1 1/2" Crappie Tube Mold Idea

[lowbudget fishing]

ok guys im new to pouring soft plastics and i came up with an idea and dont now if this has been thought of before. for an 1 1/2" crappie tube couldnt you make a mould out of plaster by taking your 1/4" diameter rod and 3inches in length and dipping it like bojon does and then cut it down to 1 1/2" so you would have a 1 1/2" tube on a 3 inch rod and make a two piece plaster mould around it. so all you would have to do is after you peel the tube off the rod all you have is a 3inch rod and then insert it back into the mould and pour plastic again and should come back out with a 1 1/2 inch crappie tube ona 3 inch rod just an idea and havent started pouring yet. what are your thoughts???

[BBK]

ok guys im new to pouring soft plastics and i came up with an idea and dont now if this has been thought of before. for an 1 1/2" crappie tube couldnt you make a mould out of plaster by taking your 1/4" diameter rod and 3inches in length and dipping it like bojon does and then cut it down to 1 1/2" so you would have a 1 1/2" tube on a 3 inch rod and make a two piece plaster mould around it so all you would have to do is after you peel the tube off the rod all you have is a 3inch rod and then insert it back into the mould and pour plastic again and should come back out with a 1 1/2 inch crappie tube ona 3 inch rod just an idea and havent started pouring yet. what are your thoughts???

This might be the longest run-on sentence I have ever seen.

Your concept is correct, stabilizing the rod so that it is not touching any walls is the only part your missing.

[lowbudget fishing]

This might be the longest run-on sentence I have ever seen.

Your concept is correct, stabilizing the rod so that it is not touching any walls is the only part your missing.

the rod is stabilized because when you mold it the other 1 1/2" of the rod doesnt have the plastic on it if you mold aroundthat part to it should workor i think???

ya i know its a run on but oh well

Edited March 9, 2010 by lowbudget fishing

[lowbudget fishing]

i got to looking at bears 4" tube mold. Its basically the same concept but with plaster and different size tubing

[daveh]

i was thinking about trying to make crappie tubes but i pour so much stuff now i just went to lure craft. they have crappie tubes for 3 bucks for 50 and about every color you want. solved my problem and can concentrate on making 2 in crul tales.

[lowbudget fishing]

i was thinking about trying to make crappie tubes but i pour so much stuff now i just went to lure craft. they have crappie tubes for 3 bucks for 50 and about every color you want. solved my problem and can concentrate on making 2 in crul tales.

ya i pretty much fish for crappie as my grandpa is a crappie freak, so i dont get to do much bass fishing. if i calsulated this right i can make 100 one inch tube per ounce of platisol and 66 1 1/2 tube per ounce

[daveh]

ya i pretty much fish for crappie as my grandpa is a crappie freak, so i dont get to do much bass fishing. if i calsulated this right i can make 100 one inch tube per ounce of platisol and 66 1 1/2 tube per ounce

theres no dought you could make a bunch with little plastic. good luck

[bojon]

theres no dought you could make a bunch with little plastic. good luck

WOW! You are going through a lot of trouble to make a simple tube.You may save on plastic but molding these small tubes would be a time consuming process.I would go nuts trying to make a couple of hundred of those little suckers.Time study how long it would take to mold a crappie tube,then do the same using the dipping procedure.You can dip as many as a dozen 11/2 inch tubes at once for a total time of less than a second.I find this very quick,but this means you have to split the tails,and that takes no more than a few seconds each.This dipping in 4 oz of plastic,and remelting the scraps is a very cheap method.The dipping rod would look like a 12 tined rake.The rods being on a common shaft.The pan size would dictate how many rods would fit.I have made three three inch by 1/4 bass tubes per dip,but to be honest,I prefer the one at a time method.This also makes two,or three colors a snap.Let me know how many you can mold in a hour.Just curious.Sorry about the long post.The ramblings of a old man.

