Just Getting Started Pouring Soft Plastics

[ShakeItUpBaits]

I am just getting started pouring. I have some questions about some things that I think are important. My first question is If i was to pour one 3 cavity molds of 3 inch grubs out of a do it mold, where about should i fill the pyrex cup to and how much coloring and glitter to put in? My second question is how long should I let the plastic sit in the mold before taking the plastics out of the mold? My 3rd question is when heating up my plastisol should i heat up the plastisol a little then put coloring and fully heat it or just stir the platisol and put coloring in and heat it up to around 350 degrees? My final question is how should I heat up the mixture.Like to get to 350 degrees do  I heat for 1:00 then stir and heat again or in different time intervals? I am looking forward to starting this hobby and much need the help from the experienced guys on this site. Anything else you think is important feel free to send. Thanks!

[mark poulson]

I am just a small time hobby pourer, so this might not work for you, depending on how much you plan to pour.

I have found that it's difficult for me to heat less than a cup of new plastisol without danger of overheating it.  Smaller amounts just seem to go from close to scorched really fast for me.

If I'm going to use salt, I add it before I begin heating the first time, because it takes a while for the salt to get hot, too.

I also add some heat stabilizer, and any softener or hardener, before I begin the initial heating.

I heat it to 350, and then add my glitter/flake.  I've found that glitter/flake affects the final color, so I stir it in first.  Once it's reached 350, it never has to be reheated that hot again.

Finally I add my colorant.   By the time everything is stirred in well, the plastisol is too cool to inject, so I put it back in my microwave, and reheat it to 335+-, depending on which mold I'm shooting.

Having an infrared thermometer is crucial in letting me heat my plastic without overheating it.

Remember, a microwave heats from the middle out, so stir you plastic before you take it's temp.  That way you'll get a much more accurate reading.

I've found that already cooked plastic is much easier to reheat in smaller amounts.  I don't know why.

You will "ruin" some plastic.  There is no other way to learn.  Just take comfort in knowing everyone who pours has done it, and likely more than once.  It's kinda like leaving the plug out of your boat, or leaving one of the trailer straps attached when you launch.  Everyone has done it.

[keakar]

19 hours ago, ShakeItUpBaits said:

I am just getting started pouring. I have some questions about some things that I think are important. My first question is If i was to pour one 3 cavity molds of 3 inch grubs out of a do it mold, where about should i fill the pyrex cup to and how much coloring and glitter to put in? My second question is how long should I let the plastic sit in the mold before taking the plastics out of the mold? My 3rd question is when heating up my plastisol should i heat up the plastisol a little then put coloring and fully heat it or just stir the platisol and put coloring in and heat it up to around 350 degrees? My final question is how should I heat up the mixture.Like to get to 350 degrees do  I heat for 1:00 then stir and heat again or in different time intervals? I am looking forward to starting this hobby and much need the help from the experienced guys on this site. Anything else you think is important feel free to send. Thanks!

go to youtube and watch all the videos there, most of your questions will be answered as well as things you havent thought about yet

safety is the key and the biggest rookie mistake is trying to force plastic in too fast and having it squirt back on you, wear long sleeves and i recommend a cooking apron because hot plastic burns bad and if it gets on your shirt you cant get it off from touching your skin 

4oz of plastic seems to be the normal amount made and thats enough to pour 6-12 baits depending on size, you want to create mix recipes for your baits so you have to mix the same every time to get repeatable results and uniform color baits

color gets added and mixed in when cold but glitters get added at the end right before you pour

even high heat glitters will melt if you get them hotter then 350 degrees and when remelting plastics use less heat and take your time getting it hot so you dont melt the glitter or burn the plastic

lastly, salts are added to baits to make them sink and the salt makes the plastic weaker and it dulls the colors, also if you get a lot of bubbles in your plastic or popping and splattering after adding salt then the salt has too much moisture in it

 

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by keakar

[Canga~]

colors dont need to be mixed in cold, some prefer to do it cold, some prefer to do it hot.

 

i mix  my colors in hot so i know what they will look like, especially when experimenting with new colors or mixes of colors. if you have established recipes then mixing cold is ok, i still mix hot.

[Les Young]

I'd try about 4 ounces & see if that's enough to inject it. Remember if doing 4 ounces you'll only get 3 or so ounces when you inject because there will be a plug of plastic that will not come out.  On my microwave i put 3 to 4  ounces in for a minute & a half. Your may be totally different so i'd try a minute, stir & go from there. I put my colorant & glitter in the cold plastisol & heat it. After a little while you'll figure out how your microwave does & you'll be able to get really close to getting it ready to pour in one heating. I do have my recipies like Canga~ said, but i've never had much of a problem adding  it in cold. When making new colors i work in small batches & add colorant or glitter as needed.

Edited September 12, 2019 by Les Young

[Jig Man]

You have received some pretty good advice here.

One thing I find important is to keep a notebook handy.  Write down every measurement (oz plastisol, drops of colorant, types of glitter and how much).  You may want to repeat a formula and I guarantee you won’t be able to remember them.

[mark poulson]

1 hour ago, Jig Man said:

You have received some pretty good advice here.

One thing I find important is to keep a notebook handy.  Write down every measurement (oz plastisol, drops of colorant, types of glitter and how much).  You may want to repeat a formula and I guarantee you won’t be able to remember them.

What he said!

 

[Canga~]

2 hours ago, Jig Man said:

You have received some pretty good advice here.

One thing I find important is to keep a notebook handy.  Write down every measurement (oz plastisol, drops of colorant, types of glitter and how much).  You may want to repeat a formula and I guarantee you won’t be able to remember them.

This is great advice, I use the notes app on my phone, can put pics of the bait and a table with colorant info, glitter info, etc under the pic, works great!

[basscatlildave]

Chris does a great job. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScpvPNtZxs7gC_lSHXDUcw

[MT204]

I personally would not use an infrared thermometer.

Get yourself a good immersion quick read type. 

When I first started baits I used a very expensive infrared thermometer and found out right away that it only measures surface temperature not the inner temp. It also depends what the  emissivity of the plastic is. Black would measure one temp while whites another when in fact they were the same temperature.

[ShakeItUpBaits]

Thanks guys I appreciate the help!

[mark poulson]

8 hours ago, MT204 said:

I personally would not use an infrared thermometer.

Get yourself a good immersion quick read type. 

When I first started baits I used a very expensive infrared thermometer and found out right away that it only measures surface temperature not the inner temp. It also depends what the  emissivity of the plastic is. Black would measure one temp while whites another when in fact they were the same temperature.

I'm sure you're right.  I just stir and read the temp with my infrared thermometer because that is what I have.

[Frank]

With either one you use you need to stir. Then it does not matter which one you use. I want to know the average temp not just the middle or out side. Stir and take the temp. 

[DeekBrazo]

How long do you let the injection sit in the mold afterwards?

 

[Apdriver]

2 minutes before demolding is good timing.

[mark poulson]

14 hours ago, Apdriver said:

2 minutes before demolding is good timing.

For me, it depends on the mold, and how many pours I'm making.

Aluminum molds heat up quickly, so my first pour sets faster than the next, but I can cool the molds with compressed air and pour again more quickly, if I need to.

POP molds take longer to get hot, so I can pour again a little faster.

A thicker bait will have more hot plastic to cool, so will take longer to be able to demold without stretching or deforming.

Each mold is different, so it's trial and error for me.  I'm just careful to use PAM as a mold release spray between pours.