nova

One way that it could be done is that after the main body of the bait is dipped the required times to build the thicknes required; it is then placed in a heated 2 part mold which will then give it the definitions they want (gills etc). Then it is removed from the mold, passed to the painters for paint and eyes. After which it is dipped in clear and hung to cool. Sounds simple, eh? www.novalures.com

Yes. www.novalures.com

The green you see is definately green highlight. Don't add green color to the mix. I would start with amber(LC) and pumkinseed(LC) and green highlight. Don't forget to view the color with the black flake in it as this will darken the final color. www.novalures.com

On my monitor it looks like a brownish amber color or better yet a pumkinseed amber. www.novalures.com

Try LC motor oil. If it's still the same color they had as before; you'll be on the right track. www.novalures.com

You can buy or make the dipping irons used to make them. I made my own. www.novalures.com

Not from me. I'm simply stating that I prefer what I prefer for the reasons I stated. Everyone has their own preferances and that is fine. If what a person is using is fine for them; then that's great. This is just part of the information curve that TU is noted and respected for. www.novalures.com

I've poured thousands of baits with some of my epoxy coated POP molds and they are still as good as new. If I start to make a mold at 8 AM I can be pouring from that mold by 3 PM. www.novalures.com

I use epoxy thinned with alcohol. This will give a much tougher and glassy finish. I apply it with a art brush from the dollar store. As a matter of fact, that's also where I get the epoxy. The elmer's glue is much faster but it doesn't give the glassy finish that the epoxy will give you and it isn't a tough. www.novalures.com

The green is coming from green highlight. The background color looks to be a combination of amber and possibly natural (LC). could aso be pumpkinseed (LC) instead of natural. www.novalures.com

I design my own stuff because I don't want to be just another guy selling the same stuff. The other reason I design my own baits is that I have a vivid imagination when it comes to soft plastic baits. What you see on my site is only about 20% of what I have designed. (site soon to undergo changes) I just did 2 more baits last week. A really differant flipping jig/creature bait and a different type of sinking (senko) worm. www.novalures.com

Even though a lot of us have certain things/recipies that we don't want to share; as far as I'm concerned; I'll help anyone to get started on the right track and keep them there. I'm a firmly believe that if we don't share these things, we are only hindering the progress of this hobby/industry. Where would we be if medical science was never shared. www.novalures.com

That's because of a chemical reaction between the plastic and the glue. That's why I use cheap superglue.(dollar store). www.novalures.com

One way around it is that you design a bait that no one can afford to mass-produce like "Buzz" The Mouse. I tinkered with a patent idea for "Buzz" but the more I investigated the more I came to realize that the lawyers are the only winners here. The way of the world is that if you play with the "big boys" you will loose. Their pockets are way deeper than yours. I believe it was said here earlier that the best you can do is to produce the bait and sell as many as you can before it gets copied. There is nothing stopping you from adding "the original" in front of it's name. www.novalures.com

Copper is the worst; but I'll tell you that it's kind of neat as well. My credo has always been to work with what you have. If you take uncolored plastic and add the copper glitter then heat it you will come out with a really neat light copper/amber tint in the plastic. You can adjust the amount of flake to get a darker color. Some of my best colors have come about because something did something it wasn't supposed to or I flat out made a mistake. You have to experiment. Don't stick to same path as everyone else; get off-road and make a new path. Sorry didn't mean to turn this into a lecture. www.novalures.com

When I buy pyrex I wait until they come on sale and I buy the 3 pack; 4 cup, 2 cup, and 1 cup in a set. I usually get them for $12. The one cup is good for detail work. As for cold cracks; I use a lot of POP molds and before I start pouring the baits I always preheat the molds buy melting scrap plastic(not used) and pour it into the molds while I'm getting the real batch ready to pour. This will preheat the mold to minimize the coldcracks. When sealing the POP molds I always apply the frist coat of thinned epoxy to the entire pouring side of the mold. www.novalures.com

It says right on the page that it withstands up to 1600 F. I'd say no problem, lol. It's kind of pricey though. If my math is correct 25 grams is not even an ounce. www.novalures.com

90% of my pours are done in POP molds and they do not have a dull finish. If you are getting a dull finish using POP molds then you are not sealing them correctly. As for the threads question; post a pic and maybe that will help. There are several ways to make the finish you are looking for. One, as said, is salt. Another is to add a little white pearl powder.(and I mean a little) I don't like adding white liquid color as it takes too much to overcome the strong effect of it; as you said. Hope this helps. www.novalures.com

Same here Jim. The only other thing I can think of is that he may be dipping very quickly and hence pulling air down into the plastic trapping bubbles against the bait/rod. www.novalures.com

I think the salt absorbs the oil in the scent and holds it because it is not waterbased. It's not until the baits comes in contact with the water that the salt absorbs the water and releases the oil to the water. This switch will in turn "melt" the salt. If you add worm oil to a bag of baits that have salt "on" the baits you will see that the salt will absorb the oil and make a mess in the bag. Again; the way I do it is that if the bait has salt "inside" then I use scent. If the bait has no salt, I use worm oil because I have already "cooked" the scent in the plastic. www.novalures.com

I do not use worm oil on any baits that contain salt. I use scent insead. I only use worm oil on plain baits. I put the baits in a large ziplock bag and apply the worm oil to the baits in the bag. You don't need much. A teaspoon will cover 50+ worms no problem. Just close the bag and squish the baits around until they get coated. www.novalures.com

You made a comment about selling this bait on Ebay already. If you've done that you have made the bait "public" and may not be able to get a patent. I'm not a lawyer and I'm only going from memory. There was a giant discussion about patents and such a while ago here. Do a search and see what you find. www.novalures.com

Before you melt the old plastic I would suggest that you add a little of fresh plastisol to it. This will help with the initial overheating that can happen. www.novalures.com

I use a micro torch but mainly for cold cracks or slight imperfections. Heat gun sounds interesting though for larger jobs. www.novalures.com

Zbass; I found even using 4 ten cavity molds at a time was still not enough to stop the sagging and smell transfer. I have since changed to POP molds for those baits. Wish I had all the $ I spent on resin over the years. Oh well; as long as the wife doesn't figure it out I'm safe;lol. www.novalures.com