Marks Lures

Some molds I like warm use an electric hot plate, just to get them started. Checking the plastic temp helps. I have one mold I shoot cold as the plastic stays hot too long and will cause sink marks when I pull out the craw. Mark

You should be able to find an oil based or powdered aniline dye, used in just about everything for color. A small amount goes a long way. That would be my option if the regular color was not available. You will have to do a little research, to find what companies use it local and if there is a supplier. Color Glow of South Africa used aniline dye for their products. Regards Mark

Wonder what went wrong or was different. I have re-melted lures without a problem for years without new plastic, sometimes it will yellow if it is clear. Just do heat in the micro a little slower than new plastic. stir, heat, stir, heat, stir, heat.... but never boom??? Regards Mark

It all depends on the time of year. If the current mold makers are not busy in the winter they will bend over backwards etc. for some cash. When spring and summer get here, well you will have to pay the big bucks. I ordered a mold and paid for it from Del-Mart a couple of months ago and promised it was shipped 3 weeks ago, NOT. Asked another mold maker about a design and he said he had something that he made for himself I might be interested, NEVER SAW A PICTURE. Well I have access to designers and machine shops, IN MICHIGAN THAT ARE REALLY REALLY HUNGRY. Have a desighner that will spend the weekend on CAD for $100.00 hey if this goes I will just make it $200.00 for his time. Great guy we drink beer together, he is from India and has no clue what a fishing lure is. Need I keep going. I am so frustrated with what people think this will cost and what it can get done for in a crap economy and thinking of changing the rules. Going to find a local machine shop that is looking to make some money and put food on the table for his kids. And I will stress the importance of customer service. Anyone Interested in this endevor? I AM TIRED OF THE POSTINGS THAT SAY YOU SHOULD WAIT, BE HAPPY AND PAY BIG BUCKS FOR YOUR UNIQUE DESIGNS WHEN THEY WILL MAKE SOMETHING CLOSE AND SELL IT ANY WAY, PROVIDED THEY HAVE TIME. MY OPINION AND IF THERE IS ENOUGH SUPPORT WILL LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL CAD DESIGNERS AND MOLD SHOPS THAT ARE EAGER TO GET INTO A NEW BUSINESS. e.g CAD to CAM to produce executeable code to make a little league trophy $100.00, this with an Indian on a good ol Red Neck handshake. Finding there are a lot of designers with free time and Machine shops with free time. Dont think it would be that hard to put the two together. I am talking non-fishing people that want to eat, and keep their kids in shoes. An Unhappy mold customer, due to service. Mark

I agree with Frank, kind of... I think if you have two injectors and mess with the direction you will get something like what is in the picture. Does not look like a "swirl" Regards Mark

I have not used a Del injector. But if it is new I would let it set in some hot plastic a little before you try to fill it up. I found out the best solution to all the problems in making your own lures is to take your time. e.g. try to hurry up and fill your injector. Instead of taking your time. the plastic will harden in the nozzle. Regards Mark

There is the big guy and the little guy with out money and good ideas. Sometimes the mold makers will help and sometimes they will try to sell you what they have. Look for a Civil Liberties kind of lawywer to post just how to word the "new free public lure design" so that it can not be patent later by a big company. Really I have many ideas, I don't have the money for patents or copyrights. Big companies will want the ideas for free. I would ragther figure out a way to just disclose the idea as public property and see someone just enjoy or make a couple of bucks off my idea. Who cares the big guy will screw you in the end unless there is a way to make it a freeware design. The current mold makers respect the other mold makers and that is good it is real "American Business", My 2 cents is that I have heard comments that we are behind the Japanese, by at least 2 years for lure design, trust me this is not true. The Japanese think Bass and Bluegill are garbage fish, I asked a Japanese expat at work, to be friendly and something to do while he was here, to go bass fishing last year and he said, "Mark-san bass are garbage. Why would you like to fish for them?" Please Buy American, Fish American, and how can we share new ideas for (the small struggling) Americans. Please support this topic Thank you Mark

Wow since 1975, think one of the pans are original and I was still pouring the little lobster (Creepy Crawler mold) for a catching "bull" or really big blue gill at the time. I was looking at some of the creep crawler molds to use parts from for some new molds but the price was way too high. Regards Mark

Nate Looks interesting... do you have any pictures and where the crappie slder molds come from. Getting a little late to order crappie lures... Regards Mark

Bob Think the biggest issue would be... if it is a four color rigid injector without a real even push it would lock up. Probably would be easier with 4 pressure pots, working as one, same air pressure for injection. Will keep thinking the best way to do it by hand. Mark

Jim I think you brought up a good topic. Maybe fish do care if there are one, two, three, or even four colors. Think my next fishing trip I will start with me and who ever I find to go fishing. One fish with a solid color the other with a two color, take turns at the best cast locations, etc. This could be real interesting. Think this would take some time to get all the way to a four color lure, to get some kind of data. Then we would know if the fish really cared about one or more colors Regards Mark

Frank A hollow frog has been done, I saw the one with a roto cast, do you have the link for the dual injector hollow frog? A straight shot hollow frog without the rotation? It would be much appreciated Thank you Mark

