DIY floats

[Bob Paulley]

Part I

I love making tackle, rods and the like, from scratch. There is an indescribable satisfaction attached to catching a fish, by your own guile and relying on your own self-made tackle. There is even more, when placing a cooked offering from your hunting, in front of an appreciative family!

This is why, when I consider the use of floats, I like to make my own......... everything! My favourite materials are balsa and bamboo. These, some fine aluminium/copper wire, glue, paint and lacquer, are allI need.

I spend a good deal of time splitting off slivers of bamboo, for antennas,to a thickness of about 2-3mm. Lighter floats need thinner antennas.I like to split the cane radially and then FILE the sharp edges with a flat needle file. Once I have eliminated those cutting edges (thus preserving the integrity of my skin!) I trim the inner layers of the cane. What I am looking to do is to maintain the impervious and harder external layer, while providing a softer backing, into which I can engrave a groove. (more of that later). Once the final shape and size (+ groove) is carved, I smooth the whole thing with very fine sandpaper.

A coat of paint and/or lacquer completes the antenna.

The body of the float is made from turned balsa. Now this might sound daunting, but it is actually very easy! A 2mm gauge steel rod, about 100mm long and a variable speed modelling drill (a snip at around £10.00, these days)is all you need.

Select a suitably sized piece of medium to soft balsa stock and, using a 2mm drill bit between your finger and thumb, use it as an awl, to drill a hole through the centre of the balsa stock, along the grain. As long as you do not use to much pressure on the drill bit, it will penetrate quite easily. (I actually mount the bit in a pin vice, so it is as easy to use as a screwdriver).

Now insert the 2mm steel rod and secure the balsa to it with a small dab ofmelt glueat each end.

 

[Bob Paulley]

Part II

The whole thing may now be placed in the drill chuck, ready for the shaping. At low speed, rotate the balsa stock. You may feel more comfortable holding the drill in one hand, while using the other to manipulate your shaping tool. I prefer to mount the drill in a vice, so I can use both hands for the shaping.

The shaping tool can be a needle file, or your wife/girlfriend/civil partner/pet's nail file, or similar. I have to say those nail sandpaper things are ideal.

You do not need much in the way of pressure on the rotating stock, to carve away the excess material. Too much pressure will split the stock! just lightly abrade until you get your required shape. Once you have your shape, before removing from the centre rod, paint and/or lacquer to your personal preference. There are plenty of luminescent colour from which to choose, although I like to leave the bottom of the body a natural colour. The rotation of the balsa body will ensure a neat colour division, if required.

The completed body may be elevated on the centre rod and left to dry.

A small antenna bulb can be made in the same way as the main body. I find it easier to make these small ovoids from harder balsa stock. This is less prone to splitting.

The float body and antenna bulbcan be separated from the steel rod, by heating the rod (but remember to hold the assembly by the balsa!) I like to run some lacquer down the centre holes, to ensure the balsa is fully waterproofed. After I've run the lacquer through, I ream the hole with the steel rod, to ensure there are no embarrassing blobs, left to dry.

Once everything is painted and dry, assembly is easy. Push the antenna through the body, allowing the proportionality of your choice. I normally go for a two to one ratio of antenna above and below the body. I use a couple of dabs of superglue to fix the antenna in position.........light and impervious.

With the body, antenna and antenna bulb assembled, all that is required is a small twist of fine aluminium/copper wire at the bottom. I make a simple loop. With a fine sewing needle, I make two locating holes, about 3mm deep, in the end of the antenna and push the wire into these. More superglue fixes the loop. Once the glue is cured, I use a pair of fine pliers to twist a the loop, once and bend it over the groove in the antenna.

I normally attach the float to line, by threading the line along the groove between antenna and body and through the end wire loop and away I go.

Floats can be made self cocking, by the inclusion of a little split shot. Just drill a holding shaft in the bottom of the float, to suit and drop the shot in. I normally use a dob of PVA glue to fix and seal the shot and hole and then paint a bit of lacquer over the hole.

And there you have it. Ignoring drying time, it normally takes about 1/2hr to make a float and it can give you DAYS of enjoyment!

 

[JIMMY---PAAS]

Nice one Bob; The only thing that,s more enjoyable than catching a fish,is catching a fish on a float that you,ve made yourself.

Also you,ve giving me a few tips, cheers mate.

Jimmy.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Yes nice one Bob.

Just one thing, "I prefer to mount the drill in a vice"

You will have the perverts round, watch out.

 

[mike Gibson]

I make a lot of my own floats but not nearly to what sounds like yourvery professional standard!Mine are simply bird quills, (crow, gull, Canada goose) found when walking the dog over the common in the morning. Just stiop off the feathered material with a razor blade, or Stanley knife cut to a variety of sizes (size (say four to seven inches) and then smooth with fine glass paper. Dip the tip in two coats of day glo red, orange or yellow paint according to your preference, allow to dry and then finish off with a couple of coats of external varnish. You could whip a ring on the bottom I suppose, but I never bother, and just use float rubbers.The small crow and gull quills are ideal for still waters and canals, the bigger gull and goose quills for trotting the rivers or windy conditions.

 

[blankety blank]

my procedure is pretty close to yours Bob, albeit with a couple of cheats. Firstly I do not bother making an eye, i use the drennan silicone attachments instead. Secondly,I buy a pack of bamboo barbeque kebab skewers. Ready made antennae and stems!

