Cub48

I have the Ultra Molds Mini Shooting Star System. I do preheat my plastic to 350 F while my system is heating up to 298 F this is what i set my system at to shoot two colors. Make sure you clean your injector before you start a new batch. i had some problems with a dirty injector, also pulling the plastic too fast will cause the injector to suck air in . Another thing make sure u are holding the injector up to the valve tight u can also pull air in there. Check your oring at the end of your injector and the ones inside the tubes for nicks. The reason i said clean your injector i had shot a couple batches with no problems then my third batch it was doing good then it started getting air and the colors were not even so the next batch i cleaned it good and lubed and it worked good with no problems. As far as the lumps check the temp of your plastic if it is getting to 350 F then it is the plastic. The lumps could cause the plastic to suck air if it is clogging the passages. Another trick i learned is turn your valves on and heat the system up to about 200F + and take a air blower and blow ports out it will blow into the pot like a soft worm then u don't have another color seeping in. I try to pull one out when it is cold with the plug but if it breaks off i blow which ever is still there. One other thing don't leave stirrers in and let cool take them out when u are done LOL i found out after my first batch took m a few mins to get out. Cub48 PS. let me know maybe i can help but i am new with this system too

They are set up for 120 V That we use in US. I read one reply where the person was planning on using a voltage reducer on one. To reduce the 230 to 120v. Go to Ultra Molds web site and they have a contact link there he will contact u there. Later Cub48

I just bought the Mini Shooting Star the first of the year. It is well built and everything works very good. The baits look like they are supposed to. I have shot 3 or 4 batches of two cups each side it worked great. I would recommend this system to anyone

This is the way i cleaned mine this week. As i have not had mine long i talk to ute in a message he was telling me about using the air. So i started i got the plug out of the bottom i worked the runner out of the single port with the plug the runner on the other one broke off did the other side the same way. then i turned on the pots when it got over 200F i opened my valve in the front and applied air it squirted out in the pot like a worm got it out and it was good to go. I also cleaned my injector and lubed it up everything worked great that night with no problems. The second time i used it i did not clean it like this and the runner leaked into the pot i had to clean it out of the hot pot as liquid. Next time i will try the air at the lower temp. I am going to make a tool to turn the valve when i get time. i used a couple of wood dowells to turn it on but would be great to have a tool to do it with i did not want to scratch the ports. It will take a while to learn all the learning curves to make it easier. Please post anything new u learn so it will help us all out. Thanks Cub48

Crappie.com has a section for pouring plastics and jigs in their forum. Not new but is a good one. Cub48

I have 2 -2 Worm ,7" ribbon tail worm mold. The worm is more like a 10" worm with the tail. If u like shorter u may want the 5" as it will be like 8" is my guess. The mold is a Bass tackle i looked it don't have a number just calls it 7" ribbon tail worm it is not the one with the c tail. I have caught several fish on this worm. i like it in watermellon red.

]Yes i made my own injector and used it for over a year. It worked as well as the ones u buy. Search cub48 i think i have a picture of it somewhere. Mine is made of a lift gate shock on a Tahoe it has a metal piston and a oring i made my tip from a piece of aluminum i bought off ebay had to be tight or it would suck air put set screw to hold tip. If u know someone that works at a dealer shop we replace them often, only thing is some have a groove up the side but u can feel it on the outside. Have not tried one of these the oring might seal it. If i had a lathe to machine the tips these would be as good or better than the ones u buy. The first one i made i had 0 dollars in the others were like $1.00 Cub48

I am in the same boat. Everything is too large for me also. I would like a Shooting Star setup with about Quart pots. So u could do a pint in each pot make 300 or so baits at a time. Maybe even have different size pot that would interchange, Say 1QT 2QT ect. The guys that are making these machines look at it this way there are more people shooting 200 to 300 baits than those that are shooting 2000 to 3000 at a time. Fix quick connect pots so if u got bigger just adjust pots with a larger pot setup.Cub48

