Purpose Of The Salt

[Henegar]

Guys this may be a dumb question but oh we'll. what is the actual purpose of adding salt. Also question number two is I poured a 2 color worm a month ago and they have just been sitting in the garage, not packaged in anything. I have th to a friend to try and it came apart at the color seem. What may cause this. Thanks.

[Travis]

Salt was initially used because a bass had a tendency to hold onto the bait longer.  One could argue that  with the more sensitive rods, non stretch lines, and scents it is no longer needed.  Salt is also added for weight in some baits.

 

Your bait coming across at the seam is because the plastic temps were not correct to fuse together, a proper laminate won't do that.  Get both plastics hot and pour the first color then go back and pour the second.  It takes a little practice but not too hard.

[mark poulson]

I heat both colors, hopefully the same amounts, in the microwave at the same time up to 340-350.

I take the first one out, pour it, hit 10 seconds on the microwave to reheat the second color, and pour it.

I don't have problems that way.

A digital thermometer is essential to make sure your plastics are the right temp., especially for laminates.

[Travis]

For you guys that use a thermometer have you continue to use it after a few batches?  I have never used or found the need to use a thermometer.

 

The most critical and maybe one that sounds stupid is learn to pour.  Learn the plastic it will do more for your success than anything else. Clean quick pours are key in my book to getting good plastics.  If you dribble, spend too much time trying to partially fill a cavity, moving to the next, having to constantly mess with things, etc.. hard to generate a quality bait without pulling your hair out.  

[gonfishn]

Little history lesson. In the "old days", when plastisol was going for 30 cents a gallon and most of the pouring was done in the garage using old pie molds etc., some folks, Hugh Harvel among them, started adding salt to bulk up the pour as it didn't adversely affect the plastic per see (although it tended to screw up the molds). Anyway, in addition to adding plastic sprue, the salt made the baits cheaper on the pour hence a few pennies more in the pocket. For the most part, salt's "blood attractant quality" was an after-thought, admittedly a very good one. Fast forward to today, we see all kinds of additives being utilized and hyped but good ol salt seems to be the favorite. Lot of the major injectors, especially those using the vertical molds, don't like to add the salt to the levels necessary to make the baits fully attractive. The one's who are still making their baits at the "heavy salt" level are getting fewer and fewer even though that level of salt is the optimum.

[Henegar]

Well the guy contacted me today and said he wanted salt in his next order, Do I put this in before I pour or do I roll the bait around in it right after it comes out if the molds. I have never used salt before. Any suggestions are great

[Basseducer]

I would ask him how he wants it.

[MonteSS]

_{If you are adding salt for taste, you should add 1 tablespoon of salt (pickling salt from Walmart works well) to 4 oz of cooked plastic.}

 

_...Bill

[DaveMc1]

_{If you are adding salt for taste, you should add 1 tablespoon of salt (pickling salt from Walmart works well) to 4 oz of cooked plastic.}

 

_...Bill

There is more than one way to skin a cat, when it comes to doing anything creative, the only thing anyone SHOULD do is try it for themselves and see what works best for them. just because that works good for you doesn't mean it will for someone else. 

[MonteSS]

There is more than one way to skin a cat, when it comes to doing anything creative, the only thing anyone SHOULD do is try it for themselves and see what works best for them. just because that works good for you doesn't mean it will for someone else. 

 

whatever.

 

....Bill

Edited September 18, 2013 by MonteSS