When to add color?

[drof99]

I did a search for this but came up with a ton of stuff. Nothing has answered my question yet. I'm sure there is something but just looking for a quick answer. My color seems to be changing on me after I pour. Last night I poured some sticks and tubes. When I poured them they were red. I let them sit overnight and today they are green.have a s If you hold them to the light they turn back to red. Seems odd to me. I have another post and some thought that the plastic might be a little too hot. It also seems like the glitter is sinking to the bottom. I'm stirring the heck out of it. There is still glitter through out the plastic though. When is the best time to add the color to the plastic? Right now I'm adding it after I heat the plastic for the first 30 seconds. Should I not add it as soon so as to watch the plastic better? The baits are coming out great but the color thing has me wondering a bit. The plastic doesn't a scorched smell to me. I can smell the anise scent I'm adding. Any ideas on this color thing.

[Zbass]

I had that happen a couple of times early on. Never really did figure it out except when I got a better heating system the problems stopped. It may be a case of it being too hot. I don't heat with a micro so I can't help you there. I add all my color, glitter, salt and scent after the plastic is up to temp. The plastic is still on the hot plate when I do that. Some guys add it before heating and swear by that method. Hope that helps.

[bassan30]

I and i my color when it up to temp and ready to pour . The glitter in going to go to the bottom stir like crazy and stir some more . i not sure about the color turn green .

[pastorshane]

I'm not sure about the color change:huh:. But I add my colorant before heating. But I add flake just before pouring. I think it helps keep it from curling and if the plastic is at the rite temp, the flake will suspend through the plastic and should not sink overly fast. If it does it's probably to hot. I stir. stir and stir as well. Just my opinion.

[Bass-Boys]

I do mine about the same as Shane..

[daveh]

ditto to shane

[MONKEYqpHUNTER]

try heating your plastic to temp then add your color.if you add the color first then microwave it you cooking the plastic plus the color. the only colors i add to cold plastic is the flouresent colors.think abou t it you cant realy control the microwave temp.sometimes the plastic will be well above the temp need to cook the plastic so this has tyo have a negative effect on the color.also by adding color last if you are useing a pouring pot it keeps all the left overs in the pyrex cups are clear save them a couple of time and you have left overs that can be used for your next batch regardless of color.

[drof99]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll start adding my color just before I pour. I think that I might be burning the plastic just a bit. I have one of those thermos that take the instant temp by just aiming at what ever you want to take the temp of. I'll start using that. If I've read correctly I should have the plastic around 350 degrees, correct? I think that I might be burning the plastic and that is effecting my color. By the way, I don't know if I mentioned it but I just heating and then pouring out of my pyrex cup. The cup is also pretty hot when it comes out. I have to use gloves (I know that I should be anyway) to pour with or the handle of the pyrex it too hot to hold onto. The plastic also has a pretty good amount of steam coming off of it. I pour one mold and then reheat to pour the others, while the first one is cooling. It just seems odd to me that the color is red while pouring and then changes to green later. I don't think that it is a supply thing, as I have gotten all my color and plastic from Del so far. I am also not adding any heat stabilizer to the Calhoun plastic. Has anyone used one the thermometer that I am talking and had good luck?

[MONKEYqpHUNTER]

microwave the un colored plastic pour a few worms and microwave it again you will notice it will start to turn yellow after a few time in the microwave.now if you are nukeing it to much in the begining it will be yellow from the start i would guess this is what is happennig to you .you just could not see it with the colored plastic.dont reheat the plastic for every mold keep pouring till the plastic thickens then reheat you should be able to pour a couple of molds before reheating.plus the flake will bleed and curl if heated to much.hope this explains a lil .

[drof99]

microwave the un colored plastic pour a few worms and microwave it again you will notice it will start to turn yellow after a few time in the microwave.now if you are nukeing it to much in the begining it will be yellow from the start i would guess this is what is happennig to you .you just could not see it with the colored plastic.dont reheat the plastic for every mold keep pouring till the plastic thickens then reheat you should be able to pour a couple of molds before reheating.plus the flake will bleed and curl if heated to much.hope this explains a lil .

