the many irritating emails and I cannot log-in due to my Indonesia location. I had to use one of those tools were the computer thinks I am in another country. I only use this tool for emergencies, so I think it would be best to cancel my membership completely.

Great work. You have nailed the photofinish technique. I also noticed the 3D scale technique on the 'Olemiss' lure. Impressive work. Dave

I don't have access to all those materials, otherwise I too would just flex them between finger and thumb. The numbers thing just allows me to check out different materials and thicknesses against each other, before I hunt them down and buy. Dave

Yes, epoxies do add weight, but not as much as you might think. This is because they also add volume. As the lures volume increases, it can carry more weight (Archimedes). Epoxy has a specific gravity of 1.2, but only the .2 part is added ballast. So only 1/6th of the weight of the epoxy applied actually counts as ballast. As Cliff pointed out, this is mainly a concern for those building close to neutral buoyancy. Dave

Bob - I put those numbers into the spreadsheet and yes, the G10 was slightly stiffer. I need to do more research into the Young's modulus figures for this application. I was also thinking of doing a swim test comparison between a square edge and a sharpened edge. Even in my shallow tank, if there is a significant difference, it should be visible. I will get around to it soon. Dave

It is an accepted fact that G10 gets deeper than polycarbonate. I assumed that this was due to the smaller thickness. But the difference in thickness between 2mm poly and 1/16" G10 is not that great. So, after BigM mentioning flex in post No6, I did some bending calcs. It turns out that 2mm poly bends 4x as much as 1/16" G10. This all makes sense, as bending absorbs energy. The same energy that is used to create depth and action. You probably already knew this and didn't tell me. Now my head hurts and I will have to lie down. Dave

That is great news. Dave

I am liking the scaled depression idea, knurled ratchet handle? Are you going to foil over that, might work well with the right technique to press the foil into the depressions. Dave

I understand your thinking about the pin idea. But the pin is not taking all the stress or load. The load is shared by the entire bending length of the rod. Infact, the thicker the section, the more load it shares, so the tip is under very little load. I think it might be worth a try. If it doesn't work, you can always revert to plan B, trimming back and re-tipping. Hopefully, Abu will come across as good guys and look after a valued customer. I would still like to hear opinions from some rod experts. Dave

I think you did great. Carving is not my favorite operation, which is why I build carving machines. This way I only need to carve one master. I know, it's cheating, but to each his own so don't pick on me. My logic is that I created the machine by hand, so technically, I carved the bait by hand Dave

I am not a regular rod builder, though I did build a few in my youth, so I am speaking from very little experience. As for a repair, I am thinking trim back a few millimeters, to get a clean join and undamaged section. An epoxied insert/spigot, 3/4" into each half of the joint. This will give an almost invisible joint, with a light top coat. The big question is what material for the pin. Had the break been on a larger section, graphite or glass fibre may have worked. But at such a small section, I think your options are limited to spring steel rod. This material is corrosive, but the epoxy will take care of that. Stainless steel would be nice, but I think that it is not good enough in resistance to bending. Of course the rod action will be changed, as you have already anticipated, but at worst, it will still make a good introductory rod for a youngster. We have to look after the next generation of anglers. There are very good rod builders around the forums, I am surprised no one has jumped in here to help you with more professional advice based on real experience. Dave

Motor windings are copper wire coated in a kind of shellac. It is durable and prevents corrosion. You can buy it on the spool, but if you can find a scrap motor, you will have enough copper wire to last a lifetime, for free. You just keep your eyes open for scrapped motors. Dave

Send the pics to Abu Garcia and see what they say. You never know. It seems strange that it would break in that fashion. May well have been a flaw in the weave. Dave

You are right, it is a very cool thing to do. Catching a fish on a lure that you created is special. True, the first bait that you create will be more expensive, but consider what you have to spend the money on and how many lures will each of those items make. For example, a 1 oz tube of epoxy will coat ten small cranks at least. A hacksaw, one blade will cut a thousand bodies. A wretched file will last a lifetime. If you get good at it, you may be able to sell a few to friends, to help with material costs, but learn first, make the best lure you can, catch fish with it, then sell a few. If you sell too soon, they will never come back for more. Don't let people put you off your idea. Post more information about yourself in the user CP, so we know who we are dealing with. We are here to help. Dave LMAO, a wretched file! Glenn, your naughty word checker needs educating. Lets try a rough file then.

