stick pouring question

[bryanmc]

I've been pouring a 6 1/4" stick with Del's mold. Here's the problem (bear with me if this is a simple question, I'm new to this) I've been using the basic stick formula ( 1 cup plastic, 1/2 cup salt, 1/4 cup softener) and trying to re-create yamamoto's natural shad. So far the closest I've been able to come to the base color (I have the flake down pretty well) is using 18 drops of Del's black with the above mix. My problen is you can see through the original (is that opaque or translucent I can never remember) but all my pours are fairly solid (you can't see through it) color. So... what am I missing? Am I not getting the plastic hot enough to get really clear or is that just the nature of the handpour beast?

Thanks for any ideas....

[Delw]

Nature of the best, a few things you can do is

add less salt

use a coarser salt

maybe some fine sand

add less colorant.

one other thing and I only bring this up cause another customer told me it worked too recently.

A few years ago on this forum I mentioned a trick I have learned from a manufacturer. and that was to cook you plastic with salt let it harden up , then shred it in a shredder and recook it ( cook the salt in clear plastic).

seems when you recook it the salt weight stays there but its more dissolved.

like I said I had forgot albout this and really didnt know if it worked until recently when someone told me it did.

mayeb someone could try and it let us know what happens?

[Smallie]

I think Longhorn posted once that he melts a large quantity of plastic, like a gallon, at one time and pours it into a thin sheet. Then he cuts it up and remelts it when he wants to pour baits.

Maybe he has some experience with this?

[Senkosam]

My problen is you can see through the original (is that opaque or translucent I can never remember) but all my pours are fairly solid (you can't see through it) color. So... what am I missing?

Use less color. The GY color is probably a dark smoke and being translucent, allows glitter inside the plastic to be hit by light or be seen against the overhead sunlight. Opaqueness usually means concentrated color that allows no light through and appears as a dark form when veiwed from below. Salt has nothing to do with it. In fact, you can pack a plastic with fine salt and maintain translucence.

You also don't want to overheat the plastic because the added tint will darken dark colored plastic and cause even black glitter to bleed and add color to color. 325 tops IMO

[longhorn]

I had some plastic that was bad about separating..won't mention any brand...so I decided to cook it all and pour it onto trays and then cut up and store. This worked great for me. I don't pour many sticks. The salt I add is a very fine powder used mostly to make the plastic retain light and enhance certain colors...so I don't have a settling problem. I agree with Sam...try less color. Do you have a photo of the color you're trying to get? You would get some better advice on a recipe that way. Keep trying though...it takes practice like anything else. You can always use the plastic that came out too dark for something else.

[bryanmc]

Guess I'm going to have to invest in a candy thermometer. I really don't know what temp I'm working at, I've just been following the microwave instructions I found on here... 2 minutes then 30 seconds at a time until it passes through the thick stage and into the thin syrup almost water stage. On my reheats I just put it in for 30 seconds at a time until I get the consistency thin again. I did notice that on some of the better pours I could se a faint wisp of smoke or steam coming off the plastic as it entered the mold. It didn't smell bad and the color didn't change so I'm pretty sure I didn't burn it.

As far as color, it looks correct but the body is opaque not translucent (thanks for setting me straight on that). I'm using 18 drops of del's black / cup of plastic. I'm afraid if I use too much less I won't get the right color. I was just thinking, do you think it could be related to the thickness of the body? The 6 1/4 is quite a bit thicker than the 5 1/4 original.

[gunnie3035]

You just answered your own question. A thicker bait will always be darker than a thinner bait. Use less color on the thicker pours. I always heat, add color, make a test pour, then add more color if necessary.

[bryanmc]

Here's a couple pics of where I'm at on this....

The smaller bait is the GYCB original, the larger one is my pour.

[reelmagic]

looks fairly close

[bassman843]

if you want it more translucent use less black I use alot less salt on stick baits but thats just my preferrance