Jump to content
reefslinger

groove down the back

Recommended Posts

Hey guys, I'm trying to put a groove down the back of some of my old cranks. I have a drill press and router table for my dremel tool, but am having a hard time making a consistent cut 1/8" wide x 1/32" deep x 2" long. I guess I need to make some sort of frame around the lure keeping it in place and running it across the router table, but because the lure's back isn't a 90 degree angle, the depth of the router bit will change. I don't know if I'm explaining myself very well, and might be making this way more complicated than needed. Any thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would make a jig to the size are you wish to groove out. You could use any flexible material that has some strength to it. Then I would make marker on my dremel and do it free hand on a slow speed. I believe this would be much better than trying to use a router ste up on the dremmel. Good luck and let us know if it change sthe action of the lure any.

D3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

d3 - excellent! So the flexible material would form around the crank, using it as a guide for my dremel? What about using several coats of epoxy over the crank with some kind of barrier (any ideas?) around the bait so I could remove the shell once it dries? I knew I wasn't looking at it the right way! Thanks.

PB - :wink: keeping it under my hat for now.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your trying to make a number of baits like this try making a horizontal router table. Instead of your bit sticking up through the table the router is on a 90 degree on its side. The router table is really an oversized fence on a table. Use a dado bit this should work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jamie - If I can make my idea work, I deffinately want to be able to do a number of these. I'm not sure I see your idea. Are you saying instead of my router table being bolted to my bench flat, I should put it on its side? I'm not sure I see how this would solve my inconsistency and depth issues with the bit? Could you explain more please, I'm not very mechanically inclined, and I'm not trying to be difficult! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you use a slot cutting bit, and a fence that only exposes 1/16" of the cutter, you should be able to use a horizontal router table. The key is to make a jig to hold your lure so it's center line is exactly parallel to the table. Expect to mess some up until you get your jig right.

I can't over stress how important it is to have the fence, and to clamp your lure securely in a jig. A router table is just a smaller version of a shaper, and I've seen pieces of wood thrown through walls with a shaper if they're not properly secured.

And they love to eat fingers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Use your search and key in horizontal router tables. You can see different desighns. You can make a table out of wood. The router it self is mounted to an oversized fence on a table. furniture makers use these kind of tables. Its a lot of work for such a small cut but you can lay your bait on its side like you would on your table but you have now but it will trimm a slot in the back of your bait . If yor making a lot of baits it might be quicker to have one of these tables ,do some research on horizontal table , it may or may not be the way to go it was just an idea

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a book with a table design. I will scan you a copy and if the good lord willing and the creeks dont rise maybe with alot of luck I can figure out how to post a picture. I need a 12 year old to help me figure it out how to post pics lol.. Its amazing I can build house from the ground up but cant post a pic. Oh ya Marks right you will have to build a jig to hold the bait.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should have posted this question before I went out and bought a drill press and router table for my dremel! LOL! oh well, I'm sure they will still come in handy.

Jamie - If you could post the pic that would be great! I did a search on horizontal router tables and now understand why that will work. Should I use some type of liquid plastic to make the jig? any suggestions? Thanks guys, this is exactly the help I was looking for

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Use a regular router table. Make a jig that is curved the same as the back of the crankbait. This would hold the crankbait the same distance from the blade all the way down the back. The only thing is you would have to make a different jig for every different kind or size of crankbait body. After you got it right you would just have to roll the crankbait across the blade of the router. Just an idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, there's that, but, as with her sister and brothers before her, she's "too grown up" most of the time to ride bikes, unless her friends are riding. And, over the weekend, she and her buddies, the two youngest daughters from next door, built a Barbie city.

