Chance_Taker4 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 I am new to pouring my own plastics. My wife got me everythign I use for Christmas. I am using LureCraft 500 plastisol. I love the softness of this bait for my shakey head worms and craws. However, I am also making 5" senkos but I cant get the plastic to sink. I tried using little salt then I tried using a lot of salt to no avail. What can I do to make my plastic sink? Do I need a different type of plastsol or is there an additive I can use to make them sink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryanmc Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) There are two things commonly used to make stick baits sink, salt or glass beads. If you're injecting, glass beads can be hard on your injector but they make for more transparent baits than salt.. Use 2 tablespoons of glass beads to 4 oz of plastic. If you use salt, the basic formula is 1 cup plastic, 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup softener. Edited January 24, 2015 by bryanmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 There are two things commonly used to make stick baits sink, salt or glass beads. If you're injecting, glass beads can be hard on your injector but they make for more transparent baits than salt.. Use 2 tablespoons of glass beads to 4 oz of plastic. If you use salt, the basic formula is 1 cup plastic, 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup softener. Thank you currently I do not use softener because I find lurecraft's 500 formula to be extremley soft already. Should I add softener to make it sink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMc1 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thank you currently I do not use softener because I find lurecraft's 500 formula to be extremley soft already. Should I add softener to make it sink? no, more softener will make it more buoyant. you are probably not adding enough salt. how much salt - plastic have you used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 3 tablespoons per cup. Also i find it is very difficult to get the salt stirred in. I find it always just sitting at the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMc1 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 That is because salt is heavy and it sinks (the whole reason for adding it) you need to keep stirring it to keep it suspended. the reason your sticks aren't sinking is because the salt isn't getting into the bait, its sitting on the bottom of the cup. Buy the salt offered by the suppliers (Bait Junky's, Bear's Baits, Lure Craft etc) it is super fine and will suspend better than a coarse table salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 That helps a lot I live in the same city Jann's netcraft is located so I get all my products from them however they don't carry salt and their reason was table salt works better so they done sell it. So I have been using plain table salt in my baits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMc1 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 That helps a lot I live in the same city Jann's netcraft is located so I get all my products from them however they don't carry salt and their reason was table salt works better so they done sell it. So I have been using plain table salt in my baits It doesn't work better Don't grind it up either, makes it clump badly and settles out faster. order it from one of the suppliers listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 I will put an order in tonight. That was another problem I was having, the salt clumped and would clog my injector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Ray Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hey Gator Baits I was having trouble with salt for a while myself and I finally just gave up on it. It is like bryanmc said your baits will come out more transparent so it will be so much easier for you to get the color you want. And if you put the amount that he mentioned you will get a perfect sink rate similar to a real Senko. So I say even if you get the salt and you do get the sink you want down I would not just forget about the bead blasting media if I was you because one day you might just want to make a certain color and the blasting media will be another option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippin 416 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I ran my first set of stick baits the other day with bead blasting media.....80 grit glass beads. Colors look great...sink rate is about the same as my salted baits. But it sounded like it was tearing apart my injector. So I am keeping that injector as my bead blast injector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassinfool Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I've shot hundreds of baits with bead media and one thing that is absolutely imperative if you plan on doing so is to take some work oil and put it on the oring and lubricate the inside of your injector. I do this before I start and am pretty liberal with the oil. Then I add a little more after every 3 shots or when the injector feels like it isn't moving smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Ray Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I think you are the only guy doing that Bassinfool and you seem to be the only one that doesn't have a scratched up injector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FATFLATTIE Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I haven't had any experience with salt (other than remelts). However, I have used the HDA from Do-It and it works great. I use 3.75-4 tablespoons of it to a cup of plastic and 1.75 tablespoons of softener. I am using a medium plastisol and it comes out almost identical to a senko sink wise and softness. Baits also seem to be a little more durable than salt baits and it stays suspended better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Thanks guys. I have been interested in the Do-It HD sinking additive. If it just a powder? When I look it unit shows a picture of baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassinfool Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 It's a kind of paste like substance and really greys up the baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipt Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 salt is the best stuff in my opinion, yeah it clouds the baits but they work exactly the same. salt is the cheapest, and its a natural resource. i'm not an expert but i'd say that salt baits would break down faster than silica or glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 salt is the best stuff in my opinion, yeah it clouds the baits but they work exactly the same. salt is the cheapest, and its a natural resource. i'm not an expert but i'd say that salt baits would break down faster than silica or glass. I would rather use salt to make them sink. If I use salt will I need to add softener? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipt Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 yes if using medium plastic you will need a fair amount of softener, even if using soft plastic you will still probably need some. the whole idea of the stick bait is to get the right weight to make it sink but also the right softness to make it wiggle. too soft and it wont rebound itself to keep wiggling, to stiff and it wont flex enough to wiggle. i put a lot of time an effort into the right ratio of plastic / salt / softener to get it just right. my suggestion is to experiment with formulas, write everything down and use different colors so you know what is what, test them in a pool or fish tank or even a clear lake to see what works the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance_Taker4 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 I use soft plastic 500. I think I'm switching to 502. Should I follow the 1/2 cup plastic, 1/4 cup salt and softener even with soft plastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassinfool Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 1/2 cup plastic 2 1/4 tablespoons salt 1/2 tablespoon softener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteSS Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 The glass beads are FAR superior to salt, unless you are selling baits. They are alot more durable so customers wont come back for more. bait are much more clear. ONLY disadvantage is it will scratch the injector. I have a dedicated injector for the beads now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyc14 Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 I agree with monte beads are far superior to salt but, far more money but it's cheaper than the hda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassinfool Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Maybe more money up front but if you buy a lot up front that initial investment will last years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
