SlowFISH

+1 on both above.... make sure while your breaking it in (actually all the time) you should shoot some oil, wd-40, pam, etc. in the barrel to keep it sliding nice and smooth.... and as mentioned the rod and back cap usually need to wear in a bit - oil helps it slide easy at first - but a little wear in that area over time will "fix" the issue.... you could just cycle the injector a whole lot (no plastisol) to help break it in some. If it's sliding nice and smooth when oiled / empty it should be smooth during use - if it's still choppy - you probably have plastisol build up between the plunger and the back cap which can clog airflow and make it harder to use. Take it apart - lube it and it should work fine. J.

Thx.... figured the location I put it was too far away from element. The glue gun part... are you wiring that element as well? Or just using the tip threaded into the valve?

Bryan - where are you locating the hole/valve? I tapped one of my two prestos near bottom corner (on side) and find the brass valve just never gets hot enough to pour easily unless I totally open the valve. Should I have tapped it closer to the heating element? J.

How is the mold vented? I get the same thing on some baits due to the ribs/venting layout. I found venting nearly each rib can help - as well as trying to have the vents "vertical" in orientation when you shoot the mold so the air escapes up and out of the cavity. And the vents don''t have to be big - super small.... just to let that last little bit of trapped air escape. J.

I just went out and checked my stash... have two heat stabilizer bottles - one I bought YEARS ago - and it's pretty yellow looking... another I bought last year that is LESS yellow. Maybe it doesn't go "bad" but turns yellow over time when exposed to moisture/etc. J.

If heat stabilize "goes bad" in the Plastisol that sits for long periods.... how long does Heat Stabilizer that I bought to add to my plastisol last? Wouldn't that go bad over time as well? J.

I do the same.... but was hoping I could just do it easier with 1 color and a couple q tips and some dye... I just hate trying to manage 2 colors with my microwave... guess i just have to stop being lazy about firing up the prestos!!! LOL!.

That happens to nearly everyone unless you are using a presto-pot and can keep the injector tip down in the heated plastisol between injections. When I'm doing small batches and using microwave/pyrex cups - I keep my injector up on a couple blocks of wood and put a small alcohol lamp below the tip to keep it hot.... this probably OVERHEATS the tip/injector at times and honestly - isn't the safest thing to do compared to using something like a foreman grill- but it works on minimizing the "plug" you get in your photo. And it's not just the tip that is causing it - it's the plunger as well... BOTH have to pretty hot. Get and keep that injector hotter and you'll minimize/eliminate that plug - but in my experience - its really tough to do unless your using prestos and let the injector sit down in the plastic. J.

Thanks guys - figured that's what I'd hear - was just "hoping" I could cheat my way into dual color baits without breaking out both prestos and my dual injector.... no shortcuts in this hobby!!! LOL!! J.

Hey guys - Just curious if anyone has ever tried putting the plastisol colorant onto the surface of the mold cavity - then shot it? My thinking is - I could take a q-tip with some colorant on it and running it down the middle of the mold cavity with the "hope" of getting a stripe (the color of the colorant form the q tip) on the bait which I could shoot of a different/lighter color. I can't see why it wouldn't work.... but could also easily see it becoming a mess with the colorant I "painted" in the mold with the q-tip settling on the outer surface of the bait and then get all over everything - compared to when the color is mixed into the plastisol normally. Curious if anyone has tried something like this and if worked/failed? Though it could be interesting for stripes/dots/etc. - provided it works and doesn't make a mess! Thanks. J.

I dump mine in a bucket of water.... BUT......I think bait shape can dictate which is best... "simple things" like senkos/worms/beaver/craws/etc... probably no real advantage to water vs. hanging.... BUT - I make a few baits that if I hang - the long side appendages take a set in the wrong position due to gravity pulling them down..... I found if I just dump them in the water - they float around and find their "molded shape" and set in the correct/molded position - I can then take them out of the water in 5-10 minutes and lay them down or hang to dry/cure after that. J.

Yeah I'd love to see what you rigged up... baits look cool!!! J.

Thanks for the tip.... I tend to think aligned or perpendicular with things.... so good heads up on marking a direction as I'd probably not have tried that!!! J.

That's what I thought since I have same challenge at times with my current double shot block... if it's not perfectly lined up on the mold I get one color baits on smaller stuff. Otherwise how you find it working? I've seen on videos there seems to be some sort of "mixing" plate between the block halves.... is it a pain to disassemble/reassemble shoot or pretty easy? I'm still tempted to get it as the "regular" size baits it seems to produce look great. Curious how you find it working? J.

Hey all - I really like the "camo" type baits that I've seen online produced with the Anglin AI C-Block. IF anyone has it - curios to know if the bait size effects the results. It looks great on 3"-4" beaver style baits.... would assume bigger baits you'd get the same result... but i'm curious on how effective it is on smaller baits.... neds, panfish/crappy plastics.... I shoot everything from big worms/lizards down to the small stuff and would love to know if on the smaller baits it tends to just be one colors showing... that happens at times with my dual injector now where if the shot isn't perfect a few of the baits tend to be one color. Thanks! J

EBAY or McMaster... just make sure you know the size you are looking for. Standard steel dowel pins work just fine. J.

