mark poulson Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 My fishing partner is tube fanatic. He's the guy who introduced Tora Tubes to bass fishing way back when. He's after me to dip some tubes for him, using a large allen wrench. I've never dipped tubes before, so I'm wondering: Do I need to coat the metal before I dip it to make it release? Do I need to round the head end first? I watched Frank's hollow belly dipping video, so I think I can manage the process, but I don't want to spend an hour cleaning plastic because I skipped a step. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Mark; Coat the metal with Pam or such. The rounding comes in after you dip. It's a wrist action(at least for me) where you rotate your wrist to keep the drip on the end from going pointy. I use a right left and rotate action all at the same time. Don't know if I explained that so everyone could understand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Nova, That makes sense. Thanks. I was worried that the square end of the allen wrench might be a problem, like sharp corners are when I epoxy hard baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Nova, That makes sense. Thanks. I was worried that the square end of the allen wrench might be a problem, like sharp corners are when I epoxy hard baits. I'm glad you understood. Sometimes there is a gap between my brain and my mouth, My brain knows what it's saying; mouth not so much; lol. Square end is no problem at all. Gravity will compensate. If you do get too much of a pointy end just hit it with a micro torch and repeat the wrist action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basseducer Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Just wondering, but won't dipping the hex allen wrench give you a round exterior with the hex on the inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Just wondering, but won't dipping the hex allen wrench give you a round exterior with the hex on the inside? Yes it will. It may make the tube slightly stiffer and more hardy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finesse1331 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 That is what I use to dip baits and it does give you a hex pattern on the inside. I coat the wrech with worm oil before I dip, after the plastic has cured for a few minutes it slides right off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 That is what I use to dip baits and it does give you a hex pattern on the inside. I coat the wrech with worm oil before I dip, after the plastic has cured for a few minutes it slides right off. How many times should I dip, typically? I know every plastic is different, and different tube sizes will require more or less, but, assuming I'm using med. plastic from Bear's or Caney Creek, am I looking at three dips or ten? The good news is my buddy is going to cut the tails, so I don't have to worry about that part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finesse1331 Posted November 29, 2012 Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 I'm no pro at this but I did notice that it depends on the temperature your plastic is. I was told to dip it when the plastic was very hot like 330 to 340 degrees. The hotter the plastic the more it's gonna run and the thinner each layer will be. I usually dip about 5 to 6 times I believe. I've also tried dipping with cooler plastic and it tends to clump on the rod at times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 Thanks. I am totally new to dipping, so that is very helpful. I usually pour at 340+-, so I'll try that, and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
