# First float attempt



## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Below is a few pics of my first float attempts.


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

Looks great to me. Keep up the good work.


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## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

Thata pretty slick! You will be using those this weekend.


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Below is the second round of floats to be worked on. Improving my method of doing things.

I got my airbrush woes all fixed. New airbrush in hand...so now it's time to paint some color. 

Hope to have some nice pics of some floats here really soon.


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

Looks great!!! Those are nice. Keep at it and they will only get better.


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

They are getting closer to being done!!!!


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

That looks like a lot of fun.

Its that a Turncrafter Pro lathe?


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

It is a Turncraft Lathe. 

flash--------------------------------out


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Below are some tactics that I tried differant.

I learned a few things as well.

The white pin striping is not paint, it is pin stripe tape that I got from the hobby shop. 

After looking at the photos, trying to do a double pin stripe looks messy. I will make up some with single stripes.

These floats were turned on the lathe differant. The stems are in fact a part of the float. There is no bamboo skewers or dowel rods for the stems. The float is turned all in 1 piece. Needless to say, you have to have a steady hand when turning wood to that thin of a diameter for the stem.

Lastly, the paint job. I didn't really focus on the paint job on these ones. I am trying to figure out what paint I can actually use that doesn't put to much extra weight on the float and make it sit lower in the water. So I am trying differant combinations of paint. This batch, I dipped the floats but the clear coat was sprayed. I won't know the weighting results until they are dry and I can test them out.

Spraying color rather than dipping color is gonna be the way to go. Just too much paint on the top for my taste. Though the color pops out, I think that I can get the color to pop with a spray finish and a few more coats of gloss.

Next batch I do is gonna be, 

1. Float turned as 1 piece
2. Wobbler style, due to the fact I need some for the rivers with no flow
3. Color put on via all spray and no dipping
4. Pin stripe to be more simple and less stripes. No double layers
5. 2 tone color at the top of float. Both Orange and Green Fluro.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

Those are really nice, Flash. I can imagine you must have a steady hand to get that kind of fine, thin detail on the lathe.

Keep posting the progress.


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

An update on floats.....

My previous floats were made out of basswood...I found out after trying to use them that they don't float well. They sink better than they float....So it was back to the drawing board....After about bunch more failures and weeks and weeks of pondering, I have finally come up with a successfull method. The floats below do in fact work well. I will have to take a nice photo of a steelie and my new floats together. Balsa wood is the way to go. Very hard to work with, but they sure float nice.


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## goolies (Jun 28, 2007)

Nice floats. Way to stick with it. To me that is part of the fun of tackle making. You try something and if doesn't work, you try to figure out why and try something different. It makes you appreciate your accomplishment even more.


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## joel_fishes (Apr 26, 2004)

KSUFlash
Where did you get your balsa - on-line or in a store? Did you use dowels or blocks? What size did you use? Been looking for balsa dowels around Columbus without much luck. 

Thinking about trying to make a couple and see how it goes.

Joel


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

I get my balsa wood from a Hobby Store in my area. They specialize in RC planes and cars.

I attempted to find balsa at the local Michaels craft store, as well as JoAnn fabrics, and I couldn't find balsa in the thickness that would work for floats.

You can find the balsa on ebay as well in several suitable sizes for float making.

I have used dowels as well as blocks.

The dowels are typically basswood. That is great wood for hardness, but for floatability of the final product, I noticed that it is a bit heavy for what I am using it for.

I haven't seen balsa dowel rods before.

I use the blocks of balsa....

1. I cut the block up into 1"x1"x5" pieces.
2. I use a paint on hardener I got from Home Depot, in order to make the balsa a bit more durable.
3. I use a combination of a mandral and lathe to turn the floats.
4. I glue in the stems
5. I stain them
6. I dip them in paint
7. Then I clear coat them.


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## joel_fishes (Apr 26, 2004)

KSU
Thanks for the reply. I found balsa dowels here http://www.specializedbalsa.com/dowels.php but haven't found anywhere that the shipping is reasonable for a small amount yet. The dowels seem like they would be easiest.

Did you put the hardener on before you turned them? I will have to try using a regular drill to turn them since I don't have a lathe.

Joel


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

dowel rods would be easier if you didn't have a lathe. I like the balsa block because I already have the lathe and the bansaw and the belt sander.

I put the hardener on after I have gotten close to the shape I want for the float. If you put the hardener on prior to sanding, you basically sand off all the hardened wood, getting back down into that soft balsa.

The hardener is pretty much done doing it's thing in about 5 minutes and is dry. I just leave the float on the lathe until it dries, and then finish up with a light sanding prior to the other steps to finish her up.

flash-----------------------------------out


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