Anglinarcher

Plastisol expands when it is heated, shrinks when it cools. reducing shrinkage is impossible, compensating for it is necessary. Good luck on your attempts.

Polystyrene is a hot steam expansion system so it is not something you can do at home easily. Using Alumilite 320 or 610 foam would work very well. You can create your molds using Silicone (Alumilite HS2 would work well). Once the molds are created you can place he hook inside and pour. the material expands either 10 or 20 times it's size so keep the amount poured small and have a lot of space to expand. The material can be either painted (done on Styrene) or you can tint the foam with a die (any soft plastic dye will work). The foams are amber so the final color will be a combination of each. The foams are self skinning so no top coating is necessary. This is a great forum, but I am going to take you to the Alumilite product site. The first site will take you to a good source where the Alumilite owner answers questions. http://asklarry.huntforbigfish.com/ The next site will help with videos that will give you the basics. http://www.makelure.com/store/pg/54-How-To-Videos.aspx Review the vids and ask again and we can help you out. It is a little tricky due to the expansion of the foam, but it is not hard and you can get great results.

Many bait dies/colors bleed some. What you are likely seeing is a bit of that bleeding of the dye from the bait to the oil. It probably will not impact the bait, but if you have two color baits it could stain the other colors.

And that will work well.

http://www.makelure.com/store/pg/54-How-To-Videos.aspx The above vids will get you started, any then some. Good luck.

Mark's laminate method will work, once you get the bugs out of your pour by trial and error. As for injecting, a large sprue used as a reservoir would be necessary, and is how the monster plastic pours are normally done. The hand pour is tricky, but modifying your mold to provide that reservoir for shrinkage, then trimming once cool, should work.

Easy one to duplicate with silicone.

I really think your mixing air bubbles into the plastic. Degassing the silicone when making the mold is not necessary.

Looks like air mixed into the plastic. I would need to know more about your procedure, etc., of course, but.......

You can pour your own bismuth. Bismuth melts at 521 degrees F where lead is at 621 degrees F. As expected, it is a matter of supply. Still, buying in bulk and makin your own is a good option. I find it an excellent option, but a little brittle for split shot, especially removable split shot. Brass is over 1700 degrees, copper over 1800 degrees F, so unless you are a big buy with a great setup, forget it. Tin is the standard, melting at 450 degrees F, and it is flexible, but........ as indicated, it is light. Not for large production methods, at least that I know of, but mixing a 50% tungsten powder and 5 minute epoxy mix and molding gives lead densities. It is not flexible so a split shot is out of the question, but ....... I have made jigs out of it and it works well.

Of course we have not asked, is it sticky because you did not mix the plastic well enough before heating/pouring????

Hobby Lobby has a lot of the Alumilite materials and you don't need the white. 40% of coupons available as well. Alumilite.com provides links to all you need in the way of instructions for lure making as well. http://www.makelure.com/ is their lure making material site. The choice is yours, but I believe you will find the instructions and support excellent at Alumilite.

The key to mass or small production two layer pours is temperature control. Different plastics formulas will require a small amount of temperature differences, but record the temperature and do it the same each time. You will get it down in now time.

Double edge sword, seems to be the nature of our endeavor here. LOL

I am not so sure about the idea that you get separation if you wait too long. I have no issues and find that the alumisol products I use melt and adhere just fine. Try waiting a little longer for the first layers to cool a bit more. Yes, I know that many claim it can separate, but...... I have never experienced it. Maybe my second layer is hotter then others????

Once the resin has cured you can proceed as normal.

Practice, only practice.

To me, you can build two types of ice rods. 1) Ones people will buy. 2) Ones that actually work well. LOL, I made several about 10 years ago and would never make an ice rod out of carbon. Solid glass for me. But, no one liked them, UNTIL THEY fished with them. Have not ice fished in years and gave my rods to my son, but...... Well worth your effort in my opinion.

