# D.I.Y Poly Lips (Lexan)



## hazmail (Oct 26, 2007)

I usually send off to the states for my polycarbonate lips (Lexan), which from looking on the various web sites, only come 1/16 thick (1.5mm) , I wait a week and pay prices you guys would not put up with . They probably make them (1mm) here but would be 10 times what I pay for 1mm poly sheet. 1/16 is a bit thick for my lures (3 long, max) so I have had to come up with a jig to make some @ 1mm thick, which for my purposes is still plenty strong enough. 
Take a close look, it probably seems pretty complicated, but really it isnt and with a bit of superglue and a sander it will probably take 1.5 hrs to make, it took me longer than that, but I had to muck around figuring out what works. I love working with aluminum, it glues easily (with super glue or flooring glue) and as I have said somewhere before, sanders eat it.










This Jig makes custom lips (round) of a given size, and is simple to vary the length and width. I have been using this now for a couple of months and it produces repeatable copies, all of the same shape, size and is pretty quick (quicker than waiting a week any way). Move the jig away from the sander 1mm and you get a lip 2mm wider and 1 mm longer. 










First I cut the Poly roughly to shape with scissors, then lay it on the hole jig and drill 2 holes, clean off burrs with a slightly larger drill bit (spin the drill bit with your fingers)- these drilled holes correspond to the pins on the sanding jig turntable this will hold the poly fast (no slip) while sanding.





































To make this hole jig align it on the sanding jig turntable and clamp with vice grips and drill 2 holes through both the hole jig and turntable to the hole size required (mine is 2mm). Glue two pins the same size as the holes in the sanding jig turntable with loktite or superglue, for pins I cut off (with Dremell) 2 pieces of the same size drill bit. Because these (turntable and hole jig) are drilled together the pins should fit exactly in the poly when it is drilled, and not slip.










When you have drilled the guide holes, place it on the sanding turntable, start the sander and rotate the turntable 180 deg to the opposite stop and back again, you have a perfect round symmetrical lip, get the scissors and cut it to whatever length you need.



















Dont be daunted by this, make it, play with it until you get the shape you want, its simple. Have fun Pete.


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## goolies (Jun 28, 2007)

Nice job on the jigs. Thanks for sharing.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

You come up with the best jigs!


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## hazmail (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks Vince-Goolies, I got a bit out of sync with the pictures, I should have inserted the second last pic at the beginning- hopefully they will figure it out. Pete


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