MarcDavidBaits Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 I am thinking about ordering a stik kit after being on del's site. I know a lot of people heat up plastic using pyrex cups and a microwave. But is there another way to heat the plastic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear21211 Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Some of the more common methods today are the Common Hot Plate and small metal pan. Or there is the heating pots. Lee pot , presto pot, or the sta warm pots to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Bass Whisperer, I've only been pouring for 5 months now and I made a presto pot and use it but found I go back to a 2 cup Pyrex and the micro more often then not, if you plan on pouring in the hundreds at a time the pot is great but I found out real quick its cheaper to make smaller batches until you get the color recipes the way you like them. Plus 1 mold to start will get red hot and demolding times will increase so your plastic will be in the pot longer with a higher chance of scorching. Either way good luck and I'm sure some folks will chime in with their experiences some of these guys can make killer baits with just a cup and micro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 There is one more way. It uses infrared heat lamps. I think I am the only one on the planet using this method. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/attachments/soft-plastics/3831d1225373711-basic-workstation-cimg0021.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbug Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 I remember seeing your heating method on here before Longhorn, glad you posted it. I did notice the pans you are using. They have a well formed pour spout. Did you make them or buy them? I have been forming my own spouts on metal one cup measuring cups, they are o.k. but those pans look a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 I made them...30-35 years ago. I formed the spout by bending with pliers. Back then they were the cheapest pans that K-Mart had. I cut off the thin aluminum handles and used old broom handles to make new ones that were burn-proof. Last winter I replaced every old handle with new ones made from dowel stock. I have searched high and low for old cheap pans like that but have found none. This method of heating is far better than the microwave. As I've said before...if I had to pour with a microwave and pyrex I think I'd give it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 Longhorn just curious are those the high heat red bulbs you see food under to keep warm? Interesting setup it appears you hand stir? How do you adjust the temps move the light up or down? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 They are not the red ones. They're clear with silver reflectors. I adjust the heat by turning on/off the top or bottom lamps. I don't use a thermometer....just do it by feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 O.K. that explains what the pouring pans are sitting in. Great idea thanks for sharing that. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallie Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 Here is the version I made with the info I got from Longhorn's post. I used the clear lights. I left the top tube off to show the mounting of the lights. I used 8 inch ducting pipe for the tubes and put an old fashioned metal pie plate on the lower tube to hold my pouring pans from Lurecraft. The switches on the right control the upper and lower lamps. My wife wanted me to make sure I told you guys the fridge on the left is my beer fridge and not the one in "her" kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallie Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 Obviously, I don't know how to insert pictures. When I inserted the picture, I put the path to the picture on my computer instead of a Url. Let me try something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallie Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 I created an album in my profile and uploaded the picture there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 I'm tryng to understand the advantage over say a presto pot? obviously it can't be cost, a presto pot cost $30 some odd dollars and the valve another $5 and holds at least up to 1 gallon of plastic safely. How long does it take to bring the plastic up to temp? I guess with a little experimentation you could find the right distance from bulb to pot to maintain melting temps and I could see not needing a presto pot for small pours say up to 2 cups it just seems like overkill for less when a cheap microwave and a pyrex cup can achieve that. I can see you would be able to maintain plastic at pouring temp for the full batch instead of in and out of the micro after every pour. Very interesting though thanks for sharing. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bountiful Waters Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 Concerning heating time in the presto pot. I do not heat in the pot. I cook it in the microwave and pour it into an already warm pot. Much faster than heating it in the pot. I also mix the colors and glitter in the cup before adding to the pot. Much better way for me to get things right. I know how many cups it takes to pour 50 baits and have little to no extra plastic at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96dak Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 i actually find the pot faster to heat, it takes me 8 min to get 2 cups to temp in the micro, where as i can have 8 cups ready to pour in around 20 min in the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 Concerning heating time in the presto pot. I do not heat in the pot. I cook it in the microwave and pour it into an already warm pot. Much faster than heating it in the pot. I also mix the colors and glitter in the cup before adding to the pot. Much better way for me to get things right. I know how many cups it takes to pour 50 baits and have little to no extra plastic at the end. How much of a hurry can you be in that pre-heating the pot and then adding the goods than it is directly in the pot? The recipe can't change between the pot and the micro if you already know the ratio? I'm confused? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bountiful Waters Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 It is easier for me to make sure the "recipe" is right on when I cook in the pyrex. As mentioned above, I suppose it depends on your microwave. I can cook in the microwave much faster than what I can cook in the pot. When you are limited on time, cutting the "starting" time down 15-20 minutes adds up over 5 days. It all is a time issue for me. I bought a very powerful microwave for that reason. I can nuke 2 cups of plastic to pouring stage in under 3 minutes. For the example above, 8 cups in app. 12 minutes. There is no way I can get 8 cups of plastic ready to pour in 12 minutes heating in the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Got ya I couldn't figure out how you were doing things, that's allot of plastic! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 This is really apples and oranges. I was comparing my way to a microwave. I pour mostly two color laminates. The heat lamp system is superior. You either run out of molds or plastic...no reheating in the microwave. I can make 24 laminated swimbaits in minutes. Pouring single color sticks is another thing altogether. We all have our own ways. That's the reason I like this site so well. Have a great weekend everyone! Gary:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 Questions for longhorn & Smallie: Does your pan sit on the face of the bulb or are you suspending it up slightly? How many watts are your heat lamps? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 The lamps are 250 watt. The lamps (top and bottom) are a few inches from the pan. I spaced the lamps so the plastic in the bottom of the pan would be in the center. I'll measure the distance next time I'm at the shed. Have a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 The top lamp is approx. 4 1/2" from the inside bottom of the pan, the bottom lamp is 3 3/4" from the bottom of the pan. In theory the plastic is in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) The lamps are 250 watt. The lamps (top and bottom) are a few inches from the pan. I spaced the lamps so the plastic in the bottom of the pan would be in the center. I'll measure the distance next time I'm at the shed. Have a good day. The top lamp is approx. 4 1/2" from the inside bottom of the pan, the bottom lamp is 3 3/4" from the bottom of the pan. In theory the plastic is in the middle. Thanks for the info! Add one more person using this set-up. I'm going to build one. I'm with you, I don't really care for the microwave. Too hard to maintain the proper temp. Scott Edited June 15, 2009 by sdsaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
