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Buoyancy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:29 pm
by Caja
Heard a lure maker talking about how he makes super plastic hard swimbaits float or sink slowly. He said that did not use microballoons like everyone else. What else would he be able to use? Just curious.

Re: Buoyancy

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:05 am
by RhettWheeler
I’ve done a white casting resin shell and then filled that with alumifoam and have gotten pretty good results

Basically I filled my mold about 1/3 with white casting resin and rotated it around as it began to set up and then waited about 10 mins and dropped some alumifoam inside, clamped the mold and let it set up.

It allowed me to get a good floating blank that I could then just drill and keel weight

Just a thought

Re: Buoyancy

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 2:24 pm
by Caja
The hard swimbaits glide style or 3 or 4 piece swimmers solid construction and are not wire thru. Saw dust from cedar or various other woods?

Re: Buoyancy

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:29 am
by RhettWheeler
Interesting I’d also like to know

Re: Buoyancy

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:14 pm
by aka anglinarcher
Density is density, how it is achieved is the only question.

Foam cores and solid surface is the way I do it most of the time. Roto-molding also gives excellent results.

For example, if you cast with straight superplastic then your bait will be about 1.1 to 1.3 g/cm^3, depending on hooks, hardware, through wire, etc. If you use less goop when you pour your mold, then rotomold it, you get shell with a hollow core. I find the shell to be somewhat soft for the first few hours but rock hard and super tough in a day.

Re: Buoyancy

PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:29 am
by dahlberg
Hey Guys, Happy New Year!
There are several ways to skin this cat. Here are some that come to mind.
1. You can roto-mold a skin of super plastic and fill it with a less dense material as has been suggested.

2.You can imbed a premade shape(s) of more buoyant material into your main body.

3.You can imbed steel rods, vinyl tubing or plastic straws through your mold which can be easily removed after it cures. When removed it leaves an air chamber that can be plugged on each end and left full of air, or fill with 320 foam. Obviously rattle, balls, etc can be added but careful not to glue them together. When i was a kid i used liquid mercury in the chamber! Please do not do that. did not know any better then.

4.You can pour your lure from straight resin, then add a buoyant material to the top, just like you would add lead strips to the bottom of a floating lure to make it sink. After you get an idea of how much and where, you patch it in using dremel, drill, saw or what ever it takes! All the same rules apply, including compensating for the material you have removed.
Think of it as reverse keel, reverse balance. Anti gravity...
best,
L