mark poulson

I am just a small time hobby pourer, so this might not work for you, depending on how much you plan to pour. I have found that it's difficult for me to heat less than a cup of new plastisol without danger of overheating it. Smaller amounts just seem to go from close to scorched really fast for me. If I'm going to use salt, I add it before I begin heating the first time, because it takes a while for the salt to get hot, too. I also add some heat stabilizer, and any softener or hardener, before I begin the initial heating. I heat it to 350, and then add my glitter/flake. I've found that glitter/flake affects the final color, so I stir it in first. Once it's reached 350, it never has to be reheated that hot again. Finally I add my colorant. By the time everything is stirred in well, the plastisol is too cool to inject, so I put it back in my microwave, and reheat it to 335+-, depending on which mold I'm shooting. Having an infrared thermometer is crucial in letting me heat my plastic without overheating it. Remember, a microwave heats from the middle out, so stir you plastic before you take it's temp. That way you'll get a much more accurate reading. I've found that already cooked plastic is much easier to reheat in smaller amounts. I don't know why. You will "ruin" some plastic. There is no other way to learn. Just take comfort in knowing everyone who pours has done it, and likely more than once. It's kinda like leaving the plug out of your boat, or leaving one of the trailer straps attached when you launch. Everyone has done it.

Thank you.

I found an unopened 16 oz bottle in my garage, that I brought up from SoCal when I moved 4+ years ago. It's no longer offered on Coast Airbrush's Createx pages. What is it for?

Bob, For me, the fun of hand shaping a lure, and trying to get it symmetrical by eye, is a process I also enjoy. Many times, when I have free time, I'll just go down into the garage and carve/shape lures just to have something to do with my hands.

I also do this, when I want a bait that's the same color, but not as heavy as a salted bait.

I make them out of PVC trimboard and decking. I don't use wood anymore. Too many hassles with sealing/waterproofing.

Keakar, I think he has the Do-It Essentials molds, which are sand cast, instead of machined. They all produce a rougher/sand finished bait.

I once left a plastic salsa cup of homemade "salsa picante" on the motor cover of my van overnight. When I found it the next morning, the plastic had softened and sagged. So I'm always vigilant when I use them for mixing. But I never mix more than a quarter salsa cup at a time, and wipe the cup out with alcohol when I'm done. That said, I don't use epoxy that often any more. If I used it all the time, I'd get a silicone mixing cup, like the NorPro measuring cups use to melt soft plastics.

Try spraying the cavities with a cooking oil spray, like PAM.

Too much salt can make baits grainy and weak. Look at how easily senko's break, and what they look like inside.

Did you mix baits from different materials, like elaztech (Z-Man), or add in some Power Baits?

Lurepartsonline sells circut board for making bills. It also works really well, especially on shallow divers. http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Lure-Lips-Bills-Bibs/12x12-Fiberboard-Sheets-1-sq-Foot.html

Try using POP, with a little yellow carpenter's glue added for strength, to make hard masters that you can then use to make additional RTV silicone molds. Seal the hard master with something like diluted epoxy before you make the silicone molds.

Ask this question in the Soft Baits Forum

I do the same thing to my .035" R bend spinnerbaits with 26 gauge wire, and coat it with gap filling super glue. My spinnerbaits don't open up after a good fish, and they seem to vibrate just fine. I get bit on them. I bought some twist wire .045" 5/8 oz spinnerbaits, and the heavier wire doesn't seem to vibrate as much.

Does grout sealer make the POP waterproof?

A word to the wise: Consumption of alcoholic beverages DOES NOT qualify as detoxing.

I made a mold using Solarex UV dual cure resin, designed for surfboard repair, and it didn't warp. Maybe it's because of the UV cure, so there's no "hot" catalyst.

Bondo is strong, and it doesn't shrink. To make the cavities smoother and stronger, coat them with runny super glue.

Thanks Mike. The friend who gave it to me said the same thing.

Do you folks know who made this crank? My friend bought it for me several years ago, but I forgot what brand it is. Doh!!! Thanks in advance.

I guess the plus for the silicone mixing cup is that it is reusable forever, so no plastic or foil waste.

Did you use a solvent based primer, like a rattle can primer?

I do it as a hobby, too. I understand wanting to try to get as close as possible, so you don't waste either plastic or mold making material. If you want to get close, weigh some similar baits, and then weigh 4 oz. of plastic. Figure out how many similar baits it takes to weigh 4 oz. You'll have to subtract some for the sprue, and there will be a little waste anyway, but that should get you close. It is not an exact science. Be prepared to fail. We all do. If you make a mold with too many cavities for your injector, you can always eliminate some cavities until you get it right. Remember, perfect is the enemy of good.

I usually make 6 cavities for smaller baits, with individual sprues. That way, if I run out of plastic, there will still be some baits that are good. If you're making a one sprue/multi-cavity mold, I'd probably only do 4 cavities with a 4 oz. injector. If it's still too much for your injector to fill, you can always block off one cavity at a time, until it pours right.