For the amount of money you stated, do a search for horizontal tube dipping. Check out Bojon's method of dipping and his 2 cd instructional video. I think it's $25. I believe I bought the first copy sold but lent it to a customer and never got it back. It's great and well worth the money. Then you can take what you have left and easily get everything you need. You mentioned a budget and this is very doable.
If you want to go hand injection, then you can't beat Bear's and you don't have to cut the tails. The tube molds are very ingenious and worth checking out as well.
Hey Jon.... Does your wife have a sister? Mine refuses to de-mold for me. It is hampering my production and I'm thinking about divorcing her. I'll give her one last chance!
I like his Amber. It is not as brown as others' I have tried. I use his yellow for a more translucent bait. He also make a very nice Green Pumpkin which has a bit more brown or orange similar to the old LC green pumpkin. He also makes a nice Motor Oil. I also use his red for tips. I don't agree with what you said, "black is black". The reason being in strength. 16 drops of LC's black is about the same as M-F's 45 drops of black.I'm not sure how Del's black compares.
The baits look good to me. One thing you can do is to pour with the molds sitting on a presto pancake griddle. You can warm your molds, pour and then turn the heat back on for about 20 seconds and they will blend together. The griddles are about $20 at k-mart
When you have a couple of hours, I HIGHLY suggest you check out the search feature. It has years of info there. Just type in a couple of keywords from the soft plastics section. There are numerous threads on just about any question you might have. I've read every thread several times and often go back to it for reference! Have fun and welcome!
That would work fine. Buy the salt with out anything added. I use Morton's Pickling salt right out of the box. Some "flour" it some don't. If you do flour it, you will get a more opaque bait. Experiment a little to see what works for you.
Have fun, be safe and don't hesitate to ask questions!
I good way to learn is to use the search engine for info. There are many years of great info and solutions there.
A little more information and a picture would help. What are you using to pour with? What type of mold? If the edges are rough, you might not be pouring hot enough and the plastic isn't flowing to fill properly. Like I said, more info would be helpful.
Could be nothing at all. Some brands of plastisol are tacky when you first de-mold. The tackiness should go away in 24 hours. If not, then you problably need to stir better prior to using.
If I pre-mixed my colors, with my luck I would get a rush order that needs lets say 2 gallons of Redbug. Well, all I have is 1 gallon of plastic and several gallons of pre-mixed Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, Black and...........