ditz2 0 Report post Posted June 13, 2015 Nice poppers Chuckie......Balsa does make a durable bug too. There is nothing special about Lefty's popper other than I am a fan of his and I assume that if he fishes it it must catch fish and be easily castable. ......I do like the shape of your bugs. I would think that the hook would tend to ride lower in the water than the front which I think is a good thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted June 13, 2015 Thanks ditz2. I still need to tweak this shape and I'm going to try cupping the plow a little on the next batch. They popped enough to get attention but I feel I could get them to work a little better. I used a B10S on the above and I didn't have much shank to work with after the bodies went on. I also felt the hook was a little too light even though they landed properly on each cast. I too look for the rear to ride down a little as I get most of my takes on the pause and I feel the more vertical the shank the better for hook ups. If you could recommend a good popper hook to get started with I'm all ears. I like to tie them from about 1/0 to 6. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ditz2 0 Report post Posted June 14, 2015 I can't remember the # but Mustad has a kink shanked hook which is a little longer than their hump shanked hooks which I prefer and they come in many sizes and down to at least 14 or at least they used to. They are not a real heavy wire diameter though. You can go to the Mustad site and they will be easy to find. I think they also have stainless versions. The kink shanked hooks also work well for deer hair bugs IMO. I will add that any hook will work if you lay a good thread base or even some chenille and I do make some that way but I do prefer to use the kink shanked hook. If you want a very durable bond between body and hook use epoxy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2015 Found them ditz2 CK74SNP SS kink shank 3/0 to 8. 4XH 4XL. Available in my area also so shipping will be minimal. Cool! This should give me lots of shank to work with. Yeah, I saw that hook somewhere on a popper tutorial but never gave them much thought. Now I see why the kink was built in. Thanks so much for the tips! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ditz2 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2015 I am glad you found what you needed but I am sure kink shanked hooks are available at least down to 12 and I am sure I still have a few in size 14 that I used at one time with some small cork cylinders I have. The problem with them was they were almost impossible to see even as a young man and they did not float very well either. So I never make any more of them. I think I still have cork cylinders in 3/16" and 1/8" diameter. The 12 and 14 kink shank hooks were a very fine wire. Size 10 is my favorite and 8 and 6 come next. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2015 Chuck, those look great. Nice to know the thread inspired someone! If you have a problem with those doll eyes popping off, you can use a brad tip drill bit to do a shallow countersink hole to glue them into. (I hold the drill bit in my hand and just twist it - I tried it chucked in a power drill and it dug to deep - by hand you can control how shallow you go much easier.) Great work! Â The longer Mustad is the old 33903 double kink shank hook. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2015 Chuck, those look great. Nice to know the thread inspired someone! If you have a problem with those doll eyes popping off, you can use a brad tip drill bit to do a shallow countersink hole to glue them into. (I hold the drill bit in my hand and just twist it - I tried it chucked in a power drill and it dug to deep - by hand you can control how shallow you go much easier.) Great work! Â The longer Mustad is the old 33903 double kink shank hook. Thanks Kirk!, That's a useful tip! I ruined one when I tried to drill a small hole on another pattern that called for legs. The drill went through the balsa so fast and uncontrolled that when I threaded the rubber through' I had legs coming coming out the side and top of the popper. I guess that's why I was so inspired by the Lefty poppers no legs to mess with. I'm sure your tip will work for a long shaft bit as well as the brad tip. I'll give it a go. Cheers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Chuck, I like the brad tip cause it gives me a point to stick in and makes a flat bottomed hole. As for using a tiny bit for legs, there are pin vises that work well to hold the small bit and are checkered to give you a grip to twist by hand. Â Â Â Here's a pic of hand drilling a hole in a WAPSI popper body using a pin vise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Chuck, I like the brad tip cause it gives me a point to stick in and makes a flat bottomed hole. As for using a tiny bit for legs, there are pin vises that work well to hold the small bit and are checkered to give you a grip to twist by hand. Â Â Â Here's a pic of hand drilling a hole in a WAPSI popper body using a pin vise. Kirk, now that is slick! Thanks for the pics clear as day! Now I can get back to that sneaky pete project and recess the eyes on my next batch of poppers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Chuck, look forward to seeing what you come up with. Although I said pin-vise, it may be called something else it is basically a chuck with a checkered handle. The chuck is good for a range of two or three size bits - I got the one above in a set of three or four. The larger one accepts larger drill bits and I even use a small Forstner's bit for recessing larger eyes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Kirk, here's what I found at lunch today. Fits great in the fingers and accepts a range of small bits. Tested it on some scrap balsa and works fine. Can get my leg threader through with ease. What I like about this is I can file away at the edges with the bit if I need that little extra leeway for thicker rubber. I'll get to the brad tips this weekend. I want to find a small kit that has my most popular eye diameters. Â Thanks again Kirk your suggestions should help my future projects immensely. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Good find, never seen that attachment before; that chuck looks like it has a wider range than the ones I have. I've created a monster! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artimus001 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 what size corks do you use Kirk? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Art, depends on the hook/size I want to glue it to. I use the standard cork bottle stopper shape in different sizes. The length of the head being from just behind the hook eye to just before the hook point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted June 16, 2015 It just seems so easy and quick to take emery paper and cup the faces, round the backs, round the edges so the paint won't have to stick to a sharp edge and make for smoother poppers. But that's just me and my $.02..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites