Frank

Well as for the bad batch theory most of the complaints I have read about is from purchases a second party. Meaning it not the maker of the plastic but the repackagers. Bad batch might come from the person not mixing it well at the resellers place. Do they take as much care as we would if it was at our place probably not. I have a system to get it out of a drum and into five gallon buckets and I stick to it. But once I did have a problem and had not mixed it up well enough and had to pour it all back in and remix. Now if I was selling it, it would have gone out and messed up the one who bought it. By replacing it makes for good customer service. One thing that I have noticed on some plastics if they set around for awhile the ones that did not bubble will real bad. Some will even yellow before it gets to temp. Last time we had a discussion about moisture/air a lot of people said it was moisture and I kept saying air. Same thing in a way but one thing moisture under a vacuum will boil out at about 16 in hg and air will not get out till at least 29.4in hg. It take at least 29.4 in hg to get bubble free plastic. Jeff at Mf called me and said he never heard of air like that and I believe him cause there is not just one way to make plastic. Some components cost more and some less. There are many plastisizers with just as many price ranges so end user price will vary. The dry ones will hold small air pockets and won't release till under a vacumn in the range stated before. But if you heat and they are still in there they expand and you get your bubbles. If it was moisture it would boil out by the time you got to 212 deg and been gone. Mix it vacumn it and microwave all on high and no stopping my way and no bubbles. Notice I did not say stir it!! Al I an guessing you were using Mf plastic. Tipping the jug a few time will not mix it well. Back when I was using five gallon square jugs I did that but in the summer time I noticed at the end it had some settling on the bottom, I mixed it in and realized it was way to hard. My mistake but from then on I always made sure the bottom of any plastic container did not have anything settle. And it is a pain in a square jug. If I had to do that now I would pour it in a five gallon pail with a removable lid, this way it takes less than 30 seconds to mix five gallons with a cordless drill. You guys buying plastic in bags, I know it is cool with the valve and all but there is some settlement in the cracks. That's probably hardener and needs to be in there so I suggest mix it well and put in a pail with removable lid. Way way easier to make sure it is all mixed well.

Well if you have figured out how to deal with the oil please let some in on your secret. But no one ever mentioned that before did they not even you! And when that happens they get stickey! It's not about a contest it's about a whole truth. Perfect plastic is in the eye and mind of the user. If some one never wants to change how they work then stick with what you are using. If you want advise then why not give the whole truth about what you use not just the great things. Is what I use perfect, no but I can tell anyone how I fix it. Does it take more time yes but I get payed for it in savings. But thanks for reaffirming what I stated as you could have denied it.

Spikeit ,Lurecraft and Mf have the large selection of high heat flake.

I read these posts over and over again in many threads but no one ever mentions any problems with this plastic well rest assured it not perfect,it's yellower than the one I use, it does bubble when it's is left for awhile and reheated and releases oil in the bag over time. Which will tear up a bag(looks like you cut it with a razor blade)that's not a laminte bag. Now this experiance come from using drums of this plastic not gallons. There are more draw backs but no need to go into those. At least when I say I use Spikeit plastic I don't say or deny that it does not have its own nuances. And if you say the bait don't get stickey even over time them pm me you address and I will send you some old spruces and you can see for your self. If you do take me up on that you will find another nuance when you open the package. So guys when you say all the good thing don't act like it all perfect. As for the comments on this thread about price, price does not guarantee no bubbles. But it can be delt with.

Very well said Mark. Ask away. There is not much that has not been said,asked , answered or commented on here.

Basstackle has one close but the body is more of a taper to it. http://www.basstackle.com/product_p/115-1-3.htm

Ultra molds has a smaller machine too. Don't understand why it's not on there site. Would think they would sell more of those than the big ones. Call for info but there's usually a waiting list. I use four 4cup Pyrex cups on a griddle to do my small orders. But I have plenty of molds so reheating is not an issue. Bigger orders I use two presto pots.

No never do. Only get to about 330. Actually the only place I have read that is on the caney creek (do it)site back in the day and it has carried on. Not sure what kick over is. After it gels and thins back out I use it, maybe that is kick over.

