porkmeatballs Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Hey guys, I have decided that I will finally try to make my own soft plastic swimbaits and I know absolutely nothing about the process... I will probably have a lot of questions, so any replies will be appreciated. First questions: Can I make the mold out of alumilite silicone? Is alumisol tough enough to make a line through swimbait? How should I go about weighting such a swimbait? Thanks so much guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleT Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Not trying to be ugly but a little research goes a long way. There are tons of videos and such online of folks making silicone molds for soft plastic and hard baits. And yes, Alumilite silicone will do the trick. I don't have any experience with the alumisol. I know speaking for myself, you can tell me about how to do something all day long but if you show me how its done, I got it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 You're opening Pandora's Box by attempting to make your own mold and having no pouring experience. Purchase a CNC aluminum,proven mold from one of the reputable MFGS's on this site. This list of caveats in long during the learning process. WARNING: This is not a cheap hobby to get involved with. Start w/ $300.00 in reserve and expect t spend more if you really get into this. 2-3 CNC molds,Plastisol( which you'll waste plenty of in the beginning),quality heating/stirring pot,microwave ,injectors,related equipment can consume your $300.00 quickly.I'm not trying to scare you but ignore the advice here from those that $100.00 will get you in the art of making your own baits successfully.If you master 1 color baits then you'll probably wish to make 2 color baits which can have a somewhat complicated learning curve and expense. Whatever you choose,make sure you have adequate exhaust,breathing protection equipment and do not breathe plastisol fumes as some do in their videos on the internet. You only have one set of lungs! $300.00 buys a plethora of quality baits vs. a "fire sale" attempting to sell your equipment after 1-2 years of frustration. Good luck if you decide to make your own baits but keep an accurate list of all your expenses over time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 17 hours ago, porkmeatballs said: Hey guys, I have decided that I will finally try to make my own soft plastic swimbaits and I know absolutely nothing about the process... I will probably have a lot of questions, so any replies will be appreciated. First questions: Can I make the mold out of alumilite silicone? Is alumisol tough enough to make a line through swimbait? How should I go about weighting such a swimbait? Thanks so much guys! Dude, you gotta change your screen name. Every time you post I get hungry! Hahaha Seriously, go to the Larry Dahlberg site, http://www.makelure.com/, and look at his how-to videos. He covers just about everything there. Plus they have enough supplies to get you started. Gotta go now. My stomach's growling! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted January 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Hahaha porkmeatballs are the best! I checked out Larry's videos and they're pretty informative. I think I'll try using the Oomoo silicone instead of vac 50 resin. I still have to order some alumisol and get a microwave somewhere. We'll see how it goes! If I have any more questions, I'll ask you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleT Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 I haven't been at this very long myself either. But maybe I can help you out with what I've experienced. I have been making large open pour musky baits. Some questions that come to mind are: Are you wanting to make a two piece mold or a one piece mold? Do you have your clay master made yet? If not, you will need to get some sculpey clay. I considered the OOMOO but went with the Mold Max 30 instead. It wasn't as expensive was the only reason. The Mold Max isn't degassed but I didn't have any issues with it. I have also used AeroMarine AM 128 and it worked nicely. I researched different silicones before getting started and don't recall any negatives with any of the ones that I found. That being said, I feel sure you can't go wrong with any of the silicones that are available. Just read the specs and go with what best suits your needs. I recently made a two piece injection mold with the Vac Master 50. I want to be able to make different color tails for my baits. It turned turned out nice. There is a instructional video on the MakeLure site for that as well. As far as platisol goes. There are many different brands available. I have tried a few different ones and really didn't notice much difference in them although there may be some. Most that are available offer different hardness plastisols and you can get hardener or softener to add to it as well. I just use the saltwater or hard formula and don't have to add any hardener or softener to it. The folks on here were very helpful to me and this site has a ton of great info as well. Good Luck. