smallmouthaholic

FFL- 1- You are over heating -or heating too quickly in a microwave. Different manufactured plastisols have a bubbling problem. Some do ,some don't. That said,they will all bubble if you heat too high for prolonged periods in your microwave. 2-Exessive shrinkage is usually caused by plastisol that is too hot. Monitor your heated plastisol temps w/ an infrared gun. 3- All hooks leave holes and weaken the hook entrance and exit holes. Call the manufacturer of the brand of plastisol your are purchasing/using and explain your problem to them. edited for additional content

A custom,CNC multiple cavity aluminum mold can run upwards of $200- $400.00 depending upon the intricacies involved- especially if you want 3 different size cavities in one mold.One cavity per mold would be cheaper but you'll need 3 molds according to your desired sizes. Making your own barbs in an existing mold is very tricky unless a flash master ,extra barb is acceptable. Both sides of you augmented mold must be exactly the same( depth,width,length) or the added barb will flash rendering the barb useless or a trimming nightmare. RTV silicone for lead molds may not work due to temperature limitations of the high-temp RTV Temperature range of -65F to 650F intermittent. Intermittent is the key word here. Good luck which every route you decide to pursue.

I don't beleive any of the Do-it molds mentioned have the offset,dual barbs that the Owner Jig has. Keep in mind that dual barbs will hold soft plastics, especially swim-bait firmly on the hook which is most important w/ missed hook sets and long distance casting w/ a sharp,wrist snap of the rod. It is possible that Owner has a patent on that specific design and they will issue cease and desist letters if you infringe. That said, you will probably have to go custom CNC to duplicate that exact mold. If you only need 50 of those specific jig heads it may be cheaper in the long run to purchase the Owner lead heads

I don't use Surflon7. The last statement of your final sentence was uncalled for but if it makes you feel superior I'm happy for your ignorance.I never said my products were impervious to anything 1-Aren't you the individual who didn't know the temperature of the lead in their pot or even have the desire to spend the $ for an instrument that could check it accurately? 2-I believe you're also the expert who stated that flutter heads and draggin' heads made no difference w/ snags in rocky environments? Sounds like a bit of jealousy from an individual who didn't wish to progress to custom CNC lead molds. Why do you criticize a custom jig manufacturer who left the constrictions/limits of Do-it molds years ago and was willing to spend a tidy sum of $ on custom,snag resistant CNC designed mold? I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I have paid my dues and will only speak accurately in detail , based upon personal experience and feedback from Pro-staffers and customers. I post on TU to help others-no to sell product-but your snide remarks temper my enthusiasm Here's a 48 minute presentation showing various ,custom jig heads- rigging techniques and underwater action videos for wacky worms, jigs and soft-jerk baits.

With all due respect, Dual wire,flexible wire guards w/ coated ends come through brush,lily pads, submerged horizontal wood,standing,green milfoil and rocks w/out a problem no worse then fiber guard jigs. All jigs- w/ wire or fiber guards- become "gunked-up" when they encounter slime weed and algae from nitrogen/phosphorous overload.The designn of the jig head also contributes to weed gathering w/ the bullet head being the best I.M.O. & experience.

Green pumpkin-watermelon/blue highlight

Here's a trick to make ladle pouring easier 1- Spray both sides of the ladle w/ drop-out or 2- Smoke both sides w/ a beeswax candle You will need to do either periodically This will keep the impurities in the lead from forming and affecting the pour spouts. You will pour more accurately without over pouring and making De-molding difficult.

Click on the you tube link

You need a stand-up head if you want your jig to stand-up on a 45 degree angle plus no- salt in your plastic craws.No all plastic craws are created equal and have the same floatation characteristics. Hook size and thickness also plays an important role. Here's a trick I used 25 years ago. Make a few of your lead jigs out of aqua -pure solder. Pure solder is almost 1/3rd the weight of lead. Here's a video jig link to various custom jigs I've made over the years.. This is not an attempt to sell these baits but to show bait-making anglers the importance of various jigs heads complemented w/ floating trailers. I could talk and type myself until I'm blue in the face ,but the video is worth 10,000 words. They feature both fiber and dual wire guards with correct rigging techniques. Central balance keeps the jig hook in an upright position,giving the angler positive hook -sets. I suggest that jig manufactures - whether for home hobby or selling them on the market,test all their jigs w/trailers attached in clear water w/ depths of 2-4 feet .

Precisely why I spend the money for good,clean lead-w/ and w/o antimony. We've all been there when we 1st started out but quickly learned that free or real cheap lead leads to frustration and time lost- especially if you have zinc in the lead or the slag and dirt from pig lead.

You can make your own(if you feel the need) by separating the fiber guard w/ your finger and counting the strands, followed by removal of various ,center strands. I've been separating and spreading 30 strand fiber guards apart to form an open V if you will for years- without removing any strands . Using your thumb and forefinger divide the 30 fibers in half- Take your index finger and push it all the way down against the jig head pushing the fiber guards forward against the side of the jig head. Dual,flexible wire guards are adjustable w/ the spread and the distance from the hook point- cold fiber guards are not. You do not want the wire or fiber guard against the hook point since they provide "0" snag resistance in that position.

A word of extreme caution. I live in SE pa. and winter air temps. can drop to 5+/- degrees @night. I only heat the insulated shop during the day . Slag removal spoons can get very cold and I strongly recommend you heat them 1st by placing them over the lead pot while the lead is heat. Inserting a cold spoon( with any moisture on it) can result in lead jumping out of the pot - 6-8" up and up to 1 foot forward into you face.