Other option isn't a true 50/50 laminate - but in a paddletail swimbait mold I have with the same layout I hand pour a "top" color in each half and leave the mold halves on an angle to let that color setup - key is to angle the halves get the plastic as close as you can to the top edge without going over it.... then close the mold up and shoot the bottom color. You'll end up with the bottom color on the very top between the two colors you poured.... and technically the "top color" is really more on the shoulder.... but it's not a bad option if you dont want to shoot/cut/reshoot on a mold with that layout. J.

Just to be clear - I didn't see any issue when pouring or from heat. All was just fine after using the molds the first time.... it was about 1.5 weeks later when I went back to make more baits i noticed the paint was soft. So I'm assuming either the 3M silicone spray I use to "lube" the molds lightly did a number on the paint or there is a very fine film layer/grease left from the plastisol that slowly softened the paint. For record I used the Rust-Oleum Engine Enamel 500F - picked up from Home Depot. As for baking the paint... I know some paints require that to full set/cure - but I'd be weary of putting molds in anything without temp control and even heating.... if you have an oven - that might work but I'd think there is always a risk as the metal will expand. FYI - stripped two molds lastnight... acetone and a brush took off 90% of the paint pretty easily - I then put a citrus stripper in them after that and left overnight to get the remainder out of the smaller creavces... wasn't too bad... but kinda pissed it didn't work for me as I really liked the finish I got on the baits. Might try it again and try to keep the paint REALLY thin and see if that helps. I didn't go too thick - but I'm sure some areas were thicker than others due to mold shape and trying to coat all the surfaces. J.

One piece of advice on using the High Temp paint to smooth molds out.... CLEAN the molds thoroughly after use. I didn't.... and the paint is now soft. I had tested compatibility before hand and found leaving a worm on a the Rustoluem High Temp painted surface took about 4-5 days to soften the paint - plastisol seems to eat anything it touches - so I was pretty convinced all would be good if I didn't leave anything in the molds as the first 2-3 days the paint was nice and hard... but now its obvious even a empty mold must still has some surface contamination... and now I have paint in some molds I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to strip out. I left the molds out in the sun for a few days hoping it would harden back up - but didn't do a thing. Other than that... it works REAL NICE... just wish it didn't soften the paint... so I'd recommend cleaning the molds to reduce this issue. J.

For the cores - you can really use almost anything metal. I use all sorts of metal - aluminum, brass, steel.... combinations of the those... doesn't matter and pretty much any metal has a higher meting point that 350. Basically - just find something metal with a diameter bigger than your current core and shoot a few and see if the problem disappears. If you find a piece of tubing that you can slide snug over the core you have - that would work too... all you wanna do is see if the diameter is the issue - once you find out if it is (or isnt) - then you can find a more permanent solution. I will say your tubes do look cool... I love the random mixing of colors. Nice. J.

McLuvin has a real good point.... Your wall thickness looks really thick although it could just be the angle/photo.... there is a balance between too thin and too thick when it comes to stretch.... The one photo you showed with 3 samples makes it seem like the two upper baits have a reasonably "thin" wall - and didn't tear... and they look great BTW. Seems like your other baits that tore have a pretty decent wall thickness. If the wall thickness is too thick and resists stretching - it will find a weak point (thin, bubble, etc) and just tear... if the walls are thinner it should give all the way around and that head has a better chance of sliding in. I'm sure you can use a "more strechable" plastic - but there is no reason you can't trouble shoot what you have and use what you already bought. You can use almost anything metal for a core... Personally I'd start there with upping the diameter of the core until you find a sweet spot. J.

To me it looks like every one of those baits tore at the seam between colors. If that is the case I'd suspect a "cold bond" between the two different colors.... meaning your plastic was too cold when you made the baits and didn't "fuse" together. I'll pour a color into a mold - close it them shoot another color. If i wait too long to shoot it - it will bond - but you can pull the sections apart if you really try. Hope this makes sense... might wanna just run a few more baits and make sure you keep the plastic hot. Also - that head probably isn't helping you being so wide at the top. I did some testing on stretch ratio for some bait I made with an insert... 3-1 seemed to be a good average without tearing the baits..... how big in diameter is the core our using for the tubes? If its less than 1/3 the "diameter" of that head you might need a bigger core. J.

I have a TON of mistakes / old pours / stuff I bought and didn't use/like.... I use it for testing new molds and once a year I melt is all down in my presto and shoot a bunch stuff in the "brownish" color I get from it.... I'll add some colorant every now and then - but you'd need a ton to make it something that isn't the brown pumpkin color it is naturally. J.

I purchase powders from (https://thepowdercoatstore.com/) to use on parts for my kayak. Been thrilled with the 3 items I've purchased so far (A purple / anodized red and a nickle) and whats excellent is they sell sample sizes (1/2) pound priced at really reasonable rates. A 1/2 pound goes a LONG way with small parts. J.

+3 on above - You probably have 2 things going on... 1. too much heat - which is picking up alot of paint during dip and then bubbles/runs/chips etc. 2. You didn't state how you are dipping.... straight into powder or using a fluidized bed.... if straight into powder - you'll really need to manage the heat to keep the paint from getting on too thick - and I'd recommend making a fluidized bed from PVC, air pump and coffee filters. If your using a fluidized bed - increase the air as the "lighter/fluffier" the powder is in the bed - the less will stick to the part. I've gotten same thing you showed at times when I get lazy and just try to heat/dip a lure or jighead into straight powder.... a fluidized bed helps ton. J.