wnybassman

X4. I have a bait that I want to have a mold made, too.

I have not quite figured that answer out in my own head yet. lol Much like my little maple syrup operation, it's an addiction and I just keep doing it.

I've made a couple of my own one piece Senko molds. I never tried them with salt, but I did notice the flake would settle to the bottom before they cured enough. I imagine salt would be much worse yet. Once I switched to two piece aluminum hand pour molds, that settling stopped, and I use 2 ounces of salt for every 4 ounces of plastic (and 1 ounce of softner). I think with the aluminum molds, they start solidifying down near the bottom before you reach the top while pouring, and that stops the settling.

On my aluminum trim break I bent long strips of aluminum into an L channel. Then just nip one side of the L and bend it around. Duct tape it down. Done.

I found the LC watermelon to be very ugly as well. I feel straight LC green pumpkin is more watermelon and to make a green pumpkin I like I have to add 4 drops of LC pumpkin to 20 drops of green pumpkin. (4 oz plastic)

I hope they bring back the laser point series (or was it laser sharp series?) for the light wire 90 degree bend jig hooks, in black nickel. I still use those exclusively for all my tube head and light football head jigs, even though they have not been available in 5+ years. I bought several thousand on clearance way back when from Jann's. I am down to my last 800 or so.

My first gallon of plastic was LC 502. In hindsight, it was a good choice, very foolproof for the beginner. I did find myself adding a fair amount of softner to it the more comfortable I got, so since, I have been ordering the 536.

I have LC 536 plastic and was wondering how much LC hardener per 4 ounces it would take to make a 502 formula? Thanks.

Some love it and some hate it. I would say to contact them and request a small sample and see how it works for you. I'm glad I did before ordering a larger quantity. It just didn't work for me.

I have been getting 18 sticks (5 1/4") from a 4 ounce cup of raw plastic with salt and softener added to the "Yamamoto Ratio" posted on this site. I definitely use my sprues, then at the end of the pourable amount in the cup, I save it for the next batch, So, for me, I could essentially get well over 550 sticks out of a gallon.

I believe it also said free shipping.

I feel the same way you do. I just started pouring last fall. I have caught a ton of fish since ice out this year and every one I have caught on plastic has been one I poured. I am being stubborn and not using store bought baits at all, but that might change come tournament season later this month. lol Yesterday I caught a decent smallmouth on a bait that I concocted. A mix of two baits that I merged and made a RTV mold for. First smallie ever on it! I think I'll keep throwing it

I am not even sure I'd take it if you gave it to me. lol I had poor results as well, but my micro has no power level settings. I guess if I could tone it down it would be better? The LC I use is much more forgiving. Ooops, I left it in for a minute too long, but it is still very usable. I really wish I could make it work with my system, because the price is very attractive.

I figure with the Smooth-On product I can make a single 4 to 5 cavity mold for about $6 to $8 each. Although that is probably way more than POP, all you have to do is pour two bags worth of baits and your already ahead of the game. Plus you can get nearly round baits if you want to, with the flexibility of the RTV it is much easier to get out than if it was rigid.

Hope you have several hundred $$ to part with, because you will. For me I have to have purple glitter.

Could someone post a really good picture of the 4.25 Kodiak Craw? I have been thinking about this mold but would like to see a good picture first.

OK, my microwave doesn't have a power level setting so I guess I'll try my second half of my sample bottle bringing it up to temp in even shorter bursts and see how it goes.

I received a small 8 ounce sample of the soft Pourasol the other day. Tested it out this afternoon. Could not get away from the bubbles. I'm a microwave user and the only other plastisol I have used is LC 502 and LC 536. I brought the temps up slowly, and as soon as it got close to hot enough it looked like it was boiling, bubbles just kept rising. I tried to let it sit for a minute, and the surface became white with bubbles, almost frothing. After a while I could stir the bubbles out, but by that time it was to cool and thick to pour with. A reheat got it bubbling again. I never poured a single good bait. It's kind of a bummer with the other good reviews here. For whatever reason, it ain't working with the way I do things. I guess I'll have to spring for larger quantities of LC to bring my costs down.

No real reason I guess. Looks kinda raw, and they are just for me, I'm not even selling them. I made a batch today and just rolled the cut ends over a propane torch real quick. Made the ends shiny and perfect.

Next time I'm out there pouring, I'll try dipping the ends in clear for about a 1/2 inch. I T-rig the baits many times (either dock skipping or punching weeds with a weight) and that might even toughen the ends up better for a hook. Thanks for the replies!

I found one, thanks.

I recently bought a 5" stick bait mold, and was wondering the best way to cut the sprue off. I have been using a sharp utility knife, but thought there might be a better way. Kinda leaves a raw edge with salt hanging out. Does anyone lightly heat that cut end to "seal" it?

What makes the use of nylon pins good for the painting process? The fact that paint doesn't stick to them, or something else?