Making popper bodies

[Bugsy 0]

Until our revered Mr Deitrich's tome is printed and in distribution channels, you might take a look at Bugmaking by C. Boyd Pfeiffer. Although an updated version would probably include applications of more recent materials (e.g., UV resin), there's some great information within those covers.

 

Kirk, I'll be happy to jump on board as your public relations advisor. Please inform your publisher that my travel accommodations require the company of my dog.

[feathers5 0]

I am wanting to try my hand at making some popper bodies. I want to make a variety of sizes from small bass popper to something pretty big for pike and musky. Im wanting to make the bodies out of foam and balsa. Does anyone make there own popper bodies? If so how? What are the steps involved into making the bodies. Where do you buy your foam and balsa for making the bodies. Also how do you attach the bodies to the hook.

Thanks

 

Your questions indicate you haven't bothered to use the FTF search feature or the database. If you had, you'd know there are a lot of members who make their own poppers and there's plenty of instruction in numerous threads. You've asked for enough information to fill a book, when you could easily find it yourself with a little effort.

Your answer indicates your ignorance, Peterjay. He didn't didn't ask you to look for him. I think you owe him an apology for your snotty reply.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Here are a few topics that may or may not get covered in this post. Its the least I can do for hijacking the thread with mention of a book.

 

Kirk

 

On making popper eyes:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=70786&hl=+making%20+poppers

 

Capt Bob LeMay's Speed Bug, SBS:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=70985&hl=poppers&do=findComment&comment=530819

 

Having popper float properly in the water:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=70945&hl=poppers

 

Tying skirts on poppers:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=71120&hl=poppers

 

Using ear plugs for poppers:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=71513&hl=poppers&do=findComment&comment=535390

 

Some long body popper discussion:

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=72042&hl=poppers

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

here is a link to some interesting things on the same topic

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=67592&hl=%2Bpopper+%2Bbodies

[Piker20 0]

Man, a tour bus, groupies - I don't think I could handle that - oh wait, this is popper making, the groupies would be old crusty farts! On second thought...

 

Kirk

I don't know, a good campaign on Facebook or twits and you might have some very interesting people attend a talk on how to make poppers !

[Phish 0]

You dont need any books to do poppers!

 

You need to have a general idea on how you want to make them and using all the tools available to your knowledge.

 

To many just go out and buy bodies to make claims.

 

You need a good dremel tools and and sanding files but Steve winters tool to turn out bodies is the best thing ever not some lowly carpenter mitre box and hack saw that make lil bodies out of! Its no wonder they give up on it and chunk out hair on a hook since they know no value on good balsawood popper.

[Foamation 0]

After spending the last 15 years shaping foam only as my main style of tying. I have learned a lot. Trial by error has been my teacher and since I my classes are filling up each year all I can only say get a dremel style tool and start the process from there. I have a video coming out in June that teaches the basics as well as advance types of poppers and divers all by shaping foam. There is only a few outlets that give you all the options of tooling I am hoping to have my website up in running by then.

[ditz2 0]

the groupies would be old crusty farts! On second thought...

Ha Ha Ha......I may be old but.........

 

I am proud that Kirk is writing a book on a most enjoyable hobby and I hope he make a zillion dollars.

 

Making simple, useable, and fish catching poppers is not rocket science and does not require a mutitude of tools or a major outlay of cash. Some balsa from Hobby Lobby, a couple of sheets of sand paper in course and fine grit, and some paint in colors prefered by the maker and a little time and wha Laa....Hump shanked hooks are not absolutely required but I do prefer to use them. Cut the balsa sticks into the required lengths and use course sandpaper to shape the body and use the fine sandpaper to smooth them. Put a light coat of yellow Elmers wood glue to seal the wood. The hacksaw blade that you used to cut the balso to length can be used to cut a slot in the bottom of the body in which to glue the hook with some 5 min. epoxy. Make sure the slot is full of glue to fill the gap opening. After the epoxy has set just paint the body as desired. Let the paint dry and add what ever tail and /or hackle and go catch some fish.

 

If you don't have, or want to buy humpshank hooks you can wrap chenille around the hook shank of a regular straight shank before glueing into the body. Keep the hook shank close to the bottom of the body which will make for a more open hook gap to allow the hook do it's job in the fish's mouth. Epoxy is important. It creates a very durable bug that will last for years if the hook doesn't rust, a tree doesn't eat the bug, or you break off a huge fish. These poppers can be a purty as you wish depending on how much time you put into them. I still have Skipping Bugs in my salt box that I made out of balsa in the middle 70's. I also have used them for Bass.

[Christopher K 0]

One signed for me too

[Jimr1961 0]

I've only recently played around with foam poppers in size #1 Mustad 34007. I started with Capt. Bob's speed bug, but wanted to make my own heads. I found most of the info from this forum, google searches and Kirk's vids on youtube.

