biggamefish Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I've been using automotive bondo and solarez to fill up ballast holes, the bondo does a great job because its thicker and doesn't drip so I can shape/sand it to match the shape of my lures bottom but it cracks fairly easy because the material is a bit softer leaving a line around the ballast hole, the solarez is a much stronger material and is rock hard when cured but it's not easy to shape it to match the bottom of my lures because its a bit runny, what are some of u guys using to fill ballast holes and having good results ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I've used super glue and sprayed it with activator for an instant cure, but this sometimes left bubbles that had to be fixed. I was also using it to glue in line ties, but the vapors caused from spraying the super glue with activator caused some clouding issues on the Lexan lips so I don't do that anymore either. I've since gone back to using epoxy and just overfill a wee bit so I can sand it down to match the contour of the bait. It also sands down quite easily. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I have been filling the holes with baking soda, then adding a drop or two of superglue. Cures almost instantly . Hard and easy to sand. Takes some practice but pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Not as durable as epoxy but much easier to sand and cover . Cheap and always available too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Baking soda and super glue? Where did you learn that trick Vic? I never cease to be amazed at some of the solutions we come up with to build baits. Some of our workshops probably look like something straight from the TV show Breaking Bad. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I assume you glue the ballast into the hole and then patch it to conform to the body? I use a couple of patch methods depending on the type of bait. For balsa baits where I need to patch the lines where the bait was cut in half anyway, I use interior wood filler which is similar to spackling compound and easy to sand but won't crack unless the patch is really thick. It's not hard or durable but neither is the balsa surrounding it and undercoating the bait with epoxy or Solarez after the patch takes care of the durability. On hardwood lures, you can use an epoxy putty stick to patch the ballast hole. Very fast - It cures in 5 minutes and is very durable - just be sure to smooth out and contour the patch when you apply it, before it cures hard. Lastly, I often install the hardware with slow cure Rod Bond paste epoxy. It won't run, being a paste, and gives you hours of work time before it begins to harden. You can fiddle with hardware for a couple of hours and it doesn't really harden for about 5 hours - which is too slow for you "right now!" guys but OK if you are building a batch of baits and want enough time to install hardware in all of them with one mixed batch of epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 @ Ben I learned that right here. It was brief reference someone posted suggesting to use it as an accelerator. It works as an accelerator and a filler. The soda is very fine powder so it sands easy and makes a great filler. The trick is applying the glue. I find adding a drop or two of superglue around the edges of the filled hole works best. Straight on top will often disturb the surface but does work. I keep the soda in a ziplock bag. on my bench and applications can get messy. I can only imagine what crosses the mind of an unknowing observer looking in on the scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted December 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 yes i glue the ballast in then fill the rest of the hole with either bondo or solarez, sand and shape to baits contour i need something like bondo but stronger lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 for filling holes i use regular old elmers wood glue mixed with some fine sawdust from one of my sanders. mix it into a semi thick paste and apply. it only takes a few minutes to dry and it is hard as a rock and ready to sand and paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 Try adding a drop of super glue to your bondo after it's been finish sanded. It gets sucked into the bondo and makes it much stronger, and makes the bond to the sides of the hole better, too. I do that to the bondo plugs that fill my rattle-adding holes in the top of clear plastic jerkbaits and I haven't had one fail yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I use the blue epoxy putty from Walmart it sands easy and dries fast. I use the blue epoxy putty from Walmart it sands easy and dries fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 This one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted December 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 Okay guys I think I might have something figure out, I will try it and report back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted December 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I will also try the Walmart epoxy and sawdust/glue tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I recently filled a ballast hole in a pvc bait with epoxy and it was a pain and it is heavier so I changed up and shaved and chopped some pvc, mixed it in with my D2T and it worked great and sanded nicely. Do the same with wood to help maintain density and use less epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggamefish Posted December 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 Thanks for that tip barrybait, this is why I love this site!! Very helpful people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbxr400 Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I have been using Durham's Water Putty. Mix a little of the powder in a small cup with water to a putty consistency, spread it in, let it dry, file and sand it off. Waterproof when dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I have been using Durham's Water Putty. Mix a little of the powder in a small cup with water to a putty consistency, spread it in, let it dry, file and sand it off. Waterproof when dry. Does it shrink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskyslayer96 Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 Hey fellas I use plumbers putty it doesn't shrink and dries fast....a little hard to sand but a dremel tool makes short work of it...its waterproof as well. It will add weight but I figure it into the ballast at. Equation. Happy Holidays MS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 I put epoxy in the ballast hole along with the weight and hook hanger. I mix enough of the epoxy stick to fill the hole and then sand once it's cured. I also found you can slice the epoxy stick and quarter the slice. You can save the quarters in a small plastic bag for later. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbxr400 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Does it shrink? I've not noticed any shrinkage. I fill the hole completely, and just proud of the surface of the lure. Once dry, I use a small file to shape the filled area back to the surface, then sand. Once I've sealed and painted, I can no longer tell it was ever drilled/filled. It's a pretty quick and effective way for me. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 (edited) By using epoxy I can put a little more than is needed into the hole before I add the belly weight, or any additional ballast, and let the belly weight/ballast squeeze out what is not needed to fill the hole. The excess that is squeezed out can then be pushed around with a toothpick to form a dome around the belly weight. If there is still excess epoxy it can be wiped off with a paper towel or removed with the toothpick. When doing this with a flat top ballast I just leave the epoxy a little proud of the hole and sand it flush after the epoxy cures.By doing it this way there is no need for another round of filling holes with bondo, epoxy, glue, etc. As soon as the epoxy is cured I'm ready to continue with paint or whatever. Another thing I like about using epoxy for this application is that it leaves no voids. That ensures a 100% bond between the hardware and the lure body. I would be worried that there could be voids left when using something thicker than epoxy since paste and putty doesn't flow into all areas. But that's just me. If other materials are working for you then by all means continue using them. This isn't meant to be a "my way is better than yours" type of deal. Just trying to give options. Ben Edited December 22, 2013 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
