Cormorant Lures

Just looking to see if anyone injects the BT 709 Craw mold? Do the resulting baits have good claw action? Pros/Cons? Any info is deeply appreciated!!! (url removed)

This question is for everybody, but I know Jim @ Ghostbaits does A LOT of hand-pouring... If I decided to stick with hand-pouring for a little while, is there a variety of two-sided closed molds for hand-pouring? I see a lot of pictures from Jim that show a nice variety of hand-poured baits (craws, creatures, etc.). Who makes the molds? Thanks!!! Cormorant Lures

Hello again all!!! I am trying to convince my wife that injection is in our future... I would like to be able to expand beyond the one bait we are currently focused on... Before making any type of decision, my wife has concerns that I would like to address on here: #1. Starting with sticks, what are the general pro's and con's between hand-pouring and hand-injecting? #2. What do you use to heat up your (salty) plastic for sticks? <--- Let me explain, currently I have two of Bear's awesome presto pots with stirring mechanisms. The stirring mech. really helps to keep the salt suspended, but must be a pain in the butt to work around while injecting. So I imagine some people use different heating methods? #2B. Having to leave your injector outside the pot (if using a presto with stirring mech.), do you just place it on your working surface or on a hot plate of some type? From all my research I have already done, it seems that people are divided between hand-pouring or hand-injecting as being the fastest method for sticks. #3. Based on your opinion, which is faster for sticks, hand-pouring or hand-injecting. (To answer this question I'll let you know ahead of time that I plan on having at least 6 or so molds to work with.) If I am missing anything, or you need more information on my plans or process, please let me know!!! Thanks!!! Cormorant Lures

So, is the above mentioned pot from Lurecraft made for injecting or pouring?!? It's confusing to me when the description says "High Pressure Pouring Pot"...

I'll tell you what, something did that almost exact same thing to me the other day... I was mixing up a batch of bubblegum worms... For me, I believe it was the LC white... I was almost like glue when it dripped out of my bottle... I don't know what happened to it, so I just ordered a new bottle to try... I haven't even opened the new bottle yet... I believe the LC white made all my baits super sticky... I had to throw out the batch... Kinda sucked!!! Just my 2cents...

I'll put it as simple as possible... These are only my personal opinions and experiences so take them for as little or as much as you wish... Caney Creek's plastics has: little smell, no microbubble problems, no hard packing, nice packaging, and is very user friendly... I have tried Calhouns (which was early on in my pouring days) but I do not think I had to many problems with it... If I remember correctly it did microbubble in the microwave though... I have tried MF which is very comparable to Caney Creek but the smell almost drove me out of my workshop... Otherwise, MF was an excellent plastic to work with... I then switched to Caney Creek and have been with them ever since!!! I would love to try the other "not named" companies plastics not listed in my post, but to me from everything I have read on this forum, they just don't seem as user friendly... So I spend my money on plastic that works for me... No company bashing, just letting you know that I think Caney Creek has their act together when it comes to a great plastic... Cormorant Lures

Like I said above, I will definately keep this forum informed of my project progress... During the day, I am a quality control inspector for a CNC machine company... Perfect place to make the prototype(s)... We are currently in the process of making our first prototype to prove that the concept will work... As I also stated above, my equipment I am currently using is two presto pots from Bear's... This new piece of equipment will be used in conjunction with the presto pots... I REALLY hope this works!!! Two colored baits have been virtually out of my reach ever since my microwave almost caught on fire!!! From that point on, I haven't really been able to trust putting metal back in there without thinking of the possible repercussions... So I have came up with a process to avoid the microwave all together... As soon as a successful trial run is achieved, I will let you know!!! Cormorant Lures

A buddy of mine and myself are working on a project (starting today) that could REVOLUTIONIZE the process of making two colored hand poured baits... If things turnout well, THIS FORUM will be the first to know about about it... I believe this concept will work, it just might take a few tries to get it figured out... Wish me luck!!! Cormorant Lures

I have yet to give in and buy an injector... At the moment, my equipment of choice is two totally awesome presto pots from Bear's... My question is as follows: Is there an easy way to use my presto pots to my advantage to pour two color baits?!? I would really love to figure this one out... Anyone have some good ideas?!? Is there anyway around the divided cup method, and if not, is it possible to use it without throwing it in the mic?!? Please let me know!!! Thanks!!! Cormorant Lures

I would imagine that Bear probably has the "salt" kinks worked out of his machine by now... Is this a more recent problem?!? It seems as though Bear usually get's his issues figured out in a hurry!!! As far as the Jacob's unit is concerned, it looks like a very nice unit and the price is right... The only problem being, that for me personally, a two color machine is almost a MUST!!! Actually Mike, you are probably right... At this time, for me, a machine might be putting the cart before the horse... The only actual improvements I am looking to make are: #1 faster production, and #2 a way to make two color baits without using a mic... It seems as though you are telling me that both of these goals can be accomplished by using my presto pots with two hand injectors and a blending block, or a twinjector from Basstackle, correct?!? Of course the only issue being that I would have to revamp my mold collection to injection molds... How much time do you think I would gain from pouring directly from a presto pot, to using a hand injector method?!? In all reality, I LOVE my presto pots!!! They are a HUGE improvement for me when it comes to pouring from a mic... But still, it seems as though there must be other methods that take less time to accomplish my goal... At this time, I am only pouring one type of bait, and because of how much time it takes to pour so many color variations of the one type, it is hard for me to look at expanding into other baits like crawdads and such... I have so many different color variations and that's not including any two colored baits... I need to somehow speed up my process based on the limited amount of time I have to pour... If hand-injecting will GREATLY improve my pouring time, then I guess this is the next step I will take... If not, then other options will need to be considered... Thanks again!!! Cormorant Lures

