alsworms

Same problem here, but we discovered that if you just click on any link from the home page, it will log you in.

Those are really nice looking baits. Just an FYI.......in the future, please post all pictures in the gallery.

I never used a respirator (stone throws to a minimum, please LOL,) but I AM a pest control guy and can offer a couple tips. Sounds to me like you're not getting a good seal. First, make sure the cartridges are placed properly. If they are, facial hair is the most common cause of getting unwanted air in. We used to do a banana test and if you could smell just a hint of it, 90 percent of the time mustaches and/or beards were the culprit. If you are clean shaven, you might just need to tighten the straps. These 3m respirators are really good and you shouldn't be able to smell a thing.

Welcome to the site!

Interesting color. I just looked up pics, and no 2 are alike! I'd start with pearl on the belly, watermelon on top, and a chartreuse tail. The flake is up to you. Many different variations out there. I might also mention it would be best if you posted a pic of what you're trying to match.

Hello, and welcome!

I didn't use them mixed together. If I wanted more of a white than pearl, I just used white, but that was very rare. I didn't like working with white because it separated and burned easily.

You don't need much. I used 1/2 teaspoon in 4 ounces of plastic.

Cool. Great set up!

Okay gotcha. I just wasn't sure where that plastic was headed. lol

Okay being an old school guy, I'm even more lost now. lol

Yes.....and another lesson learned the hard way for yours truly. LOL

Yup.......when it's no longer fun, it's time to hang it up. That's why I did. As for injection, again no disrespect as most of those molds make some AMAZING looking baits with unmatched detail. I just couldn't see myself standing over a mold, pushing from top to bottom, then ultimately wondering what the bait would look like. You mix the plastic with your ingredients, and the skill pretty much stops there. BUT.......I get it. You can kick those suckers out pretty quick. I just wanted to be proud of each and every bait, and felt I couldn't achieve that with injection stuff.

I was never a mass production guy. I always started with a microwave, then transferred to hot plates. If I got behind on orders, I just worked longer. lol No disrespect to the many who do, but quicker methods such as injection just never appealed to me. Seemed to take away from the "art" of pouring. I needed a visual on every bait as it was being made. Also, I did thousands of remelts in the microwave. Never had an issue as long as it was MY plastic and MY materials being remelted. Some companies (Zoom, Berkley, for example) you NEVER wanna remelt.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I've gotten stuck through the years........just to fish.

That's where I got mine. Great folks to deal with and good prices. Here's a direct link to their salt page........ http://www.barryfarm.com/salts.htm

Those look dead on!

That's kind of a loaded question as you will get a multitude of answers. Have you tried using the search function yet? Best thing to do is search some of your questions (best plastic, glitter, etc.) and that should answer many of your questions. Good luck, and welcome aboard!

That was one hell of a read! My old mind is still looking for the translation button, but still......... Seriously, great stuff, and thanks for sharing!

This was a good 10 years ago, and I'm still blown away by it. They kept saying, softer, softer, softer.......until the super soft did the trick. I guess they didn't mind paying a buck for a 4 inch swimbait when it netted them a nice fish. lol

Nailed it. I poured swimbaits for a guy who would sell to saltwater charter boats, and they always preferred action over durability. "The softer, the better," they would always say. As hard as it may be to believe, I made all their baits using MF super soft.

Pardon my ignorance as I know NOTHING about CNC molds, but would it be around 150-200 for a single cavity mold? What would a 4 or 5 cavity mold run? Reason I ask is I could never have worked with just a single cavity. That would drive my crazy! lol

Well it's definitely NOT Lure Craft avocado as it's much darker. That pic looks like MF amber green to me.

Yup......I still use 'em and they're as deadly as ever!

Can't help with injection or aluminum molds, but if you're looking for an open-pour silicone mold, Lure Craft has tons of them. If memory serves me right, I believe they have a couple very similar to this bait. Maybe not exact, but close.