bojon

Looks like I will have to get a mold similar to what you use and give the procedures a comparison.Much easier than putting together a 12 to 24 tube dipping rod.The way you make the two,three,and swirl colors is neat,and I would guess fast.The tubes produced would not be the colors that I usually make.Example this AM I'm dipping a shad tube.The main body is silver,the back olive,and the belly off white.I will paint a eye and the shad dot,and then dip in clear.It makes a nice looking effective tube.The fish here have gone to shad feeding,rather than craws.Now the fish are spred out and harder to locate.A craw immitation is easier to make.Just my opinion. I will let you all know if and when I get the mold and how the systems compare.I doubt it would be able to satisfy my needs.Could this mold make a shad similar to the one I described above?Not including the eye,and dot,and second dip.

Smallie, First of all rather than using worm oil to lub your rods,try using Pam.Give a gentle spray to your rods,dap them with a cloth,or paper towel.Turn them over and repeat.If you lub the rods too much the plastic will sag,like a runny nose,too little and they are hard to remove,and could distort when you remove them.Use your worm oil later,just before cutting the tails,or when bagging.I think you will have no further problems. I usually dip about two dozen tubes,and when I dip the last,the first tube can be removed from the rod,or dipped the second dip.They cool fairly quick.As soon as they cool to the touch they can safely be removed.I have about 30 some tube that are on the rods,and have been for months.They were washed with liquid hand soap,and put in a large baggie.These will be ready to paint,then dipped in clear to finish.I use cheap acrilics to paint.There is probably better ways but,this has no fumes,and can be bought at any Wal Mart,or Hobby Lobby.When finished they will come off the rods easy,and not stick.I don't spend a lot of time to make a beautiful paint job,just functional.

I just might apply for a patent for a bent device made of steel and a sharpened point with a connecting device to apply line.

I like the idea of being able to make a tube with at least a partial solid head.Can't do that with the dipping method.At least I don't know how to do it.I said I never used a mold for a tube,but the fact is I have.Twenty plus years ago I made a pop mold that poured fair,and actually had thin brass spacers on the rod insert to mold the tube and seperate the tail filiments.This eliminated the need for tail cutting,but the demolding and set up was a real pain.This is when I started to dip horizontally,three at a time,and then to single dip.The use of the aluminum mold as shown would make the process much better.The only real thing that bothers me is the restrictions of not being able to make mutiple pours.I can't figure how you could make a three colored tube.or even two.I could set up a four rod dipper,on a common shaft,and time how long it would take to make a couple of dozen with a double dip.If I can come up with a proper pan,I might be able to do a dozen a dip.but that would be a rough balance.Hard to move to a cooling position.Might have to use locking pliers as a handle.I enjoy a challenge and I may give it a try.At this time I'm making my suppy for the season,and most are two,and three colored.Now If only I can get to fish.I will keep you all posted if,and when I try a time trial.

Many years ago I only used unsealed POP molds.The lures were always dull.I never noticed that they caught less fish,they looked dull but preformed great. Agree with Nova use a small amount of white pearl powder,and you may get what you want.SMALL amount is the key!!If you think you put in too much,you did.In 4 oz of plastic I would use the amount of 1/2 match head of powder.That isn't a lot.If it doesn't work,try less not more.

I use a bunch of different powders when making my tubes.These were the same powders I used to paint duck decoys,fish,and birds.All worked great.You can get a small kit of assorted powders or individual small containers.I got mine from Sugarpine out of Oregon.I agree that the source you mentioned is very pricey,but it would work.Check out woodcarving suppliers,and Dick Blick art store be fore purchase.I never had any of the powders cause any problems,and always got great results.

Bass-boys,I use a 18 blade rotary cutter.Think Pizza cutter.Send me your email address and I will send a photo as well as how to make your own. Send to kocron@comcast.net I will also send a very short video of the tail cutting procedure.

Nice looking mold.I'm curious how long from start to finish it takes to make four tubes.Excluding the tail cut.I have been asked the question many times,if dipping is faster,and I have no answer,because I never used a mold.Any help would be great. I have been making tubes for many years,and haven't run into a cutter like you mentioned.What are you using now to cut the tails?Tail cutting isn't very hard,the plastic cuts very easy.I doubt you need a pnumatic cutter.

