jrhopkins

well, i'm retired so i have lots of time to do what i like and can't afford the gas to go fishing every day:( . pretty much using the PVC all the time now, it has the same characteristics as the wood i was using and is easier to carve. besides it is waterproof and i don't have to worry about sealing it as well. the Kevlar string works out real good. i can get tighter joints with it. the only drawback is i have to be carefull that the epoxy doesn't leech into the string between the segments and make them stiff. really tough stuff though, i can't break it and i tried. as far as i know you can't buy it anywhere, got mine from an annonymous source who has military connections:whistle:

all freehand painting. small brush & toothpicks:huh:

someone asked me about doing a crappie pattern ( can't remember who:huh: ) still trying to get one that has a natural swimming motion. getting closer, this one is a slow sinker and swims with a nice tail action and very little side to side head head motion. 5 1/4", 1.9oz.

hadn't thought of doing that. pretty nice idea.

ok, here is photo, maybe.

i assemble the hinge parts after i seal and primer the segments ( see photo ). i then dry fit the segments and do the painting. next i disassemble the segments and the hinge and paint the inside of the segments ( small brush ) . take care not to get paint on the hinge pin. after all the painting is done clear coat each piece, i use devcon brushed on. after the epoxy is cured reassemble the hinges and epoxy the segments together, i use 2 ton epoxy, do not put too much epoxy into the slot or it will push out when you seat the hinge, also stand the lure on it's nose so the epoxy will not run down into the hinge. i do the segments one at a time until the epoxy is set, about an hour before assembling the next section. piece of cake!

6 1/4" long, 1.7 oz. thought of dots, suppose i could put them on and paint over them.

was wondering if anyone has some tips on making suspending cranks? i can make them sink or rise real slow but would like to try to get one to suspend. i know that water temperature is a factor, cold water being more dense? should i buy one and take it apart or just stick to what i am doing? p.s. new perch:

i think most use acrylic paint. i primer mine first with white to bring out color. i think most use an air brush. i do mine with a small brush. check the forum for painting techniques.

lost track:drool: i repainted the smallmouth 3 times before i got the shade i wanted, surprised it still floats!

finally got these finished. been making some blanks for the Rookie to paint. maybe will get a chance to fish them this week. smallmouth is a floater/diver, striper is a slow sinker.

check the gallery, just posted them in there.

started this a while back but got sidetracked. hope you all get a kick out of it:lol:

joints are a continuous loop of Kevlar string going from the front-through each segment to the tail and then back to the head.

hand carved from PVC material.

finished this the other day, swims great! 7", 2.5 oz., slow sinking. the before picture shows how much bend is in the joints. i think this helps the natural swimming action. i also put a little ballast in the tail to keep it horizontal in the water. coming soon--- Paul Jr.

go with Ridget tools, i do remodeling work and have Ridgid tools and have had no problem with any of them. jr