Float making

Josh1337 · #1

Pole float making looks very fun... does anyone on the forum make, or has made any in the past?

olly · #2

Hey Josh. You can find all the mats for making your own pole floats on ebay. Simply search for pole float making or pole float bodies and from there you will find afew people selling all the bits you need to start making them Also if you google finesse floats you will find an online store.

Btw well done last sat

#3

Made loads Josh. If you hire a boat for a day and go up any canal in the Midlands you'll find loads of my floats stuck in overhanging trees , save you making them!

I thought I'd better put this post up before Joff sees it

me · #4

budgie is the site float maker

Josh1337 · #5

Btw well done last sat

Thanks Mate!, have looked on ebay btw - Just wanted to see who makes there own and if there better than actually buying them ha

If you hire a boat for a day and go up any canal in the Midlands you'll find loads of my floats stuck in overhanging trees , save you making them!

budgie is the site float maker

Hope he see's this thread then haha!

If i buy the materials from ebay.. i would buy the balsa bodies too..

All id need it;

Balsa Bodies
Balsa/Clear stems
Bristles
Eyes
Varnish & paint?

Aswell with the sizes, i notice that they come in differant sizes.. Bristles im lookin at are like 1.5mm and the smallest stem i found was 4mm..

Surely they wont fit?

#6

Nick Gilbert makes floats and has a brilliant reputation on Maggotdrowning He also sells bristles eyes and stems here http://www.float-store.co.uk/shop/categ ... =cid%3D%26

He is also a friendly helpful guy and will always give advice if asked.

#7

smallest stem i found was 4mm..

are you sure it wasnt 0.4mm

olly · #8

Btw well done last sat

Thanks Mate!, have looked on ebay btw - Just wanted to see who makes there own and if there better than actually buying them ha

If you hire a boat for a day and go up any canal in the Midlands you'll find loads of my floats stuck in overhanging trees , save you making them!

budgie is the site float maker

Hope he see's this thread then haha!

If i buy the materials from ebay.. i would buy the balsa bodies too..

All id need it;

Balsa Bodies
Balsa/Clear stems
Bristles
Eyes
Varnish & paint?

Aswell with the sizes, i notice that they come in differant sizes.. Bristles im lookin at are like 1.5mm and the smallest stem i found was 4mm..

Surely they wont fit?

Josh before you get the wallet out and spend your hard earned cash it might be worth having a look at how each bristle and stem material effects the way a float will behave. For example; (i am sure i will get corrected if wrong)

Carbon is a very light stem material. It doesnt tend to sink very quickly. It doesnt bend out of shape but can be brittle.

Wire is very heavy. A wire stem float will most likely situp/cock quite quickly due to the weight. Wire is strong but is very prone to bending out of shape and often wont return to its natural shape.

Glass is more weighty than carbon but lighter than wire, so sits inbetween. Glass is very strong, can be bent into all shapes but will always return to its natural position.

Carbon and wire stem floats are more often than not used in making quite delicate patterns while glass is used more often than not in more bagging patterns.

A long thin balsa body (pencil) is likely to be less stable in choppy/rough conditions than one with a dimond or rudgby ball shaped body. Pear shaped bodys offer a something inbetween in terms of sensativity and balance.

Solid plastic bristles are likely to be more sensetive than a hollow bristle due to their weight. Cane bristles tend to be heavy too and because of this they are also quite sensetive.

Hopefully some of that is of some use, chances are some of it is wrong

so i expect some of it will be corrected by those really in the know

#9

Josh,
Make yourself a cup of coffee, find a comfy chair then have a look through This Thread on MD's, there's 32 pages of it so far, with some really good information for the DIY floatmaker.

#10

http://www.mbcanalspecials.co.uk/ try this josh lad

#11

Keep meaning to get some of the 'Stormins' Tricast62

- just to go with the 150 or so others I've got stashed away upstairs

#12

good floats them are TK

wiggley worm · #13

this is mick bassets online shop

http://www.mbfloats.co.uk/

Josh1337 · #14

Question:
What are the best eyes to use?

Spring eyes or These eyes?

If i have 1.2mm dia' tips.. would i buy 1.2mm eyes or next size up and fit with glue ?

How would you glue these or fit them?

Thanks guys!

#15

Josh. The eyes in the top picture are far superior to standard spring eyes. With spring eyes the line can move round and become trapped under the wire causing a weak spot. This is the main cause of breakages but is eliminated by using the eyes above.
I presume that the 1.2mm eye are made to fit over a 1.2mm tip and be glued into place but I may be wrong.

The eyes in the bottom pic would be pushed into place in the body of the float and then glued.

Josh1337 · #16

I bought me some balsa about 1m long, cost me £2!

Going to have a play when I get five haha

olly · #17

They sell 1.1 eyes for 1mm bristles, 1.3's for 1.2's etc.

Those spring eyes weigh about as much as a no11

Josh1337 · #18

They sell 1.1 eyes for 1mm bristles, 1.3's for 1.2's etc.

Those spring eyes weigh about as much as a no11

Thanks olly, its what i was lookin for

#19

Josh, I haven't made any floats for years but when I did I to snip an eyed hook at the base of the shank and used that. It worked no problem, just make sure the wire is not too thick

mburgess · #20

Josh the Float Mafia are around ::)

to make the bodys you will need a mini lathe/ cnc machine will sell you mine for £900 if your intrested