Tiderunner

Saw this thread was revived recently. I now own a few molds from Angling AI. Happy with the product and their customer service. The only problem is I don't know which mold to order next.

I do reheats with softener all the time. Hardener is less forgiving

I use MF medium a lot and to soften up my baits I might use 1 teaspoon to 4oz Only an estimate of course as I don’t measure out that amount. To make a bait extra soft start with 2 or 3 teaspoons and go from there. Your idea of super soft may be different than mine . You will more than likely have to experiment with the softener until you get what you want. When I make stick baits I’ll use MF sinking soft add my salt or glass beads and then use softener there too. Typically about the same as what I use in medium, and even then I may have to adjust the amounts. Start with plain plastic. Add a teaspoon of not what you want. Carefully reheat and add another teaspoon. Still not what you want? Repeat as necessary. Might take a few tries but once you get your desired softness write your recipe down

Mold shoots just fine. I just need to use a LOT of coloring to make the colors bright enough. The chartreuse is a non bleed, and I found you cannot use too much. As you mentioned the orange obliterates the chartreuse. I'm thinking ( which is scary ), that if a teeny tiny drop of white were added to give the chartreuse some depth rather than being translucent? That might be worth a try. As far as the orange side, adding white would probably give it a creamsicle color. I stopped using florescent orange, mainly because I ran out, and I'm using non bleed orange. Same thing with orange. It almost seems you cannot use too much. One other possibility is, salt. I usually use glass beads in my mix, with a little salt. I think a more salt added would make the colors opaque, and show the bold contrast of the two colors. I've been working on this for a couple of days, and I'm getting close. I even tried using chartreuse glitter and orange glitter. Makes for a nice bait, but that will have to wait. Perhaps a swimbait with an orange top half and white pearl belly. Chartreuse tail.

I found my Achilles Heel. Fire Tiger Laminate. I'm using a laminate plate. My chartreuse never comes out dark enough. Tried lime-treuse added and then some chartreuse glitter. Ok not bad. Then I mix my orange. Florescent and regular. Comes out too dark. Not a big deal. But when I lay the chartreuse half in the mold and inject the orange, the orange completely decimates the chartreuse. And my nicety formed chartreuse half actually get flat. Using the Gary Yamamoto CNC mold from Do It. MF Soft sinking plastisol. Every time I have tried to laminate this color combo, regardless of what I am pouring, it never comes out right. I did pour the chartreuse first, maybe I should swap the oeder around? Maybe color #2 is too hot and melting the chartreuse? Only one other color combo in all the years I have been doing this has given me trouble, Yamamoto 197, but I'm at least close enough with that one. But this fire tiger combo is driving me nuts. Suggestions? Or have I already answered some of my own questions?

Thanks! Pretty snazzy website!

The message I get on multiple browsers is Potential Security Risk. A week or so ago I was getting the message the site was down for maintenance, and gave the phone# Now. Nothing.

Cannot connect with M-F website. Or Pour your own worms. Anybody here know what's going on with them? Started out with down for maintenance, now it shows future site of something great. As though the domain name is up for grabs.

Powder of weights? Were you able to heat in a microwave?

4oz of plastisol mixed with the microbubbles doesn't make a whole lot of baits. Of course depends on what you're pouring. I have reheated the mix quite a few times. Yes color will deteriorate. I find this especially true of chartreuse. But if you reheat GENTLY you should get a few reheats out of it. Heat Stabilizer helps. Keep in mind after each pour the volume of the mix is less requiring less heating time.

I have been thinking of adding tungsten powder to some of my plastics. I doubt if the powder could oxidize enough to make a difference. I only plan on adding the powder to the darker colors. Only issue I can see with my idea is consistent weights as the powder will always be settling either in the pan or injector. And if you do open pour i probably will knock off the balance of the bait. I hope to try the powder this summer. I'll need to get a heat coil though. Probably not a good idea to microwave tungsten.

What I really need is one of those paint mixing machines in paint stores, Although that might turn the liquid into a foam. But it would be a well blended foam.

Didn't even think of the amber colors. I know I have a bin full of color matching attempts. Variations of variations. What fun is pouring if we don't have a few hundred bottles of coloring? I can even see using a dark gold mica powder for that color.

Yup Mrs. Tiderunner has those around too. I'll have to work out a deal with her. Those might work same as tossing my nuts in. Long term, I'm probably gonna order some wide mouth jugs and use a paint mixer for my drill.

It's weird because I'm seeing almost what you see. I am seeing brown pumpkin though. Maybe over a light watermelon. laminate. Orange flake, with black for color pop? However after looking at other baits, bigger ones, to get a better look at the color, what I am seeing is not so much a laminate, but the either brown pumpkin, and or light watermelon, coreshot into a clear shell. It could just be that the photos are lighted to make the other appearance shiny giving it the look of a core shot Can't really shoot a core shot if the mold isn't set up that way. In place of the brown pumpkin, olive might work but go easy with that one so you don't lose the translucence. Actually, I think there are a number of ways you might be able to achieve that color. But without turning you into a mad scientist we'll await your report on your results. Now you should be totally confused!

I did something like the coat hanger thing with leftover core shot rods I had I made a little mixer for stirring in dyes, additives, and such and used it with a infinitely adjustable dremel Worked out well. I could probably get longer SS rods and use it like the coat hanger. Less bend and more mixing. I also like the idea of Tossing in some SS nuts. We fish, so we always have a bunch of those around don't we? I do have a plastic equipment supplier in my bookmarks that sells bucket w/lids 1 gal and up, and different wide mouth jugs. I was thinking of giving that a try. Small investment. Probably cost more to ship. I don't know why it seems as though this last batch of baits I made seemed like the plastisol wasn't completely mixed. Made for oily baits. Never had that before. Same supplier I guess I could have been a little more aggressive with my mixing. Thanks for all the ideas gang. I am going to try them.

That idea has crossed my mind. The size jug like ice melter comes in would work. as long as there aren't any nooks or crannies where the resins would settle. I'll have to check around too and see if someone sells a gallon or 2 gallon size bucket with a top.

This almost looks like a heavy saturation of pumpkinseed with black flake. And maybe if I'm seeing the bottom [pic right. a laminate with orange and small gold flake.

It seems my last gallon of plastisol wasn't mixed well enough. I gently shake so I don't make too many bubbles. A method that has worked for me for some time now. I just ordered two more gallons, and before I start pouring I want to make sure it's mixed. Suggestions? Maybe I should just buy a 5gallon bucket and use a paint mixer. I've even been thinking of shaping a paint mixer to fit in the opening of a gallon jug.

Ive tried a number of different brands. Some good some not so good. I won't give my preference but one thing I have found. You get what you pay for. Unfortunately. shipping nowadays is almost as much as a gallon of plastisol. For soft wiggly senkos, I add softener even to the soft blend. And if you're using salt or glass beads. Even more softener is needed. On another note I was looking for a hardener that won't affect the colors of my baits. The white stuff lightens the color too much. So I tried Do-It Crystal clear. It wasn't Crystal Clear. It was just like the others. My search continues.

Finally pulled the trigger on my Fat Guys Fishing 3.75" Rip shad mold. If I wasn't so darn busy during their black Fruday sale I could have saved a bunch. Looking forward to shooting these baits and with the warmer temps here in CT, I may get to use this bait sooner than I thought.

Finally had some time to sit down and give them a call. It couldn't have gone smoother. This is only my second order from them. But I was treated like I just spent a million dollars with them. I have a few more items from Fat Guys on my shopping list. First I need to recover from this one! Every business needs to treat their customers they do!

Heard back via email. All worked out though I will have to place my order via phone.