She's still my little girl, but not for too much longer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey mark I just wonder do they make a mortising bit small enough to make this cut. reefslinger a mortising bit is a square chisel with a drill bit that spins inside the chisel. Its used to make a motise joint like in furnituire chairs and so on.All in a nut shell its a drill bit that makes square holes.If you can find one in the size you need ,it would be a lot easier in drill press secured in a jig. Just another thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, since I all ready have the regular router table, I think I'll try danderson's idea. At least I'll be able to get a working copy of my idea before I spend more money on a horizontal router. To make the jig, would I make it simular to the way I made a spinnerbait mold to pour lead in? I poured plaster into a container, pressed my original sb half way into mold, let it dry, coat the mold and pour the other half. Therefore having 2 halves and a cavity to place the bait in? Then I would sand the entire jig to the curvature of crank? Am I getting the idea? what would I use instead of plaster? A guy at work suggested a cheap sollution would be to use white glue and sawdust, just mix and pour?

Is there a reason why I can't use a regular 1/8" router bit I picked up for the dremel? I ran some cuts with it in wood and it seems to do what I needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The white glue (PVA - Elmers) will give you problems. It is excellent for filling small gaps, ballast holes etc. But because it air dries, the core could take weeks (I have experienced this problem).

Plaster seems like the way to go. It is easy to work and once sealed, it will last until you drop it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be afraid that plaster wouldn't be strong enough for clamping in a jig. If I were doing this, I think I'd mark a center-line on my lure all the way around, so I could be sure it stayed parallel to the table, put a layer of plastic wrap on the lure, and then seat it in a shallow form on a piece of 3/4" plywood, filled with bondo, which sets up hard. I'd push the lure down until it was almost to the center line, and measure all the way around to be sure it was evenly seated. Then, once the bondo hardens, I'd take the lure out, trim the bondo/plywood until it was even with or slightly smaller than the lure on the side I want do slot, and then drill and mount some kind of hold down clamp onto the plywood that would hold the lure in place. There are lots of this type of clamp available from wood working supply companies. They're designed for this, and have adjustable screws with rubber feet for the hold down end.

Once you've done it once, it will not be the second time (like most things in life), and it will let you do lure after lure safely.

If you're trying to run the slot all the way around the lure, do two setups, one for each side.

There is no safe way to freehand this kind of a slot evenly with a router, even a dremel tool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was thinking wood when I made my suggestion but it may be a little difficult to clamp it in square. I agree that plaster would be too soft or brittle. Just use bolts with whatever you use and counter sink the side against your guide on the router table. I don't know I think it will work. Let us know.

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holey Maguiver Jamie :lol:! I would need a book of instructions and a fold out 2`x 2` color illustration board! :worship:. My drillpress does turn 90 degrees though, If I could controll the depth of the bit, I might be getting somewhere. Any possibility of a pic?

vodkaman - I picked up the glue and sawdust - I think I'll try it and see what happens, yah never know. My co-worker said to use as little glue as possible and the sawdust soaks a lot of it up, he made jigs like this for his work shop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

reefslinger its not as hard as you think to make.The one I made was a simple basic router with no perks. A man could set down and really make a nice one thats has adjustable settings but the one I made was really basic, I just wanted to see if the idea would work. You really have to use your imagination when making things on your own. I have a flex shaft attachment for my dremmel ,now take the handle and lay it on a table and imagine the bit going through a fence on your router table.I had a wooden crate in the garage and then I cut 3/4 inch plywood the same width of the box but about 12 inches taller than the box. Secure the plywood to the box ,with screws, with the bottom of the box faceing up and the 12 inch extra length of the plywood standing up. Now look what u have a table with a fence. I took a bit and drilled a hole through the fence were i wanted the bit to stick out. Now all you have to do is secure the handle to the flex shaftand make a cradle for the handle to rest in. make a rack shaped like this |____| out of some scap 1 inch wood and drill a hole through both sides of the posts so your handle can slide through . Now you have a start for your cradle. Measure the the distance from the bottom of your handle that suspended in the rack and the bottom of your rack and cut a spine out of wood with the hieght of the measurement you just took and the lenght of you rack and secure it to the inside of the rack under your handle. I then screwed two hose clamps to the spine then clamped down the handle. Then I secured the rack to the back side of the fence so the bit was sticking through the hole that I drilled earlier in the fence. You have to play with the depth a little till you find the right setting for the cut in your bait. Does this make sense? Like I said a simple design but could really be thought out and made into a real versital tool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...
Top