Need help with lure making

[keithdog]

I've gotten around to making a couple wooden popper bodies and I am needing to order the screw eyes for attaching the hooks and line tie in the mouth of the popper. I really have no idea what size eye screw to order. should I get 1/2 inch length in .050, .057, and so on? The popper will be between 3-4 inches in length and used for bass fishing. Actually I am having a buddy of mine use his power wood working stuff to fasion the bodies for me as I don't want to invest in all that stuff for just a few bodies. I found out how hard carving hard woods by hand is, lol. He got the first body to me today. Not quite exactly what I was looking for so were still working on the final body design. But I'm gonna rig this first body up to se how it floats. Also, when I get to painting it, what should I do as far as applying a sealer and painting? I'm planning on using a simple can of spray paint for the lure. Won't look nearly as good as the lures I see posted here, but for a basic black or white it should do fine. Just not sure if there is any particular sealer and type of paint that is best used for painting wooden fishing plugs. I'm assuming a spray on acrylic wiull be a good finish coat.

[nobass]

sorry can't help with question but post pictures of your master pieces

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by nobass

sorry can't help with question but post pictures of your master pieces

I sure will Don. I'm sure it will be a little while yet though.

[Marc David]

I can't give you much advice on sealing the wood. Waterbased paints work very well as far as painting them goes. For the clear coat to finish them, I'd recommend 30 minute Devcon 2 Ton epoxy for starting out. It can be brushed on and you will need to rotate them every so often until it hardens.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Marc David

For the clear coat to finish them, I'd recommend 30 minute Devcon 2 Ton epoxy for starting out. It can be brushed on and you will need to rotate them every so often until it hardens.

I saw this on a Youtube video. It looks like it would be a good hard finish. As far as the paint goes, I'm thinking about a white metal flake finish auto paint for the belly and a silver metal flake for the sides.

[66KingFisher]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I'm assuming a spray on acrylic will be a good finish coat.

No, not really Keith....they tend to soften up after being in water for awhile.....Go with the Devcon 2 ton as mentioned above or use an automotive clear.....Both are hard as nails when cured.

I've sealed my wood lures with rattlecan primer/sealer as well as dipped them into a clear acrylic like "Pledge with Future"......the woodgrain will swell up and you'll have to sand down the raised grain and reseal them a few times depending on the type of wood used....Once the wood is sealed, I mount my screw eyes and hooks so I can test float them to see what type of ballast they might require, and most need some type of ballast more then just the dangling hooks to get them to float right or act the way you want on retrieve....Once your happy with the way they act in the water then I'll think about painting them....I surely don't wanna paint them only to find out they float on their sides or something and I have to start drilling holes and adding ballast or relocating hook eyes or whatever the case may be.....Know what I mean?

PS....Alot of lure builders use a thinned down version of the Devcon epoxy as a sealer as well.....I think they thin it with alcohol if I remember correctly....That might be another option.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by 66KingFisher

No, not really Keith....they tend to soften up after being in water for awhile.....Go with the Devcon 2 ton as mentioned above or use an automotive clear.....Both are hard as nails when cured.

I've sealed my wood lures with rattlecan primer/sealer as well as dipped them into a clear acrylic like "Pledge with Future"......the woodgrain will swell up and you'll have to sand down the raised grain and reseal them a few times depending on the type of wood used....Once the wood is sealed, I mount my screw eyes and hooks so I can test float them to see what type of ballast they might require, and most need some type of ballast more then just the dangling hooks to get them to float right or act the way you want on retrieve....Once your happy with the way they act in the water then I'll think about painting them....I surely don't wanna paint them only to find out they float on their sides or something and I have to start drilling holes and adding ballast or relocating hook eyes or whatever the case may be.....Know what I mean?

PS....Alot of lure builders use a thinned down version of the Devcon epoxy as a sealer as well.....I think they thin it with alcohol if I remember correctly....That might be another option.

This is really good info! Thanks a bunch. When you talk about adding ballast, what do you use and how do you install them?

[lilmule]

Yes they do tend to soften up after a bit in the waterbut multiple coats of clearcoat take care of that,also lose their shine after a bit as well,but two disimular paints dont always work either.And .50 should be fine,pays to keep it as light as possible as you want it to float.
Ive had decent results with those spray cans both in paint and sealer,yet not as durable,also dipped a few in clear polyurethane.
Not showing off my work done 15-20 years ago with dollar store paints,tossed near steel barges and bridge abutments so they hold up.Other than the cans some tape and occasional fine point paint brush.

Yard sale crankbaits that needed some att back then, do now again,but still usable.
While most of these are plastic have done poes with good results.

[keithdog]

Did you paint those lilmule?

[66KingFisher]

Originally Posted by keithdog

This is really good info! Thanks a bunch. When you talk about adding ballast, what do you use and how do you install them?

Keith, I've seen guys drill a hole and drop in a splitshot and then fill the hole with woodfiller or epoxy.....Some guys use strips of lead and they cut a groove with a hacksaw blade in the bottom of the lure....running lengthwise with the lure....and then stand the strip of lead on its edge in the slot they just cut....epoxy in place and trim off the excess with a knife....once it floats like you want with all the hardware in place its time to prime,paint and clear it.

For starters guys wrap a small rubber band or better yet a twisttie around the lure and clamp a splitshot to the bottom of it....drop the lure in the water and start moving the weight from one end to the other on the bait as you seek out the sweet spot.....That should give you some idea where to add weight and how much weight you might need.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by 66KingFisher

For starters guys wrap a small rubber band or better yet a twisttie around the lure and clamp a splitshot to the bottom of it....drop the lure in the water and start moving the weight from one end to the other on the bait as you seek out the sweet spot.....That should give you some idea where to add weight and how much weight you might need.

Great idea!