Yes sir that help does help. Do I want to stay around the 350 mark? If I don't get the plastic hotter than that can I nuke it several times, like after pouring a mold. Right now I only have 3 molds, all Del's. A stick, 5" tube, and a large chunk mold. I don't pour the chunks except in black or blue. I should be able to pour the other two molds and then wait for them to cool, them remove the bait and maybe hit the micro for 30 secs to get back to around 350. Does that sound like a good way to pour right now. After the holidays I want to get a presto post setup so I don't have to keep reheating.

[Zbass]

If you are going to get a presto pot your gonna need more molds. ALOT MORE MOLDS! Those pots can crank out the plastic. I don't know ow many ounces you pour now but the pot will increase that by at least 8 to 10 times that much. Are you going to get one from mbroji or make it yourself?

[Vodkaman]

I am wondering if it could be some function of the primary colours. Or it could be just coincidence that red + green = yellow, as you cannot get to green by mixing red and yellow.

You did not mention the color of the glitter, was it blue by any chance?

Dave

[drof99]

I did not mix any colors, just went with a red color from Del. I don't remember the exact name. The glitter I was using on these is black. I am going to need more molds. I'm just buying the ones that I will fish with one at a time and trying to get used to pouring them. The cool thing is I still like all the baits that I'm getting out of all this. I'm bagging them up and plan on using them this Spring. I like to refer to these baits as my trickster worms. Never fails one time I walk by them they are green. The next time they are red. The first few times I looked at them at thought when did I pour green worms. I'm still wondering if anyone has used one of the thermos I was talking about.

[MONKEYqpHUNTER]

differnt plastic pours at differnt temps for examample when i pour super soft with super float added for my my shakey worms it pours good around 320-325 but when i pour baits that are not super soft it pours good around 345-350 it seem like it dont start to smoke until around 370 but the super soft will smole around 360.i use m-f plastic and add my own softner to super soft worms.i am useing pouring pots with digital temp control its easy to regulate the temp this way.i have noticed on the 2 piece molds they pour best when the molds are warm and the plastic is heated up a lil hotter than what you need for a regular open top mold.

[bear21211]

drof99

Have you use any Hi-Lites with your pours lately? Almost sounds like maybe you have some Hi-Lites mixed in somewhere

[drof99]

No highlights yet, although I do have some. Haven't figured out how to add those in yet either. I was going to try and pour tonight, might still have time yet. Gotta hate chorin. I'm interested to know the heat that I'm pouring at. Stirring with a butter knife the plastic rolls off it pretty fast. Not quite like water but faster than syrup I think.

[Richard Prager]

You might want to try this:

Take one cup of plastisol and nuke it for 1 minute on high. Take it out and stir. Hit it for 30 seconds, take out and stir. repeat this 30 second blast and stir. You will see it go from virgin plastic to starting to thicken. As it starts to thicken in will go from white to clear. On one of the stirs you will notice the last bit of white plastic turn to clear and thin as you stir. It's now in it's pourable state. You don't need to know the temp. because you will see the change happen right in front of you. You should be able to pour, reheat for 30 seconds and pour some more if need be. You should be able to hit it for a third 30 minute blast with discoloration. It works for me.

[Smallie]

I did not mix any colors, just went with a red color from Del. I don't remember the exact name. The glitter I was using on these is black. I am going to need more molds. I'm just buying the ones that I will fish with one at a time and trying to get used to pouring them. The cool thing is I still like all the baits that I'm getting out of all this. I'm bagging them up and plan on using them this Spring. I like to refer to these baits as my trickster worms. Never fails one time I walk by them they are green. The next time they are red. The first few times I looked at them at thought when did I pour green worms. I'm still wondering if anyone has used one of the thermos I was talking about.

If you are talking about the infra-red thermometer, I use it every time I heat plastic. You will be surprised at how quickly a microwave can get the plastic too hot. You will also see that after heating it and giving the plastic a quick but not complete stirring, there are bands of vastly different heat zones that will ultimately stabilize to one temp as you complete the stirring. In those bands can be temps approaching 400F while other areas are much lower.

