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AKFerzy7

Replacing Rapala Dt Bills

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ive read the old post but was wondering if anyone has a simple way to do this, I actually want to try putting a dt16 lip in a dt10 body. Calvin Johnson is doing this, and wondering if its something only he can do to get them to stay running true.

heres a link where 3rd place mentions it.

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/afs/tournament/2012/6757/kerr-lake-headline-story/153787/carmell-slips-but-doesnt-fall/

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I've never swapped out the bills, but I have replace broken bills with similar bills on the DT series.

Be careful. The ballast is just below the bill, between it and the belly hook hanger.

I used a bandsaw to remove the broken part of the bill from the bait.

The bills have an integral post on the bottom half of the part that goes into the bait. When you have removed the flat part, you can pry the rounded post part up a little, and get some needlenose on it, so you can remove it, too.

A centerline on the replacement bill is the key to proper alignment. You can use the front and rear hook hangers as guides for the centerline of the bait, and line up the new bill to that centerline.

If you're careful removing the old bill, you can use the top of the slot that's left to keep the new bill square to the bait. Otherwise, you're stuck with trying to align it by eye, and wedging it in with toothpicks until the epoxy sets.

Good luck, and let us know how it works out.

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I've replaced lips on DT's and Poes crankbaits. Don't know about easy but here's what i do: cut along the top of the lip to release that side of the lip from the body. I use a thin bladed scroll saw. You can then usually break the glue joint on the bottom of the lip. If not, cut that side too. Here's the trick - the lip slot will now be too large, but not to worry. Use an epoxy putty log to install the new lip. Knead a piece of the log, force it into the slot with a piece of stainless wire until the slot is fully packed with epoxy, then just push in the new lip. Excess putty will push out the rear of the lip slot on both sides. Align the lip by sighting along the tail and belly hangers, adjusting you have equal lip showing on both sides of the bait. The epoxy putty hardens in about 5 minutes so there's not a bunch of time to get aligned - but enough. The advantage of putty is that it will totally fill any area in the slot that is not taken up by the lip, without dripping out, and the putty has a density that is similar to a light hardwood. Any home center carries it.

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thanks guys,

I was thinking of marking the center of the 16 bill and the center of the 10 body. Guess having two measures wouldnt be a problem. How durable are those putty sticks? I'd like the finished result to be a little more durable than factory. Any other adhesive I should use as well?

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Durability - I haven't tested one to failure but have never had one come loose, so I trust epoxy putty. Plenty of guys have broken Dt-10's and 16's but it's the plastic lip that breaks, not the lure body. If you want more durability, you'll have to go to a Lexan lip but it will not have the same scooped contour as an original. As far as fitting a 16 lip into a 10, I would trim the lip to fit inside the slot rather than the other way around. There are undoubtedly thousands of DT-10's and 16's out there with broken lips. I've been asked several times to fix some but declined 'cause I'm not in the lure business.

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I would rather have a lexan lip than a 16 if they act the same.

The scoop on the original lip helps the bait dive faster, and deeper.

You can heat shape lexan to get a curved lip, too.

Pete (Hazmail) had a tutorial of how to do it with hot oil, I think. It's been years since I last read it.

But I bend lexan with my heat gun.

I'm trying to figure out how to get the scoop shape using two nesting spoons, but, so far, I'm still in the "thinking about it" stage. Hahaha

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I haven't tried this myself, but can't see why it wouldn't work for a form to bend Lexan on. Find a piece of pip that matches the radius of the curved edges of the lip and then grind a flat spot on the pipe for where you want the Lexan to be flat. Then just heat the Lexan and bend it around the pipe form to raise the edges.

Ben

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