SlowFISH

I bought from Anarchy Stencils in the UK. (They ship to US). Slightly pricey - but they are mylar - which means you can clean them and they last a LONG time - compared to some of the paper stencils out there. They have alot of patterns. J. https://www.anarchymodels.co.uk/ I bought the HS-16 and HS - 45.... those two cover alot of options.

Try taking an Uber to an airport - there are airport fees, car service fees, reservation fees... its like an extra 20 on top of the ride - crazy! If my company wasn't paying for it - I'd probably walk.

I know this is old thread but EBAY and Marketplace are your friends...... I have 3 Steez Reels - they are older generations - but the are great and not one of them did I spend more than 200 shipped with tax.... same for my PIxy reels, etc.... if you can live with a used reel - you can get a really high end quality reel for 200 and under that was likely 400-500 new. You'll have to look alot and wait for the right reel to be available - but I've reach the point I'd rather a high end used reel than a OK new reel. You can tell the difference. J.

It's a double edge sword - I offset my paddles so I can leave the injection in the pot with it running. It doesn't stir as well as it would if I had full coverage - but it's really only noticeable in two conditions - when adding glitter - I make sure to pull my injector out and let it stir fully and when I start tossing in runners/remelts.... sometimes they can get unhung up on the thermocouple or injector. The best solution is the "Shooting Star" manifold - but for a hobbyist - I can live with paying attention when I toss in remelts/glitter and deal with it.

Use a PID as recommended and don't get caught up with over thinking the pot is hotter here than there, etc etc and if your paddle is scraping the bottom - since the first use of my pots after setting them up with PID controllers I haven't burnt ANYTHING - NADA - those things just flat out work. The PID's once up and stabilized just tickle the element constantly to keep temp - once it's up and running - you'll be fine... only time plastic has a chance of getting cooked is if you don't use a motorized stirring paddle. Seriously - stirring with a PID is about as dummy proof as you can get. The only time plastic has chance to get too hot is when your at the very bottom of a shoot.... as there is so little plastic in the pot it can mess with the temp a bit - but I'm talking the last 1/8"=1/4" left - its even hard to suck the plastic up without air with that little plastic. I bought 7" long thermocouples and have them mounted on the same plate that holds my stirring motor going down into the pot so I can remove them easy to clean. They are about 1" inboard from the outside of the pot. I set them up to be about 1/32"-1/16" off the bottom (They don't touch the pot metal). J.

I agree on quite a few points... Violet action - I fish with a friend who's 83 years old... unbelievable source of knowledge... one of his favorite techniques is 1oz-1.5oz jigs pitched into 3 foot or less of water on inside weed edge. For years I laughed at why you need 1.5oz jig for 3 feet or less... yet he consistently catches bigger fish than me... I've come around to thinking in some instances that "violent" splash and super fast drop to bottom is irresistible. Like a dog chasing anything that buzzes by like a car, bird, toy, etc. When it comes to soft plastics - the great thing is you can really detail your lure to how you plan/desire to fish them. If your planning to crank/move them alot - you can use thicker sections and count on a good amount of resistance to move/provide action. If you plan to let them slowly sink weightless... adding fine appendages, areas to gently quiver helps..... I tend to try and add both to any lure I make... just a preference... and like anything else - sometime I think I have it - and sometimes the fish just ignore me. J.

You might have to look at hooks for fly fishing / streamers. Ahrex is a brand that has some "odd" shaped hooks meant for making flys and streamers. They make a hook I love for little 1/4oz jigs as I wanted the "cross-eye" direction you are looking for. J.

Pouring in the winter before the season starts up here in NY helps alot too! Except this winter has been really warm - so not sure i can count on that anymore!! J.

