Alumilite alumifoam

[Sudd]

Does anyone use this type foam, if so do you seal it or have to seal it before painting? I spray a krylon white primer in the molds I use which would bond to the foam as it cures.Then I would paint them. 

[Anglinarcher]

Alumifoam  .  It is good stuff, but it has a learning curve.

It is the density of cedar wood, harder then any wood I have used, can be cut, drilled, sanded, etc., but ...... all of that leaves the open cavities typical of foams. 

When you pour Alumifoam, I quickly rotate the mold so a light coat gets on all surfaces.  Once it quickly fires off and expands.  If your mold is not firm enough, it expands so aggressively that it will bulge your mold.  Because of that, I suggest PLAT 65, or at least Quickset as your molds, and place them between thin plywood and clamp them lightly.  I am working on methods for VacMaster materials but that is a few projects down the road.  (as of October 2017 in case the thread ever gets brought up again.  LOL)

This will leave a clean flawless skin that picks up every detail in your original.  Still, you have your gates to remove and clean up.

I trim off my gates and file/sand them smooth to the bait.  I then take some Dap Plastic Wood putty and apply to fill the voids now exposed.  I sand smooth and I am ready to prime.  This same procedure works on any foam and works if you need to sand or work on other spots on the lure before painting. 

No sealer is required, and the Krylon white primer you spray in the mold will work with this as well.

I hope this helps some.  I will be on and off line for a couple of days, so please tolerate a slow reply.

Steve

Edited October 29, 2017 by Anglinarcher

[Sudd]

1 hour ago, Anglinarcher said:

Alumifoam  .  It is good stuff, but it has a learning curve.

It is the density of cedar wood, harder then any wood I have used, can be cut, drilled, sanded, etc., but ...... all of that leaves the open cavities typical of foams. 

When you pour Alumifoam, I quickly rotate the mold so a light coat gets on all surfaces.  Once it quickly fires off and expands.  If your mold is not firm enough, it expands so aggressively that it will bulge your mold.  Because of that, I suggest PLAT 65, or at least Quickset as your molds, and place them between thin plywood and clamp them lightly.  I am working on methods for VacMaster materials but that is a few projects down the road.  (as of October 2017 in case the thread ever gets brought up again.  LOL)

This will leave a clean flawless skin that picks up every detail in your original.  Still, you have your gates to remove and clean up.

I trim off my gates and file/sand them smooth to the bait.  I then take some Dap Plastic Wood putty and apply to fill the voids now exposed.  I sand smooth and I am ready to prime.  This same procedure works on any foam and works if you need to sand or work on other spots on the lure before painting. 

No sealer is required, and the Krylon white primer you spray in the mold will work with this as well.

I hope this helps some.  I will be on and off line for a couple of days, so please tolerate a slow reply.

Steve

Pretty the same process I do. What kind of primer you use? Mine is primed already with krylon when they come out.

[Anglinarcher]

LOL, primer?  I will admit that I have played with a lot of different things.

I do usually spray my molds with Krylon white paint and primer in one.  It works well.  But........ I use lead shot for ballast sometimes where the shot sinks to the surface of the mold the primer does not cover well.  Not sure why but the spots of the shot stand out like a sore thumb and the paint does not want to stick on it.  Soooooooo  When I use tungsten it works much better.

My latest thing is to mist the lure with a metallic paint.  It covers everything on the first coat, then I coat with the same white paint/primer.  It actually covers better with the white over the silver then just using white.  Weird, I know.  Plan on trying it on the inside of the mold later.

[Sudd]

3 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

LOL, primer?  I will admit that I have played with a lot of different things.

I do usually spray my molds with Krylon white paint and primer in one.  It works well.  But........ I use lead shot for ballast sometimes where the shot sinks to the surface of the mold the primer does not cover well.  Not sure why but the spots of the shot stand out like a sore thumb and the paint does not want to stick on it.  Soooooooo  When I use tungsten it works much better.

My latest thing is to mist the lure with a metallic paint.  It covers everything on the first coat, then I coat with the same white paint/primer.  It actually covers better with the white over the silver then just using white.  Weird, I know.  Plan on trying it on the inside of the mold later.

Ok yeah I spray my molds with same stuff , when i said primer what i meant was are they a certain brand you perfer? then I airbrush them with a pure white lacquer base coat. I use lacquer paints. Never thought of a metallic base coat though.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Sudd

[Sudd]

Also is the plat 55 rubber harder than the high strength 1? Thats what i use, but may need the plat 55 if its harder.

[Anglinarcher]

Yes, the Platt 55 is harder then the HS1, and a little harder then the Quickset.

I find that in order from softest to hardest in the Alumilite system it is as follows:

HS3

HS2

Amazing Mold Putty

Mold Putty

HS1

Trans 40

Quickset

Mold Putty 15

Plat 55

I find the Mold Putty options harder to get fine detail with but the rest I use often.  For day to day foam use, I use HS2 and just clamp with some plywood on both sides.  But, for hard core Alumifoam use, Plat 55 is my suggestion.

Day in, day out, the HS2 is the easiest to use, easiest to flex and get lures with undercuts out of, etc., but I find that the more I learn the more I use other options.

I plan on trying to perfect using VACMASTER 50 for hard baits soon, like those from Alumifoam, but it will take some mold release and testing.  Not ready to give details yet.

 

[Anglinarcher]

On ‎10‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 5:16 PM, Sudd said:

Ok yeah I spray my molds with same stuff , when i said primer what i meant was are they a certain brand you perfer? then I airbrush them with a pure white lacquer base coat. I use lacquer paints. Never thought of a metallic base coat though.

I just use Krylon as my primer.  Krylon is the brand.

[Sudd]

8 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

Yes, the Platt 55 is harder then the HS1, and a little harder then the Quickset.

I find that in order from softest to hardest in the Alumilite system it is as follows:

HS3

HS2

Amazing Mold Putty

Mold Putty

HS1

Trans 40

Quickset

Mold Putty 15

Plat 55

I find the Mold Putty options harder to get fine detail with but the rest I use often.  For day to day foam use, I use HS2 and just clamp with some plywood on both sides.  But, for hard core Alumifoam use, Plat 55 is my suggestion.

Day in, day out, the HS2 is the easiest to use, easiest to flex and get lures with undercuts out of, etc., but I find that the more I learn the more I use other options.

I plan on trying to perfect using VACMASTER 50 for hard baits soon, like those from Alumifoam, but it will take some mold release and testing.  Not ready to give details yet.

 

Thanks yeah I think I'm getting just a little mold stretch, so hopefully the plat 55 will eliminate that.