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted January 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 9 hours ago, DoubleT said: I haven't been at this very long myself either. But maybe I can help you out with what I've experienced. I have been making large open pour musky baits. Some questions that come to mind are: Are you wanting to make a two piece mold or a one piece mold? Do you have your clay master made yet? If not, you will need to get some sculpey clay. I considered the OOMOO but went with the Mold Max 30 instead. It wasn't as expensive was the only reason. The Mold Max isn't degassed but I didn't have any issues with it. I have also used AeroMarine AM 128 and it worked nicely. I researched different silicones before getting started and don't recall any negatives with any of the ones that I found. That being said, I feel sure you can't go wrong with any of the silicones that are available. Just read the specs and go with what best suits your needs. I recently made a two piece injection mold with the Vac Master 50. I want to be able to make different color tails for my baits. It turned turned out nice. There is a instructional video on the MakeLure site for that as well. As far as platisol goes. There are many different brands available. I have tried a few different ones and really didn't notice much difference in them although there may be some. Most that are available offer different hardness plastisols and you can get hardener or softener to add to it as well. I just use the saltwater or hard formula and don't have to add any hardener or softener to it. The folks on here were very helpful to me and this site has a ton of great info as well. Good Luck. Thanks for the info! I already have the OOMOO, so I guess I'll just stick with that. For the master, I'll probably try to carve it, as that is one of my favorite parts in the building process. I really want to make a more realistic swimbait (one without a flat top), but I'm not completely sure how to do the "injector mold". Would I have to buy one of those special injector syringes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttexas Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 Welcome. I've made about ten two piece silicone molds--they are great. OOmoo works well for the molds--it is softer than most and the easiest to cut the center line. If you design the mold to be poured vertically, you will have no problem hand pouring to get all the details. Watch these videos. The first one details a hand pour, the second is a diy injection. Personally, I would just do the hand pour (easier, safer, and less plastisol used) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcRv__zNxYE&t=7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMA5AKjKOGw 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttexas Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 (edited) Some details that have made things easier for me: 1. Use a ratchet nut in the mold box to make the vent hole After the mold is cured, you can use an exacto knife to make the pour hole larger. You could even make it large enough to accommodate an injector; but, I've found injecting RTV molds more trouble than it's worth. 2. I like using legos to make the mold box--I've used tupperware and bread pans also, but the legos give you more flexibility in adjusting the size of the mold box for your prototype, vent hole (plastic tubing works best), and pour hole. 3. make the floor of the mold pox with Plasticine clay just a little bit larger in all dimensions than your lego mold box. That way, when you press the lego box down, it will self seal with the plasticine sealing the inside of the box. Seal the bottom outside of the lego box with plumber's putty (cheap at Walmart) 4. RTV silicone is expensive. The cheapest way to buy it is to print off 40%/50% off coupons at Hobby Lobby and Michaels and go to two or four different stores a week to purchase (can only use one coupon at a time per store for one item only) Mix RTV silicone very, very well and error on the side of adding too much catalyst than too little. 5. Weighting the swimbait. BB's are easiest. Easiest way is to hand pour half the mold first. Wait until the plastic in the half has just started to solidify and carefully (avoid burning your fingers) place the BB's in the bottom part of the belly. Then rubberband the mold together. Turn the mold to vertical and pour in the rest of the plastic. Edited January 29, 2017 by uttexas 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted January 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 Awesome feedback!Yeah the biggest thing that I was worried about was getting big air bubbles in my bait. In the mold above, how would the air escape if you poured from the top? Wouldn't it get trapped in the tails? Since I want to make a bait with a lot of detail, air bubbles would probably be a huge problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttexas Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 (edited) I took the pic prior to placing cut to size small plastic tubing in the mold box. Things I've used for tubing sturdy kid's straws surgical tubing cheap balloon on a stick (the stick is hollow) One of the great things about RTV silicone is that it's easy just to carve it with an exacto knife, so you could just make the air vents after you make the mold. However, using cut to size tubing is very easy. The gray lines represent where I placed the air vent holes. BE SURE to wear appropriate gloves when pouring into a vented RTV mold. The hot, molten plastisol will drip out of the vent holes at the very end of the pour. Oh, I see how my original post is confusing. I use the ratchet nuts in the mold box to shape the pour hole (not the vent hole). After the mold is cured, I enlargen the hole that the ratchet nuts created to make pouring a higher volume of liquid into the cavity easier. Edited January 30, 2017 by uttexas 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted January 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 So air bubbles at the very bottom of the tail would have to rise