New To Balsa Lure Building--Couple Questions

[suspending1]

Hi everyone.  Long time fisherman and first time balsa lure builder.  I am wanting to try a few balsa lures and have read quite a bit.  Few questions.  

1.  What diameter wire do you use on thru-wire applications for a normal size crankbait or jerkbait?  Is there anywhere to buy it in a small quantity locally ?  Stainless only?

2.  What so you first put on the balsa wood to coat/seal it before you paint it?  Is it ok to use the envirotex lite and lightly sand.....or use super glue thin coat?

3.  I want to add rattles to these balsa baits.  Best way to make them?  Or source to buy them?  I am thinking something like brass tube with a couple of bb's.

4.  Anyone here make suspending twitch baits?

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

 

[suspending1]

Surely someone is willing to give me a little help.....

I did use the search and found some info, but your answers would be greatly appreciated.

[BobP]

I use .041 soft temper stainless wire.  You can use copper wire if you like but it will discolor and corrode over time.  I order mine on line from McMaster-Carr but you can find it in home centers and hobby shops.

superglue the raw wood to stiffen the surface, lightly sand any rough areas, then apply a coat of epoxy, lightly sand to give it some tooth, then paint.

rattles can be made anyway you like, or you can buy worm/jig rattles and use those.  The homemade variety can be made as loud as you like, so I prefer them. 

[suspending1]

Thanks Bob.  Do you have a shop in Summerfield?  I live in Raleigh and would love to come by sometime if you do and allow it.

[aulrich]

Welding wire is the best locally available source of wire, I use .035" mig wire for freshwater lures 1/16" tig wire for salt water, tig wire is nicer because it comes straight, but 1/16 is the thinnest tig wire I have found.

I have not tried the CA glue sealer I use thinned e-tex as a sealer coat (but there are a number of ways to skin that cat )

if you are going to make a tattle with tube I would us aluminum vs brass just to save the weight. But I am not sure it’s worth the time there are many online parts supply houses.

But depending on how you make your bait 1 piece or laminated building in a rattle is pretty easy. A useful tool addon is a ¼” and a 3/8” inch hole punch. Hole punched aluminum can make excellent rattle caps.

In the simplest form you can drill a hole through the bait smaller than the caps size then take a forsner bit the size of the cap and make a shallow countersink on either side of the bait (think a little thicker than aluminum can). Glue on one cap  add a small ball bearing , bird shot or  bb. Then carefully glue on the opposite cap.

[mark poulson]

11 minutes ago, aulrich said:

Welding wire is the best locally available source of wire, I use .035" mig wire for freshwater lures 1/16" tig wire for salt water, tig wire is nicer because it comes straight, but 1/16 is the thinnest tig wire I have found.

I have not tried the CA glue sealer I use thinned e-tex as a sealer coat (but there are a number of ways to skin that cat )

if you are going to make a tattle with tube I would us aluminum vs brass just to save the weight. But I am not sure it’s worth the time there are many online parts supply houses.

But depending on how you make your bait 1 piece or laminated building in a rattle is pretty easy. A useful tool addon is a ¼” and a 3/8” inch hole punch. Hole punched aluminum can make excellent rattle caps.

In the simplest form you can drill a hole through the bait smaller than the caps size then take a forsner bit the size of the cap and make a shallow countersink on either side of the bait (think a little thicker than aluminum can). Glue on one cap  add a small ball bearing , bird shot or  bb. Then carefully glue on the opposite cap.

 

I use the through hole/aluminum cap method for all my crankbait rattles.

I used to use bondo to seal over the aluminum disc because it was easy to sand flush, but I found that the bondo would actually pop off when the rattle balls hit the aluminum, because it was too soft.   The aluminum would still be in place, but it's center would be bulged from the rattle balls.

Now I add a couple of drops of the thicker super glue, set it with the accelerator, and then add some more to get it up just past flush.  Once it's cured out, I use a file to smooth it down to flush with the lure body.

The super glue is much harder/stronger/more rigid, so it doesn't pop off, and the aluminum caps don't bend out anymore. 

[suspending1]

Thank you both for your help.  I will give your rattle a try.