Limitingout24 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 if you duplicate a balsa bait with resin what would the resin bait do differently than the original balsa? like will it dive deeper? wobble differently? been reading didnt find the answer when searching. thanks for any info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) I don't make resin baits, but you would have to use a resin with the same density as balsa to get the same action. I'm pretty sure that would be a resin that would be too weak for lures. Everything I've read about resins says you have to add lots of microballons to get it more buoyant, but I could be wrong. Again. Hahaha Edited February 21, 2012 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 From my limited experience with resin, I'd say it would be quite different - much heavier and more dense, with less action. A buddy of mine likes to mold Alumite baits and sends me samples occasionally. When I asked for lighter baits, he got to a point where he couldn't add more microballoons without having problems with the mold process. The lightest he could mold were considerably heavier than balsa. I know zip about molding but know you can also make baits from 16 oz urethane foam, which is in the ballpark of balsa density. I've got a couple of Suddeth crankbaits, a company that molded baits out of urethane foam (now out of business). They work nicely. When you ordered from Suddeth, you could specify quick or slow floating baits of the same model, so I guess they had a way of controlling the density of the foam used. I also saw a Larry Dahlberg video in which he molded musky baits with a resin shell, then filled them with foam for buoyancy. The bait was a big cigar shaped surface bait. Don't know how that would work on smaller, more detailed bass baits but suspect it might be much harder to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitingout24 Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 thanks for the replies just seeing if itispossible to duplicate a f-18 also a hj-14 which is plastic, but I might just stick to repainting new ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I used to make balsa crankbaits for muskies, but switched over to Alumilite. I am doing the Dahlberg "slush" mold method with an alumilite shell, filled with the expanding foam. The bait is about 4 inches long (body length), and only very slightly heavier. I could back off a bit on the shell and it would be fine, but the action is similar, so no worries. The baits are tough to toothie critters, and highly recommend you give it a try. It wasn't too hard to learn, just watch Larry's video and follow it. A couple of experiments on the shell thickness, and you will be very pleased on how quickly you can duplicate your lures. A good scale helps here. My buddie used them on big redfish in Lousiana, and no failures. I have my molds set up to mold the lip directly into the bait (drill a few holes in the lip before molding to get the goop in there). The screw yes get molded in also. I would have no concerns doing smaller lures with the same methodology. Rocko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador Customs Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I used to make balsa crankbaits for muskies, but switched over to Alumilite. I am doing the Dahlberg "slush" mold method with an alumilite shell, filled with the expanding foam. The bait is about 4 inches long (body length), and only very slightly heavier. I could back off a bit on the shell and it would be fine, but the action is similar, so no worries. The baits are tough to toothie critters, and highly recommend you give it a try. It wasn't too hard to learn, just watch Larry's video and follow it. A couple of experiments on the shell thickness, and you will be very pleased on how quickly you can duplicate your lures. A good scale helps here. My buddie used them on big redfish in Lousiana, and no failures. I have my molds set up to mold the lip directly into the bait (drill a few holes in the lip before molding to get the goop in there). The screw yes get molded in also. I would have no concerns doing smaller lures with the same methodology. Rocko How well does it pick up the details also how strong is it after it dries. Does it hold the eye screws good. Ive been wanting to try this on a very complex jointed top water lure that takes me hours to carve the detail on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 How well does it pick up the details also how strong is it after it dries. Does it hold the eye screws good. Ive been wanting to try this on a very complex jointed top water lure that takes me hours to carve the detail on. Since you put so much work into the master, I would make an RTV mold of it before start playing around with other kinds of materials, so you'll always have a way do duplicate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Lobina, The detail is excellent, using an RTV silicone mold. Just go to Makealure.com and watch the videos from Larry Dahlberg, they will explain the process better than my reply. For my screw eyes, I wrap some thin brass wire around the end of the tip of the screw, creating a "chicken leg" lump that will prevent it from ever coming out. The wire is wrapped into the threads, and the lump of wire creates a ball that will be encased in the foam and resin. It is very strong, and eliminates the need for wire through construction. The durability of this type of bait and ease of duplicating your lures over and over is a big advantage. Let the lure cure for a day and it is rock hard and ready for painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) Rock, Would just putting a bend, like a kink, into the threaded part of the screw eye work the same? Edited February 28, 2012 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 Mark, I would guess that would work well too, but haven't tried that....yet. Any additional resistance, besides the threads will only help, and that should also do the trick. The additional tidbit is too make sure the foam is expanding under pressure so that it is as dense as possible. A cork in the pour hole, or a gloved finger (it's sticky stuff) is important. Give it a try! Rocko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 Thanks Rocko! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
