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jamie

homemade tools

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I was reading the thread tools,tools, and tools and everyone was talking about the tools they use. Everyone includeing me was talking about store bought tools, how about we post some pics of some home made tools and jigs that we use. Here is a small bow sander I use to help clean up edges on baits.

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Great Idea!! Better Yet Why dont we contact the moderators and have them make an entire section dedicated to homade tools. We could call it Homebrewed Tools.:wink: Im just kidding ya. That sander looks like it would work good.

Not enough action for me on that post site. I just wanted to see some of the little things we use that are made in the shop

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I've only made three baits in my "shop" so far..

But here is one thing I've already found handy. Stencils!

I draw the "predicted" bait finished shape on cardboard before I even pick up a piece of wood. This way, if I mess up on attempt #1, I can easily carve up the same shape out of a piece of wood again. I can also reproduce the lures for friends or scan the shapes and ad a ruler key to show size so others can print and use my patterns. In a way, I'd consider these to be tools.

stencils.jpg

Edited by Tacklejunky
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How about jigs? I remember one person saying that once we have a properly made and working jig, we should cherish it as we would a lover (well...). :lol: And I have to admit that it is very true. Jigs make it so much easier to obtain accuracy and consistency in cuts, drilling, sanding etc., and also they often enable us to work in a much safer fashion. I'd rather have a clamp holding my bait accidentally rubbing against a table saw blade than to have my fingers there! Pat

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Here is a flex pipe paint stand that I built The rack on top holds the lure so that I have both hands free. The rack also comes of the stand and is used in drying the bait. You paint , clear , and then put the bait on the dryer and never have to touch the bait and worry about oils from you hand getting on the bait. Every bait has its own rack. I have a heavier built stand for musky baits, this stand is really made for smaller baits. I havnt mounted this one to the table yet so it was easier to show you this one in the outside light so you could see it better. This is a crappie style jerk bait prototype that I was working on and is just about ready to be sealed with etex

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Hey Rofish I like your idea ,simple but yet very useful. I guess i will be making a few of these sanding sticks. Ideas like these are what I wanted to see. This idea is something that I will be useing in my shop in the future. Thanks rofish

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Alright , here is my first attempt to post pictures into a forum thread , hopefully it would work out .

The credit for my trial goes to @ rofish : thank's a lot for having encouraged and helped me in doing so:wink::worship: !

OK , now the indroduction of a homemade tool of mine :

It is a special chisel to turn out the head cupping on "popper"-style lures on my lathe .

I ground this chisel out of an old file on an industrial grade , bigger grinding wheel at my work .

It enables me to shape the bigger portion of a head cupping , though a certain "core" of wood must remain whilst turning , otherwise the workpiece would brake away from the fixed dowel .

I'd furnish the cupping , after the entire lureblank is finally sanded smooth , turn down that "core" inside of cupping as thin as possile .

After removing the almost finished workpiece from the lathe , I'd carefully cut away the remaining "core" with a "Dremel" and its router bits , after sand the cupping smooth .

The file is 15mm wide , the narrow portion under the cutting edge is 41mm long(25,4mm = 1") , I should have made that part only little less than half as long .

I found out whilst working , that it does not lay rigid enough on the chisel rest of the lathe , so I have to employ the wider portion to support the entire chisel , thus the cutting edge renders too far from the chisel rest , causing plenty vibrations , when chisel is engaged .

But for soft abachewood it is still manageable , won't use heavy hardwoods for topwater poppers , anyway .

PIC_0008.jpg

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@ mark poulson

Its a approx. 25" dia. grinding wheel , that we use in our work facility for re-sharpening milling chisels , grinding off worn-out ends of hex-wrenches , bolts , etc...... , or just about anything , that doesn't require accuracy and can be done on a short term .

A hobby grinding wheel would probably not be powerful enough to handle that amount of hardened steel , its powerage is too low , the electric motor won't pull through !

You can surely grind hardened steel without straight water coolant , only need a cold water container(1 1/2 to 2 gal.) beside your wheel , where you must frequently dip your workpiece to prevent overheating .

Never grind hardened steel to an extend , that it would turn slightly to a brownish/ blue color or even to red glow , at this stage it would have lost its physical features and its hardness , rendering it useless as a cutting tool !

Always cool in water , better more than less !

More important is a powerful electric motor on the wheel .

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Great tips on homemades I like the idea of the pvc and sandpaper from husky. Husky thanks for the pm on foam baits Im sure I will need your help down the road. And I like that shad pattern from tacklejunkie. diemai now Im going to have to call in a favor from a guy owes me that works in metal shop and get me one of those chisels thanks. Man I love new tools in the shop my wife thinks Im sick like that keep them comming guys .

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MT' I do see where you are comming from and this thread could live in homebrew tools. But what a great thread subject, thanks jamie.

Jamie, I agree, homebrew tools could do with some revitalization. The problem is that most jigs are quickly built to overcome an immediate problem rather than being planned. The designer, although very pleased with the result, hardly considers the creation as innovative, just another problem solved. The idea of posting the solution probably would not occur.

A thread like this will encourage more to bring out those little innovations/adaptations and help others to a more efficient build. I just wish I had something to put forward myself.

Edited by Vodkaman
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Jamie,

I think you hit on something really deep.

Tool making/problem solving is probably deeply ingrained in our minds/DNA from the time we dropped down out of the trees (or, at least, some of us did Rookie :teef:).

I know, for me, that's the best part of any construction job I am on, or any lure I'm making.

And making lures, and setting up my garage shop for painting and lure making is fun, but I'd still rather be fishing, solving that puzzle.

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Absolutely, problem solving does it for me. Very occasionally I get a Eureka moment when everything falls into place and a solution emerges. The high from this far excedes anything the pharmaceutical industry can provide.

I agree 100% with you.

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Well this isnt really a homemade but it kind of fits into this category. Its a Calf casterating tool. You put a small rubber band on it, stretch it out and place over the testicles. In a few days they drop off and the job is done. Best Skirt expander I have. Cheapest also.DSCN3042.jpgDSCN3044.jpg

Edited by MTfishingrods
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Well this isnt really a homemade but it kind of fits into this category. Its a Calf casterating tool. You put a small rubber band on it, stretch it out and place over the testicles. In a few days they drop off and the job is done. Best Skirt expander I have. Cheapest also.

You couldn't just leave it at "Skirt Tool"; men across the country are crossing their legs by the thousands, making painful, twisted, contorted faces... I hope your pleased with yourself - Ouch!

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Montana,

When you are uploading the photo to PhotoBucket, you can select the size before you actually bring the picture to PhotoBucket. See where it has "Reduce to: 1024 x 768 (17" Screen)", that pull-down has about 5 other settings, each getting smaller. I normally post using the 800 x 600 (15" Screen). Just another photo tip from Ol' Uncle Spike...

PhotoBucket.jpg

Edited by Spike-A-Pike
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