Driftwood

Yeah, I was talking about baits that lay flat in the bag.( think jig trailors.) when using the thin plastic to bag with. Now if you are talking about worms, lizards, craws and such.... bagging is a royal pain so we hired a few teenagers to bag for us. We took the bags and baits to them, showed them how and the quantity of each bag and paid them when they finished. Worked real well for us.

I let cure on wax paper for 24 hours. For uniform packaging I cut a plastic milk jug and spray it with a worm oil and scent mixture.

Yes 10% fet on all product you produce, bulk buying all raw material is a must for maximum discount, check your state tax guidelines for small business. ( raw material is a tax write off, finished product is taxed as it is a saleable product here in Ky..) Marketing in any way you can is a must, never pay pro staff when starting off. Never ever put product into a store on consignment ( if they have no money tied up into your product, there is no incentive to sell it.) Packaging needs to stand out from the other guys, and remember, this is a very cut throat business, you will get hammer the bigger you get. There is a lot more and others will chime in. One more thing, when you own your own your own business you only have to work 1/2 a day, just pick which 12 hours you want to work. Good luck.)

Vegetable oil works real well. Then coat it with worm oil and it should shoot smooth.

Go with the basstackle twin 6oz injector. Quality will pay for itself in the long run.

Just remember, shoes,( not flip flops.) Long pants and long sleeved shirts will protect you from plastic burns. Hot plastic is very unforgiving.

Yeah, you don't really need one. We have never had any issues with bubbles so I don't see a need for one. We mix our plastic with a paint mixer in 5 gallon buckets on a lower speed.

Make sure to write the recipe so you won't have to try to remember later. Also, salt will cool the plastic, change the color, and weaken the bait, all to consider when shooting baits. The amount of salt depends of the bait and personal preference. Good luck and enjoy.

A lot less mess if you pour a stick the color you want for eyes, stripes, and use a hot glue gun for your prep before you shoot the main color.

I just let them hang for 24 hours.

Worm oil and small hands.( think wife, daughter, niece,) we hired a friends 2 daughters to package for us. They did a great job and saved us a lot of time for pouring.

Never to old for a new addiction. Get some aluminum flashing at lowes or home depot. It works great for a laminate plate and by all means, read the safety post and when you think you have it down, read it again. I still go back and read it every once in a while for a good refresher. Welcome aboard.

Haha, just hold on, this is more like an addiction than a hobby. Welcome aboard.

I used to sell but sold out a few years ago and retired from my day job. Just make what I and a few friends need and am enjoying retirement.

Yup, I have some 3-G plastis from a storage cabinet ( that will tell you how old it is.) and I have had to add a lot of heat stabilizer to it and mix the fire out of it.( hardpack)

Are you coating the mold with a release agent?

I have the basstackle injectors but my first guess would be to replace the o rings or try to draw at a cooler temp.

Soft plastics are generally cheap enough to purchase several packs of different colors so a mixed bag probably won't be a popular seller.

We generally let our baits hang for 24 hours. That has always worked for us.

Thanks for posting. This has been a hot topic for many years on here and should be a must read for anyone getting started in this hobby.

If you are using a small clamp, put one on both the top and bottom of the mold.

No concerns at all. I've been working in plastics for 35 years and pouring plastics for the past 14 and my lungs are still clear.( just had a physical this morning.) Just saying, take all the precautions possible so you can enjoy this hobby.

If you do much pouring, I would invest in a respirator. These company msds sheets are tilted more tward the company than the consumer. (They are in business to make money.) Also tell yourself, if this leaves a film on surfaces around my work area after pouring a few hours, what's it leaving in my lungs?

This is sound advice. 10% excise tax is charged for any items you manufacture. Also remember that any finished product is taxable as saleable items and inventory tax is due while raw materials are a tax write off.

And remember to always write down your measurements so you can duplicate the color, colors, and shades that you prefer.