A-Mac

That is awesome! Impressive to say the least!

So I did a couple more trials with no PJ on the micarta, I broke 2 out of the 3 lures in trying to get the lip out. I'd say that is tough enough. Heck, that's just as good as super glue. I'm confident that drilling a small hole in the rear of the lip to allow resin to flow through will make it permanent.

Ok. I did a test. I poured a lure without PJ on it and it did provide a strong bond. HOWEVER, my other molds (poured simultaneously) I had a thin layer of PJ on the lip. I was able to break the bond on the lure without PJ by torquing the lip to the side. However, I actually broke one of my other crankbaits (with the PJ on the lip) trying to get it out. I noticed on the lip of the one with PJ that the lip still had resin on it (I had to cut it away from the lip). The lip of the lure without PJ did not have nearly as much resin residue after removing from the lure. So in conclusion, the PJ is having a chemical reaction to the resin and actually creating a stronger bond to the micarta. Also to note, this was just a flat piece of micarta, no holes were drilled in any of them, and no pins inserted. I'm impressed with the bond and plan to make my next molds incorporate an "actual size" lip into the lure. I'm still wondering how to ensure that the lip is positioned correctly after I close the mold though.

Mold life depends on the shape of the lure. Typically, the more detail in the lure the shorter the life. Resin is based upon volume, so it just depends on how big the lure is. I can get 35+ crankbaits from a mold. My swimbaits have more detail, so 20-30 is more common. Not that the mold will fall apart, but if the detail starts to deteriorate than I just make a new one. Also, keep in mind that the finer the detail the harder it is for the resin to fill in before setting. This can create air pockets in the cast that you have to touch up later. More often times than not, by the time the mold starts to fail I have made improvements to the lure and implement it into the new mold anyway. I normally buy stuff by the gallon or two. You will go through a good bit of rtv, especially with swimbaits. Each lure design has its learning curve for making a good mold. Once you make a few, you'll start to understand how the lure should be oriented in the mold to acquire a good cast. My suggestion, start with a simple smooth finish lure. A swimbait is fine, but I wouldn't get too fancy with the master until you understand how it all works. This will save you more time and money in the long run.

I suggest checking out makelure.com This is Larry Dahlberg's site, but it is directly linked to alumilite. More specifically, it targets products used to make lures. You will need casting resin, a filler if you want buoyancy (microballoons). I am satisfied with the alumilite white so far. You will need rtv silicon for the mold. I use an rtv from aero marine http://www.aeromarineproducts.com/silicone-mold-making.htm Both the purple and the clear work great. Hope this gets you on the right path.

Cool, Thanks guys. This sparked some ideas. I'm thinking just a couple holes in the lip might be enough to allow resin to flow through. We shall see!

My post may have been a bit convoluted. But I appreciate the input. Do you think the bond of alumilite to micarta is strong enough to pour the lure with the lip? No glue, no lip removal. Pour and the lip is set. Like pouring a lure with eyescrews in the mold.

In my current process, I am pouring resin into a lure cavity that has a piece of micarta in the mold to create a lip slot. When I was using aero marine resin, I would rub a layer of petroleum jelly on the lip so that the mold would not adhere to the micarta. I've recently switched to alumilite white to try, but even with a layer of petroleum jelly on the micarta the resin still has a fairly strong bond making demolding much more difficult. So to get to the point, do you guys think the bond from alumilite to micarta is strong enough (without using any release agent) to cast a lure with the lip secured permanently? I'm considering making new molds and just inserting a true lip and skip the process of gluing a lip in later. Thoughts? Thanks!

You could use a strong clear cast resin and make your own. Make several shapes and sizes you want to try (since material doesn't matter) and make several within the same mold. This way, you only have to make 1 test mold to cover all the sizes. Once you figure out which lips work best on your lure, you can pour a handful of the lips you like and make a better mold.

A tool finish works great on a wood lure, but how do you apply a texture to a resin or hard plastic lure?

I ran into the same issues recently with aero marine. I've had a 2 gallon set for about 3 years, so I figured that probably had something to do with it. I called them up just to see and was informed that the rapid warm up this spring was having this effect on their resins. They said I could heat the lures for 3-4 hrs at 150F and it would bake out the oils. I tried this method and it worked. However, you must be careful with heating resins due to the isocyanates (spelling) that are in them. Aeromarine said to make sure the resin had cured fully before baking. In addition, they said to use an over that YOU ARE NOT GOING TO USE TO COOK FOOD. Also, you need adequate ventilation. I have a lab oven in my garage, and I just open up the door when I'm baking.

cool thanks. Always wanting to try something new.

??? Am I missing something obvious? I tried google searching xylene (sp) but did not find a specific brand, let alone a sealer.

You better have a lock on it too!

Can you attach a link to the product you are using. Thanks!

I've tried looking for the mekp, but have had no luck. I found the substitute at Ace Hardware. After a little google searching, it seems mekp is some very very nasty stuff. As in, if you get any in your eyes at all you will go blind. Anybody have experience with this stuff? Is it as bad as it sounds, or is it comparable to say acetone in toxicity? I received a sample of the casting resin from solarez that I wanted to experiment with using the mekp method. The idea of only having to add mekp to a resin sounded promising to me, and I'm always trying to find something better too.

I've ordered from them. It's amazing how little you get with a pound of the product. But, they have their place. If the rattle is your weight, I'd say tungsten is a good choice since you have to make up the weight that would normally occupy the space.

awesome. lake fork is my favorite place to try out new cranks too!

Also, try brushing it on. I've noticed on some surfaces that brushing it on (and brushing into the surface pretty hard) helps with the coverage on when curing. I do this more so on unpainted resin bodies.

Solarez tip: I dipped some cranks the other day. Let them hang for about 5 minutes. Wiped out the eye screws. Then flipped the lure over and let it hang upside down for a minute. Flipped the lure back over for about 30 seconds. Then hit it with the light. I seemed to get a more even finish doing this. In addition, this was my best looking batch yet. These had the "glossiest" appearance so far. However, I'm still experimenting with the headlight restorer product.

You might try rubbing the finish with denatured alcohol to remove any impurities or oils. Also, try the solarez on a piece of aluminum and let it cure. If you are having the same sticky result with different surfaces, then you may have a bad batch. I would call Solarez and see if they have any recommendations before you jump to that conclusion though.

I normally buy planks of wood that are a little more than 1/2 the thickness of the lure I plan to build. 1) I spot glue the two boards together with super glue (just enough glue to keep the 2 boards together) 2) I cut out my lure design and use a razor blade to pry apart the lure pieces (now you have 2 identical halves). 3) I use my dremel to make a slight trough going to each place the wire will route. 4) I bend my wire on a stencil made from a few nails. However, this isn't necessary. I normally make the tag ends go about an inch into the lure. You just need to make sure that each "eye" is hanging out of the bait enough. 5) Dremel a spot and insert weight (this can sometimes be easier to do once the lure is together). 6) Use some super glue gel and coat the lure half (have your wire harness laying in position that you want). Then put the two halves together. I then clamp the lure tight to close the seam between the wood planks as much as possible. 7) Insert weight (if you haven't done so) 8 ) Cut lip slot 9) Sand to the desired shape. I save sanding for last, because you will damage the lure when clamping the two halves together. In addition, you want the body squared up for when you cut the lip slot too.