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finlander

sealing the wood

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If I picked up some cedar and it sat for awhile before working on it, what could be used for sealing it? I use Envirotex as a clearcoat at the end, and use enamels right now to paint the lures. Would the sealer have to be compatable with the paints/ET so the paints won't peel off??? Thanks all. the Finn

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There are plenty of methods and opinions as to sealing cedar. You may want to do a TU search, there will be plenty to read.

As for me, I seal my cedar with E-tex. Brush on a thick coat, hang for ten miniutes, wipe off the excess with a rag, very light sanding when dry.

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I just picked up a 2x6 tight grained 12 footer from Home Depot. On the card describing the wood type and size, it said it was green. It felt dry to me and I do not own a moisture meter. The board was at the bottom of the 2nd stack in, took some time to get it out. Should i let this board sit awhile longer? Other pieces were warped and split at HD. This really looks good. If I cut the lure shapes out, and the wood wasn't dry, they'll probably split, right?

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That's a good question...I always bought "dryed/cured" wood and so I haven't had to deal with this. Generally, it is my understanding that lumber suppliers, HD included, obtain their wood within a certain range of moisture content. All wood including those that are "cured" have some water in them, in the range of about 10% I believe...someone can correct me on this. I would say that wood is probably plenty dry enough to work with but it's just a guess.

As far as sealers I have gone back to Bullseye Shellac again.....dip the bait once and let it dry a couple hours, dip again and let dry in a warm place 24 hours. Then go to your sealer/primer and paint.

Jed

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Talked to HD and the man said their cedar has been there awhile, and they do buy it 'dried'. so i needn't worry. One local bait builder uses Kilz before airbrushing with acrylics. I found I have some left, however, it's getting a bit dry. What should I thin it with?? Thanks for the help.

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Almost finished my first 12" cedar bait. Still hasn't seen the water. Didn't want it to absorb water before its' final E-tex topcoat. Of all the methods listed before. what might work when I want to test how the bait sits in the water, w/o absorbing water, before the paint and final E-tex coat?? I feel I'll have to install the lip and hooks to get it right. I'd like to seal it, then drill for the thru wire, hangers, and weight holes, and still have the wood protected. Am I asking the impossible?

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You can float test without the clearcoat. Dry acrylic latex is waterproof, just not very durable. I do it with the hangers and bill installed so water won't get in those holes. I temporarily install trebles in the hangers and hang solder on the front treble, adjusting the amount until I get the right weight. Rember the clearcoat will also add weight; I guestimate it at .01 oz per inch of bait for Devcon. If you're building a floater, that's academic. Pat it dry with a paper towel and hang it for an hour to thoroughly dry.

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just trying to understand this post a little and you can chalk this up to still being new to making cranks. Unless you are duplicating a bait that you know how much weight you use, why would you build 12 baits not knowing how they are going to sit in the water? To me this seems like putting the cart before the horse. I am not trying to step on anyones toes, and maybe it is Tally who is learning something from this post.

thanks

Tally

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Almost finished my first 12" cedar bait. Still hasn't seen the water. Didn't want it to absorb water before its' final E-tex topcoat. Of all the methods listed before. what might work when I want to test how the bait sits in the water, w/o absorbing water, before the paint and final E-tex coat?? I feel I'll have to install the lip and hooks to get it right. I'd like to seal it, then drill for the thru wire, hangers, and weight holes, and still have the wood protected. Am I asking the impossible?

Here's how I prototype a new bait. The first one I make is for testing only and I don't plan on painting it. I drill the thru hole, weight the bait, seal it with Husky's quick drying plastic sealer: http://www.tackleunderground.com/board/kb.php?mode=article&k=20 , attach all the hardware and secure with 5 min Devcon. I can go from finished shape to the water in 30 minutes.

If the weight is wrong I can drill it out or add more and just reseal - back in the water in 5 minutes. Reshaping or moving the line tie is just a quick and easy.

The plastic sealer can be thinned to avoid adding too much weight and since the bait is just for testing one or two light coats is plenty.

I have saved my self so much time by building prototypes for testing purposes only.

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I tested the cedar bait today. It runs right to the bottom, banging into the rocks. Until I get it behind a boat, I have no idea how deep it will go. These baits are for me. Each is different from the other. Lips of different size and shape. I love to learn, to try new things. I'll be happy this way until someone offers to buy one and then I'll be upset I didn't write down the particulars. About the last post; that was to be one of my next questions. How many of you start with a bait that never gets painted, a test lure if you will. I first thought that going that route would take too long, a waste of time. It isn't if you plan to make several of one style. My path takes me on a different tangent, exploring different ways, different styles. Thanks for all the help.

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I'll be happy this way until someone offers to buy one and then I'll be upset I didn't write down the particulars. .

just my 2 cents, but if you are going to make a bait, take good notes on what you do. You may make one that is absolutely a killer and have nothing to look back on to duplicate it. Also, good notes will eliminated things that do not work.

good luck on your work and post some pictures when you are done.

Tally

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