Stick Floats - Part 8 - Making a Stick Float

[@lucybarringham2491]

Interesting video, Mark. I managed to get a bundle of the John Dean sticks. Problem was, they were all 3 number 4 size, so I snapped the stems off and fashioned my own balsa tops in a range of sizes to suit my own needs. The stems are the most important part of the float for them to work ‘just so’.

[@felgate11]

Keep the drill chuck spinning & lightly hold the saw over it.

[@stephenstocks1074]

Nice one

[@soultrader57fishingandmusi25]

excellent piece. where can you get the fluorescent orange paint for the tips?

[@MarkWintleFishing]

I have used Revell model paints in the past which I've got from a local model shop but these paints are harder to find now - some on eBay (paint no. 25 seems to be the one), and the paint seems to go 'off' in time, becoming hard to use smoothly. The modern equivalent is acrylic paints such as Starglow from Glowtech which look promising; I think people who are hand-making floats to sell use this type of paint nowadays. None of these options are that cheap any more. In all cases I use a white undercoat.

[@shaneoreilly8488]

What diameter balsa dowel are you using there mark...8mm 🤔

[@MarkWintleFishing]

I think it was probably quarter inch i.e. 6mm.

[@shaneoreilly8488]

@@MarkWintleFishing thanks 👍

[@aurelien9899]

Hi from Belgium. Could you tell me where find some balsa, cane, and lignum please? I don't know a tackle shop for this.

[@MarkWintleFishing]

In the past we used to have plenty of model-making shops but these have disappeared. Few tackle shops supply float-making materials and mostly in the UK a few specialists can supply balsa via eBay. Hard cane can be found in garden centres. Lignum possibly via EBay though I prefer to use the childrens paint brush handles as these are dense and already have a taper.

[@aurelien9899]

Thank you mister. We heva the same problem in Belgium, it's very hard to find a tackle shop for this.@@MarkWintleFishing

[@waynenippard5933]

Spoil sport. I really wanted to watch you sanding for 5 minutes 🤣🤣