Detailed Handpouring

[wnybassman]

Any tips or tricks for hand pouring very small appendages or especially skinny baits? I've already determined if I am the least bit shaky, to give it up for the day. lol

[Delw]

Any tips or tricks for hand pouring very small appendages or especially skinny baits? I've already determined if I am the least bit shaky, to give it up for the day. lol

best advice DONT USE PYREX to pour with

use a small 1 cup pouring pan (like mom used to use to make cakes with) stainless or alum.

fill it up 1/4 or less Never OVER 1/4 you can pour 1/16 lines with very little practis.

now before you run out and buy a measuring cup to erase any doubt, goto the kitchen grab a coffee cup or glass. fill it with water and try to pour a small stream. Next to impossible.. now take that same glass fill it up 1/4 full and pour.

what happens is you want to be able to turn that pan almost 90 degrees before the plastic comes out other wise it will run down the side.

Dont forget after each pour whipe off the tip of the pan use a chunk of dried plastic it works best.

you can use your pyrex to heat the plastic up then pour in the pan after heated.

Wall mart sells them very cheap. if they dont have a spout just take a pair of dykes and bend a small one in . you really dont need anyspout.

if your hands are shakey, get a yellow pages phone book, lean up against the counter put the mold on the oopsite side of the phone book, rest your wrist on the phone book and pour away. it helps me alot when I have shakey hands.

[jesse1378]

i use 1 cup pyrex cups. i pick ones with a sharper pointed spout. but i have a steadier hand than most. what mold are you pouring, maybe we can cup up with some ideas if we knew what the mold looked like.

[wnybassman]

i use 1 cup pyrex cups. i pick ones with a sharper pointed spout. but i have a steadier hand than most. what mold are you pouring, maybe we can cup up with some ideas if we knew what the mold looked like.

Mainly just homemade RTV molds that I have made this past week. 3" and 4" stick baits that I have a fairly narrow slot to make them as round as possible, and a couple dropshot baits that have fairly narrow tails. The side flippers on the sides of beavers are somewhat challenging also.

Thanks for the info Del. When you say "pouring cup" would something like a thin metal measuring cup be the same?

[MuskyHunter]

I pour these small reapers (2.75") in two color and it is very teadious. If you mess up, just pull the mistake out quickly. I pour and repour until they look good to me. I always try to get the mold work level as close as I can to a comfortable eye level.

Edited December 30, 2010 by MuskyHunter

[Delw]

Mainly just homemade RTV molds that I have made this past week. 3" and 4" stick baits that I have a fairly narrow slot to make them as round as possible, and a couple dropshot baits that have fairly narrow tails. The side flippers on the sides of beavers are somewhat challenging also.

Thanks for the info Del. When you say "pouring cup" would something like a thin metal measuring cup be the same?

yes the thin metal ones, lurecraft sells them walmart target etc etc.

[wnybassman]

I practiced for a bit today with the anchor cup. I poured 110 little panfish baits in two different colors and by the time I finished I was really getting the hang of it. I added softener for the first time, so I think that helped make the plastic a little looser? I also got in a groove of "dragging a drop" as I called it. For these little baits I had to drop 3 or 4 drops of plastic in the head area, then with the last drop still connected to the glass I pulled very slowly towards the tail of the bait. As I pulled I could see the plastic getting pulled from the cup as needed to fill the cavity. It was actually quite cool!

Then I moved to a large bass sized bait with a skinny tail afterward, and that was a breeze! lol

[gone2long]

Sounds like how I do it, I also found that it is easier to continue to pour from cavity to cavity with out stopping. Here's how I do it I start with the 1st cavity and when it is just about full I back off the stream a bit and with a quick motion move to the next cavity, I get a very thin strip of flash or plastic between cavities and when they setup it easily pulls away with out leaving any behind, you don't even see where it was connected. Nice little bait by the way, you made that mold yourself? nice.