Couple suggestions since I've used quite a few "alternatives to aluminum" mold materials in my time here on TU.... plaster, silicone, FDM/ABS, HDPE urethane.... 1. Everything deflects (warps) under temp - some just deflect more than others. Even aluminum deflects with enough heat - we usually don't get them hot enough with plastic - but pour some lead sinkers in a thinner mold and you'll see. 2. Bolts and clamps work - the more the merrier - but at some point the molds just holds too much heat after repeated injections and aside from using a hydraulic press that would likely crush the rapid prototype molds to some degree - you'll need to wait and cool the molds. I use urethane - and on hot days after repeated shots - I have to just let them sit with a fan on them to "undeflect" or I get flash as well. Even aluminum will deflect - that's why production company's use big presses so the can fill those molds with a lot of cavities (that contain alot of heat). 3. The size of your bait vs size of the mold is a HUGE - HUGE - HUGE factor... the size/amount of baits vs molds size is a factor you can control - and can really help. Most of my molds are 5" x 8" to fit in my CNC mill. That mold size with little 2" craw baits will NOT deflect noticeably.... but the same mold size with 4-5 fat swimbaits jammed in there starts deflecting after a few shots. So monitor how many cavities / size of bait you use vs your mold size and you can really help your cause. 4. Related to above - at first I was a cheap guy trying to minimize every square inch of my mold material. It works - but after years of doing that I now have dozens of molds that are all different sizes.... 3x5, 3.5x6, 4x4, 5x8, 6x10 - you name it - I got - LOL. So while I saved a few bucks here and there on my small molds.... clamping is now a pain in the a$$. Being all different sizes I have to use multiple clamps, some I have to just bolt together on their own. Since I altered my thinking to making nearly every mold 5"x8" unless it needs to be bigger - I can put 5-6 molds in a couple bar clamps and crank them down.... so with 2-3 clamps I can hold a bunch of molds nice and tight.... that's a alot faster than bolting/clamping every mold together on its own. Wish I wasn't so cheap to start as some molds I don't even use because of the hassle. So come up with 1 or 2 common mold sizes and stick to them.... in long run it will be helpful. 5. I've found Bench Wood working vises are also helpful.... because they usually provide for a 4"x6" faceplate from and back - they keep things help evenly and are friendly to use. Hope that helps. J.

Can you take a picture of the mold and upload? I agree fully with above comments - looks like its a venting issue. Are those bubbles just on one side - and I'd assume to be the "up" side of the mold when filled? SOMETIMES it can be solved with speed of injection (slower) and sometime with the plastic heat.... but in my experience, adding vents does the trick. I have lizard 2 molds I made with big ribs and only way I could get them to fill was by adding a vent on every rib. You don't need a massive vent - literally just the tiniest of a groove will let enough air pass through. I've even used an Xacto/utility blade and a straight edge to score deep enough to create vents. Scoring with a blade can/will create a high spot as you're really just moving the metal not removing it (like a ding in a car door)... but just use some fine sandpaper to knock it down. J.

I cant speak to the VAC 50 stuff - but using other products like that lead me to believe it wasn't mixed properly and you introduced alot of air when mixing it - which resulted in a all the bubbles/cracks, etc etc With some of those products you need to follow the instructions diligently (mix volume) and time from mixing to pouring, etc... and even some you'll need to pull vacuum on it to get the air out before pouring it and even after would help. As for mold design - look at aluminum senko molds - there are alot of issues with your layout as far as spacing, sprue and venting sizes. Also - with any material besides aluminum - assume you'll want to put a little more space between each bait to aid in cooling. So your mold either needs to be bigger or you nee to put less cavities in it. J.

To my knowledge all plastisol baits float. Its the addition of salt/glass beads or your hook/weight that makes them sink. But with that said - usually a hook is enough to make any normal bait sink. You can do a few things if you want to make them float... yes microballons are one option and a few places sell them to be added to plastisol. You'll have to test bait volume vs amount of microballons vs hook weight to get the desired effect. I can't speak to how much you'd need to float a bait with a hook or durability, but I've heard it will effect your colors. Another option is adding air pockets - if you see people doing core shots - think of doing the same with a smaller diameter rod and not shooting a second shot. Air works damn good to keep a bait up!!! But this adds some complexity in either the mold or rigging at times. I have played with air pockets quiet a bit and can tell you to make a bait float with a hook in it and the weight of the line on it is tough... you have to make a pretty damn big bait as a decent size hook adds alot of weight to suspend and if you use floro for line - that makes it even tougher. Hope that helps a bit. J.

