I took my kids fishing a lot this summer. I truly love seeing the excitement in their eyes and the sheer joy they have for fishing. I still have the same excitement, especially when landing a real lunker! (LUNKER= a giant largemouth bass).
Nothing beats a day out on the lake fishing. It’s the best time to relax and just hang out with family and friends.
While I was on one of these local fishing trips with my family, I realized it was time for me to create my very own custom fishing lure. I thought why not combine my love for fishing with my passion for design and fabrication? EUREKA!
Check out my unique workflow and design process in this video.
Whenever I start off a new design I reach for my sketchbook and started throwing concepts onto paper. For this project, I wanted to create something wild that I haven’t seen before. I love the entire creation process and enjoy things that I make so much more than the things I buy. I want this lure to stand out and be different from anything else I have ever fished with. I also wanted it to have a menacing look, something with a bit of bite. This might help scare off all the little annoying fish in the area, only nabbing the big ones.
After creating a sketch that inspired me, I jumped right into 3DSculptor xShape and started modeling away. Using the sketch in the background I started with a simple box and I was able to create a basic model very fast.
After that, I switched over to SOLIDWORKS which is easily the most powerful weapon in my design arsenal. Using that I added a handful of features to get my design ready for 3D printing.
Once completed, I slapped a few coats of paint on the body using my airbrush guns. That wasn’t enough detail for me so I decided to add a few fish scales as well. I quietly used my son’s camping chair’s mesh cup holder as a template. (I have all the faith in the world that I will eventually sew it back into the chair for him. Hopefully, he won't even notice)
After the paint had time to cure, I was finally ready for a trip to the lake to test this out. Nothing beats the feeling of creating something custom and using it! Now was the time to enjoy the fresh crisp air that only mother nature can provide. I thought to myself, this is it, this is my escape from all the modern electronics and the day-2-day hustle of my busy life. I was unplugged, except for the Go-Pro strapped to my chest, my phone constantly capturing all the b-roll, a video camera somewhere down by my feet, and my wireless microphone hanging out of my pocket. So, I guess I wasn’t totally “unplugged” during this experience. HA! However, I wanted to share the entire process with all of YOU.
Then it happened… I felt a POP on CAST number 487,943!!! (Just when I thought there wasn’t any fish left in this lake) FISH ON! It wasn’t exactly a Lunker…but it worked. Did it work perfectly? No, not exactly, there are still a few tweaks that are required before next season’s adventures. I would like it to swim better through the water, upright would seem more natural. Also on the revised lure, I think I will be trying out brighter colors. I need this guy to stand out as he swims through the water.
This was a really fun experience for me. I once thought you needed insanely expensive equipment to make cool things. Nowadays with easier access to software, tools, and things like 3D printers makers like me have nothing stopping them from having a blast by bringing their creativity to life. It is so exciting for me to see these professional tools get into the hands of makers and designers everywhere!
I can’t wait to see what others will make! By using 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers anything is possible.
