Senko formula

[mark poulson]

10 hours ago, SpoonMinnow said:

Mark, I ordered the silica beads today from EBay.  Hope they function as expected.

If so, it would be fantastic for other lure designs besides the stick.

 

Just remember that I measure by volume.

The media is a little heavier than salt, but not by much.

I also add salt, because I think it helps the fish hold onto the bait longer, but it also makes the baits more fragile.  So that's why I switched to the glass bead media for 3/4 of my "ballast" in my 2 parts plastisol to 3/4 parts glass media to 1/4 salt formula.

[MonteSS]

The glass beads WILL scratch the HE77 out of your injector piston. Especially with that course a grade. Still will work OK but be warned.

[mark poulson]

4 hours ago, MonteSS said:

The glass beads WILL scratch the HE77 out of your injector piston. Especially with that course a grade. Still will work OK but be warned.

I've heard that, too, but it hasn't bothered my injector, and I've been using the glass beads for four years now.

Granted, I am a hobby pourer.  A production pourer might have a different experience.

I do shoot spray PAM down my injector cylinder after every pour.

[SpoonMinnow]

Quote

I do shoot spray PAM down my injector cylinder after every pour.

 

 

Why not spray some WD 40 down the barrel?

BTW  What is a good gloss coat for plaster molds?

Edited December 3, 2017 by SpoonMinnow

[Roger Linnell]

Elmers and water 50/50

[mark poulson]

1 hour ago, SpoonMinnow said:

Why not spray some WD 40 down the barrel?

BTW  What is a good gloss coat for plaster molds?

I've never tried WD 40, so I don't know if it will work, too.  On the other hand, I don't know why it wouldn't.

 

I add some yellow (waterproof) carpenter's glue to my plaster of Paris, after it's mixed, to make the casting stronger.  It seems to make the details hold their edges a little better.  I just have to make sure my mold release on the face of the first, sealed half is good, so the second half doesn't glue itself to the first half.

After each half is cured, I brush on two coats of D2T epoxy, thinned with denatured alcohol.

Any iffy spots get reinforced with some super glue.

Edited December 3, 2017 by mark poulson

[Roger Linnell]

16 minutes ago, mark poulson said:

I've never tried WD 40, so I don't know if it will work, too.  On the other hand, I don't know why it wouldn't.

 

I add some yellow (waterproof) carpenter's glue to my plaster of Paris, after it's mixed, to make the casting stronger.  It seems to make the details hold their edges a little better.  I just have to make sure my mold release on the face of the first, sealed half is good, so the second half doesn't glue itself to the first half.

After each half is cured, I brush on two coats of D2T epoxy, thinned with denatured alcohol.

Any iffy spots get reinforced with some super glue.

I used to use epoxy, but elmers is easier to work with, very durable and you can find it anywhere. High temp engine enamel works good too

[SpoonMinnow]

Thanks.

The engine enamel  is probably sold in automotive supply stores or maybe hardware. The only Elmer's I have is for wood.

I want to make the 5"  Kut tail and use the silica in the mix. Nice design for multi-species.

[Roger Linnell]

4 hours ago, SpoonMinnow said:

Thanks.

The engine enamel  is probably sold in automotive supply stores or maybe hardware. The only Elmer's I have is for wood.

I want to make the 5"  Kut tail and use the silica in the mix. Nice design for multi-species.

google Tufstone gypsum cement

Edited December 4, 2017 by Roger Linnell

[SpoonMinnow]

Thanks, I did, and the gentleman I spoke with from that company gave me this address where you don't have to buy as much USG Hydrocal® White Gypsum Cement (better for making molds) and that also sells 2-part cavity coatings:

http://shop.sculpt.com/smooth-on-mold-star-16-trial-kit.html

But the gent on that site suggested silicone as the easiest material to make perfect 3D reproductions in the least amount of time and more tolerant of 300 degree plastisol. I may go that route, though  plaster seems the cheapest and least expensive. Nice thing about their plaster is that it's superior to PoP and less porous.

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by SpoonMinnow

[Roger Linnell]

I've used the Hydrocal too, whatever I could get my hands on out here in the boonies. So far, I've only used silicone to make a mother mold

[MonteSS]

Holy "off the topic" Batman

[uttexas]

Other techniques I've used to add weight to soft plastics

1.  glass glitter (in the embossing section at Hobby Lobby/Michael's

2.  wire snips + metal coat hanger--about 1/4-1/2 inch snips

[Roger Linnell]

4 hours ago, MonteSS said:

Holy "off the topic" Batman

whoops

[SpoonMinnow]

Got Glass Bead MIL Spec (120-200), sand blasting abrasive 10 lbs for $13.95 from EBay

Thanks Again Mark.

Will try pouring a 1.5" segment at center of each 4" stick made of super soft plastic leaving the ends free of the above. Of course it will require three separate pours with the material concentrated at the center, but hopefully the 1.5" ends should wobble better.  I may even pour sticks totally infused with the sand and test them.

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by SpoonMinnow

[mark poulson]

2 hours ago, SpoonMinnow said:

Got Glass Bead MIL Spec (120-200), sand blasting abrasive 10 lbs for $13.95 from EBay

Thanks Again Mark.

Will try pouring a 1.5" segment at center of each 4" stick made of super soft plastic leaving the ends free of the above. Of course it will require three separate pours with the material concentrated at the center, but hopefully the 1.5" ends should wobble better.  I may even pour sticks totally infused with the sand and test them.

 

Let us know how you sticks turn out!

[SpoonMinnow]

Fortunately I have a pond in my backyard and as long as the surface defrosts, I'll be able to test stick action and rate of fall. The small stick I rigged on a small jig had the exact same tip wobble as the Senko on the drop!

[MonteSS]

You would want weight at tips and less in middle for more wobble

[SpoonMinnow]

The rate of drop seems to me to be more important along with stick design, but I'll try lures with both weighted areas for comparison.

[mark poulson]

Be sure to try and match the flexibility of the original Senko.  Softer is better/more wiggle.

[SpoonMinnow]

Used the silica in 4" and 5" Senko shapes  and weighed them. Pretty  good so far as compared to the original. Now I'll have to see the  stick's horizontal fall in a bucket of water.