
Woodturner and fishing enthusiast Colwin Way shows how to turn fishing floats, lures and a priest
It’s not often I get a chance to include two of my favourite pastimes together but I’ve been able to do that with this project! The three items I’m making are all turned on the lathe then decorated sometimes on the lathe. I think that whether you are or are not into fishing you will find the methods used and the decorating techniques really useful. The three main woodturning lessons learned on these projects are tool control, the ability to use a delicate touch and repetition of spindle work. Regarding working thin sections, use too much pressure and the thin stems on the float will bounce or deflect from the cutting edge.
The projects involve looking at combining materials, using painting effects and the all-important protection from the abrasion of seawater and constant rough treatment from the outdoor environment. Yes, I agree this is a little indulgent on my part but if you think outside of the fishing box, so to speak, you can adapt these projects in all manner of ways. For instance, one of my customers recently bought six unhooked fishing lures and mounted them into a picture frame as a present for her husband to hang in his den. In fact, most of the fishing lures I make end up with collectors and will never see water in their lives, although they all work well.
Materials
- PPE & RPE
- 12 & 30mm skew
- 20mm spindle roughing gouge • 10mm spindle gouge (optional) • 6mm bowl gouge
- Diamond sharpener
- Sanding disc
- Sanding drum
- V-block for drilling
- 5mm drill bit
- 4mm drill bit
- 1mm drill
- 4mm cord
- Snail countersink bit • Airbrush
- Coloured paints
- Netting
- Pegs
- Lure-making fish eyes (available online)
- Screw eyes
- Epoxy resin
- Gloves
Tips for the materials
Use epoxy resin as a clear coat. It dries out to a glass-like finish with really hard-wearing properties. You can brush it on like paint and if you select a rapid-set version it can be dry enough to handle gently within a day. The netting used to make bath scrubbers is perfect for making fish- scale effects when using airbrushes. Just make sure you get permission before you start cutting things up. Airbrush paint should go on almost dry, so avoid heavy spraying or spraying too long in one place as this will only cause bleeding and it will take ages for the paint to dry.
Stick floats








Finishing priest








Fishing a lure