Now if someone could tell me how to make a professional looking stick float, i would be much obliged!

 

[Tee-Cee]

I have a copy of The Floatmakers Manual by Bill Watson first published in 1978 by Ernest Benn(with foreword by **** Walker)which was considered by many to be the bible on floatmaking.

Not to say that the ideas mentioned above are perfectly workable but if you are interested in the subject then try to get hold of this book-it has tons of great info and has been invaluable to me over many years of floatmaking.Possibly a little out-of-date now but the materials section is worth a read

I think JIMMY(PAAS)has in right-Nothing can beat catching fish on a home made float!

However one does get carried away-I have waded out,almost into trouble to recover a float stuck up a tree-not clever!!!

 

[Bob Paulley]

Part I.

Mike! I'd not diss your quills! They make great floats for narrow deep waters, far better than my efforts. I have used similar home made floats for a couple of canal competitions and received great appreciation from fellow competitors and marshals alike.

Its horses for courses. Mine are great in open water of indeterminate depth and at some range, especially for casting across cluttered water.

I've not made "professional" stick floats, because Mike's quills are just the thing for close-in sensitive work and the fish are not that artistically inclined. I have, however, made similar objects for modelling.

It can be a bit tricky for the inexperienced modeller, but what you need is a sheet of aeromodelling tissue paper (costs a few pence) a tin of clear dope from the same shop and a selection of modelling paints and lacquers from the model shop at the same time. PLUS a range of thin dowels, to the diameter, you require for the float bodies. (cheating you see). A fiver will see you with more than enough to make dozens! Oh! and a pot of tissue paste and some thinner.

At home, nick Maw's Cling Film. and a sheet of unglazed newspaper. Chew up the newspaper into very fine shreds and drop into a jug of hot water. Mush it all up and leave it overnight. You do not need too much water, just enough to turn the paper to fine mush.

Use the dowels to make formers for your floats. Cut the dowel to length. This should be the length of the stick float plus an inch, or so. The extra inch is your manipulation handle. Now, using a soft pencil, mark the shoulder limits of the antenna to body. That is easily done, by making a mark for the dimensions and then rotating the dowel against the nib of the pencil........ well lookathat!!!!! Perfect circles!

Now, with coarse sandpaper, form a loop around the end of the dowel at the limit of the upper circle. Grip the sandpaper, so it is firm against the dowel and then start rotating the dowel with the index finger and thumb of the other hand. Carry on abrading until your antenna is the required thickness.

 

[Bob Paulley]

Part II

Now stick the tube in the oven and bake for half an hour at 140C. (I suggest you bake several at the same time).

The tube is now ready to take clear dope. Mix a 4:1 mixture of dope to thinner and paint on to the tube. It should soak right through the tissue/paste tube. Allow to dry (which does not take long and re-apply 4 or 5 coats. (do this well away from kids, pets wives and kitchens (preferably outside in the garage/shed/tent/doghouse) It stinks!

After this lot has dried, apply another couple of coats of neat clear dope. The result should be a pretty robust tube, which can be painted and lacquered to taste.

Once the tube is finished to your satisfaction, gently file the ends to provide a sharp even finish.

Now for the gunk in that jug! It should, after several days, be an amorphous glop..... luvverly!........ Stick your mitt in and extract a sizable pinch. Squeeze out excess moisture, while moulding it into a slightly ovoid bead, which will fit neatly into top or bottom of the finished tube It should be just too large to drop into the tube. Form one for each end.

Stick a fine sewing needle into the long axis of each bead.

Now stick 'em on a metal dish and bake 'em at 140C for an hour, or until completely dry.

Dip the beads into the dope/thinner mix, allowing plenty of time for them to absorb it. Then hang 'em out to dry. After drying, check that the beads are nice and smooth, if not smooth with fine sand/flour paper.

Check the fit into the tube ends. Too thin?....... start again!!!!!!!!!

Once you have a reasonable fit, paint the antenna end with a fluorescent paint and lacquer. Do the same for the bottom bead, but with a matt brown paint. Now slooper-glue the beads into position.

 

[Bob Paulley]

Part III

You may find you need to smooth around the joints between beads and tube. This is best done with a fine flour paper, stuck to a lolly stick (a very useful home made tool!). A couple of coats of the bead paints should provide a nice finish.

Complete the job with a last coat of lacquer.

Now you may find that this construction does not travel well in a tackle box, so here is a tip.

Take a chunk of expanded polystyrene and file it down to a dust. DO THIS OUTSIDE AND WITH A DUST MASK AND GOGGLES!!!!!!!!!! With the antenna bead already in position, pour the coarse dust into the tube and tamp down, in the same way you tamp a fag (if you are a smoker). This called reduction of bulking......... what is that? ask a builder! (if you can find one who speaks English!) This should improve resistance to crushing but not impair buoyancy.

There is, of course, a stronger, more expensive option for the body/antenna tube........ carbon fibre sheet (available from the same model shop, I expect) and liquid resin. I'd stick with the papier mashé beads, but substitute resin for the clear dope. Bake the resined tube and beads for 4 hours at 140C, this time and you will have virtually indestructible sticks!

Of course, this option lends itself to larger bodied floats for sea angling purposes, if wanted.

Enjoy!

 

[Bob Paulley]

Good advice Tee-Cee! Unfortunately I spent most of my adult life out of the UK, so find it difficult to get copies of these great manuals.

I shall, however, take a scrute in our local bookshops!

Ta!