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Sealing Wooden Crank preferences

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What is your preference for when to seal your baits? before hardware is installed? after hardware is installed? after most hardware is installed, but before big holes are drilled for ballast/hook hangers?

Just wondering, I had one cedar crank rip along part of the grain due to the drill bit used when drilling the ballast hole before the bait was sealed. Thanks!

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I don't use wood much anymore, but, when I do (sounds like a beer commercial doesn't it  LOL), I seal the wood after the hardware, ballast, etc., is attached.

I also use a Forstner bit to drill.  I seem to have much less trouble with it splitting wood, and I get a flatter bottom to my hole.

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I install all hardware except the lip before sealing.  I mark a center line all around the bait to locate the hardware while the bait is still “square” and drill the holes before I begin rounding over and sanding the bait.  So if I sealed the bait before installing the hardware, I would be fouling the drilled holes.

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I used Red Cedar at one time but the grain drove me nuts, I see you are in WI I am in the northeast part. I did purchase my wood from Menards, but now when I use wood I buy from local saw mill White Cedar better for lures and less grain problems. I now make mine out of plastic, more consistent from lure to lure. With cedar I did not worry about sealing just a good primer. I will be at the Musky show next week. 

If you go stop by at the Raven Lures Booth.

Wayne

 

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My concern would be that the oil in the wood may eventually migrate into and discolor the paint unless an effective barrier sealer is used on the raw wood.  I don’t use either so can’t really say if this is a factual or fictional problem.

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3 minutes ago, ravenlures said:

I used Red Cedar at one time but the grain drove me nuts, I see you are in WI I am in the northeast part. I did purchase my wood from Menards, but now when I use wood I buy from local saw mill White Cedar better for lures and less grain problems. I now make mine out of plastic, more consistent from lure to lure. With cedar I did not worry about sealing just a good primer. I will be at the Musky show next week. 

If you go stop by at the Raven Lures Booth.

Wayne

 

So you will be in Milwaukee next week? Say hi to my friend Jeff over at Rhino Tackle.   I wont be at that one, but I may go to the one in Rothschild. I am in Wausau area. I do now have a source for Redwood that I am pretty pumped about. Currently just working on cranks, have some Resin stuff i am working on for musky/pike/monster bass. 

So you are saying White cedar has a better grain for it than the Red cedar. I did have some issues with drilling holes near the edge with the red cedar. but it may have been because I routered the edges before drilling the ballast hole.

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I make some musky baits out of red cedar. I have never used etex to seal them. After reading up on it some I think I am ready to give a try. Do most folks cut it with denatured alcohol or is it ok to seal with straight etex. I realize that the cut etex would likely get deeper into the wood but just curious if people did it both ways.

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6 minutes ago, DoubleT said:

I make some musky baits out of red cedar. I have never used etex to seal them. After reading up on it some I think I am ready to give a try. Do most folks cut it with denatured alcohol or is it ok to seal with straight etex. I realize that the cut etex would likely get deeper into the wood but just curious if people did it both ways.

If you cut the Etex with denatured alcohol, be sure the two parts of the epoxy are really well mixed before you add the denatured alcohol, or the alcohol will bond to any unmixed epoxy components, and your epoxy will stay tacky.

 

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Just now, mark poulson said:

If you cut the Etex with denatured alcohol, be sure the two parts of the epoxy are really well mixed before you add the denatured alcohol, or the alcohol will bond to any unmixed epoxy components, and your epoxy will stay tacky.

 

Thanks Mark. I will definitely do that. I've read also that the wood can be warmed to draw in the epoxy deeper. Is this step that crucial? 

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