kits are the easyest way to start...but this is how I go about things..we'll build a popper...I turn a body on a lathe(jet mini) say 5 inch long and 1 inch fat shaped like a atom popper..with the body on the lathe I mark the hook hole lets say 2 inches from the nose, I'll mark a eye hole maybe 1 inch from the nose and a belly weight hole 1/2 way from the hook hole to the tail..3.5 inches from the nose.(thats 3 marks) now I thru drill the body...I've got a drill chuck for my lathe and use the lathe to drill..I drill the nose ,then the tail..if the holes don't reach all the way thru I finish with a hand drill(alot of people use a drillpress to thru drill, both ways work good)...now I cut the ends off with a bandsaw, so now you have a body, now I cut the face with the bandsaw say 25 degrees(everyone likes different degrees, you can do what ever you like) ok now put the body down with the belly up and with a holestarter mark the hookhole and belly height hole(with the body belly up put the mark at the highest point on the line you marked, highest point should be dead center) lay the body on it side and mark the eye..do the other side...ok so now you have 4 marks 2 eyes a hookhole and a belly weight...now drill the eyes with a 1/2 inch forester drill bit in the drillpress, now drill the hookhole with a 3/8 or a 5/16 forester bit, you'll feel it hit the thru hole, go alittle farther so the wire will go thru the swevel. ok now drill out the belly weight hole just deep enought to fit the weight(you can buy the weights at nj tackle.com) ok now you drill the tail weight there 1 inch long and come in different sizes say you got the 5/16 inch fat one ,you drill the tail 1inchX5/16(bit) now you have to cup the face, you can start the cup with a forester bit3/4inch size and then use a roateray rasp or a dremel tool, when the cup's done epoxy (5 min devcon)the bellyweight in and sand...now you seal it..I use val oil 50/50 mix with paint thinner and soak for 6 hrs, hang it for a couple days, then prime with bins primer wait a day or 2 and paint wait a day or 2 and wire plug with a nose grommet,hook swevel,tailweigth, tail grommet, wrap the tail loop, put the eyes in and coat the plug with 30 min devcon epoxy..flip it 3-4 time in 15 mins and it should be fine
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02-25-2007, 10:37 AM
complete Newb... 
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