bluegrasslover Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 I just started pouring a couple weeks ago and I keep getting some defects I can't figure out. Someone has to have had these problems before but I can't find anything about it. I'm pouring 5" sticks with homemade molds (1 is DWP and the other is POP). Sometimes the center of the worm is hollow from the top down to about 2". Sometimes it's perfectly solid. I can see it sucking in from the top of the mold. Is it something I'm doing wrong? Is there a way to prevent this? This defect is a little crazy. Sometimes I get "dents" in the worm. There are no indentions in the mold and it doesn't always do it. The dented part has the texture of the mold so I know it was touching the mold at one time. Is this an air bubble that contracted when the plastic cooled therefore sucking in the side? Thanks for your insight, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Sounds like the molds you have want you to pour directly down the center, also top off the pour ... as you see it contracting add a little more until it all sits on top ... sounds like it is hot enough but just in case get it a little hotter and check it out. Hope that helps JSC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Yes, as mentioned, the hole you get in the top going down into the bait is from the plastic cooling and sucking into the mold. Be sure to top the cavity off and then go back over it as it retracts. Dents are tough to stop in pop and durhams molds as these materials are insulators and the baits remain warm for a longer time than a bait in an aluminum mold. The only solution I have found it to wait until the baits are completely cooled before de-molding. Might mean a few hours even. If you de-mold sooner, you run the risk of dents. On the good side, the dented sticks seem to fall funnier in the water at times and may produce more bites!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Another good tip is not to pour too quickly. What you don't want is to fill the spru before the mold is full. www.novalures.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegrasslover Posted September 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Yes, as mentioned, the hole you get in the top going down into the bait is from the plastic cooling and sucking into the mold. Be sure to top the cavity off and then go back over it as it retracts.Dents are tough to stop in pop and durhams molds as these materials are insulators and the baits remain warm for a longer time than a bait in an aluminum mold. The only solution I have found it to wait until the baits are completely cooled before de-molding. Might mean a few hours even. If you de-mold sooner, you run the risk of dents. On the good side, the dented sticks seem to fall funnier in the water at times and may produce more bites!!! Jim Thanks for the tips. I have noticed that the dents usually don't occur until the 2nd or 3rd pour. I'm guessing that the mold must be getting heated up which means that the plastic is not hardening as fast as the first pour. I'll try blowing the mold with the air compressor or something to cool it down and see if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 On the good side, the dented sticks seem to fall funnier in the water at times and may produce more bites!!! Jim You might be on to something there Jim...... "Ghost Baits Customed Dented Sticks" I laugh.......but watch that be the next craze! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallheadz Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 yes the dents are from overheated molds. I run fans on my molds but if I go too fast I still get some with dents. Get more molds or slow down and your problems will be solved with the dents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegrasslover Posted September 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 yes the dents are from overheated molds. I run fans on my molds but if I go too fast I still get some with dents. Get more molds or slow down and your problems will be solved with the dents Awesome! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
