What issues are people having with essential series do it plastisol that put people off using it.

[canuck 2]

 I have heard so many people say that they do not  wanting to use do it plastisol  for baits and was wondering just what people experienced to cause this kind of negative reaction. I am fairly new to pouring and have used soft do it plastisol successfully for three gallons now and had no issues. I do add several drops of heat stabilizer to every cup and have done very well with re-heats and a mix of old baits and sprues etc. I do also make sure that while heating with a micro wave that I stage the heat times and mix a lot between heating intervals until 350*f is attained. I also add fresh plastisol while using left over  color chunks and make sure these chunks are scissor cut into small pieces and mixed thoroughly before heating. I would like to move forward by adding some hardener to the soft plastisol  to get a bit firmer mix for  swimbaits and frogs etc. Any feed back on that would be appreciated plus  what ever bad experiences people have had while using this  product that has been so  great for me so far. Thanks.

[Frank]

Don’t really see a need for negative reason to any company’s products. All plastic works if you take the time to figure it out on your own. 95 percent of problems are user error and most won’t admit it is. If it works for you then you have figured it out and that’s good for you stick with it. In the end they all catch fish and that’s what we want. 

[canuck 2]

Thanks Frank for your reply and comments. It was not my intent to create a negative product bashing post here . Maybe a chance for users to reflect on experiences that did not go so well and share some of  their learning curve while using this or any product. Part of my question is due to the fact that here in ontario  we have only two suppliers of plastics for lure builders   that I am aware of. I have been relying on this product and so far it has delivered. What other advantages would be by using another blend? Better detail , shinier finish,  tougher cured outer skin? Any chance I  get to avoid paying import duties and dollar exchange rates over and above is well worth it to me. As globally we all want to shop locally maybe one bad experience for what ever reason shouldn't lead to a life time of bias against any product that is basically designed for our craft. Just one guys open thoughts. Cheers 

 

[wallyc14]

I have never used do it plastic. I do agree they ate mostly the same. Will h that said I can tell you this if your going to use hardner( thick paste type) add additional heat stabilizer and mix well in fresh plastic before adding to remelts. The watered down hardner ( consistency of plastisol) I believe already has additional stabilizer in it.i have used it in remelts with great success.

[canuck 2]

Thanks wallyc14,  I would be looking at using  plastisol clear hardener from do it just to keep the products used from the same company. Less chance for unexpected hick ups. 

[wallyc14]

On 10/15/2021 at 8:50 AM, wallyc14 said:

with

 

On 10/15/2021 at 2:50 PM, canuck 2 said:

Thanks wallyc14,  I would be looking at using  plastisol clear hardener from do it just to keep the products used from the same company. Less chance for unexpected hick ups. 

True that! I will say that I have mixed different hardner and softner and heat stabilizer from 4 different suppliers with no  I’ll effects. FYI :-)

[canuck 2]

Thanks Wallyc14 for sharing your experience. The learning curve has been made shorter and the  road to success less costly thanks to the continuous generosity of the people on this site. Thanks to all who have helped me become a better lure crafter. Cheers

[basskat]

I've tried just about every plastic on the market, including Do-It's over the years. All have their quirks and strong points. For the last couple of years I've stayed with the same brand. The more you use a brand the more you learn about it. 

[Chris Catignani]

I can honestly say I haven't had any problems with Do-it plastisol.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Chris Catignani

[Good Fishing]

I've poured Do-It Essentials plastisol and MF's plastisol a lot over the years (we sell lots of both). Both are great products.

I recommend the Essentials to all our beginners. It heats very clear and has a great medium consistency. At times, I've had some sitting on the shelf for nearly a year without any hard packing.

I have found it to be slightly more prone to yellowing when heated repeatedly than MF plastisol. I suspect that's a function of the amount of stabilizer in the mix, but I don't have any evidence to back that statement up.

[Bassmaster Rick]

I've used the Essential and the MF plastisols and they work fine as long you're not reheating them more than a couple of times. I've found that even with heat stabilizer the lighter colors start to darker very quickly with both brands. The Bait Plastics plastisol seems to be very user friendly for me. I do have a gallon of DOP but I've yet to use it.

[canuck 2]

Thanks for all of your replies. I just poured some 5" shads with it and was feeling that they were going to be too soft ,but after a few days of cure time I have noticed that they have firmed up considerably. Will have to water/ fish test them but so far it looks like I wont need to add any hardener. Time will tell. As far as reheats and darkening of lighter colors the more you reheat. I am a  small time 1 cup at a time pourer so my experience is geared to just that . I have made myself aware that while micro waving reheats the volume of the plastic in the cup changes every time that I draw some for a shoot so time in the micro needs to be  adjusted( lessened  accordingly) to avoid over heating on reheat  I use a very precise digital type k thermocouple probe  thermometer and check regularly not just rely on physically feeling the runniness/flow consistency of the remaining plastisol. I don't know how challenging it would be to use a hot plate / electric  heat source to control the whole process. Kind of like the micro system and its working for me so far. Note also that I have built and use  a well enclosed work bench/ station with ventilation hood/ exhaust system plus wear a two cartridge respirator mask  and use crossflow open window fresh air make up while doing this process.  Will need to extend my hood to pull fumes from above my drying/curing wracks to avoid stray fumes from  contaminating the surrounding work space..basement work shop.  Stay safe people.

[Canga~]

i used do-it essentials when i first started and it is by far the worst plastic i have used. it yellowed/discolored super easily (with heat stabilizer), has a horrible smell (imo),  had massive ammouts of bubbles, and tends to get very oily after sitting for a little while.

 

if you like the do-it stuff, by all means keep using it, but there is better out there for  a better price. i would suggest calhoun or bait plastics, i have used both and they are amazing plastics and cheaper than the do it. neither of them has had any of the problems i had with do-it plastics, either.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Canga~

[MT204]

Would have to agree with Canga~ to some extent. Had the problem of oiliness with the essentials series, but not with the crystal clear blend.