luvtwofish Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hello fellow bait makers. I've been pouring a while and have my share of aluminum, urethane and rtv molds that I bought. I've been recently trying to make my own pop molds and have been running into probs. I've read all forums about pop and appreciate all who have shared their info. I've tried super glue gel or double sided tape but my masters aren't holding down therefore resulting in pop seeping underneath. Any advice on how to properly secure the master to the bottom of the box? I also have a question about the sealing process. I'm using the 50/50 method of elmers glue and water but wanted to know how you guys store your mixture so you can give multiple coats without having to mix a new batch everytime. Can I mix a batch and store in maybe a mason jar? Any advice is greatly appreciated and if I actually make something I'm proud of, I'll post a pic of the mold and bait. Thanks in advance for any responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 luvtwofish, I've found that certain brand baits don't glue down as well as others. I've tried double sided carpet tape without luck. I've been super gluing(reg liquid) the baits to a galvanized sheet metal plate that I place on the bottom of my box form. I have a feeling that the superglue gel is not completely gluing down the surface and it is floating when you pour the POP over them. Are you degreasing (rubbing alcohol on a cloth) the surface of the bait before applying the glue? I've recently started using elmers/water sealer and mixed it in a small jar with a lid and it doesn't dry out before several coats have been applied. Good luck, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvtwofish Posted July 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Thanks for the tips Scott! Used regular super glue using some aluminum flashing I had lying around the garage. Mold came out great! Finishing it off in the oven and made some 50/50 elmers and water for sealing to be stored in a jar. Your picture was a help to me. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Glad to help. There's so much good info here to help with our hobby/addiction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterdan Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 you can use a small bead of silicone under the masters to prevent the baits from lifting. also when I make a pop mold, I put only enough pop around the masters so that when it starts to set it holds them down, and then fill the mold the rest of the way with pop. This way they cant float up. anyway it works for me. good luck:teef: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lops Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 hey I had an additional question - I made my first few RTV molds the other day./ I had the same problem with the master floating. I used wax as one master I hand carved.. that was a nightmare but it worked... what is POP.. u guys keep talking about? Im gonna try the super glue method soon so I can make a 4 cavity swimbait mold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauruck Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 hey I had an additional question - I made my first few RTV molds the other day./ I had the same problem with the master floating. I used wax as one master I hand carved.. that was a nightmare but it worked... what is POP.. u guys keep talking about?Im gonna try the super glue method soon so I can make a 4 cavity swimbait mold Plaster of Paris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Lops, POP is what tauruck said it is. DWP(Durhams Water Putty) is another plaster that you will hear mentioned) If you want to learn more about making a mold with these materials, do a search for archived posts about this subject... There are a lot of old posts on how to do it. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I just finished making a mold from some baits that were very stubborn. I got some advice from here about baking out the oil in the sun and cleaning the baits with acetone. I put them on the driveway in 90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsaw Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I proceeded to glue them down with a series of different glues. They kept coming up. I tried silicone and it did not work. Finally I started using pvc cement. After a cople of coats of it on the baits and a good helping in the pan, they glued down and I poured in my bondo. PVC cement, eh? Sounds like a glue to keep in mind. Thanks for the info:yay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator44 Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Some baits have more mold release agent on them than others and thus the need to wipe the surface down with acetone. Also, not all superglues are created equal. By far the best one I have found for gluing baits is the Loctite brand of superglue. It also does a wonderous job gluing wet felt soles back onto waders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauruck Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) I've only ever made a couple of POP molds even though mold making is part of my day job. I'm in composites but I spent a number of years doing RTV (Silicone) molds to produce statues for churches, bronze trophies and car parts. I might be wrong here and hopefully I'm not hijacking this thread but the problem seems to be setting up the part to be molded. If this has been covered before I apologise. Once I've built the box I use modelling clay to set up the "Original". It's soft enough to shape, cut with a hobby knife and everything else you need to do for your prep. Mold keys (locators) are easy to insert and it's fairly quick. It is also oil based and you won't need any form of release agent when you are ready to pour your first mold half. Maybe this will help, well I hope it does, Mikey. PS if the problem is keeping the plastic bait in the first POP mold half then give the the cavity a liberal coating of Vaseline (petroleum jelly), push the part back into place and wipe away the excess. I remember doing this in the past. Edited July 31, 2009 by tauruck missing text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Hey tauruck, I am in the process of making some pop molds and was wondering, what do you do with a model that is made out of modeling clay? I understand the 2 part, build one side up with clay thing, but the thing I am trying to mold is made with the same clay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauruck Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) Hey tauruck, I am in the process of making some pop molds and was wondering, what do you do with a model that is made out of modeling clay? I understand the 2 part, build one side up with clay thing, but the thing I am trying to mold is made with the same clay. Depends on how you work. If you've built a box you need to set up the original so that you will have your split line on as near a level plane as possible. You are actually building the mold half in the reverse of what you normally do. Pour the pop in from one corner of the box but do it very slowly and make shure the Slurry (pop/water) is slightly thinner than you normally make it. This will allow the box to fill slowly and hopefully you'll have less air entrapment (bubbles). You can knock the box against the working surface to help get rid of as much air as possible. Once the POP has cured drill the countersunk holes for the mold keys, do your release coating and continue with the second side. You may have a few pin holes in the first side you did but what I used to do was use the mold to produce a part. Then demold, trim off the bits that were created by the pin holes. Put the new part back in the good side and repour a new mold for the other half. You may lose the first part of the mold but there is a price to pay for using clay and for perfection. Edited July 31, 2009 by tauruck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Ah ok, that's kind of how I did it and I did get some air bubbles. I wil have to give it another go with a wetter mixture. After the first pour and placement of model though, I have been using clay balls to key the mold. I just push them less then half way into firt mold portion. Thanks for the advice, Going to give it another whirl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...