SlowFISH

Yep - it's the particle stuff.... I've had a few tables made with it for 7-8 years so holds up fine for me. If you leave the edges raw - they can get chipped a bit - but I haven't had any real issues unless I hammered a corner directly. I wouldn't leave it unsupported - meaning making a makeshift table with saw horses at each end will cause it to slowly bow - but if you support it reasonably well it lasts a pretty long time... I like that I can screw down into it, drill holes to clamp - even hot glue something in place in a jam and not care too much about it. It's not as tough over the long haul as plywood/steel/etc.... but for the price and to have something that wipes clean (I use WD-40 on tough stuff and then Windex) if stuff is "glued" to it - I run a razor or chisel over the top to scrape stuff off.... its hard to beat. J.

I buy the 3/4" 4x8 sheets of MDF with the very thin layer of melamine from Home Depot. It won't take direct heat very well - but it's nice and easy to clean - spilled/dripped plastic just wipes off it. It's cheap ($35) and double sided so you can flip it if it gets roughed up over time. Regarding the heat - I run my presto right on top - no issue - but I can't recall putting a heated pyrex on it directly on it as I usually use the silicone cups. No issue with hot plastic pouring/spilling on it - it takes that sort of heat with no issue - but I know from my glue gun / soldering iron - if you leave sustained direct contact heat on it - it will burn just like any other wood/MDF. J. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melamine-White-Panel-Common-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-750-in-x-49-in-x-97-in-461877/100070209

Any issues remelting used baits with glass beads? Can't imagine there is - but figured I'd ask. and nice video even though it's tough at times you can see the difference in those baits most notably whiny hold it up to the light. J.

Totally agree.... luckily the previous owner for some reason installed (2) 100 subpanels panels in the basement - in addition to a large main panel... and while he had a lot of circuits wired - most of them were nonsense that ran to one outlet or nowhere in some cases just capped in a box. So after ripping that crap out I have a TON of open breakers to wire things up nice... already have a dedicated 220/30amp for the compressor and will run a bunch of 20amp circuits with just outlets on them so I can do whatever I want in the future... still can't understand why they divided up the panels like they did other than making sure there was still room after installing the AC circuits. J.

Not an electrician - but have been reading up a ton to plan out my basement renovation with lighting and the compressor. Something running a constant 18amps would be a bit too much on a 20amp circuit. I know the pots won't run constantly - but I'd imagine on first heatup if your starting from scratch, have stirrers going and the heating elements you'd be pushing not only tripping the breaker but also drawing alot of current for a decent amount of time which could be dangerous. Most recommend staying under 75%-80% the amperage on a constant load - so as DaveMC1 stated - running each pot on a different circuit is probably a very smart idea. BTW this thread is killing me - I love that ultra mold mini system.... eventually I gotta get my hands on one!!! J.

Without looking at Fusion 360 - one thing I can say about CAD platforms is the majority of them are based on the same basic principles to create a model. Meaning if you learn one platform - and have to move to another - you basically just have to understand/learn a new interface. The ability, knowledge and understanding on how to properly create "a model" is fairly universal. I started using CAD (Form Z) back in 1994 and then I moved onto Pro-E (since 1997). Luckily I've worked at places that allowed me to stick to that platform although it's gone under 3 MAJOR revamps that had me relearning completely new interfaces and ways to work (in addition to the year to year updates) I find it's usually 1 week of hair pulling after a major change and then it's like second nature. Even though I only "know" one CAD platform - I spend alot of time training younger staff on other CAD platforms they have experience in from school such as Solidworks/Alias/etc. I can't push the keys for them or show them where stuff is in the menus - but I can sit there and sketch out step by step how to construct a stable and flexible/editable model - and direct them enough so they learn how to do it. At the core - all these programs are the same. So - point being - I wouldn't worry so much about a particular CAD platform disappearing and not being able to move on - as the understanding you've gained will transfer.... sort of like getting a new car - it might take you awhile to figure out how things work on the GPS, door locks or how the hell the wipers work - but you catch on very quick and are off and running. The ONLY issue I'd see in the sernario something dries up is that your files may not be useable in a different CAD platform - and this is a VERY common problem and most companies purposely do this to keep you hooked. I'd recommend saving files you create (in addtiion to the native CAD formats) in IGES/STEP/Parasolid exports if the program allows. These universal formats will not necessarily be editable in another program - but atleast you'd have them as a guide to rebuild if necessary. J.

