markinorf

Love that PVC. I only use balsa for topwater. That method Mark P. mentioned works very well, too. Ive done pull tests on that one with a pipe wrapped with small cable. All that happened was I bent the hand twisted eye, and nearly pulled the table over. Same for PVC. The dowels are great for my cupped faced walkers because it re-enforces the tip of the nose and the tail against damage. Also, my lure hangers have the same screws that end up in the final assy'. I use a 5/16 dowel in the tail so I can post ballast with 3/16dia lead sleeves that I pour from a homemade aluminum mold that has a .09 pin going thru the center, so having a good pilot hole in the clean drilling poplar is the easiest method for me.

I have read some posts from the surf plug hurlers that wire form is overkill. That's when I started looking at the TU archives for alternatives. Especially for balsa. I have leaned back on some big stripers using heavy braid, and wasn't disappointed. I hate bending wire , too. Besides that, the freedom to post ballast a plug is nearly unlimited, since there is almost no place you cant place additional weight. I post ballast all my topwater lures after the first coat of Devcon, prior to the final paint job and 2nd coat of clear. Easy... Moores lures. You can get any screw eye made. Great guy and super service. Mom and Pop supplier.

Yo, Ive had great success with 1/4 dia. poplar dowels that are equal to-or even slightly shorter that the screws. So, if I want to install a 3/4 or 1in long by .073dia. eye in a bait, I'll drill for a 3/4in long dowel. It doesn't have to be perfect since the epoxied dowel is so sturdy. I learned about this somewhere in the archives, and aint looked back since. I even weighed the the difference between a given section of . 04'' wire that would be placed between the belly and nose against a 5/8in by .063 dia screw and plug, and it was nearly equal (lighter). Im referring here to a topwater plug since I want to keep the nose weight very low by going with a smaller screw for the nose. Some guys just drill a hole to accept a hand twisted eye and epoxy that in place. Im sure I'll hear the failure stories for chiming in.... The size of lures you mentioned should be good to go with 1/4 dowels and .063 by 3/4 screws

Im with RayburnGuy. I don't sweat the sanding too long. Go rite away with D2T, then scuff, paint, and D2T.

I don't know or really care why Bone is so productive. I hate this color! Its Butt-Ugly (like me). Every time I paint one, I have to keep reminding myself that despite the hassle of mixing up the paint to get the rite tint; it flat out works. It beats any other scheme (where I fish). I guess that's why its stayed around for so long...?? There must be a hundred recipes for Bone on this site.

Bone. Bone. Bone. If you can easily watch the bait during the retrieve, your presentation is more lifelike. A stark white or Bone walker will get hammered on any day lite conditions when you impart that perfect random cadence that causes reflex strikes. IMHO. Youre gonna have trouble watching a black walker. Just my 2 cents...I use black at nite, but I have to concentrate, and listen up a lot more to know that its not fouled or is working correctly. (Lots of wind and traffic noise where we fish) Good huntin.

AH, The "3 axis Carolina milling machines".

Thanx Ben. Gonna try that. "Sounds" like a good shortcut to counterbores and endcaps.

Im hesitant about buying balsa online. The hobby RC guys are as picky as they get about quality, and my local store gets the best anywhere, for that reason. I don't even look at the price when I go to the shop... I really like super glue as the first sealer. I stay upwind of that process.

Yeah Ive done that with the same plastic as the part is cast from. Works just fine. Longer working time for sure.

I noticed the same thing with bullet casings. maybe the thickness of the base is too much. Ever notice how Rapala doesn't even hide the ends of their cross rattles? I typically use .005-.01 thick end caps, and cover them with D2T. Lots of rigidity, and the balls hit the caps with a crisp sounding clack. I never use more than one ball per chamber. I want that distance between end caps. When I used shot or multiple balls, the sound level went way down. Making the end caps is a PITA w/out a proper gasket/hole punch. ....Ebay..Kermett uses this construction method. Money..

I use brass tubing to line soft woods like balsa. Other than this, a good clean hole with some kinda sheet metal end caps set into a counter-bore will create a chamber for any type of chrome, stainless, plastic or lead balls. The basic idea is simple, and the infinite number of ways to use it for weight transfer and sound makes it an endless pursuit. I always record what I do and use Archimedes displacement rule to guide me along. How much and where is THE most important thing with rattle chambers. I show a balsa topwater in process on the gallery. M

Smart man! Did the same. Cant beat a good file (Carolina milling machine) for that.

The Target lasted a long time for me, but eventually failed before any 2 part. Its plus is ease of use. I wouldn't use it on stuff I sell or give away. I tested Target for a long time and just wrote it off my list. Sorry for any recommendations I mite have made!

I use files for jobs like that. The diff in hardness between the filler and body material is an area that will give you fits. I use a tapered 6in bastard or 2nd cut "double cut" half round, and a fine "single cut" (same config). Much more control. I can "feel" the cut of the harder material. Much harder for me to tell if Im getting off target with a sanding block. A bastard or 2nd cut "double cut", and a "single cut" fine is my go-to. Then I just wet or dry sand with Scotch-Brite. These kinda files are hard to find and can be pricy, but well worth the investment. A good file card to clean them is a must have, too.

Yep. Ive made plugs from WRC and I noticed one thing- that the rings (?) were much harder than the main. So the final sanding was a pain if I was going for something that I wanted to sell or give away. I didn't mind it for my stuff. Another reason I love AYC vs.WRC is the detail carving with dremels and handtools was butter. Better than PVC, in that regard. And that great smell (AYC)!