thujalures

Northern white cedar!

For a crackle look I have used liquid hide glue in the brown bottle. I brush the glue on and then apply my final coat.

I have been using northern white cedar for all my top-water baits and have had no issues at all. Hope this helps.

Any pictorials of weight distribution on walk-the-dog top-water lures? Musky lures. Thank you.

I believe what you are talking about are "clamshell packaging boxes". I used to buy them bulk years ago. I do not recall the company, but just google clamshell packaging and your problem is solved. Hope this helps you.

Use plumbers epoxy. Sold at any hardware store. Just be sure you mix it very,very, well!

I am a top-water lure guy-all northern white cedar. However, I really enjoy other woods. Some day I would like to get into using the lathe on heavier woods(musky lures only). At this point, I have no knowledge on how to make these sinking type of lures. No problem. My question to you: Has anyone used Yew wood and or Buckthorn for lure construction? I have several pieces of this wood. The growth rings intrigue me as they are very tight together. Thus a heavier wood. I did lathe buckthorn a few times for the heck of it and was very pleased to see how it turned out. I am going to try the yew wood. Any thoughts?

I make top-water lures out of white cedar:Thuja occidentalis:aka arborvitae. It is the wood of my choice-by far! All lath work. I harvest the wood in stems approx. 3 feet long by anywhere from 3-6 inches in diameter. I have been cutting each stem into 6 inch pieces and letting them dry out in the elements or above by furnace. Splitting of the wood during the drying process has not been a problem for me thus far. My question: Is there a way to dry out these 6 inch pieces in a more productive/ quicker way without relying on Mother Nature:maybe an oven/what temp/how long/dehydrator? Any ideas would help. Thanks!

I just received my Stamina Quality Components catalog in the mail today and noticed the creeper wings increased from $3.99 in 2010 to $4.99 in 2011. Wow....... An increase that big concerns me. Anyone out there know of any other sources of creeper wings exactly similar to Stamina's????? I use my own SS screws and solder my pins on. In addition, how much should I increase the price of my lures? Any suggestions that would guide me in a less expensive manner would be appreciated. Thank to all of you!

Years ago, it was suggested by a fellow lure maker to soak my newly cut wood in antifreeze to prevent any cracking while the wood is drying. I have lost a good amount of prime wood to cracking. I am using all white cedar for my lures. I have tried this technique and it really helps. Has anyone practiced this ? My only question is how long should I soak my pieces in antifreeze. Your thoughts on this idea would be appreciated. Just cut and debarked 30 pieces and I want to soak and dry them out (above the furnace) . Or if anyone else has a better way to dry out wood, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Can anyone give me some feedback in regards to using red cedar for topwater lures. I have always used white cedar and will continue to use it as my best wood for turning on a lath. I just happen to run out of it. If anyone knows where I can get rough sawn white cedar, I would appreciate it. In the mean time, I lathed a few red cedar lures. Not bad. Not the best. The weight of the wood actually is lighter then white cedar in several cases. The wood seems a bit more brittle when it comes to counter-sinking for the eyes. Just curious. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you. Charlie

Not sure, The largest I deal with is 2- 16 oz. bottles. I have seen them in 1 gal. size on the shelf. Go on the internet for your local Ace hardware store. Charlie

Budman, Your local hardware stores should have it. I live in Delafield, Wisc. and I can get it at the local hardware store down here. Nice stuff! Ace Hardware should have it. Otherwise, go to DicK Blick out of Minn. Art supplier. Good luck. Charlie

Gentlemen, Please bare with me as I am a new member as of 10 minutes ago. I could not resist reading all the posts regarding crackle paints. As a lure maker(hobby) of topwater creepers and globes, I was determined to find the best solution to get a good crackle paint effect. I used everything from folk art paints to other "crackle mediums". Although they worked, there was no consistancy with the crackle effect. So, after a bit of research, I found something of interest that you folks may want to try. Go to your local hardware store and buy a glue called "Titebond Liquid hide Wood Glue(brown bottle)". After your base coat, brush on this glue as is, in even strokes across the lure body(using a high quality 3/4" nylon art brush). You have to brush relatively quick to get the wooden lure painted. By the way, be sure the bottle of glue is at room temp. Let the glue dry for 15-30 minutes. Apply your createx paint of choice @ 20 psi. Crackling will start within seconds. The art of this technique is knowing when you have sprayed enough paint over the crackle base: the less paint, the less crackle: the more paint gives you larger crackles. Over-doing it sheds the paint while drying. Every lure turns out different. Be sure you wash the brush in soap and water for your next lure. I like using hide glue because it has a consistant crackle. Createx paint is wonderfull!!! Let me know if anyone has tried this technique. Good luck! Charlie