[drof99]

I ended up getting a chance last night to pour after all the chores were done. I did not add any color until the end. I poured with about 1 cup. I added some softner and salt. I put it in the micro for one minute. Still pretty much white throughout. I took it out and stirred it a bunch. Then I put it back in and kept nuking it for 30 second intervals and stirring after time. I kept doing this until one time I took it out and was thick. It was thick enough that it was a lot tougher to stir. Then I put it back in and nuked for 30 seconds again. Took it out and stirred the heck out of it. It still was a little thicker than I thought I could pour. I added my color now, like 40 drops or 50 drops of some royal blue. I nuked it again for 30 seconds and stirred the heck out of it again when it was done. I shot it with my thermo and it was around 330. I wasn't smoking as much as normal. I went and poured some large chunks and some sticks. They poured good. I think the plastic might have been just a tad thicker than I usually pour. And again I noticed a little less smoke. I'm starting to get better at pouring the chunks. I've done some more reading here and I over poured these just a tad. Just rounded them up instead of flat on top. After the plastic would cool down I'd have to nuke again for 30-45 seconds to get it back to where I could pour again. Does that seem like what I should have to do? I think that I might have gotten the plastic just a little too hot before. I did add some anise to this batch as well. I could still smell the plastic a little, which worried me. It was like a plastic pool that had been sitting in the sun. Does that sound ok? Do you guys think that maybe its still too hot or do I just add more scent? I looked at the baits this morning and somehow they are still blue!! They are just a shade darker than when they came out of the molds last night. Does this also seem normal? Sorry for such the long post but I just want to make sure that I'm getting this down.

[GB GONE]

I wonder if the color added was a "changeable" color such as motor oil. Red when it starts out but greenish from some angles and still a little red from other angles.

Anyway, sounds like you are starting to get "it".

The only color I add prior to cooking is chartreuse. Over the years I have experimented with a lot of colors from all the suppliers. Some colors will fade after repeated heating, many will be pretty stable.

The blue colors seem to be the ones that fade the most with repeated heating however if you over cook the plastic, any color will fade.

Just as a test, you can always make a 4oz batch with a color and pour a thin layer on one of your aluminum mold that is turned over. Re-heat, pour, repeat this to see the fading that is taking place. I have done this with many colors and the blues are really the only to fade noticeably.

I have never used a thermometer as Richard stated, watch your plastic and figure out the time it takes to cook 2oz, 4oz, 8oz, etc.

Remember that each plastic consistency (super soft, regular, salt water) will also cook at a different time. Also, if you store your plastic in a cold area at this time of year, you may have to cook slightly longer.

Watch your plastic cook and the second you can see through the plastic clearly (watch for the red numbers on the other side), your plastic is ready for color and flake. Watch right in the center as that will clear first. Note the time it took, add your color and flake, stir and nuke for 15-20 more seconds. Quick stir and pour away.

NOTE: All the above is considered with plastic WITHOUT SALT. Times will vary slightly if salt is added.

Keep experimenting as you are going down the correct path!!! Best part will be in the Spring when you start wearing out the HAWGs on your baits!!!

Jim

[daveh]

i have always put the color in before i cook it with good results. i have to pour a bunch of frogs tonight and will add the color after the plastic is heated to see how it works.

[Richard Prager]

I think that by adding anything other than flake after the plastic is pourable is just taking up time and allowing the plastic to cool faster. This means more reheats and can lead to inconsistent coloring (scorching, flake bleeding/curling) Once you get your color formula down, there's no benefit that I can see not to add the color first.

[pastorshane]

Jim is the man! I just add the color, scent,ect,ect before heating because it does seem faster. If I'm using the micro for large orders, it seems to be faster, and I personally think the plastic is less likely to scorch this way. Just my opinion. But Jim is right, salt does change things even the time to heat and so on.

[GB GONE]

) Once you get your color formula down, there's no benefit that I can see not to add the color first.

Yeah...I agree Richard except on the blue colors. I have a problem with the blues fading if I am using an 8oz cup and have to do a laminate. If I just pour it out, no fading occurs.

I have always just added everything at the same time instead of the colors first, then glitter and scent later. Really is just how you are used to doing it. My routine is based on habit more than anything else.

Jim