Aulrich - If you are using FDM (and assuming printing in ABS) - you can "sand" your prints with a cloth/paper towel and some acetone. I've been using FDM/ABS at work for 15 or so years - most times don't need to do anything to it, but every now and then I need to make something water tight or have to paint it for an appearance model.... rubbing first with acetone melts the ABS layers together and smooths the build lines out... then a little sanding and you're off and running. You can even use acetone to bond parts... I'd pour acetone on a sheet of glass - lay the edges of parts I wanted to bond in it for a few seconds (say two bait halves) then press together - they basically melt together. CA glue is a good method as well... I know some prototype shops used to thin that stuff and airbrush it onto FDM parts to get a nice level finish as well... I never tried it as I didn't want to ruin an airbrush or breath that stuff - but food for thought. Hope that might help.... J.

I'm not sure of the chemical reactions and I'm sure someone knows better than me - but I clean aluminum parts for powder coating with brake cleaner, carb cleaner and sometimes acetone. Brake cleaner with a little steel wool or a 3M scouring pad usually cleans up almost anything. Carb/choke cleaner might be an option a well - most carbs have aluminum parts/bodies... so it "should" be safe... although I'd avoid the carb "parts cleaner" that usually comes in a paint can - that stuff cleans great - but I think it's really aggressive and not sure I'd recommend it. As with most cleaners/degreasers - if you don't leave it on long - your risk of damage is greatly minimized. J.

I have never used KBS - but some alcohols can cause issues with finishes. I build rods and found my alcohol wipe down was messing with my epoxy causing fisheyes and such. Maybe try a bait or test without the alcohol wipe down. I use DN on my hardbaits and found I've had much better results finishing off my paint jobs with a final coat of Createx clear and then don't touch or wipe them down until I apply the DN - just let them dry completely, hit with some air then apply the DN. Hope that helps. J.

A turning device can be super cheap to make... look at pics above - not difficult - notably if you only worried about 1 lure at a time... hard to beat price of this motor/wiring (below) that with a couple pieces of wood and a you'd be on your way. They also have one that's 2-3 rpm as well. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J2JT13N/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08J2JT13N&pd_rd_w=M5von&pf_rd_p=0c758152-61cd-452f-97a6-17f070f654b8&pd_rd_wg=zsbfE&pf_rd_r=51FGT7YYY7SNR7FKS7E9&pd_rd_r=f68358b9-60c8-493f-af82-5a49e85638b0&s=hi&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRTFPU0JLVkNPQ0cxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODMyNDU4MjQ4TE0zTUs4UElHWSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjA1NDk0MTNFS0JCMVdJRTRaMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

FJ-12 weed guards are 5/64". You should be able to buy brass or aluminum rods at that diameter off amazon or at a hardware store and just cut to length. At worst - you could even just buy a couple 5/64" drill bits from a hardware store and cut them with a dremel. There is no magic to the pins - you just need the right diameter. Obviously something like steel will likely last a little longer as it will resist bending when you pull it out of the jighead should it hold on tight. As for using a different weight hook - assuming the bend between hooks is identical and everything lines up perfectly between hook and mold - then it will come down to how much different in diameters the hooks are. In my experience - if you use a smaller dia hook but it's "close" it may work, or you may get lead running down the hook shaft to some extent (and possibly around the hook eye). If the diameters are "close" you should be able to just peel/scrape the extra lead off the hook with a little effort. So if you are just making a dozen or so jigs for yourself every now and then -the extra effort might not be a big deal - but it can be annoying to clean them up. Sorry I can't tell you what "close is" dimensionally... but if I were to guess - if there is more than .015"-.0175" in diameter difference - you're probably out of luck - but that's really just a guess - trail and error is really the only way to know. ALSO and this is key if you try to use a smaller dia hook - the temp of your lead will be important. If you can pour the lead on the COOL side of the scale - you'll have less of an issue as the hook should have a chance to freeze the lead before it runs down the shaft very far or into the eye area. If you have to pour the lead really hot - you'll have more issues. I make my own molds and sometimes I file/cut the hook areas open a little too much by accident... I just play with the lead temp to find a sweet spot and that usually "fixes" the issue. J.

