Zbass

Hmmmmm. Very interesting. I believe the problem you are having is because the foam is full of air. Maybe if you could seal the foam first with another material. trying to think of what you could use for that. What types of foam have you tried? Does the color of the foam matter? Maybe use something that you can dip the foam in, like a polyurathane or something. The engineers here can answer that better.

I think it can be done. Speed and timing will be critical. After you pour the soft in first, be as quick as possiible wiht the hard, and then again with the soft. The reason I say that is the plastic will start shrinking as it cools which may lead to a bubble inside the bait. It is not an instant thing, but try to be fairly quick. Let us know how you fair.

The 502 is a good all around medium compound. it will work pretty good for swimmers. Are you cooking with a micro or hot plate? Some plastics act better than others in a micro. A hot plate is a good way to cook and it is the way that I use.

Pretty much all suppliers will have a starter kit of one sort or another. www.bearsbaits.com www.lurecraft.com www.mf-manufacturing.com www.delmart.com Check them and see which one might suit you besdt and good luck.

I got mine also. They do look great. Thanks Jim.

Droff, I throw a grn pumpkin tube with copper flake most of the time. I also like a dark smoke with copper and purple flake.

I think we all should go to the next TU get together so we can see who's is bigger and we can get back to the discussions of MAKING BAITS! Sick of the pissing contests.

The only injection system I can talk about is the one that I use. I have every size and model that is offered by bearbaits. The only safety issues that I have had are due to MY ignorance, not the design. As I have said before, there is a learning curve to these, as with anything. The way I see it, if you have a ton of plastic left over in the injector, then you need more molds or a smaller injector. The only one that I leave in the plastic to stay warm is the tips of the 2 color injector. That is only because the tips are small and cool fast. Other than that, I shoot all of the plastic in the injector into the molds or back in the pot. On the tips coming off. If people are having the tips come off, then they are not paying attention or pushing way too hard. The tips on mine only come off when I want them to. a little common sense goes a long way. It's not brain surgery. As far as the salt goes, it suspends just fine if you fill the mold and purge the remainder back into the pot or pan, where it can be stirred. That is as politley as I can put it without anyone feeling like they are being attacked or put down. Hope I don't get called a cheerleader too. Jim was asking for bears customers to chime in and then they get bashed because they do. Dont quite get that one myself.

I always thought that style of bait was dipped, not poured. Whos mold are you pouring to get those Jim? I may want to get one if they pour that easy.

The injection tube mold is now on line at Bears. It is a very innovative design and no tail cutting needed.

X4 on the presto

the mold works great. One of the easiest to inject of the ones I have. The bait itself has some of the properties of the rage claw and the speed craw combined. Looks great in the water and has plenty of action. check it out, you will like it.

Thanks for the post smallheads! It has got my wheels turning. Got a question. Is there a reason a guy could drill and tap the pieces onto the press as opposed to welding or is the steel too hard?

I usually wait 24 hours before cutting tails. Use some worm oil on the tubes as it will help with the cutting and keep the blades lubed.

bearsbaits gets my business. He carries a lot of different things as you can see by visiting his site. He also has great customer service.

It can be done. It is a timing thing. At least the way I did it is. Keep in mind that I am doing this with one tube at a time using bojon's horizontal method of dipping. It would be difficult to do with multiple rods to say the least. I just wait until the plastic is slowing down on the dripping end to a syrup consistency, then flip upright. You have to keep an eye on all sides and hold it perfectly vertical for a few seconds. Here is a pic. Hope that helps. http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt226/zbasser/baits/creatures/12-6-08001a.jpg

I beleive the Gulp scent luquid is water based and should not be added to hot plastic. Soaking your baits in it is a different story.

I try to shoot for 360. All I want is a very thin coat and have a bunch ready to go.

I will second what nova said. You have to get the two colors together in a fairly quick amount of time other wise they will not bond good. Good luck.

Nice looking baits and molds! God job Pike!

I guess I need to go back to the drawing board. I have not yet been able to get what I call a good 2 piece mold form resin. Looks like you have mixed it with another compund of sorts because of the color sag. Maybe some body filler or something. I am gonna tinker around some more this fall and winter and see what I can come up with. Thanks for the inspiration.

Forgot the link! Tackleunderground Home - Luremakers Photo Gallery - Custom Designed Bait - First Pours

Pigdestoryer makes a split tail stick. It is different than what you are describing, but an awesome looking bait! Check his bait out for another option.

The tube plastic is harder than the 502. It is the 500. The biggest benefit of using this for tubes is that the walls are sturdier and the tails stay attached better.