You can make lures on a tight budget, no problem. My choice would be a 3" flat sided lipped crank. I have just built a bunch and they were so easy and they all swam. Wood - needs to be as light as possible. 1/2" balsa block would be ideal, but that would mean spending. Any light wood will work. Oak is too heavy. Basswood, cedar, poplar, spruce would all work, pine, maple are getting a bit heavy, but could work just using hooks for ballast. Learn to 'feel' the weight in your hand and keep your eyes open for scraps. hook eyes - soft stainless steel wire is ideal, but paper clip wire will work just fine for the first few goes. Ballast lead - tyre balance weights, lots of free sources. Lip - any plastic stiff enough will work. Old CD's. Circuit board material works fine. Look around, see what you can find. You now have enough to start and you haven't spent anything. Here is a video of what I had in mind: Let me know if you want plans. Dave

On the rare occasions that I do a through wire, this is the method that I use: Dave

internal wire is the best. Balsa comes in a wide range of densities. The heavier balsas are capable of holding a screw, but why risk it. Dave

Plaster of Paris (PoP) is probably your best bet for a mold material. It is very cheap, makes good reproductions and is easy to work with. The skills that you learn with PoP will be transferrable should you decide to use a more expensive material like RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing rubber). Polyester resin is another alternative, cheaper than RTV. PoP has a few draw backs: It has to be dried thoroughly and has to be sealed before it can be used, Whereas resin and RTV can be used soon after setting (although I would wait 24 hours)and require no seal. Dave

Starting up both plastics and cranks is a huge undertaking. Best advice would be to choose one or the other. Starting both is not impossible though. If you are going to choose one, there are a number of questions that may help you. 1 – which type of bait do you use the most? Pointless making something that you are not going to use. 2 – are funds going to be a problem? Plastics is the most expensive to start up. You can ease the cost by making your own molds, but you would be better at least starting off with a couple of commercially available aluminium molds of patterns that you use regularly. Cranks can be as cheap or expensive as you like, with tools ranging from box cutter, hacksaw, drill and sandpaper, through to band saw, drill press, belt sander, table saw. 3 – how much time do you have available? If you can only sneak into the workshop for the odd 30 minutes, then cranks would be a better option, as plastics generally require more time to get a decent run going. Having said that, small runs using a microwave are doable in short times. 4 – what space do you have available to dedicate to production? Plastics really require a dedicated space and ventilation is important. Cranks are going to create a lot of dust and mess. Both really require a workshop. I have done cranks on the kitchen table, but you better do the sanding and drilling operations outside. Cranks need paint too. 5 – what tools do you already possess? If you already have a workshop, you may already be geared up for cranks, but you will definitely have to spend money to set up for plastics. From the general nature of your question, I would advise reading and lots of it. There are also a lot of videos on Youtube that will give you a good idea of what is involved. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage you, but you should be prepared. Instant results are unlikely as both disciplines have a learning curve. I wish you luck in what ever direction you choose. Dave

Very nice, I like it. Sometimes predators need to be annoyed into attacking, this is what jitterbugs are all about. The prop is only going to add to the effect, especially with the occasional twitch/rip to set the prop spinning. My concern was that the water movement behind the jitterbug lip might prevent the prop from performing. This would not stop me from building one, to find out. Would love to see a video of the lure in action. I think it would be an exciting dusk/night lure. Lots of tension and anticipation. Not sure I could take the stress. I'm sure it will do well. Dave

Very nice. I struggled to see what was going on at first. probably something to do with angles. So I re-cooked the images, I hope you don't mind. Dave

I have used a mixture of bondo type car filler and polyester resin (the filler is polyester resin based) for ballast weights. Like the crab with mixed results. The problem is that the mold softens after a few pours and becomes pliable. This itself is not a problem, in fact it only improves the clamping seal. But it does give an indication of how the mold surfaces will wear/deteriorate. I have read on another forum that the stiffness and integrity of the mold can be improved by including steel wire mesh or similar, in the pour, Kind of like reinforcing concrete with rebar. This will not improve the wear problems of the cast faces, but will reduce the tendancy to crack. I haven't tried this method, as I now do my ballast weights a different method. The big question is how many good pours can you get, before the degredation becomes a problem? Sorry, I do not have an answer for you. A lot depends on the detail in the casting. A simple casting, that drops out easily, is probably good for a couple of hundred, but this is a pure guess. Maybe someone can give a better estimate based on experience. Dave

I rarely take baits to completion. I design - test - log - store - lose. I plan on completing some jointed swimbaits real soon, but have a few problems to solve first. I have built a new duplicator machine for making larger bodies, but it is not giving me the finish that I was hoping for (75 cuts per inch). There is a wobble in the system somewhere and it is leaving me with effectively 15 cuts per inch, which is very rough. I have run out of solutions and not definitely identified the problem. I am thinking now of building a new design that I have in my head. But without identifying the problem, I am afraid that the problem may occur in the new design, so lots of thinking time going on at the moment. It is very frustrating, as I put a lot of man hours into the design and build of this new duplicator. It is a work of engineering art I will get there in the end I am sure, but hand carving these bodies is not an option that I would savor, especially as I still have a lot of prototyping to do on the bait. It takes close to two hours to shape the body by hand, for just five minutes in the test tank, this is not acceptable, especially when I know that my machine will cut a body in 4 - 10 minutes, depending on the finish that I configure for. Hopefully I will solve the problem and be able to post up some finished baits soon. Dave

Nothing plain about your work Marty. Stunning as usual. In fact, I enjoy the work done by all the artists mentioned in this thread plus a few more. This forum is home to a lot of paint skills. Dave

When I bought my hair dryer, it was so funny watching the sales girl trying not to laugh, especially when I stroked my bald head. You can buy anything with a sense of humor. Make their day by making them smile. Dave