Resin microsphere ratio

[ROWINGADUBAY]

does anyone have a good ratio for casting glide baits ? I am using amazing casting resin and am trying to copy a small phantom softail . I also wonder if I can get this lure to work without adding weight. Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

[woodieb8]

have you tried 26lb smooth on. its a heavier urethane?

[ROWINGADUBAY]

Actually this is my first attempt at casting hard baits from resin I made one so far and it sinks like a stone.From what I seen on make lure  it seems like thirty percent spheres would be a good start. I was hoping some of the experts would give a starting point so I am not waisting that much resin. 

[Vodkaman]

Resins are heavy, generally with a specific gravity (SG) of 1.2 whereas water has an SG of 1.0. Therefore resin is 20% heavier than water, and as you discovered, it sinks fast. Check the information on your particular resin product.

You will need to experiment with ratios to find what works for you.

If you add 30% spheres (by weight), this will reduce your SG to around 0.9 which should float. But, you still have to incorporate you hardware and top coat, which will increase the total SG of the lure.

The big problem is that; the more spheres you add, the thicker the mix will become. There will come a number were the mix will not pour.

The most that I mixed in was 45%, this reduced the resin mix to an SG of 0.68. This mix had the consistency of thick mustard, and obviously it was not pour-able. I solved this by injecting the paste with a cake icing syringe. If the pour-able ratios don't work out for you, and you decide to try the syringe method, message me first and I will go into more detail.

The heavy expanding foams (as suggested above) are a lighter solution, but they come with their own set of problems. It is just a learning curve.

Dave

[Anglinarcher]

9 hours ago, ROWINGADUBAY said:

I am using amazing casting resin

This is Alumilite White, so I would use the Alumilite Microballoons.  It has a density of 1.07 g/cc but even with an equal volume of microballoons, the density is still about 0.67 g/cc.  An equal volume of microballoons to resin is the max that Alumilite suggest for pouring, and it is pretty thick.  Still, for your lure, if you use a squish type mold, it will work ok.  Mike Faupel with Alumilite shows how he did this in the following video.

https://www.makelure.com/store/pg/54-How-To-Videos.aspx#prettyPhoto/7/

The density chart is the following:

https://www.makelure.com/store/pg/177-specific-gravity-chart.aspx

If you do an Archimedes Dunk Test (Vodkaman posted a link on this several years ago) you can get the density of the desired lure.  This will give a good start to help you find the right density.

5 hours ago, Vodkaman said:

But, you still have to incorporate you hardware and top coat, which will increase the total SG of the lure.

I do the dunk test on the lure without hardware on it so all I have to worry about the top coat and clear coat.  For that lure (6"), I would guess about 5 or 6 grams.

5 hours ago, Vodkaman said:

heavy expanding foams are a lighter solution, but they come with their own set of problems

Yes, they sure are.  But they are one way to solve the problem.  Still, the Alumifoam is the density of Cedar.  This is light enough that you will have lots of room for ballast.  

Done right, you can match a lure in probably 4 to 6 attempts.  Determining the location and amount of ballast is as hard as find the right mix, but that is true of making lures with wood as well.

 

 

[Matt Moreau]

There are ways to get around not adding ballast. None of which are easy or work as good or better than ballast though IMHO. the best way I found is to cast the bait belly/bottom down so pour hole is on top. then add some non MB resign......this is where you have to experiment a lot with how much to add of each so start with 1/3 then next 1/3 do half MB in resign then last 1/3 do full MB to resign ratio. When complete you will have a layered bait of heaviest material on the bottom. I have never had the layers delaminate but I have never found a recipe that works better than ballast. with ballast you can fine tune the bait and change how it swims  by moving ballast around.

I use dascar plastics for my resign and MB from tap plastics. If its a topwater bait I do 50/50 mix and these products are still pourable. with glide baits I would say somewhere around 40%. I am no engineer like some of these very talented builders so I revert to hill billy methods and trial and error lol. With Dascar and the tap MB I do feel the more you add the less resilient the bait is and will break if you chuck it on a dock or rip rap bank(dont ask why or how I came to these conclusions though)! Its usually the thin spot where I have the tail slot that breaks.

GL and have fun with it. Trial and error is not a bad thing!

[Anglinarcher]

14 hours ago, Matt Moreau said:

Trial and error is not a bad thing!

So very true.  I can write some of the greatest equations for determining these things, but I can do it trial and error faster.  ROFLOL

14 hours ago, Matt Moreau said:

best way I found is to cast the bait belly/bottom down so pour hole is on top. then add some non MB resign.

YES, so very true.  I have a swimbait I am working on now, waiting for clear water to video and make a determination, and three versions of it have no ballast, just heavy resin on the bottom and either high MB on top or foam.

 

14 hours ago, Matt Moreau said:

have fun with it

Truer words have never been said.

[BurntC00kie]

Resin is heavy. The lure I'm making is 6.5 inches long and after casting in smooth on 300 or allumilite it weighs a tonne! I want it to sink but not weigh so much. What's the solution to this? Been brain storming and reading like crazy but having a hard time finding this info. 

[AZ Fisher]

Add micro balloons or micro spheres to your resin while mixing. Approx 8% micro balloons by weight for low float, 10% for a very buoyant floating bait, if memory serves

[BurntC00kie]

And that should reduce the overall weight of the lure while also adding buoyancy! Noted thanks! 

[BurntC00kie]

On 2/1/2024 at 8:11 PM, AZ Fisher said:

Add micro balloons or micro spheres to your resin while mixing. Approx 8% micro balloons by weight for low float, 10% for a very buoyant floating bait, if memory serves

One last question. I've heard and read things about the microballons floating to the top of the mold while setting. Is this true? Is there a way to achieve an even amount of microballons throughout a mold so it evenly floats? Or is there no stopping the balloons from seeking the highest point in the mold. I don't want one side being more buoyant than the other. 

[AZ Fisher]

There's many ways of making molds and pouring resin baits, this is just what I do.

Most of my baits, especially glides, have wider shoulder/back than belly or stomach area. Those wide shoulders create a high/higher center of gravity. When I have an even density pour, meaning MB's{micro balloons} are mixed evenly thru the resin, the bait will want roll from side to side as it swims/glides. I don't want or like that roll in a bait. Hooks, split rings and hook hangers alone, are usually not enough to counter the higher center of gravity.

I pour with the molds vertical, belly/hook hangers down, dorsal fin on top. I pour thru a small spru hole on the top of the mold.

I place my weights and hook hangers in the bottom of the mold prior to pouring. I pour with the mold on a digital scale so I can pour exact amounts of solid resin to the gram.

I mix my resin amount for the whole bait but only pour about 25% solid resin in the bottom of each sections mold, enveloping the weights. I then quickly mix the correct weighed amount of MB's into the remaining resin and fill the molds with the MB'd/less dense resin. This creates a heavier bottom/higher density and a lighter/less dense top of the bait.

I find the upward migrating MB's help this process. Unfortunately it also creates lots of bubbles and small surface imperfections in the top/back of the bait that have to be filled.

The heavier bottom/lighter top helps the bait orient itself quicker upon splash down/landing and will help the bait swim and glide more upright/ vertical with less or no roll. It also helps the bait swim and cut from side to side better.  

Engineered Angler on Youtube has some vids on pouring resin baits with MB's, worth the watch.

Hope this helps...