GB GONE

Tom: I'm assuming you are referring to M-F's super soft formula in your post. Have you ever tried their other "not" super soft (can't remember what they call it now :grin: ..)??? I samples of that type made some pretty good sticks for me. Calhouns does make a great stick though. If the darn bubbles didn't make the first couple float, it would even be better... Jim

Welcome aboard guys!!! It is great to have some more "plastisol" experts on the site!!!! Look forward to your insights... Thanks for the offer of the free samples. I'm sure you will initially regret that..LOL..as we all like FREE stuff!!! Jim

After reading the tutorials on powder painting, I proceeded to try a few heads. I heated my jigs, dipped them...all going as planned. After dipping them and letting them cool for just a couple minutes, I put the heads back in to "cure".... After a couple of minutes I went back to check on them and my paint was dripping off the heads onto the bottom of the toaster oven .... What did I do wrong and how much is a new toaster oven as the CFO (Chief Female Officer) is a little miffed ????!!!! Jim

OK...Last post on this, I'm moving on... I promised pictures of the various plastisols cooked however in fairness to all the manufacturers and in keeping with what I have been saying, everybody needs to get a sample of the various plastisols and see for yourself what is good for you. How my plastisol is reacting may not be what you are seeing. I might be able to post up a picture of a bubbly mess and 20 others may be able to post crystal clear plastisol cooked. My attempt to inform others and inquire about others observing the same phenomenom is not meant to destroy the reputation of one plastisol or another. They are just observations in hopes that other may think about what they are doing with their "hobby". The one photo I will post is important as many have their plastisol in opaque containers and do not know what is going on inside the container. Jim

Congrats!!!!! Great finish!!! Jim

I use M-F super soft plastisol. I have cut my pour times in half and the baits do not even compare in softness. Don't be suprised by the cost as my total for a 5 gallon container (that is square, sits on a shelf and has a nice spigot on it for extremely easy dispensing...no large hole is needed in the M-F container as you DO NOT need a squirrel mixer or drill, just shake and go!!!) is LESS than the cost of 5 gallons of Calhoun's to my door. Shipping is only about $19.00 for me via M-F where it approaches double that with a 5 gallon of Calhoun's.. As I was filling up my ride today, I finally decided I was looking at this all wrong!!! Its all about the money, just like everything else. Us small potatoes guys don't buy enough plastisol to impact Calhoun's so an effort may be made but don't expect much. I almost bought a 55 gallon drum directly from the factory but the sales guy did me a favor and never called me back in a timely fashion. A 55 gallon drum is LESS than $500 (by far I'm told) which would put it at much less than $10/gallon... Anybody buying their plastisol for that much???? I have gone through a 5 gallon container in about 2 weeks which is about normal for me BUT my time in the shed has decreased by at least 5 hours a week...Time is money...Spend both wisely!!! BTW...I never go off half cocked. I shoot to kill everytime...but I almost never take the safety off. Jim When you see the pictures I have, you will realize the difference in plastisol products. I put some plastisol from each company into see through containers to demonstrate. Calhouns separates like oil and vinegar in 24-36 hours. M-F's does not. If you shake oil and vinegar, it IMMEDIATELY starts to separate!!!! Surely this causes some of the problems and definitely causes the hard baits some guys report at the end of the 5 gallons. Incedible dtail to mixing is required for Calhoun's, this is not so with M-F. I am not the only pourer that has changed plastisol throughout the years. I urge you to read some of the posts in the "best plastic poll" above and also get a sample of other plastisol products prior to "going off half cocked"...What works/doesn't work for me may be different for you!!!

