TimS Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 There are so many kinds of tins designed to do so many different things...it does seem like you could make a tin free hand - as long as it was symmetrical on both sides of the keel - you can probably find something for it to do The main types of squid - not counting all the plated lead jigs people have started called "tins" in the most recent 20 years - were: 1. fixed hook tin squids: generally long and thin designed to imitate sandeels lure is poured around the hook saddle hackle or bucktail tied along shank where hook exits lure rubber eel or sluggo or finsfish can be used in place of saddle hackle 2. swinging hook tin squids: beefier and heavier than fixed hook squids generally deeper bodied, heavy lures designed to reach feeding fish casting into the wind much wider range of prey items imitated - sandeels, mullet, butterfish, peanuts...even squid and lizardfish large, single hook historically tied with saddle hackle or bucktail can be used with small tube tails rubber eel or sluggo or finsfish can also be used 3. eel squids: fixed hooks - the lures are poured around a jig hook leaving the hook eye exposed on the flat side/top of the lure for attaching the dacron used to "rig" the eel generally much wider in the front that the back using the drag of the eel to swim/pivot used to imitate eels or sandeels rubber or real eels Tins require bending by the user to make them swim properly - the user controls the action. There are two basic bends - one near the waist and one near the lip. Here's a picture to help The red lines show where these two squids are bent. This is just how they fish best for me most of the time. I'll change the bends after rigging an eel on them to make them thump the way I want. But the location of the two bends won't change - just their angle. I guess if I had to I'd call the for bend, at the eye, the "lip" for lack of a better term. And the middle section between the two bends as the "neck". And the part after the second bend the "body". Never really heard them called anything, but it helps for the purposes of discussion GENERALLY - and I mean that as there are no hard/fast rules, you can bend these however you find they swim best for you - generally I like the bend at the body to be kinda smooth and gradual - and the bend at the lip to be sharper. This is truly a YMMV kinda thing...how the lure swims depends on lots of variable, primarily what is on the back and how you have it attached. Here's the picture...it happened to also contact two tin squids that haven't been bent yet. The top tin squid can be used as an eel squid - it has the hook eye on which you would tie the dacron exiting the mouth of your rigged eel...it's thin nature makes it a better tin squid but rigged with an 8" Ultimus or Felmlee eel is makes a pretty good eel squid as well. Show someone how to catch striped bass and they'll be ready to fish anywhere. Show someone where to go striped bass fishing and you'll have a desperate report chaser with loose lips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 (edited) Ok I’ve been working on my molds for a few days but not done yet. This is a Hopkins shorty. I still have to but the gas scratch lines in them, Drevel out the area where my wire is going to go and the funnel. Now I think the funnel is gonna go where I put the red line in the pic. Am I correct or wrong, I assume I have to put a funnel channel on both molds?? Little help here. Edited December 2, 2017 by Mark L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimS Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Yes, you need to cut the funnel into both sides so that they line up. You want the funnel to have a pretty big opening into the mold. A Dremel drill make it easier. One thing to note - you might need to mix up the two Bondo components a little better - those real dark and light spots look like areas of unmixed Bondo...if that's what they are, those spots are gonna be weak. TimS Show someone how to catch striped bass and they'll be ready to fish anywhere. Show someone where to go striped bass fishing and you'll have a desperate report chaser with loose lips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted December 4, 2017 Report Share Posted December 4, 2017 Those dark spot are patches a few imperfections. I did d the funnel on both like you said. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Well it’s been a few months since this thread came out and at the time I thought why not try it. I just want to thanks Tim S for the multiple page tutorial, since he spent the time writing instructions out I figured I owed him something. Our in house Tinman Dan also helped me figure things out so a big thanks to you. It was a interesting process and since I didn’t own a true tin lure to copy. I looked at all of the Graves and PJ tins, so I came up with my own visual copy designs. I was only gonna start with one and ended up with 5 different shapes. Needless to say I spent some cold sessions casting and watching my lures swim in the cold winter waters. Hopefully when the fish show up in a month or so they will take notice of my lures. So thanks Tim and Dan for the addiction. What I made is now my avatar, they are not perfect but I wasn’t going for that. Just something that my grandkids and family can say someday that I made from complete scratch, hand made from start to finish. Good luck this season boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonellr Posted March 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 15 hours ago, Mark L said: Well it’s been a few months since this thread came out and at the time I thought why not try it. I just want to thanks Tim S for the multiple page tutorial, since he spent the time writing instructions out I figured I owed him something. Our in house Tinman Dan also helped me figure things out so a big thanks to you. It was a interesting process and since I didn’t own a true tin lure to copy. I looked at all of the Graves and PJ tins, so I came up with my own visual copy designs. I was only gonna start with one and ended up with 5 different shapes. Needless to say I spent some cold sessions casting and watching my lures swim in the cold winter waters. Hopefully when the fish show up in a month or so they will take notice of my lures. So thanks Tim and Dan for the addiction. What I made is now my avatar, they are not perfect but I wasn’t going for that. Just something that my grandkids and family can say someday that I made from complete scratch, hand made from start to finish. Good luck this season boys. I started this topic to do exactly what you did!! Nice work!! I eventually said screw it and stuck with building wood plugs. I'm sure I will give it another go though. I have some questions for ya. What did you use for the mold. Where did you get the grommets for them? Can you post more detailed photos? "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." -Doug Larson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 When you say mold are you asking what I used to make the initial lure design? If so I used sculpting clay that you bake. I wired the lures thru no grommets. My loops aren’t pretty and I’ve tried every thing I’ve seen. But they work so I’m not complaining. I’ll take some pics when I get home from work. Like I said they aren’t pretty but they swim. Just have to catch fish on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 From left to right in ounces in tin 1.4, 1.15, 1.2, 2.75, 1.95 Hope that helps lonellr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonellr Posted March 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 14 hours ago, Mark L said: From left to right in ounces in tin 1.4, 1.15, 1.2, 2.75, 1.95 Hope that helps lonellr They look fantastic! Great work. "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." -Doug Larson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted March 22, 2018 Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 Thank you for the compliment, hopefully I can fool a few fish with them. It was certainly a learning experience and I figured out a few minor tricks in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Fisher Posted June 13, 2018 Report Share Posted June 13, 2018 On 3/21/2018 at 6:40 PM, Mark L said: From left to right in ounces in tin 1.4, 1.15, 1.2, 2.75, 1.95 Hope that helps lonellr Wow they look great. Very nice work. Any fish on them yet? I like the through wire idea. You'll never lose a fish like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted June 13, 2018 Report Share Posted June 13, 2018 Thanks for the compliment, I’ve gotten a few bass and a blue on them since spring. The middle one seems to have the best action, plan on trying a few changes this winter when time allows. Thanks again, quit rewarding when one catches a fish on a lure they made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capesams Posted June 14, 2018 Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 way back in the day my farther use to make molds from soap stone...it held the heat and he seemed to have no problem carving shapes into it...sorry to say the molds are long gone to who knows where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Fisher Posted June 14, 2018 Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 18 hours ago, Mark L said: The middle one seems to have the best action No surprise there. It looks just like a Charlie Graves I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted June 14, 2018 Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 I did look at a bunch of CG tins to get ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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