I haven't posted on the site since late last year so first off, hello again to all fellow TU members... It's mid-winter here in the great Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but soon sport shows and marketing opportunities will be coming my way... At this point in time, I am still hand-pouring my baits using two presto pots... I am thinking about exploring all the options I can to make my production time faster... I am wondering what everyone's take is on this subject... Is hand injection much quicker?!? Are there other options when it comes to table top injection machines other than Bear's?!? I am anticipating that this year is going to be explosive for me, and since my pouring time has become slightly more limited, I am trying to find all ways possible at making the time I have more productive... I am open to any and all suggestions!!! I know that many on here are willing to help out, so that is what I am asking for... Thank you!!! Cormorant Lures

I know it is on here somewhere, but I figured I would ask anyways... Someday soon I will be buying myself an injector or two to start making craws, creatures, etc. The only problem is I have about 8 or so hand-pour stick molds that I would love to be able to use with the injector.... I have read or seen on here a thread and pictures of a piece that you can use to convert your hand-pour molds to injection... Does someone make this piece to sell?!? Is it hard to make it yourself?!? Do you have to do anything special to the mold to get it to work properly?!? Let me know!!! Hopefully I am on the right track... Thanks!!! King Cormorant

Does coffee work? I've only used Garlic, and Craw... Right now my demand is focused on Garlic... With coffee as an option, someone must have success while using it or is it considered just another option? Let me know!!! Thanks!!! KING CORMORANT

I use the salt ratio posted on this site for Stix... I use Morten's Pickling Salt in the green box and flour it in a normal blender (some people use a coffee grinder)... As far as scent goes, I have not cooked it into my plastic as of yet... It's as easy as saying, A few drops of scent in your bag of baits will go a LONG WAY!!! I have only used LC's Lunker Lotion and Bear's scents... Both of their products are excellent in my book!!! There are plenty of other scent companies out there but I have not used them... KING CORMORANT

PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED!!! Bear must patrol this forum frequently... I got a response almost immediately after my first post earlier today... Again, I apologize for this thread turning into a tug-of-war... Bear's business will always be at the top of my list when it comes to future transactions... Hopefully he has got all the kinks worked out with his new employee... King Cormorant

Listen, I am not mad at you either!!! I should have never said what I said about you and I am not arguing with you... I am sorry that this had to come this far... I am just stating the point that my situation did not fall under the normal circumstances that usually happen in this type of scenario... I appreciate what you said up above (whether it is sarcastic or not)... I now know that I am not the only one that is having problems with these pots... I am also a small business owner and the old saying goes, "The customer is always right"... Even I have been burned by this saying a time or two... I appreciate both of you arguing both sides of this scenario... Whether or not my situation gets resolved, I hope everyone else's does... These pots are just awesome and like I said earlier, sometime down the line a couple more of these units will be finding there way into my laboratory... With every new employee that enters into a business there will always be "hiccups"... Unfortunately for Bear it was just another case of bad timing... He will get things straightened out just like every good engineer and business owner does... THANKS AGAIN!!! King Cormorant

Hey no offence, but try telling that to someone who needed the Presto Pots because he had a couple BIG ORDERS to fill within a day or two!!! I should have known that someone would think my tactics in this case were shady, but I just did not have time to wait!!! The mounting bracket on the motor is aluminum so I knew I could probably handle the issue. I also knew that the only way I could use my pots in time (to help me with my orders) was to fix the issue myself. By the time I was able to send my complaint to Bear, there was nothing left to fix. I still felt as though I had plenty to complain about so I did. When you pay that much money for two assembled Presto Pots, you expect them to come in "working condition" (with assembly) right out of the box. Bear himself offered to do what it would take to remedy the situation, and I was not going to send the pot back since I fixed it. I am not mad at the man!!! It seems as though his story about his new "hired help" must be true with all the other problems people are having. I just wish (in my case) that a couple MINOR free products was enough to remedy the situation. With no response back on his end, I guess this is NOT the case. Not much more I can do!!! KING CORMORANT

I just received two complete presto pot systems from Bears last week myself... Somehow I must have received two paddles that were made correctly because they fit my pots just fine... My problem I ran into was one of the motor mounts did not fit the pot correctly and I had to modify it to fit... I complained directly to Bear and he wanted to know how he could make it right... I requested a couple free products and so far I have received no response back... I dunno, but someday I would like to order a couple more of these and I might have to wait and see what happens with this whole situation...