 

Materials & tools for making the head:
99 cent flip flops, any color
punch. I used a half inch dia. piece of steel wire conduit and sharpened one end to make a cutting edge.
Dremel type moto tool
emery board or 120 and 220 grit sand paper.
Krazy glue

Punch out cylindrical plugs with punch. I used a hammer to punch it through. Glue two pieces together end to end with krazy glue. May not be needed, but the heads I made went on #1 Mustad 34007 salt water hooks. The finished head was a little less than 1/2 " dia. by about 3/4 " length. It takes about 30 seconds for a permanent bond. Find a 2" headed SS nail, thin. Push the nail through the center of the plug as near as possible. Put the tip of the nail in the collet of the moto tool and clamp the tool to the bench (picnic table). Turn it on about mid speed, slower if needed. Use the course side of the emery board or 120 grit sand paper to slowly shape the head. They'll be fine dust everywhere, so use eye protection.

Once the head is shaped, you can use the fine side of the emery board or 220 grit sand paper to give a finer finish. Remove the nail from the plug and cut to length. I used a utility razor knife with snap off tips. I'm going to build a template for consistency, but for these, I used a pencil to mark the back of the eye on the bottom and the front of the eye on the top and just eyeballed it.

Find the bottom and make a slit for the hook slot. For a concave mouth (the mouths on mine are concave and painted red,not shown in picture, obviously). I used a bullet shaped grinding dremel bit and held the piece while carefully hollowing in on the face. Then, I filled the hole in the face with Krazy Glue and touched it up.

I put a thread base on the hooks and sealed with krazy glue before installing the head. Once the head is where you want it, fill the cut with krazy glue and hold it for about a minute to assure it bonds. It won't stick for several seconds, then suddenly, permanent adhesion.

Once installed, the head may be painted as you desire. I cleaned up any imperfections with wood dough and lightly sanded with 220 grit for a good starting surface, then applied two coats of acrylic primer, two coats of acrylic white for the overall color (your color variation will vary).

I have several SS finishing and headed nails nailed into wood dowels and use them to paint on eyes/spots, etc. I choose a head about half the diameter I want the spot to be. After everything has dried well, I seal coated with 5 minute Gorilla glue two part epoxy. It dries clear.

I beat my brains out looking for a cheap rotisserie motor or mirror (disco) ball motor, then realized I had a variable speed drill motor that I never use. I cut out a circular disk from non-corregated card board and made a foam cylinder from some scrap foam. The foam is the same diameter as the disk and about 8" long. I put a hole in the center of the disk and inserted a long bolt with a flat head, then backed it up with a nut and glued the foam on. Then, made about 10 3" slits along the length so the hooks may be buried leaving the heads sticking out of the foam face.

5 minute epoxy leaves time for two heads before it becomes unworkable. After each head is completely coated and brushed evenly, I'd stop the motor (the trigger was tied in with rope at it's lowest speed, so I had to unplug it to stop the motor), add the fly and turn it back on to keep the heads rotating until they dried. This keeps the epoxy from sagging.

Viola! flip flop poppers. All that's needed is to feather it up. If you want to add legs to the heads, you can push an upholstery needle through it and thread silli legs into the eye and pass it through.

[Foamation 0]

Take a 1/2 inch wide piece of 2mm foam and cut it so the total length is 1.5 inches. Your choice on colour by the way.. Ok now apply contact cement on the side that is not on the table coat the whole front side. Once it becomes tacky start rolling it the long way until the whole piece is a round cylinder. Cut the bottom of the cylinder the length of it so it fits on the hook. Add a base of thread and some maribou leaving room for the cylinder add a line of CA glue and attach the cylinder. You may have to add some glue on the bottom side to finish it off. Add some eyes and go fish. If you want to be crafty take a small ball sanding dremel tool and sand out a cupped face to it. This is as basic as it gets my friend. Post some pix and have fun. This is where it all starts basic foam tying. Best Foamation.

[Gravytrain 0]

ok, with all of this great info, one question - where do i find thin foam ? i can find plenty of it in 2mm and bigger but can only find a few suppliers for anything any thinner

craig

[Chefben4 0]

For what its worth I'm going to support PJ. He may of came off a bit crazy, but its because he is (like most of us). However, that's another story.

 

The reason people get these answers is because it happens all the time. You just can't expect people to spend a ton of time walking you through step by step of how things are done, where to find them, etc. That takes a lot of time which a lot of people dont have. Google and youtube will be your best friend. My suggestion if the search isn't working is to go to the warmwater section and just start going through the pages and reading through all the information. There is a TON. When I started I spent time looking through the sub-forums that interested me. You'd be shocked what you can find. As kirk mentioned the search is a bit finicky. However, just typing in "popper" populated a whole lot of topics to check out.

 

If you dont stick around because of something silly, its a shame. There are good people around here that know a wealth of information.

[Foamation 0]

ok, with all of this great info, one question - where do i find thin foam ? i can find plenty of it in 2mm and bigger but can only find a few suppliers for anything any thinner

craig

Craig, you can get this foam in fly shops or for larger amounts check out Michaels or Joann Fabrics. The standard stock is 2mm but 6mm has been showing up lately.

[terrymiller1973 0]

Ok this is a little different then forming the standard poppers but I am wondering if anyone has ever tried using a mold and any of the spray foams or the 2 part foams that are closed cell for boat making. I dont have access to the materials just wondering if any of you industrious inventors have tried this. I know this would be a little messy but once the mold was made you could replicate the exact same popper body every time like the store bought poppers.