I'm no expert.... I believe the stabilizer helps SOME..... but from my experience - the it's the reheats that seem to yellow much faster. If I'm pouring a opaque bait - I'll throw the sprues right back into the pot/cup after I empty the mold - but with smoke/clear I found this just yellows the whole pot ALOT faster... My guess is after each reheat whatever is burning off is gone - and while the stabilizer helps - I don't think it replenishes everything. J.

This thread is exactly why Senkos are the only soft bait I still buy!!! LOL!!! I CNC my own molds, pour all my own lead and softbaits - but even with being able to replicate that senko dead on from a form/size standpoint I know there is more to it than that... and I don't use them enough to put that much effort in!!! Good job to those that make them - seems so simple but I think camrynekai's post pointed out a very small and important detail - keeping the salt uniform once it's in the mold!! J.

Agreed on everything above.... Once I started letting the baits sit out for 1 week before messing with them they kept their shape much better... it seems like the firm up a bit sitting out. J.

Thanks Bob.... I have servos on my little taig... I can and do run it faster than 6-8 IPM if there isn't much contouring going on.... but I know at this speed I can go to sleep and the next morning the tooling path is complete with no misses. Most of my missed steps are when the machine has to very rapidly change direction back and forth quickly on more than one axis..... I honestly think, as you pointed out - all that weight on the Z- Axis doesn't help the situation... as most of the misses are on the Z axis. Most times I can re-zero the machine and restart the program just before the miss to keep going - but it is annoying. I also agree on the lubrication/adjustments.... when I'm using it alot and have it dialed in nicely - it runs real nice... but if I go a couple weeks without using it - that's when I seem to run into some issues..... I've had it packed up since last May as I've been redoing the basement in my new house... I'm sure I'll have fits for a bit once I fire it back up. J.

The materials are by far the cheapest part.... even as a hobbist - the amount of time you'll put in to get a mold/design just right is insane... I'm getting better but also live with things that if I were selling I'd probably have to deal with (sinks/excess flash, etc.). It's just like pouring - the materials are cheap - but factor in your time nad you realize instantly that it's an extremely tough business proposition.... I have a couple designs that if I said I had 200-300 hours into them that's probably a light estimate... that time includes Initial design, CADing it up, CAM time, CNC cutting - then making revisions to fix it and back through that process all over again.... sometimes more than once or twice.... even at a near minimum wage I'd be at 3-5K for that design not counting consumables (mills, materials) and overhead (Cost of a machine, electricity, etc). Luckily I'm a hobbist and I actually enjoy the process - as a buisness I'd be sunk in the first week. Like anything else - over time technology will speed this stuff up..... it's still way too clostly - but you can rapid protoype (3D print) in metals... from what I've seen it's a little rough (finish has a texture) - but I'd bet in 3-4 years it will be cheap enough that you could start to cut down on the CAM/CNC time - but the design/CAD is never going anywhere - neither is the trail and error to get things right. Bob - would love to understand more of your hobbist mill feedback. My little taig is great - but I'd love to upgrade at some point to something a bit more rigid and larger. I had looked at the Tormachs and thought they were pretty sweet - I keep an eye out for used ones in my area. Of the other mills in that general price range - what are your thoughts? I tend to run my little taig at 6-8 IPM on items with alot of detail and heavily contoured shapes as I found it will miss steps when I try to run it too fast. I've learned with my machine slow and steady wins the race. The speed isn't that critical to me being a hobbist - but I'd love to be able to run faster if I ever do upgrade. J.

