Frank

That looks like air bubbles from the injector. Looks to small of an area to be a dent. Most dent are larger and not as deep. Make sure your injector has enough volume to fill the mold. If it gets close to the end of the volume it will inject bubbles just like that. You could cut the bait in half and see if it a bubble or a dent.

I get what you are saying about the pumps but unless you buy an American made one they are all pretty much the same. The last American pump we bought at work was 700, much more than what we are talking here. My pump I bought from eBay and payed about 70 and it is still going after about 4 years. Not sure if I could ask for more from an imported pump. I am pretty sure it has payed for itself many times over.

Cost of the vacumn pump can be all over the board. Just buy one that will draw down to 29.4 or more vacumn. This is what it takes to get the air out of the plastic. Some will do it faster with higher cfm or two stages but they all slow down when it get down to that low of vacumn. You can buy the 10" lid and get the pot your self for a Resturant supply store then but the pump. You can get a 2-3or 4 gallon pot with the same 10" size. With the 5 gallon pots you will need a 12" lid. Just looked on eBay and there's a ton of these unit of all sizes at a much lower price than before. Get a 4-5 gallon one for under 150. That makes getting one of these a no brainer. Even if you buy the higher priced plastic it will be worth it to make sure there's is no bubbles.

Agreed I do use mine pretty much everyday. And my old four cup anchor ones are still here. One even bounced off the floor and I caught it, took a big chip out of it and still working well. I did have one break but it was my fault cause I set it on a cold table.

Post up a product you use and let others see what you are talking about. For some reason that type of glass is available still and can be found at a lot of places. Not sure why you would say it is not when it is real evident it is. It is four times the price of an anchor or Pyrex cup.

My comments are from buying it and using it not from something I read or did research on. I used one for years to dip swimbaits in cause it was taller and thinner than a normal pyrex cups. Pyrex laboratory beakers are thinner. Anyone that does not believe this buy one and see for your self. I have one that is thicker but not as thick as a Pyrex cup. This glass from the cups in the post above are made from is different in color it is more of a blue shade and plastic sticks to it a little more. In your research what is Pyrex made for? Seems to me it was made for an oven. And plenty of people use it everyday for just that without issue.

Laboratory glass is usually thinner and can break easy. They still make the cups the old way you just have to look. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JVU3NF4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They are not cheap but if you feel better about it then it is worth it . Plus the ones o bought had a flat bottom and transfers heat better.

I know you do but you can't control all the variables. A new guy starts without knowing the temp of his plastic and it dent then he post it on this board. Everyone always says it the venting or bad mold design when all the time it was overheated plastic. Where's the backing up then? Learning how to shoot a mold is a key to success. At least doing this type of work. Telling someone how to do it is still out of your control cause you can't be there to hold there hand. Anyone who sells molds will keep on selling due to lack of options out there.

I read this and wonder if people realize that there are a lot of variables here and no one can solve all the problems. And no one makes every mold that shoots the same. If I buy a lower cost mold I expect a lower quality product from it. You get what you pay for but sometimes you pay to much for what you get. Just because some one talks like they can make a perfect mold does not mean it will be. You are new to this hobby and it will take a little time to get use to it. Also no one makes Every mold and sometimes you have to get one from a supplier that may not have good marks but if you have to have it then you settle. As time goes on you will get favorites and will refrane from making poor decisions lie that again. Anything can catch fish but you have to catch the fisherman first.

I use one all the time. As long as I am using less than four cups. Two of them mostly for laminates. They will keep you from having to reheat all the time. They will not keep the plastic up to temp forever. I use four cups in my large one. Two have plastic I am using and the others have a place for the sprues to be until I reheat then and add them back to the cups I am using to inject. This will boost the temp just enough to keep from reheating the primary cups. One thing that makes it a little better is using cups with a flat bottom. Heat transfer is much better. Both of mine are high sided type so if it spills it will contain the plastic.

You are right it does look like it. Does not mean you can't be better though. The only thing you are doing that I don't is turning the injector up to get out air. You don't need to do that. Think about it the air in there is at the top. If you just suck up the plastic and shooot slowly you won't get the air in it unless you try and use all the plastic. And you will never use all of it cause it start cooling as soon as you fill it. How are you getting the temp,of your plastic? Do you believe it is reliable? Try it this way. Suck up plastic and shoot slowly. When you feel it stop give it a quick push and release. This will force out the air that is close to vents.

Looked it up. I am guessing it is under the special listings and avocado is the name. Bad picture but looks like green pumpkin blue hilite. Maybe you could post a pic of one you have?

Those are air getting trapped in the details of the mold. Is it a side inject molds and is that the top of the mold? I would try different plastics and see if that helps. Some plastic fill that type of mold better.

Are you talking about the bubble trail in the ribbed area?

Yes the air system works well and is real consistent. There's still room for error but if you pay attention it can be avoided. I don't have any of the shooting star stuff or have never used it. I use a Twinjector in presto pots or Pyrex cups. I have one of the first Jacobs injection presses and it is still in good working order. Not without a little maintenance but it's minimal. With the air pressure at about 15lbs it is like a steady stream of plastic. It does not flow fast just consistent. That would be the only machine I would let someone without much experience use and not worry to much.

Just got the email announcing there 4th of July sale. Get your fill of great molds. 20% off.

Well Mark you are asking for two colors. One is orange and the other is hot orange(floresent orange). Orange you can make but floresents you can't. They are a different pigment. If you want some hot orange come over and get it. I have a ton of it. You can have all my lurecraft stuff too. Just don't ever use it. That will make it worth the drive.

You could just go to a Home Depot lowes or harbor freight and get one too. No shipping and if it don't work return it. About 25 dollars should get you there. And you won't pull your hair out every time you pour.

You could but you still won't know when to add it. Unless you have a baseline of how the plastic should look then you will have problems that are random. Buy a devise and most of the problems will go away.

Well first off I would have asked them how much to put in. No one knows there plastic better than the one who made it. Second did you mix the whole drum real good when you got it? And did you use a pump to get it out? Only asking cause if it is not mixed well and you use a pump you will get hard plastic out of it. But when you add softener and mix well if becomes soft.

It could settle a bit. Better to lower the temp and it will suspend much better. I am guessing you don't have a way of checking the temp of the plastic? If not get one cause if glitter settles that fast for you, temp is way to high(350+).

This can be something that could be done for years and can be profitable. I know there are a lot of people out there that don't agree but you have a work force that would come at a minimal cost if any at all. Pick a couple of real popular patterns and pour your hearts out. Make colors they can't get in any other bait or popular colors in baits that don't have that color. Make a good eye catching package that states your goal(raising money for young peoples fishing team). It does not need to be fancy or cost a lot of money. Its more hard work than anything else. On the hand poured statement change it to hand made this way you could pour or inject. Injecting is much faster and would be more profitable in the end.

I believe all of the Spikeit colorants can be added to hot plastic wether it is floresent or not. Just one thing they told me along time ago.

This is a temp issue. And having the temps high and close is causing this problem. This mold he is shooting has a gate that will spray the plastic if it is to thin. Then you get the crossover at the tail. I have delt with these molds for years and if they are shot over 310 they will do that. I shoot mine at about 310 but I am sure two temp gauges are not the same. Lower the temps another 10 deg and try it again. You will find the right temp. One other question is your injector one of the 50-50 or is the ratio something else?

Heat is to high try lowering it to 300-310. Should shoot just fine at those temps.