all the way to the vent holes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttexas Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 For that mold, and most RTV molds I've done, air at the bottom of the lure hasn't been an issue. When you cut the RTV mold in half after the RTV has completely set, you create tiny imperfections that allow air to escape (it's not like a perfect machined aluminum mold where air gets trapped and multiple vent channels are often built in. I tend to make my RTV molds thicker than needed, which really insulates the 350 degree F plastic poured in. The plastic says liquified for a long time in RTV molds allowing plenty of time for the air and bubbles to rise (one of the main reasons I put the vent holes toward the top of the lure and pour them vertically top/down filling with molten plastic bottom/up. Again, this is in contrast to aluminum molds, which cool extremely rapidly. Aluminum molds are injected often horizontally, first filling the reservoir then with pressure, pushed into the lure channels. Good venting of these aluminum molds is critical because air/bubbles rise and with the lure cavity in a horizontal position, up is the top line of the lure. If you do end up with air in the tail you have many options cut a tiny channel with an exacto knife from the tail cavity to the side or bottom of the mold Big picture: 1. safety first (completely protect your eyes, skin, extremities) 2. you only learn by doing, mistakes will be made, but RTV silicone is forgiving and easy to modify 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted January 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Awesome, awesome info here! Thanks for clarifying a lot of stuff. Another question: How would I be able to make a line through type bait? I was thinking that I would put lead weight in the bottom and then mold plastic tubing through the bait for the line through channel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttexas Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 The easiest way to make a line through swimbait is after it has been poured and fully cured/cooled. You will be eternally frustrated trying to perfectly place the line through in a straight position before pouring and then have it float and move some in the mold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8N2axtR9Po 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Just got a microwave from the thrift store! Now I just have to order the plastisol. Still trying to figure out how to weight and rig these future swimbaits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 For those of you that have used Alimisol: Should I get the hardener, softener, and heat stabilizer? Are they necessary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 I used that stuff many years ago and found it way to hard. I would suggest you get the softener. To make the learning curve a little easier why not get some plastic from someone who actually makes if for baits. You will be much happier and it will be easier for people on this board to help you. No need to make it harder than it needs to be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 I think I'll try to use alumisol first and see what happens... I just want to kind of experiment with cheaper plastisol before getting more expensive stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 You are under the impression that if you pay more for plastic it is better. Not the case at all. they all don't act the same say in the microwave but they all can end up with the same result. I have had more problems with the more expensive stuff down the road than the less expensive ones. Don't be fooled with the pricing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 If you're just pouring for yourself, use Baitjunkys. Leonard pours, has everything, and is reasonably priced for a hobby pourer. Plus he only sells stuff that works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpssports Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 The newest Polysol formulas are also great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 Mark, would Baitjunkys still be a good choice if I decided to sell my baits later on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMc1 Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 Why wouldn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 (edited) Mold making is a labor of passion... It's not for everyone, and it will test the will of even the most stubborn hearted! (me)...... You'll come to embrace failure as part of the game.. But don't get discouraged, failure is the first step toward success! You've already decided on your first project, and RTV silicone is a good choice of material for that application..... But don't rule out plaster for future projects... The stakes are higher with RTV, at around $30 a pound, screw ups hurt more!.... Plaster coming in around $1 a pound, you won't even blink when throwing a failed mold in the garbage (or 2 or 3 in a row) I haven't done a line thru swim bait yet, so I can't help much... But I can recommend a product from Spike-it called "Bond Coat".... If you plan on molding a weight in, this glue will bond it to the plastic (at least that's what the description says)........ And btw, you can get everything else from them too.. Plastisol, colorant, glitter.. They even sell their own brand of RTV silicone Oh, and don't buy too much RTV.. It has a shelf life, it's good for 9 or 10 months, after that use it or lose it...... I learned the hard way Edited February 4, 2017 by JRammit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