I have not made rods in some time, and always made them for myself, but I too still have my first rod and would have all of them but some have been broken over time. Even my first rod was of equal to better quality to the commercial rods of the time. The quality of the accessories you put on the blank can sure make a huge difference. Here is the story...... if you want to use an existing blank, the only option, then you are limited to your outcome. You can stiffen of soften the blank a little with guide placement, but the final action does not change substantially. You can cut he back ends off or the remove sections of tips to fine tune actions, but again, that is trial and error. Braided Line is correct, but so are the others. It depends on perspective. Working with Mud Hole is a great option.

You are mixing bubbles into the soft plastic, it is not due to you mold. Mixing too fast cam cause this, as well as getting the plastic too hot, or ...... a lot of other things as well.

OK, I have poured dozens, maybe more, molds with Alumilite Silicone. You have far more options for different stiffness's, strength, etc. Some require degassing, some don't. All benefit with degassing but if you pour slowly from a corner, or paint the surface with a thin coat before pouring, you get excellent results. http://www.alumilite.com/ This will get you to where it all begins, including the How To videos. http://www.alumilite.com/store/pg/47-Mold-Making-Alumilite-Mold-Making-Casting-Materials.aspx This will get you to the basic mold making materials, of which most will probably work for you. http://www.alumilite.com/store/p/918-QuickSet.aspx This is a pretty basic material, stiff enough to hold its shape well, available at Hobby Lobby, available at other sources as well. It has a link to the technical sheet. https://www.alumilite.com/PDFs/New TDS/QuickSet.pdf Max temperature of 395 degrees, but I find that it will handle more for a short period. http://www.alumilite.com/store/p/1029-Alumilite-s-High-Strength-1.aspx More flexible, more tear strength, awesome material. See link to technical data sheet https://www.alumilite.com/PDFs/New TDS/High-Strength-1.pdf 395 degree max extended temperatures. http://www.alumilite.com/store/p/921-Alumilite-s-High-Strength-3.aspx Best for making one piece molds, but not good for foam pours or injection because it is so flexible. http://www.alumilite.com/store/p/927-Plat-55.aspx My favorite for injection molds and for foam pours. Very dimensionally stable. http://www.alumilite.com/store/p/1081-TRANS-40-Translucent-Silicone.aspx An interesting option I have not tried yet. Alumilite has videos, a help forum, technical support, etc. It all boils down to determining what you need. As for where to buy it? Well, some of it is available from hobby stores, all from their web site, and much of it from Amazon.

A clay is a good option. A good carver could do it in wood, but that IS NOT ME. LOL If you are NOT making these for others, you could buy a sample, cut it off, glue to your wood master. Still, more fun with a heat hardening clay like Sculpy.

I don't know that you got your question answered about powder colors. They are a great non bleed option compared to liquid dyes, and it also adds a bit more opaqueness and pearl hints. Most of us use dyes, liquid, but I love power options. Glow colors are almost, if not always, powder.

You will never get a definitive answer. Some swear against oil based scent saying it does not dissolve in water, but some oil always does. Some swear against water based scent saying it washes off too quickly, but you can apply more often. Just add water based AFTER MOLDING while oil can be added to the hot plastic. As for the actual scent, what works one day may or may not work on another day. Different scents then what everyone else is using always helps. Natural scents, like shad, may work better if shad are available, but in reality, I wonder how "shad like" the scent is once it is cooked in hot plastic. LOL Think raw steak verses grilled hamburgers. As for Coffee scent, well it only goes to prove that a cover scent is more likely to work then a matching scent in some conditions. I have even seen Banana scent available. Some guides won't even allow a banana on a boat so that thought of banana scent in a lure should be against the law. Bet it works well because no one else will be using it.

The following are options: http://www.basstackle.com/category_s/78.htm http://store.do-itmolds.com/Large-Injector--95-oz_p_269.html http://store.do-itmolds.com/Medium-Injector--4oz_p_325.html http://baitmold.com/product-category/injectors/ Try the following by contacting them, they had an inexpensive plastic model that works fine for small projects. http://www.pouryourownworms.com/Soft-Plastic-Worm-Mold-Kits_c64.htm As indicated, lots of options, but it all depends on what you are doing.