Ok here's my version sorry it does not have any of the color you mentioned. Some of the colors you mentioned bleed and maybe the reason you are having this problem. Mainly the green pumpkin. Now the blue I use does bleed but it won't show in the green. This recipe is for 64oz's Top color 15ccs spike it gp 109 1tsp 35 black flake 1 tsp 35 blue flake Bottom color 25ccs Mf blue [this one will bleed but won't show.] 1/4 tsp blue high lite 1 tsp 15 blue flake 1tsp 35 blue flake Used this for years and never an issue. But I never heat my plastic to 350 so add color after it cools a bit if you have to.

It has to be your choice of colorant. Everybody's is not the same. I have been making that color for years and never had that problem but then I still use the same formula. And blue has to be the worst color for fading while getting heated. Would you want to share how and what brands you are using to make your color? Do you add colorant after heating or before?

I will answer that one with pride and give a just reason for what I charge. As most of you know I pour for others that don't want to pour. And I sell wholesale. Most of my price is based on labor and very little on the actual plastic in a bait. So is the cost cut in half NO but it does save some penny's for the customer. I can make a normal mark up on the plastic I buy and not have to increase the cost to my customers. And because of the savings I have not raised prices to my customers in years. The lower cost on the drum does not come without a price. It's more labor to get bubble free plastic and a little more time to mix but not much. But that converts to labor and I charge for that. You get it now. I pay my self to do what someone else was doing before. Most of which is done while plastic is heating up. So less down time but I get paid for it. The quality of the end product is in no way different to my customers and for me that what counts. When I buy my plastic now it is based on the going rate for some of the components, just like gas. So if the oil goes down so will the price and visa versa.

Well all I have to say about that is there is not only one motor oil. You will just have to shop around till you find one you like. Even then you will have to play with the amount of colorant you use.

Are you asking about how to add motor oil to plastic or motor oil colorant?

Dry pearls work do not get the solvent or water based ones. Or if you are real gutsy get your wife makeup it will work. Bare minerals make up is best as most of it is dry.

Looks to be Bobs mold. I think it's the swim ripper.

I like the way it is. By having these rules it has made this forum what it is. It is the best resource for bait making of all kinds. Starting a post with self promotion and saying it in a statement is two different things and I truly believe most of us do too. I will help all who ask for it but don't want to wade through a bunch of adds and look what I did posts. This is not just about cad and mold making posts but any thing that does not belong. We have a great site with many different forums so why not use the correct one. Great job moderators keep up the good work!!! By the way do you really want to share your ideas with everyone that can read. Some have said more than once that there ideas were posted hear first then taken and put into use from the bigger guys. Help is one thing but sharing ideas on an open forum is another. Think about that.

You can encourage as many of these company's as you like but if they are truly a machine shop they are used to making much more money on each product. There is a real talent for making molds and just jumping in it and making a few molds will not pay for the time it takes. A lot of people complain about poor customer service and want molds fast but in reality if he is on the phone or on Facebook he's not making molds. Bobs not the only one with these types of challenges just the newest one.

Yes you saw a skillet but there was nothing in it but the Pyrex cups. Water boils at 212deg so that's not near hot enough. With the triple it is hard to keep the temps the same, just have to work with it. Need to get a third microwave so I heat all at the same rate, or close.

You could also put a little bend in the rod. This will keep it in place till it cools. The picture I posted has a rod but what it does not show is it has a little swage mark to keep his weight from sliding. But his inserts are machined to tight tolerances. If you are using lead then the bend will work fine.

This is more of a helping site and not a look what I did site. May sound funny or weird but it has always been that way. So if you want to help someone then post away but to self promote has never been permitted. There are other category's on this forum for this like the galleries, classifieds and sales for advertisers.

Yes I use one with that mold.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53874c16e4b08610fe282e50/53b085bfe4b044d9476f2e61/53e7e7d9e4b02f6b824d7477/1407707161754/605.JPG?format=1500w Maybe this will help you understand how to do it.

Have a customer that does that to soften tails on swimbaits to get more action out of the tails.

Use the Basstackle triple injector and all of those types of colors will be a breeze to duplicate. Takes a bit to get use to but with the right color combos they look great. Look up my video on you tube and see how they look. I did mm in the video. franksrooty2 on you tube. Or it's posted on the Basstackle site along with the triple injector.

Dave is right on if you are using presto pots. I have a set with one set on 340 and the other one is set at 310 and my temp gauges say it is 300. But they shoot great laminates like that.