flatcats
01-19-2005, 09:29 PM
Thanks for what you did Mr Catter, I'm gonna name these in your honor.
Mr Catter's flagging 2 liter jugs
Here's another inexpensive way to do it if you're like I am and can't get good foam because it's out of season. All you need to make these flagging two liter jugs are one empty 2 liter Coca Cola bottle, some general pupose PVC cement, model glue, 6 inches of 1/2 inch rebar, 16 inches of 1/2 inch ID PVC pressure rated pipe and an a PVC cap. For tools all you will need is a hacksaw for the cutting the pipe and rebar and possibly a file to debur the sharp edges of the rebar after it's been cut.
Here it is, step by step. Shown here is all your materials except the model glue which I forgot in the photograph.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/materials.jpg
Have one or more two liter coca cola style bottles ready that have already been washed out and are dried thoroughly inside. If your state requires that your finished jugs be a certain color (mine doesn't) then make sure they have already been painted in some way and that the paint is dry enough to handle. Now cut your rebar to six inches and either file or grind those sharp edges off. It's not really for your safety, but so that the rebar doesn't hang inside the PVC pipe that it will slide in. Next, cut your 1/2 inch ID PVC pipe to 16 inches.
Ok, now everything is ready to assemble. Let's start with the PVC pipe. Take your model glue and swab the end of the pipe with a good amount of it and then insert the pipe into the bottle. The neck of the bottle will provide a friction fit for the pipe and guide it down until it is perfectly centered in the bottom and touching it. The excess model glue you applied will glue the pipe to the bottom of the bottle in just a few minutes so give it some time to set.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/bottomglue.jpg
While that's setting, apply some more model glue to the neck of the bottle which will finish up glueing the pipe to the bottle and make it all one single unit.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/insertandglue.jpg
Weird looking contraption huh? Ok, when it's all dry gently insert the piece of six inch rebar you cut. The glue on the bottom of the bottle has temporarily softened the plastic so we don't want that rebar punching through it. It will stiffen back up in an hour or so.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/loadbar.jpg
Ok, you've gently inserted the bar so it's time to get out the PVC cement and glue the end cap on.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/presscap.jpg
Now when you've done that you should end up with what you see below. Mine isn't painted because that's not required here in Tennessee and I wanted you to be able to see the guts inside it for this tutorial.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/finished.jpg
From here you just load the jug with your choice of line and hooks and your contact address so you can satisfy the fish and game regs.
It's currently 29 degrees outside and I'm too lazy to take it to the lake for a full scale trial run so here's the best alternative, my son's aquarium. The rebar is sitting towards the base of the bottle and as you can see it floats just flat as can be. The goldfish aren't terribly happy about all this but since I don't charge them any rent they'd better get over it.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/floating.jpg
Ok, so I cheated in the photo below. I personally simulated a big catfish grabbing the imaginary soap on the imaginary line and then tipping the bottle up in an imaginary lake. As all that happened the rebar dependably slid down to the neck end which caused the jug to flag. It looks like the bottle's end is stuck on the bottom but it's really not. This is the position these jugs should all take when they flag.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/flagging.jpg
Granted, This single bottle I've made here has never seen either the river or a fish (ok, scratch that, a set of goldfish), but from tipping it over and over and then tugging the **** out of it it seems like it should be pretty durable in the long run, especially considering it only costed me .42 cent to make it. As soon as the water warms up here and I can test it I will, and then I'll give you my honest opinions on it. Right now I can tell you that it won't ever be as good as a foam jug because this type will be slick and harder to "catch". But like I said earlier, it's a fair alternative when you just can't get any foam.
Feel free to make some and try out the design if you want =)
Steve
Mr Catter's flagging 2 liter jugs
Here's another inexpensive way to do it if you're like I am and can't get good foam because it's out of season. All you need to make these flagging two liter jugs are one empty 2 liter Coca Cola bottle, some general pupose PVC cement, model glue, 6 inches of 1/2 inch rebar, 16 inches of 1/2 inch ID PVC pressure rated pipe and an a PVC cap. For tools all you will need is a hacksaw for the cutting the pipe and rebar and possibly a file to debur the sharp edges of the rebar after it's been cut.
Here it is, step by step. Shown here is all your materials except the model glue which I forgot in the photograph.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/materials.jpg
Have one or more two liter coca cola style bottles ready that have already been washed out and are dried thoroughly inside. If your state requires that your finished jugs be a certain color (mine doesn't) then make sure they have already been painted in some way and that the paint is dry enough to handle. Now cut your rebar to six inches and either file or grind those sharp edges off. It's not really for your safety, but so that the rebar doesn't hang inside the PVC pipe that it will slide in. Next, cut your 1/2 inch ID PVC pipe to 16 inches.
Ok, now everything is ready to assemble. Let's start with the PVC pipe. Take your model glue and swab the end of the pipe with a good amount of it and then insert the pipe into the bottle. The neck of the bottle will provide a friction fit for the pipe and guide it down until it is perfectly centered in the bottom and touching it. The excess model glue you applied will glue the pipe to the bottom of the bottle in just a few minutes so give it some time to set.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/bottomglue.jpg
While that's setting, apply some more model glue to the neck of the bottle which will finish up glueing the pipe to the bottle and make it all one single unit.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/insertandglue.jpg
Weird looking contraption huh? Ok, when it's all dry gently insert the piece of six inch rebar you cut. The glue on the bottom of the bottle has temporarily softened the plastic so we don't want that rebar punching through it. It will stiffen back up in an hour or so.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/loadbar.jpg
Ok, you've gently inserted the bar so it's time to get out the PVC cement and glue the end cap on.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/presscap.jpg
Now when you've done that you should end up with what you see below. Mine isn't painted because that's not required here in Tennessee and I wanted you to be able to see the guts inside it for this tutorial.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/finished.jpg
From here you just load the jug with your choice of line and hooks and your contact address so you can satisfy the fish and game regs.
It's currently 29 degrees outside and I'm too lazy to take it to the lake for a full scale trial run so here's the best alternative, my son's aquarium. The rebar is sitting towards the base of the bottle and as you can see it floats just flat as can be. The goldfish aren't terribly happy about all this but since I don't charge them any rent they'd better get over it.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/floating.jpg
Ok, so I cheated in the photo below. I personally simulated a big catfish grabbing the imaginary soap on the imaginary line and then tipping the bottle up in an imaginary lake. As all that happened the rebar dependably slid down to the neck end which caused the jug to flag. It looks like the bottle's end is stuck on the bottom but it's really not. This is the position these jugs should all take when they flag.
http://www.charliescatfishbaitsoap.com/flagging.jpg
Granted, This single bottle I've made here has never seen either the river or a fish (ok, scratch that, a set of goldfish), but from tipping it over and over and then tugging the **** out of it it seems like it should be pretty durable in the long run, especially considering it only costed me .42 cent to make it. As soon as the water warms up here and I can test it I will, and then I'll give you my honest opinions on it. Right now I can tell you that it won't ever be as good as a foam jug because this type will be slick and harder to "catch". But like I said earlier, it's a fair alternative when you just can't get any foam.
Feel free to make some and try out the design if you want =)
Steve