Frank

Vacumn systems are about 200 dollars and can be found on eBay in pieces for a bit less. Not really rocket science just get a vacumn pump that will get as close to 30 lbs vacumn as you can. Mine get to about 29.5 or so. I this is a joke I am not taking it as such and offering my help. If you are really going to offer a product at a lower price but will take a little getting used then great. This will give customers a choice of which levels they like and can afford. Spikeit does that now and it seems to work out if your customer makes the choice for them selves. Just for the record I do believe Spikeit plastic is more on the blue side which makes it clearer to the eye. But to judge that you need to have both side by side.

That is my point exactly he does not use the less expensive stuff. But the less expensive stuff has air in it so to make it bubble free you need to get it out. More expensive does not make it better. Maybe easier to use but vacumning it takes about 45 seconds and you don't have to baby sit it. Most of you know I pour baits for other company's and believe me penny's count. A penny in production cost is much more when it comes to a retail price. It is a make or break thing. Some may not want to spend the money to buy a vacumn system so then they either live with the bubbles or buy the plastic that does not have this issue. Not that the other plastics don't have any other issue but that is another thread. The problem that was first discussed was bubbles in Calhoun plastic, I say it is air based on experience using it and others like it. Telling him to buy another product is a long term answer but now he is stuck with plastic that he won't use because he thinks there is something wrong with it. When in all reality it is normal. The nature of the less expensive plastics.

The air in it came from the east coast not the west coast. I think I can smell the peach blossoms. Not to knock you but if you have never used a different formula then maybe you have never experienced what is going on. I am sure the plastic company's don't have a round table to discuss what is new and how to save money. That is one secret you may not know? Around 700 for a drum of calhouns and about 750 for Spikeit. Big saving to me if I just have to vacumn.

You say you can't see air being the culprit, which means what? I sit down and pour about 30'hrs a week and on my side I have a vacumn chamber that holds 4 gallons. I see nothing but air growing and bursting. If it was moisture I would have some type of condensation some where don't you think? You know I have used your plastic and it is great stuff. Now I use another and figured out a way to make it work and keep my costs down. But if you can't believe air is the culprit I will send you some and you heat it and see. I would even send you some after it has been vacumned and you can see the big difference. If you want I will send you some just let me know.

I don't use Calhoun plastic. I use Spikeit injectasol. If this is moisture then I guess the vacumn works on that too. Either way it works. I was told that in the Spikeit line at least that pourasol is just injectasol with air removed. But then there is another one called ultrasol which uses a different product, which I am assuming is a higher priced product to make another version of plastic. By the pricing structure it is more in line with some of the higher price plastisol that are available. I am also told it is a much better choice for cold water baits, it has more action than the other plastisol they sell.

Because there is more than one way to make plastic it has been my understanding that if you use a liquid to a liquid and make plastisol then you get much less bubbling than if one of the parts is a dry one. Thus the reason some plastic settles and some don't. The ones with dry components have air that clings to the particles and releases when heated. But if you put it under a vacumn the air will expand and float to the top. The result is clear bubble free plastic every time. Yes I said every time. This is my take on the subject so if I am wrong please feel free to correct me with an explanation not just a no you are wrong.

Don't take it to hard. There is a way to figure this thing out. First off the mixing part, I never just shake up my containers. I use a drill with a paint mixer on it. If there is some settlement on the bottom it will need to be moved around to get it mixed back in. I transfer all of my plastic into a five gallon pail with a flat bottom and removable lid. Pop the lid and mix with drill and paint mixer. Now remember the rest should be a little harder now that some of the softer stuff is poured off. Now the bubble thing, I really believe you will need to vacumn out the air that is clinging to some of the resins. Sounds like I am blowing smoke but I do it all the time. Just before I heat. It is a bit costly at first but in the long run it will save a lot of headaches. Shaking it it not making bubbles better but it will be worse. You can get a vacumn chamber from eBay for about 200 bucks. It you buy one make sure you get one twice as large as the largest volume you will use as it will grow when vacumn is turned on. You should not be having a moisture problem in California, not enough humidity.

