Jump to content
miragestalker

First time carving...

Recommended Posts

Finally have all my stuff together. I just started with my first project, and I thought I would post here just to share :)

pattern on block

IMGP5778.jpg

thur wire canal cut into block

IMGP5780.jpg

IMGP5779.jpg

pattern cut out

IMGP5781.jpg

IMGP5782.jpg

After carving and sanding....

IMGP5783.jpg

IMGP5785.jpg

IMGP5784.jpg

Thats all I have done thus far. I drew some blood when I scratched my thigh as I drew the knife from the block. No worries. A couple of drops.

Whadyathink?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.I carved the resistance ball to make the tail wag a little better.

IMGP5791.jpg

IMGP5790.jpg

IMGP5789.jpg

Next step is finish sanding and joint set up decision making.

How many joints?

What lenght will the joints be?

Inputs welcome.

I am thinking two joints and stabilizer fins in the front to stop the head from turning. I suspect that might give me a stabe front section and just a slight wag from the tail.

If I wanted it to do the S walk, three joints?

/bing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depending on what you are trying to achieve; I do see a lot of carving still needed.

The ball tail is a good idea but I think the ball may not offer enough resistance to make the tail wag. A SoftPlastic kind of tail would be more effective but that said, tail movement on a hard swimbait do not need it actually. Cut a slit to insert a tail fin be cool too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

couldnt wait for the drill press. had to order it from sears.

pressed on with the build just to get the process down in my mind.

bought a carver bit to carve out the channel for the hook hanger.

here are the results for the thru wire front section.

IMGP5792.jpg

IMGP5795.jpg

first build will have one hinge. second build will be thought out better and have two hinges per joint.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am having problems designing a simple thru wire/bent wire jointed swimbait with two hinges per joint. I can't figure out a decent design that I am confident in. I may give up on the thru wire and settle for a brass tube reinforced/hinge pin jointing system or even a flat plate hinge pin design.

Any suggestion on the best jointing system design with hook hangers that will take on a 20 pound striper?

How to the fancy hinged swimbaits secure their hook hangers? Screw eyes?

Edited by miragestalker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

well, ballasting is another aspect of this lure I did not think thru well. I had to get a little creative with hammering some lead to fit a the ballast hole. It would have been better too if I had put more wood to under the thru wire. I could barely get enough clearance for the 1/2oz lead cylinders I made.

BTW, where do you guys get you ballast weights? You dont have to custom make them do you? What is the preferred format? Lead cylinders? Lead shot? Lead Strip?

I sealed the wood and did a hydro test. It took 1.4 oz of lead up front and .7 oz in the back for a slow sink of a little less than a foot a second.

Will post pics this pm when the epoxy sets on the lead.

Later.... /bing

Edited by miragestalker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a little tip that might (and I emphasize the word might) help you in matching the lead ballast size to the size holes your drilling in the bait to receive the ballast. I used to take two pieces of steel angle iron and clamp them together, back to back. I would then drill a hole where the two pieces of angle met. This resulted in each piece of angle having one half of the hole drilled into it. You could drill the holes to different depths to achieve ballasts of different weight or you could cut a bit off if it proved too heavy. You could match the hole diameter in the angle to fit the diameter of the holes your drilling into the bait which should provide for a fairly snug fit without being too tight. I can't remember if the lead weights we poured shrunk very much, if at all, but you could allow for this if need be when sizing the drill bits. I do not profess to know anything about carving baits or weighting them. I'm sure if others who are proficient at lure making read this post they can tell you if this will or will not work. I just remembered the way we once poured weights and thought it might work for you. Hope this helps.

RayburnGuy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RG, yes it does work well. I use the same method, only with two pieces of wood, drilled down the join.

Yes, the lead shrinks slightly, but this is a plus, as the slugs just push into the holes in the bait nice and easy. A drop of CA glue to hold them in place and you are done (make sure you let the lead cool before adding CA glue, I nearly gassed myself once).

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 molds for pouring lead, 1 diameter for each, which were made out of brass, long ago, by a friend, on a lathe. They work perfectly after more than 25 years of use.

But the methods described above by RG and Vman work also good. But I have to add something.

I think it is better that first you drill a very small hole through (maximum 1 mm drill bit), so that the air in the hole could be pushed down and out through the tiny hole. Otherwise, there is the risk that the lead would splash while pouring it.

The metal mold will not work properly until it reaches a certain temperature. If cold, the lead would become hard instantly, before it would fill the whole hole.

If your option would be wood, choose a hard one.

Instead of steel, you could use aluminium, brass, copper, etc.

When you have your cylindrical lead, you can cut it with an exacto knife, or similar, to the length (and weight) you need.

And do not forget to wear safety glasses when you pour lead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

rofish is right about heating the mold. I forgot that we used to take a few passes with a torch over the angle iron mold we had. It's only been around 25 years since we did this. :? This also removes any moisture from the mold. Hot lead does NOT like water. Any moisture and you can have a small explosion so be sure to wear safety glasses or even a face shield. We didn't have a through hole in our molds and didn't seem to have any problem. The temp of the lead your pouring is also a consideration. Too hot and it will run like water. Too cold and it won't pour right and can leave voids in your finished product. We didn't have the electric pots like they have these days. Ours was a cast steel pot that was heated with a torch. We did have a good steel ladle with pouring vents in each side. I can't help but think that a good ladle would be most important. After all, you will be handling molten metal. :eek: Let us know what you end up with and how it works out for you. Good luck.

RayburnGuy

Edited by RayburnGuy
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