FrogAddict

I made a really poor one a couple years ago and then rarely used it since I now tied all my jigs instead.

ipt, That's the plan if I can't fix the mold for sure. Mark, Good point. If heat makes it flake off, I'll give er more heat! I don't know when I'll get to it but I'll try to update here when I do.

I will attempt to salvage them. The one I'm most concerned about is a rather large mold I used to make some Bulldog style Muskie lures for a friend. It's an open pour mold and I used a soft clay master that no longer exists. It's been with me for several weeks so I'm not sure if cooking it will help. I may have to try and pry away the epoxy (carefully) and reseal.

Thank you for the feedback. I'm afraid I may have ruined the molds.

I have been sealing my PoP molds with Loctite 5 min epoxy cut with denatured alcohol. All seemed to be going well until the last couple of times I've used these molds. The epoxy is turning blue and is flaking off in places. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm guessing it's the type of epoxy and it's inability to handle high heat. It seems to happen when I shoot several times in a row. I am ready to use Devcon 2ton to re-seal but wanted to check here first.

Travis, What kind of blades are those?

Eastman, Meticulous is the right word. Every time I get in a hurry, I screw up my process! Just last weekend I decided to skip a step making an RTV mold for a new soft plastic idea and I ended up with a ton of small bubbles in the mold!! There went $20 bucks worth of silicone! Ask anyone on here that has built lures for any length of time about their "rejects" and they'll tell you they have a box or something full of them!. I have one that I was really proud of until the last step and I screwed it all up by dropping it. My wife thought I got hurt in the shop that day cuz I was yelling and cursing so much. Don't forget that you don't necessarily have to drill holes to tank test your ballast. You can just attach the lead to the bottom of the lure with a rubber band at first. Finally, congratulations on catching a fish on the lure you created! It's a great feeling isn't it?

As Ben mentioned, ballast placement is very critical. I had no idea how critical until I spent many hours on a lure with the ballast place incorrectly, it didn't do what I wanted at all!! That's a huge reason why I like building hard baits with PVC. It allows me to tank test before I paint. I love the simplicity that Dieter puts into some of his designs. No ballast except for hooks is far easier to not screw up!

Maybe it's just me, but I kind of like the look of bubbles in some of my baits.

I think the stress of deadlines plus the redundancy would equal no joy!

Ballast is the weight. Doesn't necessarily have to be lead though.

I found it interesting that I have to have a Fed ID number to even sell at a local craft fair and I then have to pay FET. Makes me want to stay a hobbyist.

I've been using the Silica stuff from Do-It and I like the simplicity although I have to admit it is limiting to have all my Senkos opaque.

I've benefited greatly from advice given in this forum so I thought I'd contribute. I'm sure most of you experienced guys know this but here goes. When creating a PoP two piece mold, hold off on making any air vents until after your first pour. Your mold might pour wonderfully without it. I learned this the hard way. I vented all my molds at first (probably over vented) and then one day I decided to try and do a vent free mold. It poured great and I didn't have to cut off little tails all the time.