Heat injectors don't heat molds takes too long for them to cool, to get your baits out. I heat my injector so it won't have a big plug of cool plastic in the tip. I don't have too take the tip off if it is warm enough i can cycle the injector and blow the plug out keep shooting. I use a presto pancake grill and set it on about 300F. I also set my measure cups on it. Cub48

I know this is something else to buy but look for u a electric grill the flat one for pancakes about 12" x 16" u can lay your injector in it and set your measure cups in to keep them hot after taking them out of the microwave. U will need something to insulate the injector as it gets hot. But it will be a lot less waste in the injector sometimes i can cycle the injector and blow the plug out and keep injecting without taking it apart. My injector has a locking tip. A hot plate will work too just not as good. Cub48

get u a digital thermometer, the one with metal probe and goes up to 400 f plus I have a infer red it does not read correct when it gets above 250 f u can use the metal probe to stir your plastic. The plastic needs to get 350 F on your first heating after that remelt needs to only be hot enough to inject. trial and error is what it takes to see what works for u. Use your mess up's to learn how to use your injector. if u have bubbles put your injector deeper in the cup that helps not to have as many bubbles in your baits Cub48

The first do-it plastisol I bought was the crystal clear it was bad as it would turn yellow when making clear and white baits I tried everything called them and he sent me a gallon of the essential plastisol it was great no yellow good all around so I ordered 2 1/2 gallons it has bubbles like u would not believe and I have to be very careful or it will yellow don't know what is going on but I switched to bait junkie the first gallon has been great when I first open it had no bubbles but as I shake it before I use, now it is starting to have more bubbles not excessive. Have not had any yellowing. I may build me a vacuum chamber to degass my plastisol as I already have a vacuum pump for a/c that would work. I am not bashing the do-it plastisol but fact are facts it is a good bait once made tough and holds up good, dark colors are no problem u have to work with it to get light color baits and work around the bubbles by going deeper in the cup with the injector. I can work around most problems but when u can heat and shoot with no problems that is the way I am going. Cub48

They are a 2oz injector at Lurecraft, I have 2 that i fixed to shoot twin color. They don't have the jig to set it up for twin. But if u are handy u can fix a jig. I have a drill press and took a 2x2 wood block drill 1" holes marked it with my blending block. Then i sawed it in half after drilling a 5/16 hole in the center. Put a 1/4" bolt in the center to tighten the 2 injectors up, make sure your drill press is square mine had to be adjusted. Then drill a hole in a 3/4" by 1/6" or 1/8" bar the hole size of the injector rods where the knobs thread on, then screw the knobs back on. It took me a couple tries with the wood block but after i figured out my drill press was the problem the last one looked good have not tried it yet but used it with the first try it worked but was a little tight pulling the rods up. Only thing i don't like is the tips are screw off type and it takes a little longer to clean. But if u are using it single u can keep it hot and push out all the plastic and don't have to take it apart. Cub48

What most of us Hobby guys need is a machine that will heat 32 oz or less per side or color. Most of the companies make make their machine for the guys that shoot gallons at a time. I rarely shoot over 2 cups at a time. 2 cups makes about 200 baby shad or more. I don't need 20,000 of one color at a time. If someone would come up with a machine for around 500.00 to 700.00 and small enough for us hobby guys i think they would sell a lot of them. But when u are talking 1500.00 to 20,000.00 i am out. To start with i don't want to spend 125.00 on one color of bait for my self and friends. And i know we can do it like we have been doing it, but we hobby guys like simple and quick also. LOL Ps Just dreaming i guess Cub48!!

