Niloticus1 Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Hi there, I'm a new user from UK. I do a lot of fishing in Africa and I'm having problems with hardbaits being punctured by Guinea Barracuda (these things can run to 100lbs plus and have very nasty teeth....). I know I can buy durable baits (Bomber CD30s and Storm DTH15s are puncture proof) but I have a bunch of Manns Stretch 30+ and Sebile Koolie Minows that I'd like to foam inject to prevent them from filling with water when punctured. So here's the question: Has anybody tried filling commercial hollow crankbaits with foam? If so, which type of foam did you use and do you have any tips on how to inject the stuff? Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Cheers Dave Edited March 12, 2013 by Niloticus1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowFISH Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I've never filled baits but have toyed with foams for different uses including bouy markers. Two things.... most expanding foams that you could use will continue to expand ALOT... I mean ALOT.... after you spray/squit/pour so don't use too much.... I was insulating around windows and had the interior frames/molding pushed off the wall that was half way nailed in place. With that being said, a small amount goes a long way - so you'll also want to make sure your opening/hole is large enough to allow the expanding foam to ooze out as needed - otherwise it can put enough pressure elsewhere to make an opening while it's gassing off!!! Second - you'll want to make sure it's a closed cell foam - which I'd think most 2 part or spray can foams are... this way water can only seep as deep as the hole (from teeth) and ajoining pores in the foam. If it's very porous it will fill with water and you'll never get the water out... you'd probably be better with no foam in this case. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Larry Dahlberg shows in one of his lure making DVDs doing just that to a damaged bait from Wolf Fish in South America. He suggested using a 320 foam (3 pound, expands 20 times). It is not so powerful that it will crack baits apart and if you have a pour hole, and an exit hole, the foam he used did not set up so fast that it caused problems. I have done this myself a few times now and I use Alumilite 320 super foam. http://www.alumilite.com/ProdDetail.cfm?Category=CastingResins&Name=SuperFoam320 The key, as hinted to above, is to know about the correct volume you will need, then don't over pour. For example, if I measured the volume of the bait at 100 cc, then I would know that the inside was less then that. Because the foam expands 20 times, I would divide 100/20=5 cc of raw foam. The foam is a two part mix, so that would be 2.5 cc of part A and 2.5 cc of part B. Because some will stay in your mixing cup, I would just mix 3 cc of each. I would pour then rotate the lure quickly to distribute the foam equally and then let it expand out of the holes. Trim to the lure when done. The 3 pound foam is much much lighter then balsa so it does not impact how the lure rides in the water, and yet it increases the life of the lure with toothy fish by many times. Edited March 12, 2013 by Anglinarcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niloticus1 Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Excellent! Thanks for the advice guys. I assume I should use a medium bore syringe to actually get the foam into the lure? Cheers! Davbe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I have no way of knowing for sure as I've never done what your trying to do, but you might want to drop a bit of super glue inside the bait to immobilize the rattles before filling with foam. If the foam did happen to move them around it could result in a bait being a bit out of balance depending on where the rattles are located when they are locked in place by the foam. By the way, welcome to TU Dave. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Excellent! Thanks for the advice guys. I assume I should use a medium bore syringe to actually get the foam into the lure? Cheers! Davbe Hey guy ........ Please read the advise above ........ you can't use a syringe ....... it expands at least 20 times it's volume with pressure ........ you need an pour hole and probably a vent hole and you have to pour it in. In addition. you will never get it out of the syringe because it sticks to everything ....... very messy ...... good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niloticus1 Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Hi, Which Larry Dahlberg video shows the process? Is it "Larry's Workshop 1"? Would be grateful for confirmation of the title and, if possible, a source. Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niloticus1 Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Hey guy ........ Please read the advise above ........ you can't use a syringe ....... it expands at least 20 times it's volume with pressure ........ you need an pour hole and probably a vent hole and you have to pour it in. In addition. you will never get it out of the syringe because it sticks to everything ....... very messy ...... good luck. Thanks for the friendly advice.... The previous posts didn't seem to indicate that I shouldn't use a syringe so I checked directly with Larry Dahlberg (what a great guy!). His response was as follows: " You can use either 320 or 610. 610 is a bit tougher. It's a very, very easy process. I drill a 1/8" hole and inject the stuff with a plastic syringe. After it sets the foam comes out of syringe pretty easily so it can be re-used." Just thought I'd close out the thread in case that info would help other anglers with the same problem. Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 ......... well ..... I stand corrected ......... Hope Larry's advise is correct. I know how that stuff expands, how little time you have to mix and pour it and how messy it gets ........... I suggest you get a bunch of the syringes and you do this outside over some plastic and with gloves ........... Let us know how it turned out .......... might be a new way of doing things ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 It really does depend on the foam used. I saw on Larry's site that he does not even use a vent hole, and his DVD did not either, but I do. The foam Alumilite sells, the 320 and 610 are foams I use and they are not that hard to remove from a large bore syringe. Do it before it is completely set up, but just after it looses is sticky feeling. Still, if you use a 1/8" hole, you can pour using a small plastic cup (Dixie Cup) and toss it when it is done. Now, if you use the Alumifoam, which expands 2 to 4 times the original volume and is a dense as white cedar, then you will have issues. That stuff is hard to remove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 I haven't poured anything that small but I would think that you would need a vent hole to let the air escape while you are trying to fill a space quickly itherwise you could end up with airpockets ......... It's the same with injecting plastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) This got me thinking about something that happened a long time ago. I had a good friend that was going to college the same time I was, he was taking the same Physics class I was. We would meet everyday in the Library before class to go over the homework for the last night. We were tossed out of the Library more then once for our heated discussions that resulted from that class. I would show him my work, my logic, and my answer and he would argue that it was wrong, even when he could not make his work out right. Almost without doubt, when the home work was graded I would be right and he would be wrong, but the next day it would be a replay of the same argument of how I was wrong and he was right, but I got the grade and he did not. On the other hand, while he almost failed that physics class, he was a master at Chemistry, especially organic chemistry. He could do things with the chemical equations that I could not even come close to. I almost failed that class. In the end, he got top grade in Organic Chemistry and I got top grade in Engineering Physics. He became a chemist and I became an engineer. So, what is the moral of the story? The moral is that two very smart people can disagree on subjects, and very smart people may not be able to do everything. The procedures have been given above, and it will and has worked. Larry Dahlberg's DVD (http://www.makelure.com/ProdDetail.cfm?Category=Support Products&Name=Larry's Workshop One-2DVDSet) shows it in process. I know that my way worked as well. But, will it work for you? There is no way to know. Maybe your are a Chemistry person, may a Physics person. Just because a method works for one person does not mean it will work for everyone. Edited March 14, 2013 by Anglinarcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 As I said ....... try it ....... could be something new. It's all experimenting and sharing I have Larry's CD's ........I believe he poured the stuff in a hole that is larger than 1/8 " ....... he didn't inject it ........ I'll have to look at it again though cause it's been awhile But you work with it all the time so I'll defer to you but I still would like to hear how it went .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
