Is it possible to turn cranks out on a lathe. or do they have to be carved by hand?

when you turn something on a lathe, any cut you make will go around the entire circumference of the bait.

because of this, you can't really turn a crank on a lathe. crank baits have unique contours, like the bulging belly and then the curved down part near the tail. this can't be done on a lathe.

you can make various topwater baits like walk the dog baits on a lathe, because they have the same contours 360° around the circumference of the bait.

Actually I think you can make crankbaits on a lathe BUT it requires an extra tool. I think that you first have to carve your lure and then set up a duplicator on your lathe. I can't imagine it's easy or possible with just your hands and tools...

yeah they make whats called a copy lathe which is a whole different machine.

i don't think you can modify your lathe into a copy lathe. not sure but i really don't think you can.

what the copy lathe does is, you put in a pre-made crankbait, and then set the copy wheel on it, and then next to that you put in your block of wood, and the copy wheel is connected to a blade and as the wood turns, the copy wheel follows the contours of the pre-made bait, and since its connected to the blade, the blade follows the same contours and cuts them into the piece of wood.

them copy lathes sure are expensive

Same deal

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=820096&FamilyID=4494

here is a neat homemade proof of concept model:

as far as a sears lathe you can buy a attachment so you can  duplicate

any thing you want

as far as a sears lathe you can buy a attachment so you can duplicate

any thing you want

really!?

that is very cool. do you have any links to anything like that?

You can copy anything that is cylindrical in nature, or in other words the same all the way around. You can have different contours but that contour is the same all the way around the bait at that particular point on the bait. So something like a spindle can be copied but it is the same diameter at any given point all the way around. Do a google on the copy carver. I bought the plans for it a while back and am anxious to try it out.

Upriver, go to Surftalk.com.   Those guys turn more baits than anybody.   All you ever wanted to know and they are a bunch of nice folks.  

I can help with hand carved but that's it.

Many early baits were in fact shaped on a lathe and there are several baits still made that way today. Some baits that come to mind are the Heddon Lucky 13 and the Pike Minnow. Modern swim baits like the Slammer, which are just expensive copys of the old Mouldys Hawg Wobbler, are lathe turned.

If you have a lathe then give it a shot. With the addition of a lip and some belly weight there is no reason you cannot make a good crankbait with a lathe.