Spikeit clearasol is made just for that. Pretty heat tolerant too.

Am I wrong or is silica sand? Maybe a form of sand. Grits would be like asking about the fine salt or coarse one.

Google bead blasting media. You can buy it from many sources in small quantities. I have seen it at harbor freight too if you have a store close.

The ones in the video I can't find anymore but been using the same type but more of a name brand called maxi flex. I got them from a welding supply but amazon has them and you can buy singles, I bought a dozen pair. Much better gloves than the ones in the video. If you need more protection just put another one over the first one.

Get spike it's flor colors and add it to hot plastic no worries with there's. They were designed to be put in hot plastic. I do it all the time cause I forget to put it in before more times than not.

I would guess 1/4 oz just the bait no sprue. For single color baits sprues can be used over and over.

I don't know how many but I do have that mold. All of mine are top inject. So I weigh them with sprue to get a price. My name on you tube is franksrooty2 so if you watched him it was me.

Don't be alarmed when you get air bubbles in bait, you are starting with the amount of plastic I stop at. The presto is so wide it's hard to get all the plastic up. If you have this issue either use more plastic or go to Pyrex and a microwave. I still use the Pyrex till I need a half gallon of each color them I go to a presto pot. To me it is much easier to keep a large amount of plastic at temp than a small amount. On the Mf chartreuse question, I get a good looking color with 30ccs to 32ozs. It's a lot of colorant. That is the non bleed one.

Got one of those that you can cut down. Pm me if you want to try them.

You did not know this was the way the molds came and asked a question. I have some that look just like that. If you had not posted pictures I would wonder. The clamp thing told me it was not the mold but the clamp but that's me I don't like the clamps with rubber feet. Wait till you get the molds hot and the feet start sliding off the clamp itself.

So does doit so all the molds have been used I guess. If someone wants the out side pretty I guess it could be done but inside is what matters. I clamp mine with c clamps so the out side is marked up real fast.

I am not here to defend doit but the mold seems in line for some. You are right the outside is rough but looks like the way it was received off the truck that brought in the raw material. The rubs are the same thing. The reason I say this is because I have received bulk stock that looked like that. Some of the mold makers put some sort of finish on the outside but I guess they don't. The lines where the writing is from how they cut the stock into workable lengths. All of mine have the same marks on the end. I have never had any luck with those types of clamps, my advise is to get simple c-clamps. They do not have any give to them and will hold much better. Those types of molds take a lot of pressure it fill the skirt and I believe that is the reason for other end of the bait blowing out( also the rubber pads on the clamps). Change clamps and shoot at a medium speed and you will get good baits.

Yes you got the silicone one. He said he was going to change to these. The one on the nozzle does not do anything but seal, the other one gets the real wear. I never heard of break in either, I lust unpack and use it.

For the Basstackle injector the size is 214. One inch ID and an inch and a quater OD.

Yes a temp of 425 is what they are rated. I think the softer is the key even though it's not much. Looks to be about the same price too.

Search silicone orings 214 and you will get a bunch of hits. I believe Basstackle is using them now as a standard part. Not sure they are orange but they are silicone. Been using them for years now and they are smooth and tough. They are softer than others and when warm they seal well.

It has individual injection ports for each bait so you can have a top to bottom laminate. Even a laminate plate would not give you a top to bottom laminate because the way the mold must be cut. You sound like Kevin he does not throw swim baits either or rarely. I asked him for the 7.5 ringed bait awhile ago and he told me, you guys use baits bigger than the bass in Arizona waters. You have to throw them if you get the mold cause when you catch one on a swim bait you my never go back.

It's the tail you should look at. Anything with that type of tail is a great bait that swims great at slow speeds. Both of those are great choices.