Bob, I had 3,10 cavity custom CNC molds from Chris Archer that were top inject. No matter what he did to the molds they would still dent. They went back and forth to his shop 3x's. They were a full body minnow mold. He ended up making me single cavity side inject molds.That project turned into one expensive,frustrating nightmare. Now the same 10 cavity, full body minnow mold w/ a hook slot and top inject shoots perfect every time. I also have several different,multi cavity molds from Chris that will dent repeatedly if the plastisol is too hot. One size and technique does not fit all w/ hand injection and custom CNC molds.

Ultra-molds makes a heated injector stand( heated via plug-in electricity) that holds both their newer medium and large injector. They are single injectors and make a tremendous difference when shooting small batches out of a microwaved cup of plastisol.I also use a dual heated injector when shooting laminates from their Shooting Star System.

I'll repeat myself which I've not read again. Lower and monitor your injecting,plastisol temp from 280 - 315 degrees.A heated injector makes this very easy to accomplish injecting @ lower temperatures. You must top off the mold immediately after injecting S-L-O-W-L-Y.( to let the air escape) Excessively hot plastic shrinks faster as it cools requiring more and some times continuously topping-off until the plastic stops receding (drawn into the mold) . The suggestion to use a immersion probe to check plastic temperatures is spot on. I imagine you're using a microwave to heat your plastic which can very easily reach plastic temps. of 375-400 degrees.

I painted s.b. blades for years w/ Vinyl lure Jig paint. 1- both sides of the blade scuffed -up w/ an abrasive rotary disc on a hand held die grinder 2- blades brushed w/ a tooth brush in vinegar and now I use acetone 3- One coat of primer 4- one coat of color 5- 1 coat of two part epoxy They looked beautiful BUT- eventually the painted/epoxied paint job would lift from the edges. I took the hand held die grinder and held it on an angle,creating a beveled edge w/ no paint or epoxy remaining on the edges of the finished blade. The epoxied paint never lifted after that. Enter water base paint from CSI- same procedure and the same durable results proving I used the die grinder on a slight angle ,completely around the blade edge.It's a very time consuming job to paint your own blades but it is well worth it compared to painted blades you can buy. I primarily paint #6 and #7 Colorado blades for use on spinner baits @ night- for my own use.

Design ,venting and the ability of the mold to draw liquid plastic through a small opening into a larger one before the larger cavity starts to cool all contribute to denting. Check you plastic temp and keep in close to 310 to 325- inject slowly so the air can escape the mold.

Must be a NASA engineer developing new products! What happens if the squeeze clamp loosens from vibrations?

One of the most dangerous ideas I ever heard off.A bit of stirring w/ a Popsicle type stick or a wooden paint stirrer followed by 30 seconds of hand shaking. Is that so difficult.?I airbrush paint 1000's of swim-baits w/ Spike -it ,solvent base paint and never had a problem. Now if you leave a small amount in the jar or quart can that sits for a while and becomes very thick,add some solvent ,close the lid and let it sit for a while. Shaking followed by stirring occasionally will bring the paint back to usable consistency.

My local scrap yard told me it was illegal to sell lead here in S.E.Pa. A buddy gave me some of the roof sheathing lead. Lots of dross to remove but it is soft and pours well for certain applications.

From Roto metals price sheet- http://www.rotometals.com/default.asp 100 pds pf 99.9% pure lead is $2.53 per pound 100 pds of lead w/ antimony and tin is $3.11 per pound

You can't.It was meant to be a joke. I believe the price per pound for 200 pds of good lead from Roto Metals is $2.12 per pound. I think Cadman buys from them regularly and will correct me if I'm incorrect.I will not use wheel weights due to the contaminants and whatever else is in there. I use 99% pure soft lead for jigs and lead w/ antimony for spinner and buzz-baits.

For years I airbrushed jigs w/ vinyl lure and jig paint and finished w/ epoxy. Enter powder paint- goodbye Vinyl lure and jig paint. I clean all of my lead jig heads in acetone 1st to get the lead as clean as possible. This is performed in an exhaust booth w/ a brush less exhaust fan that has 650-750 CFM capabilities.Points of interest- 1- There are some real artist on TU and Kudos to you all 2-Fancy ,2-3 color jig heads make no difference in the strike/ catch ratio- sharp hooks and central balance do! Good ,lively crayfish imitation trailers w/ 2-4 color,40-55 strand silicone skirts do make a difference. A completed jig that lays on its side is worthless I.M.O. & experience. 4- I pour my bass jigs w/ the fiber guards in place- no glue in for this guy 5- The angle / distance from the hook point of the fiber guard and the jig head design determines how weedless the jigs are plus their ability they have to work through submerged,horizontal wood. 6- Green pumpkin and black are the only 2 colors I paint jig heads . 7- If it makes you feel better to have 3 color heads and 3-d eyes,more power to you.I airbrushed plenty of 2-3 color jig heads w/ VL&J paint and epoxy 24 years ago. The bass simply don't care. 8- Painted jigs will eventually chip when fished through sharp ledges and rocks. It's up to the individual to determine what works best for him or her. Hobbyist have all day and tomorrow to get real fancy w/ jigs.Again,kudos to all of you w/ beautiful 3-color eyes and 2-3 color jig heads. Time is money to the small, commercial manufacturer.

That sounds like an excellent idea worth trying-thankyou

I'd love to see a turning,mixing blade 2-3" up from the bottom of the fluid bed.You can use some clear or Fluff from CSI that will help but not completely eliminate the problem. Hand stirring every 3-5 dips will help too. I'm wondering if drying the powder out on very low heat in a toaster over would remove the moisture in the powder paint that is causing this.