I use the kitchen of my apartment when dipping tubes.By using a microwave and well planned exhaust system(mostly gentle filter fan placement),and a final exhaust thru the stove hood.I'm able to get by,but my advise is to use the porch,but make sure no moisture gets to your melted plastic.Always plan on a gentle breeze over you shoulder to keep from breathing the fumes. The residue of the plastic film,is not easy to remove.Years ago I exhausted out into a carport,from my garage work shop,and ended up with a mess on my car and window screen.Ended up making a filtered fan forced exhaust system,plus going thru a bed of activated charcol for the final removal.Worked very well.Very noisy.I survived by turning off my hearing aid,but this helped with saving my lungs.No fumes in the garage,or house.

You could get a nice slick finish,but you would have to remember it will shrink a whole bunch on firing.Almost half,but not sure.It has been a long time since I had anything fired.

If only it was a simple as black,and white.I could save my back hauling around all the different colored lures.

Plain WHITE.Caught more fish on white over the years than most any other color,but I have a whole bunch of other colors in the bag.If I was limited to one color white it would be.

The last time I saw a cheap pot made of aluminum,for a pound cake, was at a Hobby Lobby.Last time I looked they didn't have them,but they may have something you can use.When I fisrt started to dip tubes I used a small pan shaped like a number one,for a birthday cake,not much bigger than a cup cake.They were in the section where they have birthday bake stuff.They may have something you could use.I still have the pouring pans(small) that I got from LC,thirty years,or more ago.You could put two of these on a one plate burner.Keep your mind open for options,and remember you can add a small section of dowel for a handle.My girl friend,just told me to check yard sales.Might be a way to go,and should be dirt cheap.

I really enjoy working with RTV,but it is a bit pricey.I had a kit from Micro-Mark,that had a mold release,that I used ,because it was there.I doubt if it was needed.I built a form around the lure using Legos as instructed by a member of this forum.Everything went smooth.Nice mold.

Early on,about twenty years ago,I started dipping three tubes at a time,using 4 oz of plastic.The tube rods were on a 3 inch by 1/4 inch fork like device.Imagine a dipper that looked like a garden rake,with the rods as the tines.It worked but I feel the one rod dip was almost as fast,and easier to manipulate.I was able to do the multiple colors with the three rod as well.The key here was the small amount of plastic like 1/2 inch deep:),compared with more than three inch deep:(.With these small amounts you can change colors without going broke,meaning you can economicaly make,three,or more color tubes with much less plastic.I have never dipped vertical,so I'm only guessing.

I'm sorry,I have no website,and advertising really hasn't helped.I do all my assembling on the kitchen table and months may go by before I'm contacted,and even then one out of maybe three is serious enough to follow through with a request for more information.A person who has been on this site for any length of time knows that I have helped a whole bunch of people to get started horizontal dipping of tube lures,and at thier request,I made up a simple kit,and formulated a instuctional video and what started out to be a a ebook.Took me over two years,and I came up with a DVD,with an enclosed CD-R,a 18 blade tail cutter.I pretty much cover everything in a very simple way,and have had excellent feedback. I have helped a bunch of guys by the private messaging feature on this site,and one on one at my email, kocron@comcast.net ,I also spend a lot of time on the phone helping,and of course over the shoulder instuction at my apartment.Helping people getting started in this somewhat addictive hobby is my goal.Sharing knowledge is paramount.As far as making money doing this is not going to cut it.A person may make money by selling his tubes,but by doing what I do you will find it difficult to make any real bucks,but my satisfaction is great.As I get older,I want to share what I have learned over the more than fifty years of making my own lures before it is too late. Do you belive that a simple pleasure as catching a fish on your own creation could be so much fun,and stimulating to the mind?Thanks to this site,and the ideas shared by all the people on the various forums,we can all continue to have a whole bunch of fun. Sorry,about the long post.

Those will work this spring,of that there is no doubt.Tube making is fun stuff,and somewhat addictive.You did a good job.

I tried it many years ago,and it didn't work.Shattered my mold.I would use the recommended regular oven.

Thanks,I see it now.The jig head becomes the nose of the bait.Should work good!Keep us posted of your success with the bait.I always used Super glue to seal the long tubes that I make.This should save my fingers from getting stuck together.LOL:)

They look great,and I bet the fish will really go for them. How are you planning on rigging them?

Sounds like a fun project.All the suggestions should work.I would be interested in seeing the final result,and how you finnaly accomplished the final product.

Many thanks guys!Makes my effort worthwhile.

MIX,MIX,MIX! You have to make sure to get any stuff off the bottom into suspension.

Thanks, this site is the best I've seen.Will save a lot of searching.

Jim, That is the same problem I had,but after the clear overcoat dip,it was alright.Only had one tube seperate,but it was destroyed by a 14# walleye.It changed into two tubes that slid up my line.