whitaker201

The orientation of the bait on the printer table will make a difference. Our printer at work will even print out support automatically if the part needs it. The support material is even dissolves in water.

Hughesy: sweet looking frog! Jonister: Lol. I can design in CAD easier than I can carve out a lure!

That looks great Vodkaman.

I modeled the hangers in. I was surprised that our printer did them so well. They are only .030" in diameter. Mine was only for looks.

No, I just kinda winged it and made a size and shape that I liked.

Time wise it is not efficient yet for production, but for prototypes or a mold master it is ok. The bait I printed off took 2.5 hours on our printer. That was just on the default settings and not looking for high accuracy/quality.

I printed this one yesterday

What system are you using? The best way to get a smooth shape in most systems is to create a surface from multiple cross sections. Then from there (depending upon the system) you can edit the surface points to get the exact shape you want. Also with a 3d printed object the inside will have a criss-cross structural support system inside of the object. It will not be solid.

Welcome. The lures you posted looked great. I didn't know LPO was the site owner. I just received my order from them 2 days ago. Learn something new everyday.

That is a great idea Mark. Thank you. I was also going to start numbering the baits that way I can match the bait to the notebook entry.

Always tinkering..... I wasn't happy with one of the baits out of the first batch so I rounded the body more, changed the ballast, and changed the line tie location. Now it is a wake bait that runs about 4" deep and I am happy with the action. I painted it then tried it Sunday and the fish liked it. I really need to start a notebook on what changes do to the lure action.

Thank you Rod. If I had a scroll saw I would use it instead of the hacksaw.

Thank you. I am not looking to advertise. I'm just starting the process on learning how to make baits and how to make them better. I will get better with my painting skills but for now I need to learn the basics. Rod: I started with a piece of stock and sketched an outline of what I wanted the shape to be. Cut that shape with my hacksaw. Then used a wood rasp to get close to the final shape. Sanded smooth, primed and painted it. I used rattle can clear since I had it laying around AND I will not use that again. I put 4 coats on them and it is not a durable top coat. I used screws for the hook hangers and line tie and used superglue to help anchor them in place. The colors are: chartreuse and white on the baits on the left; Copper/brown mix and chartreuse on the right; chartreuse and white then a little of the copper/brown mix on the nose and back of the bait in the top center.

I kept the paint jobs very simple as this was the first time I used an airbrush. I also didn't sand the top center bait smooth like I should have. I am going to have to add a little more weight to a few of the baits to get the action the way I want it, but all in all I am happy with the first batch. Oh yeah........ The smallmouth liked them.