dbarnett1
11-17-2011, 08:55 AM
I made a discovery that may be of interest to anyone who may be wanting to undertake a wooden lure project. One of the most critical steps in getting them shaped out is the balance of the lure. Up to now I had been using the "aboutright" method, whereby I would study the lure turning it slowly and then deciding "yep that's aboutright" My discovery or "accident" (if you hold with the opinion of a smart alleck woman I share confines with) is a much more accurate way to get the lure in balance.
I always keep a shop vac beside my table when whittling and sanding to stay up with the mess. I started this practice because I wasn't born with the gene that makes domestic house work a pure joy. I also have a low tolerance to my wife's complaints that my environment is getting to look like a sawmill.
While vacuuming up some sanding dust I noticed the pits in a lure I am working on was clogged up with dust also. I decided that I would use the shop vac to remove this dust and soon I found out just how ole Ben Franklin must have felt when he made his electricity discovery...pretty darn silly. Lets face it running a kite through something that explodes and has the power to split large trees from crown to root isn't all that smart. Neither is holding a lure loosely over the hose of a 5 hp. Craftsman shop vac. Before I could say "what the......" I was digging my lure out of the shop vac's tank.
Feeling real smart and checking to be sure I was alone and wasn't going to show up on Americas Funniest Home Videos or You Tube, I once again started the process of shop vacuuming the dust out of the lure, this time with a firm grasp on it.
While doing the bottom side of the lure I laid the lure across the pipe. The lure rolled just a tad and when I pushed it back to a straight up position it rolled again. At this point a light went on! As my wife was standing at the switch questioning why I was working in the dark, it came to me that this could be a good way to check the balance of the lure.
I then took my Dremel and did a little fine shaping and then repeated the process. This time the lure stood more upright. After a few touches, the lure balanced perfectly on the end of the pipe. Feeling ever so smart I rushed off to the kitchen to find a bowl in which to float the lure.
After choosing a correct size bowl from our matching coolwhip set, I filled it and dropped the lure in and voila! After dabbing the water splash out of my eyes, I found that the lure floated perfectly! I was so happy I almost forgot to keep a grudge going I had with my wife over a nasty remark she had made to me earlier. I had found a way to balance out the lure without having to float it and wait for it to dry between sanding/shaping sessions. :D
On a serious note: This did work pretty well. The air flow from the vacuum pulls the lure to its balance point. Of course this only works if the lure bottom is rounded and the body isn't too oval shaped or too thin. I am adding a pic. It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but I think you can see the general idea. Also, that really large lure you see in the background of the pic is for my Father-In-Laws pawn shop. I am making it for him as a welcome sign. I hope you all enjoy the tip and God Bless. Dave
I always keep a shop vac beside my table when whittling and sanding to stay up with the mess. I started this practice because I wasn't born with the gene that makes domestic house work a pure joy. I also have a low tolerance to my wife's complaints that my environment is getting to look like a sawmill.
While vacuuming up some sanding dust I noticed the pits in a lure I am working on was clogged up with dust also. I decided that I would use the shop vac to remove this dust and soon I found out just how ole Ben Franklin must have felt when he made his electricity discovery...pretty darn silly. Lets face it running a kite through something that explodes and has the power to split large trees from crown to root isn't all that smart. Neither is holding a lure loosely over the hose of a 5 hp. Craftsman shop vac. Before I could say "what the......" I was digging my lure out of the shop vac's tank.
Feeling real smart and checking to be sure I was alone and wasn't going to show up on Americas Funniest Home Videos or You Tube, I once again started the process of shop vacuuming the dust out of the lure, this time with a firm grasp on it.
While doing the bottom side of the lure I laid the lure across the pipe. The lure rolled just a tad and when I pushed it back to a straight up position it rolled again. At this point a light went on! As my wife was standing at the switch questioning why I was working in the dark, it came to me that this could be a good way to check the balance of the lure.
I then took my Dremel and did a little fine shaping and then repeated the process. This time the lure stood more upright. After a few touches, the lure balanced perfectly on the end of the pipe. Feeling ever so smart I rushed off to the kitchen to find a bowl in which to float the lure.
After choosing a correct size bowl from our matching coolwhip set, I filled it and dropped the lure in and voila! After dabbing the water splash out of my eyes, I found that the lure floated perfectly! I was so happy I almost forgot to keep a grudge going I had with my wife over a nasty remark she had made to me earlier. I had found a way to balance out the lure without having to float it and wait for it to dry between sanding/shaping sessions. :D
On a serious note: This did work pretty well. The air flow from the vacuum pulls the lure to its balance point. Of course this only works if the lure bottom is rounded and the body isn't too oval shaped or too thin. I am adding a pic. It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but I think you can see the general idea. Also, that really large lure you see in the background of the pic is for my Father-In-Laws pawn shop. I am making it for him as a welcome sign. I hope you all enjoy the tip and God Bless. Dave