Science: You Could Learn a Lot From a Belt Sander

Were you one of those kids growing up that always had to tear something apart to see what made it tick?

Do you have every episode of ‘Home Improvement’ saved on DVD?

Want to really know what the differences are between $20 crankbaits and $4 baits?

If so, then read on…

I’m friends with a custom crankbait maker, and he’s shown me all kinds of cool things related to baits, what makes them work, as well as what doesn’t. Some of the funnest learnings come directly from the garage as we sacrifice baits to his belt sander.

All baits now days look great from the outside, but it’s what’s inside that can often make the difference. Spend some time tearing apart baits and you learn things like:

• wall thickness and related variances: quality baits have very little variance in thickness from end to end, about .006″ max
• weight transfer systems: poor tolerances mean poor tuning
• belly weights and rattles: some baits use weld spatter or drill shavings for rattles

Here’s a couple pics of baits that have received the belt sander treatment…