[lowbudget fishing]

WOW! You are going through a lot of trouble to make a simple tube.You may save on plastic but molding these small tubes would be a time consuming process.I would go nuts trying to make a couple of hundred of those little suckers.Time study how long it would take to mold a crappie tube,then do the same using the dipping procedure.You can dip as many as a dozen 11/2 inch tubes at once for a total time of less than a second.I find this very quick,but this means you have to split the tails,and that takes no more than a few seconds each.This dipping in 4 oz of plastic,and remelting the scraps is a very cheap method.The dipping rod would look like a 12 tined rake.The rods being on a common shaft.The pan size would dictate how many rods would fit.I have made three three inch by 1/4 bass tubes per dip,but to be honest,I prefer the one at a time method.This also makes two,or three colors a snap.Let me know how many you can mold in a hour.Just curious.Sorry about the long post.The ramblings of a old man.

well i dont now for sure if im going to. im 19 and in college with a girlfriend so you know my money and time is tight. the types of tubes i wanna make are two colors to a tube with the tube itself one color and the skirt part another. Ive never tried a tube with one solid color have you? i have some of both and im leaving for alabama for weise lake i think thats how you spell it so im gna try them both. So the results of that is going to make my decision. if the one color works just as good im going to compare the two procedures. but if the two color ones out perform im probably just going to buy some.

[squigster]

The easiest way for me to make crappie tubes is the same as dipping tubes except I use coat hangers. I drilled 20 holes in a round block of wood and glued 3" straight pieces of thick coat hanger rod that I cut from coat hangers into the holes I drilled. I then spray the rods with worm oil or Pam and wipe off the excess and dip the 20 rods at one time into the pot to the lenght I want and repeat to get the thickness I want. It takes a little practice because you have 20 dripping rods that you have to manage but it works really well and is cheap. Give it a try and you can make a hundred in a few minutes. If you need a pic ill try to post one late. I cut the tubes the same way as the larger ones just with an arbor press and a smaller gap between the blades. Rotary cutter blades are too big unless there are smaller ones than I have. Good luck

[lowbudget fishing]

The easiest way for me to make crappie tubes is the same as dipping tubes except I use coat hangers. I drilled 20 holes in a round block of wood and glued 3" straight pieces of thick coat hanger rod that I cut from coat hangers into the holes I drilled. I then spray the rods with worm oil or Pam and wipe off the excess and dip the 20 rods at one time into the pot to the lenght I want and repeat to get the thickness I want. It takes a little practice because you have 20 dripping rods that you have to manage but it works really well and is cheap. Give it a try and you can make a hundred in a few minutes. If you need a pic ill try to post one late. I cut the tubes the same way as the larger ones just with an arbor press and a smaller gap between the blades. Rotary cutter blades are too big unless there are smaller ones than I have. Good luck

sure ill always take a pic

[OhioMike]

Here is how I make 2" crappie tubes. I went to a local plastic supplier & bought some 3" cutoff pieces, 3/8 inch thick' think I paid 10 bucks for 2 4' pieces. I cut them into 6" lengths, put 2 pieces side by side in a vice on my drill press. I then drilled 6 - 1/4" holes set 2" deep. I also drilled 2 holes on the side to put line up pieces in. I fill the cavity with plastic then take a large dia. pop rivet and put it into the plastic, making sure I oil them so they remove easily. The larger rivets have a larger head that won't allow it to go into the hole. (One little trick I've found is if you give the rivets a spin they center up in the hole.) Because the plasti pieces are clear you can fill half the mold with one color then add your second color at whatever depth you want. I normally run 6 molds at a time so I get 36 tubes before I have to demold I then cut the tails & ya got your tubes. My tubes have a solid body so they seem to hold up better.

[lowbudget fishing]

Here is how I make 2" crappie tubes. I went to a local plastic supplier & bought some 3" cutoff pieces, 3/8 inch thick' think I paid 10 bucks for 2 4' pieces. I cut them into 6" lengths, put 2 pieces side by side in a vice on my drill press. I then drilled 6 - 1/4" holes set 2" deep. I also drilled 2 holes on the side to put line up pieces in. I fill the cavity with plastic then take a large dia. pop rivet and put it into the plastic, making sure I oil them so they remove easily. The larger rivets have a larger head that won't allow it to go into the hole. (One little trick I've found is if you give the rivets a spin they center up in the hole.) Because the plasti pieces are clear you can fill half the mold with one color then add your second color at whatever depth you want. I normally run 6 molds at a time so I get 36 tubes before I have to demold I then cut the tails & ya got your tubes. My tubes have a solid body so they seem to hold up better.

i dont quite understand what your doing could you post a pic?

[squigster]

Hope this helps. Just dip it in a pyrex or pot to the depth u want twice and youre good to go

[BBK]

Hope this helps. Just dip it in a pyrex or pot to the depth u want twice and youre good to go

I made something very similar to that today and it works perfect! I tested it with super soft and they were too soft, I'll have to dig out the medium tomorrow.