This is like really so cool. You guys should work on world hunger,,,, a few simple comments takes on a life of its own.... Really I like the idea, but who is going to buy a 4 color bait besides us to figure out how it is done. For fishing I will settle for two colors because fish are stupid and would not bite if they had to decide on 4 different colors versus just... (bass or fish) WOW TWO FOR THE BITE OF ONE bass or fish talking about the color. Okay, we can now solve world hunger.... How can I dual inject a frog (Mr. CC Croaker) and make it a hollow belly???? --- brain teaser I wil post when I finish it... From world hunger to empty belly.... Best Regards Mark

Jim About my last post where I rambled on and timed out. A 3 color injection is possible with smaller injectors (like I mentioned a re-design) would have to work around a heating system or pot system. etc. Really any more than 3 (in my opinion) it is art, but a waist of time. the fish looks, hmmmm food ,,,, hmmm eat food,,, "wait not 4 colors, it is not good food" I will tell you every idea I have to make pretty lures to sell to a fisherman, you could make 20 color injector, one or two colors will work Regards Mark

Jim you got me going on that one. Got timed out. Possible, and then some, but I really don't think the fish would care. Fun to think about though. Regards Mark

Jim I agree it would be neet to look at, but I think the most effective for fishing would be 2 colors. If you really want 4 colors Take two of the bass tackle injectors and ask for a dual blending block that will set up for 4 injectors. I don't think is a big deal unless you want to sell to just the lure buyers. WAIT....NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT UNTIL YOU WERE SO PERSISTANT IN SEEING THE RESULTS. IT IS THE POSSIBILITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just thought of something, it would require a re-design of the injector system... blah... blah... blah. Okay I will describe this as a hand pour. Pour color #1 Pour color #2 with a piece of dowel rod that it painted and sealed so it looks like a core shot. after set pull out dowel Pour color #3 to look like core shot Pour color #4 to top off the most amazing hand pour in history. Yes this can be done with injection, but the blending block (as far as I know is not on the market). ANOTHER WOW FOR THIS IDEA.

Try Pumpkin seed (base brownish) Green Pumpkin Dirty up with a bit of red and blue. Really looks like a dark Coca-Cola / Root Beer Color. Purple looks like it might be from the blue electronic water color on the picture (mixing with the red). Or maybe amber red and a bunch of black. It is all really guessing until you actually have an in-hand color to copy. Hope I provided some ideas to get you there. Mark

My guess is from the mold design the person selling or a friend of the person made the mold, or very old Reason: This should really be more like a creature mold, as is would be fun but the mold designers would have dropped the twister tgails and added claws or some king of creature flapper. If you relly like it (going to toss an idea into my later box) come up with something like it and send to some of the known mold makers. Example This would be really cool with a couple of Caney Creek Claws instead of the twister tails.. It also looks like an easy CAD model to create. Regards Mark

But they have some really awesome websites! And looking at the sites, no way I could tell it was from the same mold. I give a lot of creative credit. Unless someone really knows. The better picture and marketing will get the sales. Many companies make a tube jig, to the person that buys that tube jig, it is really not the same thing. Regards Mark

I am confused w'hy baby bass is usually green??? Trying to attach a picture of a "real" baby bass.

Looks like a Creepy Crawler... Mattel LOL Looks like it would be fun to fish, move all over the place. Where can I get one? Regards Mark

Oh, so they they don't die-grind on the molds to change the action a little, like I do. They do not have several different UV additives, because game fish have one UV eye cone. Bass really taste with nerves so smell all you want, then try it under water to see what I mean. Last of my final batch of amino acids came in for the final scent. Looked at all the patents and atom chain things that relate to the patents, one turns on fish taste the other turns off fish taste. Came up with a second best that turns on fish taste. The big boys will know what I am talking about, spectra analysis will be different (jamming chemicals), so would the chain, you would have a chance to figure out what I did if I patent it.... Not. Oh, wait.... I would really have to sell the lures I make, not keep them for myself, just tried to sell one that the wifey busted me on the 6.75" tube worm that I worked with Jason to make, have my reasons for making it. Got a Mino HD last week to make the "hat-cam". Last but not least my Mr. CC Croaker, (you should all have figured out this one) the Caney Creek Croaker or frog. I am going to modify the tool to make a dual injection hollow frog. The half pour is cool. I am going to try to change the rules on injecting. Designed a core shot injector, that I will finish one of these days. Could also make a "perfect swirl injector" but not much into swirls. Got hooked on this in 1968 when I took the little creepy crawler lobster (that I made) on a hook and caught the biggest blue gill of my life. So the molds and the colors are the same... think outside the box, what will make my lures work better than the next guy , and I really do not have to say anything about it, because there will be repeat customers. Some day I might actually sell some of the lures I make, right now I am looking at a new box that has 5 gallons of MF fun, I say that is because I used to make POP molds for weight systems and soft plastics, now I really like the aluminum molds after the Tube Worm Mold that CCM did for me. Think I have rambled on way too long tonight. Regards Mark

Sealing a POP mold What about the old fashioned way of hand wax that is used for furniture? I have dried out POP molds and used thinned downed shillac (or clear laquer) to soak in and hand waxed. POP is cheap was not going to use expensive epoxy to seal up the mold. Also used thinned down laquer in the boat seats I made for my boat that I had 15 years, the coated wood was still in good shape when I sold it 5 years ago. Mark

You only really need 5 colors, the three primary Red, Yellow, Blue, and the step-children colors Black and white. Get a color wheel and start mixing to what you are looking for. Mark

Know what you mean my first x-wife took everything with her, Think this one is going to leave also, she said something about going fishing too much and making too many lures. She can have everything but my lure molds, supplies, boat and fishing equipment. Regards Mark