Resin Lure Questions.

[wvhillbillyjlm]

I currently make musky lures out of cedar and red oak but I have been considering something to speed up my output so I am considering casting resin baits and I have a few questions.

1.  Are resin baits durable enough to withstand teeth?

2.  Will resin baits allow the use of screw eyes instead of wire-thru?

3.  Can the resin baits be drilled after casting to add weight to the belly and for the addition of rattles?

4.  If drilled, what can be used to fill over the holes?

 

Thanks!!

 

[RAswimmers]

Hi wvhillbillyjIm,

 

1. Tresin baits are very durable and can withstand musky teeth. Be sure to use a good clear coat for extra protection

 

2. Two part urethane resin is machinable and is easy to drill out for accepting screw eyes.

 

3 yes sir. 

 

4. I use epoxy (deacon 2ton) I don't drill the bait to add weight but I do fill any small holes or imperfection with this stuff and it works like a charm, never had any problems with it. 

 

If you do use resin be sure to add micro balloons for buoyancy check the hard baits cook book for recommended ratios.

 

Good Luck,

Pete

[Vodkaman]

Just about anything you usually use to fill holes would work. I generally use bondo filler. I mix up a small amount with a drop of the resin hardener. I can be sanding down in half an hour.

 

Dave

[ravenlures]

What about the foam material used like 320 Alumilite.

Wayne

[Anglinarcher]

Alumilite White, regular, with and without microballons, is often used for lure making.  They can take Walleye and Musky teeth very well.

 

Alumifoam is the most tooth resistant foam out there, and it has a density very close to the density of several woods.  It can not only take Muskie and Walleye teeth, it handles South American Wolf fish without difficulty.  Last year's Hunt for Big Fish shows had Larry Dahlberg using this stuff for surface poppers for Wolf fish and they did little damage to it, even though they destroy commercially made lures.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydF7ZCHux7s is a link to testing I did on the toughness of this material once before, so check it out and see if this stuff is what you need.

 

The Alumilite 610 foam is a 6 pound foam and I use it a lot, but I use it under an Alumilite White shell.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_L34HiflcE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t529b1xuuGU gives you and idea of how I do this.  The superfoam 320 is a 3 pound foam, and it is just too soft for anything structural in my opinion.  Nevertheless, it is possible to use it inside a shell.

 

http://www.makelure.com/ is the Alumilite commercial site, and from the home page you can go to the "how to" videos and also the lure photos.  There are a LOT of how to videos you really should check out.  I have placed a density chart in the lure photos that show the density of several different Alumilite products as well as the density of Alumilite White with microballons.  http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/aka-anglinarcher/media/Reviseddensitygraph.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4 is a link to the density chart as well.

 

I have checked into other resin sites, and I am sure that some of the other resins are just fine.  Nevertheless, the joint efforts of Mike Faupal of Alumilite and Larry Dahlberg of Hunt for Big Fish have produced the most comprehensive information and product line for the lure resin users.

 

To answer some of your questions:

 

1) Teeth? Yes, as noted above.

2) Screw Eyes, yes, or through wires, or molded in.  The Alumifoam and Alumilite White is as tough or tougher then wood.

3) Drill?  Yes, at will.  You can sand it, cut it, drill it, lathe it, ............. or mold in place.  I am also an archer and I take some of my arrow cut off pieces and cap them, filled with steel BBs, and mold them in place on my larger models for super tattles and some weight transfer systems.

4) Fill materials?  Bondo, epoxy, wood filler, etc.  All work well and bond very well to the Alumifoam and the Alumilite White.

 

I hope this helps some.

[ravenlures]

Thanks Anglinarcher for the info. I a artingt mke myre molds. I will start with the 620 foam.

 

Wayne