I started out with hot plates still use one to heat my injectors. There is a learning curve for using them. Thin bottom pans are a no no! get a pan that is thick on the bottom, Also u don't turn on high to get plastic hot quick. U will burn it. Stir pretty much all the time while u are heating. Sometimes i put a 1/4" metal plate on mine to spread the heat and i use it to sit my pyrex cups on to keep it warm now. Move your knob only small amount at a time when u find your sweet spot mark it . Mine is about a 1/4 knob to keep plastic hot and just past that to get it hot. After u get your plastic hot back your knob off as it will keep getting hotter. U don't heat a pot of plastic in just couple min heat it slow and stir. I burned a few pots learning the curve. One day i was cleaning my injector while heating plastic and was not keeping a close eye on my plastic next thing i knew i had orange plastic instead of white!! I would go into the thrift stores keep an eye for the thick small pots i have got several there for like 2.00- 3.00 dollars. or less. Cub48

Franks right on the plastic too hot. I have just started shooting with twin injector and ran into the same problem. But i was looking at mine and the ones that i shot last were looking good then i reheated my plugs and they started mixing. Also my infra red themo is not accurate above say 250F i bought a digital candy thermo with the metal probe i checked both the infra red and digital and after 250f the infra red don't read right. the plastic is hotter than it reads.Cub48

I am thinking of doing one out of fiberglass resin maybe doing a couple different sizes. Thanks for the replys Cub48

I am thinking of buying a swimbait mold. Was wanting to know from u guys that fish a lot of swimbaits what size do u use most often, do u like a hook slot, Hand pour if so who's, Injection mold! I have not fished swimbaits much so was just wanting some input.Cub48

Ed I was using a infra red thermometer but i bought a digtal candy thermometer and found out the infra red was good up to about 250 f after that it was not accurate. I was having my plastic discolor. The candy thermometer is the one that goes to about 450 f and has a metal probe. The bubbles i still have i think that is micro wave heating. Maybe this will help. Also maybe the plastic u have i got a batch that would turn as u shot each mold. It was just a bad batch of plastic. Cub48

Mark u maybe right i will have to try the wooden tip and see. I heat the injectors so i don't have to take a part the injector between shots. The plastic will not harden in the injector if it is warm and u can push it out. I heat mine on a hot plate and it may get it hot enough to burn. A wooden tip would be easier to form than the aluminum one. I wanted some tips machined but i bought new injectors for what it would cost me for the machine work. I had 4 mold ports cut to 5/8 and a injector rod turned a 1/2 " it was $40.00 Cub48

I made a injector out of a shock for a lift gate on a Tahoe. If u know someone in the automotive field have them to save u some we change them often. The piston is aluminun with a oring the bore is smooth, it is design for pressure. i bought some aluminun rod that would fit tight for the tip i put a set screw in it to keep it from coming out. I have not thought about a tip made made of a wooden dowel but that would be a lot easier it has to be tight so it don't leak air. But the only thing would be if u heat your injector like i do the wood would burn. if u keep your injector warm after u shoot u can push out all your plastic and cycle if a couple times and blow the plug out so u don't have to clean it between shots. I used one of these for two years before i bought two from lurecraft. Only reason i changed was the ease of cleaning the injector as i am using dual injector for two colors now. PS, Only one of the shocks will work as the other has a place in the bore it still may work but i did not use it don't know why it has two different shocks but u can see the line in the outside of the shock. Cub48

If i am going to do a quick pour a pair of old tube socks with the toe cut out for arm protection with the top at your wrist a pair of gloves. Eye protection, mask, shoes and long pants.Cub48

also i forgot i have a infrared thermometer it reads ok until it get around 250f but after that it goes to pot get u a digital candy thermometer u can also use it to stir with while u wait for the reading to stablize. make sure it goes over 400f some stop reading at around 200f. also when the plastic gets to the clear jell stage start heating at 10 to 15 seconds Cub48

It may be your plastic i had some from a company that would yellow even after shooting the first molds would be ok and not reheat it would yellow the next shot also they sent me some new and it has been ok. sometimes i think the company don't get it mixed before they start pouring it up in smaller containers Cub48

A little pearl goes a long way.My white pearl will look silver if u get too much. Blue pearl is very strong in like monkey milk u have to be careful or they will be blue. Violet is a little weaker but i put it in white so that maybe why it seems weak. Don't have gold but i think it would be strong too. Was reading one post where one guy used a paint can opener for his pearl measure spoon which about a 1/4" wide. Yes u should be able to cut it up and add it to another batch unless u overheated it and turned it yellow. Or just throw all your scraps together to practice with. I am like the others i use medium. Cub48