I'd love to have a Tormach - but spending that much for a "hobby" just doesn't cut it with the wife!! For a hobbist - a Taig can work pretty well... before I had one - I also used a Sherline and Max NC machine (both are not as rigid/fast/good as the Taig). I've had my little taig for a few years now and it's a good little machine once you understand and it teaches you it's limits!!!! I tend to use materials that are easier to cut and forgiving of bad programming (RENShape) for my molds. I've found even after years of playing around - I don't have enough machining experience to just know how far I can push a small endmill through aluminum (And I mean 1/16" diameter small).... with the REN - as long as you don't hit it at full speed at some ridiculous depth the material is forgiving enough for a slight mistake on depth or stepover..... seems like with Aluminum you pay instantly for mistakes with snapped endmills. For those interested in the REN - I use the 5169 material and it's price is pretty much comparable to a like piece of aluminum. It's fairly rigid and much more forgiving than aluminum - so I don't eat endmills and time with mistakes (as much!!). While is seems like a dream - there are drawbacks, as it insulates the plastisol (similar to plaster) so bait production is slower, you need to lube the molds with a little PAM/WD-40/etc after 8-10 shots to avoid any sticking and if you try to cheap out and use the bear minimum of material (ie big thick bait / thin piece of material) the excess heat can cause the material to temporarily warp and force you to use a few clamps to keep the mold shut nice and tight. So don't be cheap - it will cost you in the end - I know!!!! LOL!! One benefit is you can glue pieces together (even with epoxy) so I have a few frankenstien molds that I've built with it combining a body/tail from molds I built. For a pure hobbist that interested in machining their own molds - a good PC , a Taig and some Ren 6169 can go a long long way. There are a ton of CAD apps out there to do basic stuff (and not so basic stuff) - and a few CAM packages that are reasonable in cost for a hobbist. I'm a longtime Pro-E guy - so I come from the design side and Im attempting to learn the machining part. I'm finding CAM is much more of a art than a science as you just can't take someones Mill size/feedrate/depth and just go... that info helps narrow your field at best. On the CAM app side - I've been using Deskproto - which is pretty simple to learn and is fairly comprehensive for a hobbist's needs provided you understand or read up on basic machining principles first. J.

Yeah - this isn't a salt thing - I don't ever use salt. I'm not one to immediately blame a product - as there are many variable that I may be introducing that aren't the products fault.... It could still be a temperature thing - maybe my digital thermo isn't as accurate as I think it is.... I do drop baits into a bath of water after demolding - but no longer than a few minutes, just to set the shape/reach room temp so they don't deform when I sit them out on a table for a couple days before putting them in a plastic box.... no oils/scents are added until they are on the hook. I do add heat stabilizer - maybe I'm putting in too much and that might explain some baits being good (first made) and other changing color/clouding (after adding stabilizer) Only other variable I can think of is that I use molds made of urethane plastic and spray a little PAM in them every 6-7 shots to insure the baits slide out real easy... maybe the PAM is being absorbed on the first couple shots and reacting with the plastic and the later shots in the mold don't turn color as there is little to no PAM left in the mold. I didn't have this issue with another product - and what really burns me most is the randomness of it in the same batch of plastic, heated and molded at the same time.... if a whole batch turned - then another didn't - I'd say that's on me (temp/mix/etc) but there is something else going on... and the weirdest part is it doesn't seem to happen for weeks/months - then all of a sudden baits look crappy. j.

I've had the same issue (same plastisol).... the baits actually "get cloudy" and it's really noticeable on anything transparent or with blue tones. As mentioned - making sure you hit a minimum of 350 when first kicking it over - which does seem to help.... but I've done this and still had baits get cloudy. The really annoying part is I have baits made from the same exact batch of heated plastic where some are cloudy and others are not - kept in the same plastic box right next to each other..... and I use a motorized stirrer on my Presto - so it's not like the plastic wasn't stirred enough. The only thing I've come up with is the baits are absorbing moisture over time and that makes them "cloudy". My basement gets humid and that is where i store my stuff. I've also noticed on a bait I left on my boat bottom by accident which was sitting in a wet spot - that it "got cloudy" - but that same bait after tossing it on the seat in the sun then went back to clear after a few hours.... so maybe it "dried out" is my only guess. Wish I could help more - but try putting the baits out in the sun on a non-humid day and see if they change back is all I got. I thought I had this licked when I made sure to heat to 350.... but recently after having 1/3 of a batch of smoke colored baits cloud up 4 weeks after pouring them I'm stumped and plan to just go a different direction in my next purchase of plastisol. J.

That's a really smart idea - takes some of the issues of the amount of plastic in the cup out of the equation. I recently hooked up a PID to my presto - might see if touch off on the bottom instead of having it a few millimeters above the bottom in the plastic helps. J.

Mark - tons of good info above.... I bought a used one a few years back and it's like everything else - it works once you figure out how to make it work for you!!! LOL!!!! I heat in micro to kick over and pour into the pot to avoid waiting a long time for the pot to heat the plastic - plus on the smaller pot - the plunger kind of blocks your ability to stir easily which would be a pain to heat from scratch in. As mentioned - consistent heat is a challenge - I found it troubling to keep the plastic nice and runny without smoking it as I got lower in the pot - just like using a micro and cup - the more plastic you have in it, the easier it is to keep the heat just right - as it gets low you run the risk of burning or getting to cold and clogging. I haven't bothered trying to hook up a PID controller like some do to make these things work better - but it's an option. Honestly I think if I rigged up a small paddle mixer to keep the bottom mixing - it would work a ton better - but haven't bothered with that either. Think of the Lee Pot just like a mini Presto - but a little less friendly and temperamental. J.

