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Best Way To Halve A Hard Crankbait?

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Newb here....wondering if could get some of ya'll guys to enlighten me as to sawing a hard resin bait in half. I realize from reading and studying the forums here that accuracy is paramount in making a neg and postive mold once the halves are obtained. Any suggestions on the best resin for obtaning fine detail from the two halves? Best RTV for this? Saws used to halve the original. Have the Dremel and fine toothed craft saw. Any way to remove the hardware prior to splitting? Thanks much...Boyd

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Boyd,

If your bait has a thru wire, you can't remove it prior to splitting.

Using hand tools, like a craft or hack saw, gives you the most control, because you can go slower. But it requires that the bait is clamped in a vise, and that is hard to do without pinching the blade during the cut.

If you have a dremel with an abrasive cutoff wheel, you can clamp the bait in the vise, cut along the top at the midpoint, but less than half way, and then flip it over and cut the bottom. You can finish the cut with a craft or hack saw.

The abrasive wheel won't be bothered by the through wire, if you're careful.

If you bait has embedded hardware, like double loop wires or twist wires, use the same method, but cut up to the hardware on each side, and finish the cuts by hand.

No matter which method you choose, it is a slow process, so don't get frustrated.

If you do it well the first time, it will make your mold making much easier.

If you get sloppy for some reason with you cuts, just use Bondo to reshape the bait before you make your molds.

Good luck.

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Mark...

Thanks loads for taking the time to reply...have read numerous posts by yourself and thus I'm even more impressed hearing from one of the gurus of this site...ya'll guys are amazing both for your lure making abilities, knowledge and evident williness to assist us novices...great site I've found here! As to your advice and suggestions, I found it most helpful, albeit somewhat demoralizing to ascertain there isn't any easy or magical way to accompliish the goal of halving lilttle bits of plastic embedded with a mine field of saw deflecting metal giblets of and do-dads....sheese! I've also noticed you and others here evidently have the nerves (and brains) of nureo surgeons...while myself, an ole fossil, mossy back, find my morning shave to be an adventure...steady as sheated jello standing one end I am! So to enhance my limiited physical attributes (no hope in the smarts department), do you think the diamond cutting wheels (one by Dremel seems to be real thin) are a better option than the other thicker (carbide?) ones? Rather expensive at $11 at Lowes, but I really want to duplicate this lure. While we're on the topic of money or lack there of, I had the thought of just buying two of these over priced lures (Waddle Bat on EBay) and just sanding\grinding one side flat to the center line, swapping to a fine metal cutting file when reached the hardware...what cha think? Of course, I don't have the $20 for the first copy...but just in case my ship comes in...would it work...or could one get just as good a job from steady hands, patience and gobs of Bondo? Also, I've noticed on tutorials done by our friend Larry at Aluminite, he always seems to mold lures the size of small Moby Dicks, possibly to enable the vision challenged among us (me) to see some of what he's trying to accomplish. That I appreciate, but does beg the question as to weather those products are capable of capturing finer detail on smaller lure types. Do you have a preference of sililcones and resins for casting intricate detail...wondering about the ability of capturing the interior (ballast pockets, thin side wallls of small crank baits? Whups, running out of space here...gone on and on and on...anyways, thanks again Mark for your most courteous assit.... much obliged!

Boyd

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There are ways of making molds for lures without destroying the original. I don't remember the names of the members who shared this with me, (sorry guys) but here are two ways to make a mold for your lure without destroying it.

Ben

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

Mold Making Tutorial.pdf

Making a RTV mold-1.doc

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If you're making a mold to cast a solid copy of a crankbait you don't need to cut in half. Just imbed the original in modeling clay, make the first half of the mold, remove clay, make the second half of the mold. That second tutorial mentioned above shows a lot of detail on how to do this and has a lot of nice tips. A one-piece mold is really the easiest if you can get by with it. No worries about alignment, mold release, etc.

If you're determined to split a hard bait, I recommend some sort of clamp or fixture to hold it while you are cutting. Also, some cheap reading glasses help A LOT for fine detail work. It's surprising how a little bit of magnification helps.

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Thanks RayburnGuy, wchilton and Mark for the info...most helpful. I'm still wanting to split a lure and make a mold of both exterion and interior of same as to obtain the same action etc...Hill Billy's post on casting from a silicone mold was most helpful as well...just wish he'd shown more of the front end of his project..as in making such a mold from start to finish. I believe he used Aluminite...but does anyone know exactly which particular silicone and soft plastic he used for that particular project..evidently the materials used were acceptable for duplicating both exterior and interior of that particular crank bait. Yes, I know I'm cheating by using some others guys hardbait and Idea...but once I become proficient at that (I hope)...will move to higher goals using my own wee brain to design and produce my own...yesssss! Oh, re wanting duplicate a Waddle Bat is for my own use only...know I'm not to sell. Again guys..thanks a bunch.

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The plastic stuff he's using that he got from Alumilite is called "coroplast" board, it's available at home depot. It's in a weird place by the glass or something. One huge piece is cheaper that buying the strips from alumilite. They're just cutting up the same thing. It glues well with hot melt glue. Simple and even cheaper than superglue/accelerator.

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Salty's

Much obliged for the good info...just knowing what things are and where to look helps a bunch..thank you. Now to decide what resing and silicone to use. I believe Hill Billy may have been using Aluminiites 'Regular Aluminite' ( going by the color of darkish tan\brown...and possibly he used their silicone number 2...susposedly good for two piece molds that have undercuts as I'm trying to copy both the Waddle Bat and ABT's multi rig System...the one with the funky head...got it yesterday...and spent the nite scratchinh my head..sheeselousie! Why couldn't I stick to flyfishing and simple yaller popping bugs? Just started back fishing after years of lay off...and finding the nearest lake is more a striper meca than anthing else. While I do frown at bit at coping others baits, especially umbrella rigs which I think is akin to scatter gunning ducks in a barrel...but....desperate I am now to catch one of those suckers....which I understand ate all the brim and perch that I'd normally be chasing..yep..revenge of the flyrodder! Anyway, if you have preferences re silicones and resins...could use that advise as well....again...thanks loads...

Boyd

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Hi Nedyarb...

Thanks for the tip..will try to find that post! Actually I have a couple of molds that work for the normal Ala Rig...but this ABT one is just one of the many spinoffs for those rigs...kinda neat though in that the head dismantles allowing one to change out the wires to shorter

longer versions, add spinner blades etc...can see a cool video of it at TackleWareHouse.com...just hit on umbrella rigs...lots of different ones, but ABT version is the most innovative I think...hit on video ..kinda interesting. Course once I got the thing...realized need a doctorate in mold making to duplicate that head...embedded, screw out hook hanger, adjustable slots for moving the 6 wires about and..recessed body to accept a swim bait in the head....real intricate, small sucker...undercuts galore..oh well...will be good practice..yep! Thanks again for responding...will look for that link you mentioned now!

Happy fishing...

Boyd

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