Anyone have a good answer on an easy way to clean off the paddle system from bears? Cleaning the pot itself is easy as pie... But the paddle is a totally different beast... Takes me almost 20 minutes just to get off the glitter!!! I need a easier way and FAST!!! Thanks!!! King Cormorant

I have two divided cups I made out of "2 cup" pyrex measuring cups... I used roof flashing with JB weld applied to both sides... The baits you make with divided cups look wonderful... The parting line between the colors is NOT perfect which actually helps in making the bait appear more natural... If making a cup for the microwave, you need to soak the piece of roof flashing in vinegar to dull the finish... After soaking, make sure to use a piece of steel wool and scrub every nook and cranny of that piece of flashing... I almost had a small fire in my microwave because my flashing was not dulled down enough... The cup worked good for a few pours and then I decided to re-soak and re-scrub the metal again... I have not used my cups since... I am thinking about trying them again one of these days... Now I bought two presto pots with auto stirring systems so its hard to say if or when I'll ever turn the microwave on again... I am thinking I could use the pots to cook up the two colors I would need, pour them on each side of the divided cup, and reheat the whole cup in the microwave... I haven't tried it yet.... Anyways... if I were you, I would definately make a cup and try it out... The baits come out looking very nice... The colors will not mix completely together if you run your piece of roof flashing almost all the way to the pouring spout... By the time each color hits the mold they start to cool off and thats why you get the nice natural parting line... Have fun with it and good luck!!! King Cormorant

Thanks for the help guys... I poured two batches this morning from the prestos with MUCH BETTER success than yesterday... Poured at a cooler temp and had way more consistent bait results... The only thing I am seeing in the baits are lines that run up and down the sides of my sticks from time to time... I am about 99% sure the lines are not from the mold... Not sure what to make of them, but they are way easier on the eyes then big dimples and air pockets... So far so good... I have a pretty hefty bait shop order to get out within the next day or so... Love those types of orders... They make me smile!!! Thanks again!!! King Cormorant

Ok I received my Presto Pot and Stirring system from Bears, put it all together and tried them out today... I need some tips on how to use them properly for pouring stick baits... I tried pouring at cooler temps (300 - 330 degrees) and I tried pouring at hotter temps (360 - 380 degrees)... Cooler temps seemed to pour really thick from the spout and clogged up my sprues on my molds A LOT!!! Hotter temps seemed to give me more dents and air pockets (not micro-bubbles) in my baits... I was having a real hard time pouring consistent baits... Out of a four cavity mold, I was lucky to get two good baits outta four... It was a rough day to say the least... Do most of you run the stirring system all the time pre-heat and post-gel? What is the procedure most of you use for adding your ingredients and at what part of the process? For those of you who pour at cooler temps, how do you keep the plastic from clogging your sprues? A big part of my problem is the fact that if I cannot figure out why my baits are not coming out of my molds consistent... The dents, and air pockets KILL my production BIG TIME... It gets to be very discouraging!!! Basically I am asking for some general presto pot instructions from anyone who has used one successfully (including the bears stirring system)... Any answers A.S.A.P. would be wonderful!!! Thanks!!! KING CORMORANT

I am a computer technician on the side... I can tell you this (my 2cents)... I used to be an Epson inkjet printer fan... I used Epson for a long long time... Then I dropped them like a bad habit... After Epson, I was a HUGE HP inkjet printer fan!!! I used HP for a long long time... Then I also dropped them like a bad habit... I am now a Kodak inkjet printer fan... I love my Kodak printer... As for me, it saves me on ink costs and prints excellent quality "anything"!!! Like I said earlier, just my (2cents)... King Cormorant

How do you guys calculate your shipping costs when selling from your websites?!? I am sure this has been covered somewhere in the forums, but I am heading to work for the afternoon and do not have time to search it... I always thought that the "checkout process" would automatically calculate shipping if you tell it how much the items weigh, and the buyer tells it where they live... Is this process possible?!? Thanks!!! King Cormorant

I am still quite new to this AWESOME hobby, but since I have used both, I'll go ahead and throw in my 2cents anyways... The first plastic I used was Calhoun's Soft Formula and I purchased it in a one gallon jug... I used a microwave and pyrex and found that Calhoun's caused ME micro-bubble issues... I cannot tell you if they were caused from me, the microwave, or the plastic, but the bubbles I had from Calhoun's were bad... I am using MF Regular in a five gallon jug as we speak... I love the way MF pours and cooks in the microwave... I have had NO micro-bubble issues with MF, BUT MF's odor is terrible!!! At least for me, the odor is almost unbearable... I use respirators and have ventilation, but the smell lingers and will hit you as soon as the respirator comes off... I love MF for all of it's other qualities but the smell... In between Calhoun's and MF I bought into Caney Creek's pre-buy on their new "Crystal Clear" plastisol... I used one gallon of their soft and absolutely LOVED IT!!! Hardly any odor, pours GREAT, and has no hard packing or micro-bubble issues... Their plastisol is also "Green" which means its "Phthalate free" (a nice bonus)... Their plastic is a little pricey, but the old saying goes "sometimes you get what you pay for"... Again, just my 2cents...