Adding Rattles While Pouring Plastics

[JoeDobs]

I'm fairly new to pouring plastics and I've been trying to add rattles while pouring. I've tried pouring up to about half of the cavity and then dropping a rattle in, but the rattle just drops to the bottom. So I tried pouring half, letting it start to cool and solidify enough to hold the rattle, and then pour the rest to encase the rattle. The problem is that I get a visible line on the surface of the bait. I thought that maybe the plastic was getting too cool in between placing the rattles and finishing the pour, so I popped the pyrex cup back into the microwave and heated it back up to a pretty thin consistency and then topped off the cavity....Still got the line in the bait. I pretty much wouldn't care about the visible line separating the two halves, but I can pull the two halves apart without much effort. I didn't find this out untill I stuck one of the baits on a jig head, the head split in half. I thought maybe it was something with the plastic, so I tried melting down some store bought baits and got the same results...only difference is that the store bought didn't split in half as easy.

Am I doing something wrong??? I'm using Lurecraft colors and Lurecraft plastic in the saltwater, salt/medium mix, medium, and supersoft...tried with all 4. Tried first with 1/8" X 5/8" glass rattles and then 1/8" X 7/8" plastic worm rattles(thought the plastic ones might float...didn't). Heating the plastic in pyrex cups in a microwave, using hanle off of a long metal tea spoon to stir, and pouring into a PoP mold sealed with 50/50 glue/water mix. I also preheat the PoP mold prior to first pour in the oven. I don't use any sort of mold release or anything in the cavity.

Any info would be greatly appreciated

[Piscivorous Pike]

I do not know the answer, but have considered adding aluminum cased rattles (I make them) to my baits. I kinda thought those type of problems would happen. Here are some ideas but I have no reports on how well they could work.

I dreamed up an untested method that can be thrown out here for comment. Could you take a tubular punch, sharpen a brass tube and cut a hole in the bait. Insert the rattle with very good made for plastic super glue secure the rattle. A punch for this purpose used to be sold in BP. Brass tubing is sold in the hardware and materials aisle at Ace and other local hardware store.

I also have a battery operated soldering iron that I repair and Frankenstein soft plastics with. I could seal up the insertion cavity. I also have been dipping baits into clear platics after adding eyes and glitter and giving it a seal coat. That would also work to keep it in.

Mr. JoeDobs, thanks for asking that, the answer we get us both going good, I think.

I am amazed at how well Sure Hold Plastic Surgery Super Glue glues all plastics even plastisol without an accelerant or MEK pretreatment. It works better for me than the one advertised as a liquid solvent or weld to Mend plastics. You can get it on the internet, Amazon, for $1.49-$1.89, watch your shipping though. BassPro has it to. Some places charge many times that for them. I use it on about everything, even finger cuts, that I use super glue on.

[nova]

What you are getting is called cold cracks. You may be letting your first layer of plastic cool too much. You should pour some plastic into the mold to pre-heat it, this will help as well.

I assume you are pouring the same color on the second layer. If that is the case, then pour your first layer and count to five; then put your rattles in and pour the second layer right away.

I've been pouring for 20 years and I still get cold cracks from time to time. I use a micro torch to do a quick pass over them and they are gone.

www.novalures.com

[JoeDobs]

Thanks for the tip Nova. If I get a little bit of extra time tonight, I'm going to try it out. I just started pouring a couple months ago and I'm very appreciative of this site and its members, like yourself. This site has saved me a lot of headache. There will probably be some kinks I run into as I move into the more advanced lures, and its nice to have a site like this. Thanks!

[nova]

Thanks for the tip Nova. If I get a little bit of extra time tonight, I'm going to try it out. I just started pouring a couple months ago and I'm very appreciative of this site and its members, like yourself. This site has saved me a lot of headache. There will probably be some kinks I run into as I move into the more advanced lures, and its nice to have a site like this. Thanks!

Not a problem, you're very welcome. I too have learned from this site and it's members.

No one person has all the answers because of the nature of this hobby/business. Once you get past the basics like temperature and such; it becomes an artform and subject to the person doing the pouring. I'm sure that as you proceed in this "addiction" you will come up with little things that will make it your personal artform.

www.novalures.com