bluesfish Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 im trying to find a good way to make a 2 piece mold. im not sure oh what types of molds i could make. i could try plaster but i dont want to end up with a bad alinement. does anyone know what types of molds there are and what kinds of molds are easy to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 HI There is a lot to be found on this subject in this forum ... Make a search and then if you have some specific questions I know some one will be glad to answer JSC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 There are several variables that we need to take into consideration: a) cost, time - 1) how long to make, 2) how long they last. c) how fragile the material is. You should take some time to do the research and then ask specific questions (and there is a large volume of information to read and digest). Tight lines, good luck, and welcome to TU... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbor Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 i made a few 2 piece molds for lead and was not happy with them when i started pouring them. Allignment was not the trouble to me it was chips sticking to the pop and pieces breaking when demolding basically mold not closing well enough and breaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 I don't think PoP is the way to go for lead casting. I have just used a mix of polyester filler (bondo) and polyester resin (fibreglass resin). The lead pours well, but there are warping issues, if pouring contiuously. The mold thickness needs to be at least 1" to reduce this. But even with the warping (I made my mold too thin), it still clamped together and poured OK. As for plastics, PoP should be fine. I believe Longhorn has some PoP molds 20 years old and still pouring. Alignment is not an issue, if you follow any of the threads on the subject. Some use marbles etc. The important thing with PoP molds is to seal it correctly, this adds some strength to the surface, preventing damage, as well as giving the pours a good finish. Some use thinned epoxy, some, including me, us Elmers glue 50/50 with water. Search for more specific information. Another good alternative is RTV. It is more expensive, but no chipping and sealing issues. I suggest you have a good long read, then post some specific questions. A lot of useful info here on TU. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 i made a few 2 piece molds for lead and was not happy with them when i started pouring them. Allignment was not the trouble to me it was chips sticking to the pop and pieces breaking when demolding basically mold not closing well enough and breaking. Just a safety reminder... PLEASE be careful if you are trying to pour lead in PoP molds; any water still in the plaster (even if its just from high humidity) could cause it to explode on contact. RTV or wood are better choices depending on if your just pouring split shot or making spinner baits, but watch the PoP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bondo molds work the best for most beginners ( for 2 piece and even one piece molds). you can start pouring after a couple of hours instead of waiting a day or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piscivorous Pike Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Recently I discovered TU and learned a lot of new tricks. I built my best 2-piece mold since that moment. I have made round two piece molds and 2-piece molds that characteristically are a bait that has a flat side so I made a 1-piece mold with a flat top piece. The methods are described here. TU taught me this, its long, pics too. --link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunadoctor Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 bluesfish, I'm very new at making molds. In fact these are my first ones from this morning. I took most of the information about making molds from HJS who posted about 4 days ago. The molds were made from Durham Water Putty. I used his recipe for mixing the DWP. I used 1 1/2 cups of cold water, 1 TBS. vinegar and 9 TBS. Elmer's glue. I mixed in one heaping tablespoon of the DWP at a time and used about 14 heaping TBS. of DWP for my first pour. It should be like "watery pancake batter." as HJS described. I put my masters in right away. I used toothpicks to mark the certerline of my rounded bait so they would't sink past midline. I also placed hollow acorn nuts for alignment. I let the mixture sit overnight, about 12 hars. This AM I apllied petroleum jelly on the surface of the first piece, careful not to apply it on the bait itself. I used a hair dryer to heat up the petroleum jelly so it would be easier to spread with a fine brush. Then I poured the second layer after I smeared some DWP mixture over the bait to ensure that I would have no air gaps. I was a little impatient and I separated the two halves by hand just a few minutes ago. It came out OK for my first ever mold try. The DWP worked well, the mold even imprinted the teeth marks from a fish that ate this bait. It needs a little sanding and sealing still. I still have to bore the pour holes and complete the vent holes. I'm kind of excited about this. Tunadoctor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear21211 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Tunadoctor For your first molds those look fantastic. Goes to prove a little reading on TU goes a long ways. Those almost look like some Louisiana h&h Cocahoe minnows. Great job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Well done!!!! Thanks for the pics and the explanation. Makes me want to give it a shot. I'm glad to see more people posting their findings lately, good, bad or indifferent. That's what it's about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunadoctor Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Thanks for the compliments. I decided to "turn over a new leaf." Oh! I forgot to mention that the tray I used is made by Rubbermaid. It is a 9"X6"x2" organizer tray sold at Wal-Mart for $2+. I did grease the pan with petroleum jelly first. If you follow the amounts that I posted (starting with 1 and 1/2 cups of water, 1 Tbs vinegar, and 9 Tbs Elmer's glue and the 13-14 heaping Tbs of DWP), it will fill half the pan and be around 1" thick. The same amount for the second piece fills the tray almost to the top. I ended up with 2X1" thick pieces, which is the thickness most of the posts recommend. Tunadoctor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Very good job Tunadoctor. I agree with 152nd, there has been some good feedback of late. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Great job TD!!! With what you learn just from that first mold, you will be soooo far ahead of the game!! Nice job!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
