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Vacuum Pump for Primeing Lures

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Pete,

I think it was a comment you made a year or so back about Vacuum sealing the sealer that made me go for it.

I bit the bullet and bought a FoodSaver sealer. Then bought the wide mouth mason jar adapter. It works great and very fast. I think the Pressure created could be a bit strong (might be dangerous in a weak jar) but it will get the propionate sealer to penetrate the balsa very fast and give it a lot more strength than just soaking. After I vacuum the blank one or two times I will have to wait 24-36 hrs. for the solvents to evaporate from the wood. This initial vacuum seal doesn't seal the bait but it will help fill the pours and strengthen them. The final 4-6 dips will seal the bait the rest of the way.

I checked the website for the Reynolds one and they are only showing the bags. Are you using the bags or have you found a way to pierce a jar lid, then submerge the blank and vacuum it that way?

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Dave

I have just been using food preserving jars with the rubber seal. I drill a hole in the lid, push valve stem out of a bike tube through it (remove valve), make a rubber washer and run a nut and washer down so it seals OK, then just hook up some heavy rubber hose and suck away, then clamp the hose when it's vacced enough and leave it. I used to us e a mattress inflater, with the hose on the suck side but it packed it in - then I went to WALL MART and spied the Reynolds kit. I know what you mean about drying, which can be a real trap if you don't let it gas off for at least a few days, I have had some blistering in the past, so try and leave them for as long as possible- sniffing them, is my best suggestion. pete

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A question about how important sealing the bait for strength really is.

If you through wire your blanks, and use epoxy as a top coat, is using a sealer to strengthen the lure body all that important?

I just repainted some balsa cranks whose lacquer/polyurethane paint jobs had blistered.

I used Minwax poly acrylic sealer, Createx paint, and Envirotex Lite clear coat.

They are holding up fine, both to the sun, and to fish.

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Sorry to dig this up, but I had some questions. I would assume the valves on the freezer bags are one way, does anyone know for sure? If so, do you think you could cut out a portion of the freezer bag with the valve, place that over the mouth of a mason jar, use the lid ring to seal and vacuum? Or would the vapors destroy the bag?

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I think the thinners would destroy these valves (never tried them though). The vacuum only has to be held for a minute or so, until sufficient air is removed, it's when you let the vacuum off that the sealer/lacquer is forced into the wood by atmospheric presure.

Mark-I use it mainly to prime the wood, as I have had some problems in the past with the whole paint /sealer system lifting. The wood I use is quite dense and seems anything has trouble penetrating it. I could use all these commercial primers etc, but it's just another system I have to deal with, so I just use Prop, lacquer or Acetone base, to keep it simple

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Bed Bath & Beyond Product

You can find these in many places (not just the link I posted). They are used with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer system, and will fit a wide mouth mason jar. Works perfect.

Mark,

I think sealing a balsa bait is as important as any other step we use to strengthen it. Through wire harness, a penetrating sealer, a paint that bonds to the sealer, and a topcoat that bonds to the paint. This is the best way to insure your handmade balsa baits will stand the test of fish and time. The vacuum is used to get the sealer to penetrate faster (it takes about 1-2 min to get the sealing started and not the usual soaking for 1 or 2 days. Light weight balsa will give a builder the ability to achieve the most action from a bait (ballast distribution is the key to action). The sealer is the most important part of creating a firm structure around the bait.

Devcon and other strong topcoats are great but with out a ridged foundation to put it on, it is sure to fail sooner than later. If the bait starts of light weight where it is supposed to be, but very ridged a builder will be able to make the toughest lures.

Smokey,

The Foodsavers work great. At first I was worried about the heat sealer sparking the fumes but it has never been a problem. The acetone in the propionate sealer will soften the plastic on the wide mouth adapter, but if you put the flat jar lid on the jar then the adapter you won't have any problems. The pump will create enough vacuum on the jar to make a nice little ping when you tap it and you can hear the sound change and get deeper as you release the pump. The Foodsaver brand is not cheap but I have been able to run it for 2 hours straight with no problems. To maximize the seal I will start the pump and wait till it turns off and then release it just enough to start over again. The vacuum is not released but the pump cycles again and draws more air from the bait. I think the jars can withstand a lot, but if I ever implode a jar I will let you know.

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