Jump to content
carolinaboy

Want To Get Into Crankbait Making

Recommended Posts

Ok so I wanna get into making/painting my own crank baits. I have done some of my own stuff w/ putting together spinnerbaits. Whats the best way to get into it? I already have a small airbrush, and some paint I think that is still good. The only site I know of that I can get stuff from is Jann's Netcraft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of guys start out painting store-bought unpainted lure blanks. Jann's is a good source but there are others, a few of which are TU sponsors. If/when you want to move on to making wood baits, take a look at the Member Submitted Tutorials for ideas on how to proceed. Then use the SEARCH function on this page to explore specific questions you have. Just about anything you can think to ask has been answered multiple times and can be found with SEARCH. I think you'll find there are TONS of info waiting for you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely check out the tutorials section. Hazmail has one called Micro Through Wire Construction you should study. It will simplify the process and walk you step by step through construction. Wish I'd have found it years ago...lol

Pay attention to the other tutorials as well. You'll find a lot of GOOD info in every one.

Depending if you intend to do everything from scratch, you need tools to cut and shape the wood. You don't have to start out with everything, but an exact-o knife with some carving blades (maybe a boxcutter), sandpaper and a saw are the absolute barest cutting and shaping tools I can think of.

Know the type of wood you want to work in. Balsa and Basswood can be bought at hobby stores (Hobby Lobby). Pine, cedar, and poplar are available at most hardware stores. Each wood has its own characteristics. Different people like different woods. For example balsa floats highest in the water (requiring more ballast), and will not hold screw eyes because of the soft grain. Personally I prefer basswood, cedar and pine. Poplar is too heavy in my opinion.

A search will help you locate several template you can print out to get you started.

I'd suggest buying the parts at first. And only buy what's necessary. It keeps you from getting frustrated trying to make everything. The items I'd buy would be hooks, split rings, and screw eyes. Lips and wire are optional unless you choose to do a wire through, diving lure. The first lips I made were from .025 sheet aluminum. If you make metal lips, you will need tin snips.

Once you have the shape you want, seal the wood before painting. Plenty of threads on sealing wood here. Polyurethane, Thompsons water seal, propionate....depends on your budget and what you feel comfortable using. There are pros and cons on everything.

At this point you can float your lure and see how it sets in the water. You'll find plenty of good info through search on adding weight to make the lure set the way you want.

Once all that is done, you should be ready to paint.

All this is just my humble opinion based on making my first lures. Truth is I probably cut up enough wood to build a house just learning this. And I still don't know enough to make the perfect lure. But I had a lot of fun learning.

So grab some wood, a knife, and whittle away. When you run into problems, you got a great place with a lot of knowledgeable people who have answers right here.

Edited by garyo1954
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry guys I should have been more detailed in what I wanted to do. I would like to eventually make my own. But i want to start by painting my own patterns and etc.. I have some vinyl paint that my dad gave to me and a whole bunch of Jann's spinnerbaits to make up and have and caught some bass off of them but really I am a crankbait & shaky head fisherman:)

So I have a airbrush at my parent's place I need to pick up and get from them. Can I use vinyl paint in it to spray the baits? I saw predator bass baits had some really cool bodies I wanted to check out those. B/c the are knock offs of big brand baits like Mega Bass & Rapala.

Thanks Guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most guys who paint crankbaits use water based acrylic or sometimes solvent based lacquer paints, which they then topcoat with epoxy or polyurethane. Can't help you with vinyl paint, but I thought they were mainly used for dipping spinnerbait and jig heads? If you want to shoot vinyl through an airbrush, you will probably need a specific thinner and a specific topcoat. Remember that airbrushes produce a fine aerosol mist. If you shoot a solvent based coating with them, you need to protect yourself with appropriate face mask and/or spray booth when airbrushing. That's why a lot of us choose to shoot only water based coatings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most guys who paint crankbaits use water based acrylic or sometimes solvent based lacquer paints, which they then topcoat with epoxy or polyurethane. Can't help you with vinyl paint, but I thought they were mainly used for dipping spinnerbait and jig heads? If you want to shoot vinyl through an airbrush, you will probably need a specific thinner and a specific topcoat. Remember that airbrushes produce a fine aerosol mist. If you shoot a solvent based coating with them, you need to protect yourself with appropriate face mask and/or spray booth when airbrushing. That's why a lot of us choose to shoot only water based coatings.

What are some water based paint brands? I wanna have something like that for easy clean up and not as violent airborne chemicals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Createx is probably IMO the best paint out there for crankbaits and airbrushes... And the blanks at predatorbass are probably once again IMO the best unpainted lures you will find. These are the only ones that i paint.. You are going to want to use acrylic paints. the fumes from the others is just more of a hassel then you need to deal with...Also you will want to use DEVCON 2 TON to clear coat them. Which a drying wheel will come in real handy. WIth a small motor that does about 4-10 rpm's just to make sure you get no sag of the epoxy while drying.. I fyou have anymore questions send me a email and i will be happy to answer..If your looking to get your baits from predatorbass. get ready to order he has a new shipment coming in and they go fast....

heres a couple of his baits with the createx paint i like to use the opague paints either mixed with pearl or just a white opague base and then shoot the rest with pearl. they turn out really good

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

lure2.jpg

lure1.jpg

post-23417-126790745717_thumb.jpg

post-23417-126790747013_thumb.jpg

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