Using Molding Clay For Hard Swimbait Master?

[porkmeatballs]

I know it sounds weird, but can it be done? I was just thinking about it the other day and thought that it might be a lot easier than carving a piece of wood for the master. Any thoughts would be appreciated ,thanks!

[JRammit]

Can and has... Many many times

I suck with clay... Almost everything i try to make turns into a ball (after i get frustrated and smash it in my fist)

Im not much help, but i did learn one little tip from the few designs i did pull off

If youre making plaster molds, try the air dry clay... It will turn soft again in the wet plaster and youll have no fear of breaking the mold when you remove the master

Still, i prefer carving wood... Suits me better

[porkmeatballs]

Thanks for the input! I'm using silicone for my molds, so I don't know if the clay will soften. I'll probably the clay a shot and see if I like it... Does anyone have any tips on how to form the clay?

[andy1976]

Super sculpey is really great. You can bake it and it becomes hard like plastic.

[JRammit]

With silicone there is no worry of mold damage... Hard clay will be fine

Check out Paul Adams on YouTube... He has several videos using sculpy clay and silicone

[aulrich]

+1 for scupty , for 2 reasons a more since it's hard it will handle nicer while making a 2 part mold no last minute fingerprints or dents getting molded in. And you can clear coat it with high gloss that will transfer nicely to the mold.

And if your clay has sulfur in it, the silicone will not cure correctly and that stuff is too expensive to waste

[porkmeatballs]

I have some air-dry water based clay that I bought from amazon. It hardens pretty well after about 5 hours. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to make detailing for the swimbait?

[Vodkaman]

Working with clay requires practice and skills, just like working with wood. Paul Adams on YouTube is well worth watching, and opens up some of the knowledge.

 

I prefer wood, or depending on what I am making, various materials all combined. Making masters in wood is a lot more forgiving than you might think, because if you remove too much material, you can always add more back with fillers.

 

Dave

[JRammit]

Thing i like about wood, it doesnt deform from handling... I can hold it up without it bending, put it down without leaving a flat spot... And it never shows finger prints

That said, sometimes clay still gets the call... Just used it to make a spinnerbait master last night, turned out well (for me)... Only made 3 balls before i was satisfied

[mark poulson]

If you are making a hard master, there is no reason you can't mix materials.  You can make details out of clay, like fins, bake them hard, and glue them to your wood master, for example.

As long as it holds together when you pour in your silicone, you're good to go.

You can also use bondo to fix errors, like Dave said, or to add material to areas where you want to carve details.  

Bondo carves really easily.  I even used it to add a lip bump to the aluminum prop fin on one of my whopper ploppers, and it let me give some shape to the lip's otherwise flat surface.  I did sand the lip first, for a mechanical anchor point, and then coated the finished bondo with super glue, to reinforce it, before I painted it and dipped it in Solarez.

[Travis]

Most all my masters come from wood also.  I just prefer using it and can sit for a very long time without any worries.

 

I have used bondo as mentioned above but durhams rock puddy mixed is usually my go to for making changes if needed.  Can see the patched or built up areas in the master below.

 

Edited May 8, 2016 by Travis

[mark poulson]

Travis,

It has been many years since I use Durham's Rock Hard Putty.

How long does it take to get hard enough to shape/work?

Have you ever used it in a soft silicone mold to make a hard master, so you can add or change the shape of the original mold?  I'm wondering if it will pour well enough to let me make a master of some store bought silicone molds.

[porkmeatballs]

Thanks for the info guys! I just made a bluegill clay master, and it actually looks decent. I'll probably try to see if I can make a better one though. I found that the clay is pretty easy to carve after it hardens, which allowed me to fix any flaws in the original. I do still like wood better so far, but I'm just trying to explore different methods to make my masters.

[porkmeatballs]

So the template would be in the middle of all the clay/other materials?

[Vodkaman]

Cut the shape of your swimbait out of wood or sheet metal. Build up in layers over the wood, this makes it easier and also gives you a prefect center to the bait. Fins should be added to the wood or sheet metal template also. Also with the template you can use a scale roller for scale patterns. For me magic sculpt is better to work with than clay.

This is good.

 

Dave

[IronBass]

So the template would be in the middle of all the clay/other materials?

Yes.

[porkmeatballs]

Ah i see. Thanks for sharing! I just drew out the outline on paper, cut it out, and then cut out the shape from molding clay. After that I smoothed out the edges. I guess the template idea would make it a lot easier to make the fins...