This advice is dead on. For what you are trying to do, making a silicone mold and then making the lure with the right materials will save you a ton of trial and error - and trial and error cost money. Even $5 bags of POP, sealants and mold materials etc add up. I have pounds of POP, gallons of glue, sealant, etc that I bought and found didn't work for me and what I was trying to do or my due to my lack of expertise (ie patience!!). I don't think there are many in this hobby that haven't purchase 10x (at a minimum) what it would cost to just buy baits... but we don't do it for cost - but because we like making things and want lures "our way". Most of us over time figure out to spending a more upfront yields better results from the start, less waste and saves time and money. Check out the Smooth On site - there are TONS of videos showing how to make molds, pour items, etc, etc... Take what you see there and adapt it to what you want do. This thread has a ton of advice, but the videos give a good idea of what it all means. My take - POP is a good, cheap mold material - but you'll have to take days to let it dry if its cold/humid out - you'll then need to seal it which can effect your detail. I think it's suitable for pouring softbaits where the bait flexes - but if you pour hard materials into it - don't expect it to last long (if at all) before it starts chipping unless you made a bait with considerable draft angles so it slide out of the mold easily. Your drawing probably would be on boardline in my opinion. Silicones materials can be much easier - but cost more to start. If you follow the basic directions reasonably well they will yield usable molds and parts and should last way longer than your pop mold. That's what I'd do - and what many in this thread are recommending. J.

azsouth just gave a bunch to watch... and are usually the main culprits. If you are using fresh, new powder and still having issues.... then yes you'd have to start messing with your fluidbed. I use coffee filters for my "membrane" - seems to work well and is cheap as can be - you can double up if necessary to get the right amount of penetration - or even perforate the second (outer) layer in areas you'd want to "focus" the air a little more. I recently had exact same issues... first was old powder - it was "fluffy" to my eye, but when I got a fresh bag of it I noticed that it what I had was more sugar grain like instead of talcum powder like... made a huge difference. I also added "vibration" to my little 1 cup setup. Bought some vibrating motors off amazon for an X-Box controller. connected (2 AA) batteries and mounted the motor. Seems to shake the powder just enough to help keep it flowing. I'd probably get a bigger motor if I did it again to really shake it good, but it definitely helps to vibrate. From what I can tell it doesn't allow the "tunnels/chimneys" of air to form - as once hey do the shake/vibration collapses it. J.

Alsworms is referring to the fact plastisol is oil based... so it does not like water/moisture when it is heated - so like a hot frying pan with oil in it - if you put water in it - it pops/etc - which can be dangerous. J.

Agreed - senkos are the worst for that!! With that being said - I have a box I toss all my used baits in throughout the year and at the beginning of the season remelt to use again. I would say though - adding a little heat stabilizer and new plastic does seem to help. I've noticed if you just continually remelt baits at some point the plastisol thickens - still usable - but isn't that milky/flowing consistency. I find I don't have that issue if I add new plastic to the batch.... I'm sure some of the formula burns off each time (heat stabilizer, etc) and a little fresh plastic helps balance that out. J.

Yeah at times that $15 is annoying when you only want one thing.... but I shop there for hooks quite often and understand between CC charges and time/labor to grab the item, creating a shipping label and receipt, pack it and mail it - they probably don't make enough profit on 5-10 dollar sales to deal with those orders. Yeah its annoying - but also understandable. I'd rather deal with that type of restriction - and them being 100 percent up front about it - rather then after you fill out the entire order form to find out the shipping charge is 14.95 or something ridiculous on a 5 dollar item - which ALOT of online retailers do to account for the labor in fulfilling orders. J.

When I get plastic on things (table, presto pots, injectors) I find a good squirt of WD-40 and a wipe does wonders... it doesn't dissolve it in any way - but basically lets you "slide" it off whatever your cleaning (provided its not porous). Acetone seems to work for stains from bait dyes. J.

I don't use rattle cans for baits, but a few months ago had to paint some prototypes for work and needed a specific color and it had to be flat or satin finish which is near impossible to find in a color other than black/white. The only brand I could find that met the criteria was "Montana" which is an artist/graffiti brand of paints. I have to say - it was awesome stuff... color went on great, you can hold the can at nearly any angle and it seemed to cover wonderfully, no runs, dried fast.... yeah it's more expensive than your typical Krylon/Rustoleum... but I'd HIGHLY recommend it if you plan on rattle canning something you want to come out nice. Plus the color chart is HUGE - they have ALOT of colors to choose from. I bought my stuff from AmaXXX cause I needed it fast although there are other places you might find certain colors cheaper. J.

I'd also recommend silicone cups - I prefer them if you do small batches and hand pour. Otherwise all info above is spot on. J.