First - you didn't mention what temp you're seeing the yellowing at - if you arent taking the plastic temp everytime you pull it our the micro you'll never be consistent or get consistent results (I know some you you guys can eye ball exactly 320.67 degrees..... but most of us cant - myself included LOL!!) If you're doing opaque baits - isnt' too much of an issue... on clears/tranparents - it's imperative. Buy a small digital thermometer... don't use a IR gun - that only tells you the temp of the surface - not the hot spot at the center of the cup. Agian - check temp every time - it's a pain - but only way I've been able to do clear with my crappy micro. I'd also raise the point of wattage of microwave - but look at it from an amount of plastisol you're cooking.... the smaller the batch your cooking the harder it is to control the heat. You got to remember - the center of that 6oz cup gets alot hotter than the outside portion.... so while the outside might still look good/clear - the hot spot may start to burn and then when you stir it yellows the whole cup. If it were me - I'd shake the crap out of your jug and make sure there is not one spec of anything on the bottom and it's mixed well... let it sit for a couple hours - give it a couple small shakes then try to make something like 16oz of product instead of 6oz. I never make anything less than 8oz to start and I've noticed when I make bigger batches my color is more consistent and its most notable with the clear/smoke colors.... once I get down to reheating 4-5oz things start to yellow very slightly - my guess is it's just hard to keep the heat just right. Once you start getting up to temp - I'd run shorter blasts on the micro and keep stiring like crazy. Sometimes I'm just hitting the micro for no more than 5-10 seconds to get the temp back up form a 270 to 290/300 range on small amounts. As for bad plastic - it's possible - but I'd bet 99% of the time the issue is on our end - not mixing enough, not cooking properly, etc etc.... take your time - check temps every time you heat it and you'll be on the right track. J.

You'd need to find a thermoforming company. There are a ton of them - I'd google search and see if you can find one local to you. J.

Key is in Mark's last 4 words - leave the door ajar.... the water in the mold has to evaporate. I have a little 14x14x14 scientific oven I use for things like this.... with the door sealed molds just gets hot and humid and don't really dry... leave the door open a little and it's 10x faster. You need that air circulation to "wick" the moisture away.... otherwise it's just a hot wet mold instead of a room temp wet mold. J.

I do the same..... I recently tried NOT using the bath on a few baits and found they "settled" in a position I wasn't happy with.... yet that same mold/bait produced baits just fine that I dumped into cold water for a couple minutes prior to laying out on the table for a couple days. I think the water does a good job of really cooling that bait down and without any "weight" on it causing flat spots or odd shapes appendages. I do think if you can lay your bait flat with no weird bends in it the bath probably isn't needed. J.

Mark, Plastics (Plastisol) just always seem to react against other things like paint/urethanes. I recently made 4 carbon fiber reel handles and have been clear coating to get a ice smooth finish and gloss shine.... my 4 year old came by and put a swimbait I had on the table across them - I found that 1 day later and it had melted the clear coat down to the carbon fiber... not happy to say the least. I haven't found a rhyme or reason for when baits melt stuff and when they don't..... I'd have an old creme worm laying across the top of my keyboard for months as I'm working on a new bait and been measuring the tail - yet I put a grub I poured there too and it started melting a hole in the keyboard in less than a week???? Go figure. Maybe put a bit of epoxy over the contact point.... epoxy seems to be pretty "neutral" to things. J.

Not sure - but possible. One fine example of it is the POM multiserve Juice bottle with the handle... and by fine I mean don't drop it!!! LOL!!! J.

Seems like the question has been covered and you are smart for staying away. PETG is a "blended" PET.... PET is used in almost every beverage package out there and has good flexibility. durability all while being really clear. The difference in PETG is it's designed for a different application and the additives make it more brittle - while it has flex and usually acts just like PET - it has less impact resistance and will shatter. If you ever find a PETG beverage bottle (Look for clear with a thru handle) - don't drop it unless you have a mop and bucket handy. J.

Glad to hear it was an easy fix..... also - I'd judge how much pearl you like by viewing the bait outside. In my basement with a bunch of fluorescent lights sometimes I can't see the pearl very well... then pull the same bait out of my bag and dunk it in the lake and it's 100% different in color (much stronger). J.

Not sure of an exact cause - but most people stress to use a "tiny" amount - being a match heads worth. I use about that much with about 12 oz of plastic and haven't had an issue. J