Scalpel Blades
Wooden Lure Making – Learn to Duplicate Your Best Wooden Lures Over and Over by Greg Vinall
When I first started carving wooden fishing lures, each lure was a one-off. I would take a piece of timber, carve it, fit the bib, tow point along with hook hangers, give it a coat of paint and off I’d head to the local river.
I caught lots of fish even back then when my wooden lure making abilities used to be quite rough round the edges. Trout, both brown and rainbow, and perch around the popular waters close by my childhood home were much less shy about nailing a home made lure that some adolescent was throwing from the shore than they were about taking some of the bought lures that were being trolled around behind boats every weekend.
The trouble was, a few of my handcrafted crankbaits worked better than other, but fishing from the bank in a very snaggy waterway was tough. I discovered that the lures that worked best would be the first tied onto the line, which meant they would also be the first ones that I’d lose! And that meant that my best lures wouldn’t survive long and I would be at the workbench every night trying to make replacements that were just as good.
So, what’s the solution? Understanding how to create and make use of a lure making template. Sound basic? That’s because it is, but most lure makers won’t worry, and that means they are limiting their fishing success.
Creating lure making templates does not need to be difficult, nor does it require fancy or expensive equipment. I use cardboard breakfast cereal boxes for mine (there’s recycling at its absolute best!). Pieces of plastic or other thin material that’s simple to cut will work as well.
The process for making wooden lure templates is somewhat “chicken and egg”, because in many ways it’s logical to make a template at the outset and then create a lure from it. However it’s a waste of time making templates if the lure turns out to be a dismal turkey and does not swim. After all, we’re all experimenting and seeking a lure design that’s special, so we count on some failures, right?
Normally, I choose to make up a template first then make a lure, refine the template and make another lure and so on, till I finish up with a lure and lure template that I’m truly happy using. But then, I’ve been doing this for long enough that I can generally see a lure template and have a fair sense of how it will work before it has been made.
The other option is to create a wooden lure to start with, then once you have perfected it, produce a template. Of course, this can be the only choice if you’re attempting to clone a bought lure and improve it (be careful of patents, you should be ok as long as you’re not selling them, but check first).
I’m going to discuss the second technique (make the template after the lure), as that is possibly the most practical for those who are getting started. Here’s how it’s done:
First, go out and obtain yourself a profile gauge at the local hardware store. You have possibly noticed these before, they are essentially just a whole bunch of short wires which are held side by side by a couple of pieces of steel. When you push the wires against a shaped surface they take on the outline of that surface. If you don’t know what I am talking about just go into the hardware store, ask for a “profile gauge” and fork out the 5-10 dollars to buy one. It is a very cheap investment. The other things you’ll require are a lead pencil, ruler and a scalpel or X-Acto knife.
Ok, lets start!
Here is the very first thing to know – most wooden lures are symmetrical in at least a couple of planes. This means that as a lure maker you only want one template for both of those planes. For instance, just about all wooden fishing lures are symmetrical when viewed from above, so as a starting point hold the lure so as you’re looking straight down on it and see how each side protrudes in identical places and narrows in the same places – they’re a mirror image.
Now push your profile gauge directly into the side of the lure and presto, you’ve got a side profile! If you flip the profile gauge over and put it to the opposite side of the lure it must be a mirror image. Now arrange the profile gauge on the card or plastic and outline the outline, next cut it out using the scalpel or knife. Wha-la! You now have a template for both sides of your lure.
Repeat the process now, but viewing the lure from directly side-on. Wooden lures are seldom symmetrical in this plane, so you’ll have to push the gauge into the lure from above first, and draw the outline, then do it once more from below. Be sure to label the card with the name of the lure and which profile (eg side, top, bottom profile) it is.
The next feature is to think about the cross-sectional profile, so now press the gauge into the side of the lure as if the gauge was a blade and you were going to slice the lures head off. Now you get a copy of how the lure is shaped in cross section, so mark that onto a piece of card and cut it out also. I do a cross sectional profile at a few points along the body, as the shape typically changes as you progress down the lure from head to tail.
When I’m making my lures, I use templates throughout the entire carving process. Firstly I mark out side profiles on my wooden lure blank and I saw or power sand the blank to shape leaving a good amount of wastage. Then I mark out the top and bottom profiles onto the blank and cut them out. This gives me a rough-shaped blank that’s square in cross section, so I can get to work with my chisel, knife, file or whatever and start carving it down.
Work slowly and frequently test progress with all of your templates. When you get very near the final form it’s time to switch over to complete the smoothing and fine tuning of the shape using sandpaper.
With some practice this approach to wooden lure making will become second nature and you will be rewarded with batches of lures that look and behave in exactly the same way, so you will have the advantages of custom made fishing lures without the drawbacks of one-off originals!
One closing note: if you would like your lures to work the same, as well as look the same, you must employ the exact same type of wood, hooks, rings, bib – everything! If you modify any of this stuff your replicate lures tend to be similar in their performance, but not the same.
About the Author
Dr Greg Vinall is Professional Aquatic Scientist and Fanatical Lure Maker for Over 30 years.
Greg Teaches people to make wooden fishing lures through his websites and ebooks. You can subscribe to Gregs email service to regularly receive FREE wooden lure making tips. Subscribers to this service autmatically get free lure making templates similar to those described in the article above
Scalpel Blade Change
|
|
Swissmar Peeler, Set of 3 $14.94 New proprietary technology from Switzerland has given these Swiss Classic peelers a few new edges. These blades are scalpel sharp – this means less effort to peel and a thinner peel with every stroke. This set includes one of each: scalpel, serrated and julienne…. |
|
|
Swissmar Peeler Scalpel Blade This isn’t just another peeler. Proprietary technology from Switzerland has given our Swiss Classic peelers a few new edges. These stainless steel blades are scalpel sharp-this means less effort to peel and a thinner peel with every stroke. Use the scalpel blade peeler for hard fruits and vegetables such as apples and potatoes. It can also be used to shave hard cheeses and chocolate. A side cutter… |
|
|
Premier Quality 51 Piece Hobby – Razor Knife Kit $16.96 Much more than a ‘hobby’ knife, this set is designed and built for serious, professional work. Seven different blade handles with blade-locks for jobs from large to the finest detail cutting. 42 unique blade configurations including straight, curved, angled and spade–all constructed from head-hardened fine surgical stainless steel. Set includes sharpening stone to keep blades razor sharp and h… |
|
|
Under the Scalpel Blade//One Day Son All This Will Be Yourz $18.98 Combining the “Under The Scalpel Blade” LP with “One Day Son….” EP, this release contains a further 20 Disorder tracks that established the band at the top of the third wave of punk.. Anagram. 2006…. |
|
|
Under The Scalpel Blade / One Day Son All This Will Be Yours [Explicit] $7.99 … |
|
|
Disposable Scalpels #10 Miltex (Box of 10) $14.00 Enjoy the convenience of disposables with the quality you want. Miltex offers an extensive line of single-use instrumentation manufactured to provide the feel and performance of stainless steel instruments. Razor sharp cutting blade for superior cutting and clean incisions mounted on a plastic handle…. |