It does do good (especially in a public forum) in that everybody is aware that: 1. Bubbles are not normal in plastisol unless you introduce moisture into the plastisol as you described. Other than those instances, there should be no bubbles. Even with vigorous shaking M-F does not produce bubbles. Their packaging states "SHAKE WELL". 2. This forum is available to voice your opinions and allow for meaningful discussions. Right or wrong, all opinions are allowed as long as the opinion does not violate the rules of the board. 3. There are alternative products/methods available that work for others. I have bought 2 printer ink cartridges from the same store at the same time only to have one be bad or leaking in the pack. No matter waht a company does, products go bad at times. That is a fact of life with all products. Sometimes the reason they went bad can't be explained but the company should take immediate responsibility and resolve the issue with a replacement product. No discussions!!! By far and away I'm not saying that I'm doing everything perfect. I have praised your products when they were good and been honest about them when they are not so good. Is that not what a customer should do??? The bottom line is that "the customer is always right" slogan has gone by the wayside in the majority of today's businesses!!! If a customer of mine posts, calls, emails a concern with my product, they either get a refund (no questions asked) or get a replacement. End of story!!! I don't insinuate that they aren't fishing them right or not holding the bait up to the right light for the color to look right. I work the details of their issue out after the initial problem is solved. Not somewhere down the road or after I have figured out what went wrong. Not one time, on any forum, via email or during a phone call, did you offer me an exchange or replacement of the product. I bet the few that did contact you would have worked through the shipping costs etc. just to get product that would be useful to them. Instead, I have read about changing microwave times, Calhoun's is not really made for the microwave technique, mix the product right, etc. I'm sure you did not intentionally make us all feel like it was something we were doing wrong, but it sure came off that way. Replacement of the few products would have eliminated the need for this discussion all together. If you look back however, I have posted this same information on YOUR forum that is monitored (you responded promptly) quite frequently. I didn't get any offers there either. just much of the same suggestions. None that changed the problem or resolved it. In no means am I attempting to sway individuals to one product or another as everyone needs to make up their own mind what is right for them. However, not doing your own due diligence with a product in a side by side comparison with other products of its kind is foolish at minimum. Especially if you care at all about providing your customers with the best product you can. Jim Pictures to follow in am.....

If you were pouring, this would be unacceptable to you .

After jm's post regarding degassing of the plastisol, I thought I should look up a chemist buddy of mine. I got him some of my Calhoun's plastisol for degassing as jm described to collect an amount of whatever bubbled/gassed out. Low and behold, there is a contaminant of sorts (or at least something that should not be there as no chemical portions of the plastisol should gass out). He was able to determine that it is a detergent type chemical. Not sure how he knows that it is along this lines but he is sure. He wasn't sure if it was added by the manufacturer or it was a contaminant from the containers/barrels they are adding the plastisol to for storage or transport or whatever. Sounds like Calhoun's owes me and several others either "good" plastisol OR a refund for 2 1/2 gallons of plastisol that is useless TO ME... Jim PS He can tell me exactly what the chemical that was degassed out was but it will cost me some $$$$ to do it....I'm not throwing any more good money to bad at this point.... PM me if you have had the same issues with you plastisol and I will call the company directly on our behalf...I know of several that have PM'ed me previously about this...

Jim....I saw a guy on the Chippewa Flowage up in Northern WI with all his bucktails on a Cooks tackle system set up. These are great for in the boat but won't work if you are not wanting to store them in the boat all the time.. Jim

Surprised Green pumpkin did not make the list!!!! Mine were: Black/blue Black/red Motor Oil Green pumpkin Smoke (salt & pepper) Watermelon red Pumpkinseed Red Shad Rootbeer Smoke pearl blue (transparent blue shad color) It cracks me up to see CJ add aaron's majic as many in the south & east have never seen or heard of that color even though it is GREAT. Regional bait colors affect how you make your list for sure. Cherryseed would be the other color I would have if there were 11... Boilermaker is right....now you just have to figure out what bait to have these colors in Jim

Tim: Have you tried Nova's recipe yet: Natural Worm 4 oz rubber 4 drops pumpkinseed 1 drop natural brown Glitter your choice Is the color actually natural brown or is it a bit pink???... Don't let the "earthworm" color from M-F fool you...it is not brown but a pink, purple blueish color that some call..morning dawn... Jim

I have ordered some self adhesives but just haven't gotten them yet so for now I just print out plain old paper right now and attach it with clear tape. You get charged right at the moment of purchase. If you decide to wait or have multiple labels to do, there are options for doing all this. you can also add on insurance etc. at the time of purchase. everybody should be using this as it really makes life good for the shipping side of things!!! Jim

Be sure to use the online USPS click-n ship...You get delivery confirmation for FREE if you go with priority mail!!!!! If you choose a flat rate envelope, you do not need to know the exact weight of the contents, you can just guesstimate. The postage and label are printed at your site for attaching to the flat rate envelope. You also get a confirmation that you cut off and can stay with you paperwork order...There is also a data base on-line where you can store your addresses so for repeat customers it is super easy!!! Hooking up the postmaster with free samples keeps me in the know on how to send my stuff the cheapest and easiest!!! Jim

I've been fishing in Northern WI, Florida, GA (of course) and am leaving for North Carolina today. Moving tackle around and changing out baits got me thinking. If you were going cross county fishing and could only take a limited number of things, what 10 color/flake combos would you pack to be sure you would catch fish from California to Maine (or GA up to WI )??? I have my list finished and I'm just wondering what everybody else would come up with...I'm interested to see how a region of the country influences the choices!!!! Jim Didn't mean to leave or overseas buddies out ...Maybe I should have asked for a worldwide top ten....

