Zbass

Eastender, Try doing a search for "tubes" or "dipping". That should lead you to all the info you should need. As for me personally, I have only made very few tubes. It will boil down to preference on how many dips you do. The more you dip, the thicker the bait. I use a 6" bolt with the threads cut off for my dipping. Just put some scent or worm oil on it and dip, dip, dip. Hope this helps. Zbass

Maki, Welcome to the Underground. This is a great site with a ton of info. Don't be hesitant to ask questions. Look forward to seing some pics of your designs and colors. Search, Cookbook and don'ts are good things to use. Good luck. Zbass

Always pay close attention to what you are doing. DO NOT GET DISTRACTED. It could result in burnt plastic or worse, a fire with toxic fumes. Zbass

These are two recipes that are real close R.I. Grn goby 4oz plastic 1tblspn fine salt 12 dps LC grn pump 2 dps LC Natural med- copper flake sml- blk/gold flake R.I. Sprayed Grass 2oz plastic each color 1/2 tblspn fine salt each color dark color 2 dps LC blk 2 dps LC pumpkinseed med- purple flake light color 8 dps MF amber grn 2 dps LC grn pump sml- grn/blue flake These are great colors. Give them a try Zbass

finfever, PM me and we can talk about it. Zbass

I think it is a personal preference thing. Some guys like the ultra soft and others like the heavy duty. With heavy cover, I like a durable bait that stays on the hook when you pull it through. In more open water, I like a baits that is as soft as I can get for the feel and action. Just boils down to preference and confidence. Zbass

Nova, Thanks for the kind words. The top one is 4.25" long. The head really pushes a lot of water. The bottom one is 3.5" long. I made it for smallies and also as a swim jig trailer. Have not decided on what eyes yet. TN, The hook slot is different on each one. I wanted to see if the width of the slot made a difference in the roll of the bait. The widest one is 1/4" wide. It gives the bait a more lazy roll. The thinnest is 3/32". That gave the bait a tight, quick roll. I cut the slots in before molding. The real reason I believe for the hook slot is so there is not too much plastic to impede the hook set. Hope this helps. Zbass

Test Session Just got back from the pond and the baits swim great! I was real pleased as these are the first swimbaits I have ever made. Didn't catch anything because the size of the fish in the pond is not very big. Just a big test tank. Let me know what you guys think. Zbass

Yankeejigger, It's awesome that you and your some fish together. The kids are the future of the sport and not to mention that you two spend quality time together. That's great. As far as the season goes, Mine has stunk. Kind of like Culchie. Have not resorted to extremes, but am getting close. Have had three fomntt tournys and have one fish to show for it. There's always the next one. Zbass

2Tall, Welcome to the underground. I just joined myself. The poeple here know their stuff. Don't be afraid to ask or search. Your questions may have been asked already. Look forward to seeing your creations. Zbass P.S. How tall is too tall?:?lol

Vodkaman, What the heck is a microsphere? Zbass

Nova nailed it. Again. Just move pot back and forth over mold for first color and fill the mold with the second color. Those baits are 4" long. They are fun to pour. The mold has sides that the plastic can hit and run down, thus making the stripes. 3/4 round molds end up looking like dots instead of stripes. Which that is cool too. I'm thinking of doing a three color pour with a divided pot and do the stripes also. Could be interesting. Zbass

Delw, Do you mean in the second pic the belly should be a light brown? Those colors were just left over stuff poured after I got a wild hair and had the idea. Never fish AZ before but have been there. Zbass

Thought some of you might get a kick out of these. Zbass

Jeff, What type of mold material are you using? If it is pop, I can't help. If it is resin, a damp cloth is perfect. I also store all of my molds upside down so as to not get any dust or stuff in them. Zbass

Bruce, That's fine with me. Could go in more detail if you want. PM me and we can discuss it. Zbass

Thanks Delw. Got the tiles for next to nothing. Tried using glass once. ONCE! the heat from the curing process broke the glass. MH. I use Bondo fiberglass resin. That is the only brand I will use as I have had issus with other brands. MG. MDC hit the nail on the head as far as the reason why I use resin as opposed to POP. When I started I did not even have internet access and did not have the benefit of an awesome site like this. I can make POP molds but didn't know how to seal them. At that point i did my own experiments on different materials to use. The resin is more exspensive but I like the finish and detail I can get. You pick up a fingerprint with resin. Thanks for the kind words everyone. Zbass

The other day I was making a mold and decided to take some pics while I did. There hav been a few threads on resin molds lately so I thought I could show some of my process. Pic #1 shows the wax masters super glued to a ceramic tile. The form is held in place and sealed to the tile with caulking. The inside surfaces of the mold are coated with vaseline as a release agent. The tile has a smooth enough surface so I don't have to coat it. Pic#2 is taken during the pouring process. Patience is king. Do not get in a hurry when fill the form. Normally you will have a good 10 to 15 minutes to get the form filled before any reaction starts to occur. Take the time and let the resin flow to and around the master. If you have grooves or details that need help filling, use a toothpick and drag the resin into the detail. I have not had a problem with the resin showing detail and have also made a few hollow baits with the toothpick drag. DO NOT pour over the master as this will cause a lot of bubbles and ! Pic #3 is of the finished mold. The flash has been trimmed away using a xacto knife while it is still warm. You can wait until it is cured to trim but you will need a Dremel tool at that point. Using wax for my masters always leaves some in the mold. I pour some junk plastic or old baits through it a couple of times and it is ready to go. I have not had the guts to try a 2pc mold yet, but an getting real close. I really like the one sided glide a hand pour has. Anyway, I hope this helps someone. Zbass

Ed, All these colors mentioned are great colors. Don't forget to order some salt and scent. In Indiana we have some clear lakes and we do pretty well with garlic and anise scents. The salt is a preference issue. I use MF salt in the baits and LC salt on the baits and in the bag. Good luck with your endevor as it wil consume a lot of time. Not to mention MONEY. Zbass

dannyp, You're right. This site does rock. There are so many people to learn from and bounce ideas or problems off of it is unreal. Welcome. Look forward to see some of your baits. Zbass

The larger glitters will settle in the pour. I use mostly MF glitter and the larger ones do do that. If you plan for that, you can make some really good affects with it. If you can get by with one size smaller glitter, your problem won't be as bad. Maybe there is another kind of glitter out there that won't do that. If there was a place to find out, this is it. Zbass

I always pour a junk batch in the mold for the first time. I just use old plastic or cut up some old worms. I believe it helps get the resin smell out. Zbass

King, The fiberglass resin that i use is the Bondo brand. I have tried other brands and had different issues with them and have only used Bondo brand for the last three years. I get it at the Home Depot. I can't tell you about making a 2 part mold with it as I have never tried. You would have to use a good releasing agent to get them seperated and shrinkage could be a big problem if you don't get the hardner exact in both halves. There is probably a better material for that out there somewhere. The one sided molds are easy to do. I use a ceramic tile to glue my masters down to using super glue. The forms are wood and the insides are coated with vaseline. Seal the form down to the tile with caulking or silicon. Put something heavy to hold the form tight to the tile. As soon as the mold is hardand still warm, use a razor knife to cut the caulking and gently pry the form off. The mold will come off the tile without the need for a release agent giving you a glass smooth finish. Hope this helps. Zbass