Thanks for the tips guys...cadman...what brand/store do you go for on your paint??? BTW...my sister lives in Wheaton and my pro staff guy is in Plainfield..He works at Strictly Fishing in Plainfield... Thanks again all!!! Time to get jiggy!!! Jim

Del: 6-10 minutes...you have got to be kidding right!!!!??? I slowly rock my plastic or mix it 1-2 hours prior to using it... This 5 gallons I have is the same frothy bubbles that is being explained as above. During my "study" I conducted, one of the things that I did was shake the crap out of the plastic, wait 15 minutes and pour. Low and behold, some plastisol hade almost no bubbles at all while others had the same frothy mess... My frothy bubbles have been happenning from the beginning of my 5 gallon bucket...no more now..no less now... I have used Calhoun's plastisol in the EXACT same manner for at least a year now with no changes in my technique... I have poured thousands of baits to this point successfully, I'm not going to change my technique of heating or pouring over a "questionable", useless (to me) bucket of plastisol. I have conducted my trials and tests on 3 of the 4 major plastisol brands with significant results TO ME... Each pourer must decide what brand is going to be right for them and what is going to make your pouring an enjoyable experience, not work... Jim

Thankx!!!! I worked it out and the Redbug came out very nice... I got my hands on an actual bait last night and matched Zoom's color pretty close... Still looking for a kudzu sample to compare mine to.... Jim

Well Saint...that is a good discussion point. There are just to many factors to narrow it down. One thing is for sure, if you open the bottle/jug and you get bubbles immediately, they are NOT from what you have done...period (unless you have added h2o for some reason ). It could be from the factory as Calhoun's is in Georgia where the humidity is high. It could be from the shipping between Del and Calhoun OR between Del and you. Others will tell you, it can be hit or miss with the bubble deal as I have received as many bubble free buckets as bubbly buckets. Hopefully, the factory can make an additive to reduce the problem but if you are pouring your fisrt cup and there are bubbles....It came with them!!! Jim PS Look at the top of the inside of your microwave some time also. You may find a good bit of condensation collected (caused during the nuking process) and it may be ready to drip into your next cup of plastic!!! A wise man taught me that one!!! You got mail John ....

Well...this is a DEEP subject for me!!!! The humidity is always high here in the summer months so it has been a pain in my side... I started keeping my plastic inside where the humidity is significantly lower and the temperature is regulated well. Remember, swings in temp from high to low and visa versa also can cause humidity. I only take the one gallon jug that I (used to) seperate my plastic into out to my work area. All the others are in the house and I also use some plastic wrap over the jug lids (on the outside of the jug only!!!) secured with rubber bands... I know that Del, Calhoun's and others have suggested a slower heating process will reduces the bubbles....BULL!!!! I have heated in 30 seconds increments (whew!!!) with the same result as the method Saint308 described....same results...bubbles!!! I have conducted extensive trials with various plastisol samples...The results of MY OWN PERSONAL trials are that humidity is not causing my bubble problems but the microwaving process with certain plastisol does.. I'm sure if you leave your plastisol out in the humidity that more bubbles will form in any manufacturer's product. I have resolved my bubble issues once and for all after my studies..Since all microwaves are different and techniques vary greatly, trial and error may be the only way to get around the bubble issues!!! Jim

Welcome Sharp9: I wear a standard oven mitt from Wally world. Tried other types of gloves but remember you need dexterity still and probably will be taking the "glove" off and on quite a bit. This probably will be a personal preference... With regards to pyrex and a warmer. I don't believe pyrex is made for a warming surface but feel like it would withstand just moderate heat. If you are considering a warming plate, make sure it distributes heat well. Some guys (Me rarely now...) use pouring "cups" (Lurecraft has them)made for a heat source such as a griddle with a thermostat. They pour directly from those cups. I'm sure some guys that use those will weigh in here. Have fun!!!!! Jim

OK...did some kudzu last night but I have never seen a bait up close and the net pictures are not that good..Does it look a little like an emerald green color?? I may have gone a little dark.. Sweet color with medium green and small blue flake!!! Anybody doing a redbug?? I can get a great shot off the net but again have never looked at the exact color in my hand. Appears to be strawberry red/plum color with green or blue flake throughout..Am I close??? I think I may have had this color once when working on a plum recipe... Thanks....Jim

Ryan....I'm trying to use up my GP from LC right now. It is to green but you can add 3 drops of Amber brown and BINGO....A good gp.. I've heard Del's is GOOD!!!!! Jim

Thanks!!! Where can I get that from Joe??? Jim