Carolina Slim Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 New to this forum and looking to get into plastics a little. What is everybody doing for 3-4 inch tube baits. Is there a mold out there or I have seen people refer to dipping. I am a newbie so nothing is too basic. Do you use the same plastic as recomended for the stick worms everybody is talking about. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrav Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Tubes are easy to make in general. Reckon there are some molds, but dipping is the most sensible to me. Ever dip your finger or a pencil into hot wax? See how the wax coats the finger or pencil? That's a tube. With the plastic, you just roll it off and end up with a hollow, open ended worm. The open end is then split. Take a tube and slide it over a dowel and you'll understand immediatly what I mean and how it is made. I think tube dipping is very similar to the way condoms are manufactured, but that's just a guess. Seems most dip tubes vertically, I like to dip horizontally because it requires less depth of plastic. The process is also not as effected by a lowering level of plastic as more tubes are made. This is done by bending a dipping mandrel at a right angle and submerging it into the hot plastic. It has to be righted immediatly and the rod place in a holder while the plastic cools. It's a one or two at a time process and kinda wise for the newbie sorting out the process. Never suffice as production technique for large volume, though I likely wouldn't need to change that for my own needs. My jig/mandrel is simply coat hanger wire bent at right angle with a brass tube on the end. Built up a tape arbor underneath and then coated the whole thing with Devcon 2 ton to ease removal of plastic. Probably not super durable for long term, though lasting well thus far. I've used plastic items and wood to make tubes also. Some use plastic, glass, aluminum, bolts...the tougher stuff for large volume and longevity with many mandrels affixed for many tubes per dip. Exact form of tube depends on mandrel size/shape which depends on whim. Variation endless, can even run a pin out the end of mandrel, glue craft beads onto it and have a segmented type tube head, tapered, etc. My method of splitting is simply to glue a given diameter of plastic plates to sides of razors, glue the razors together, and set in a bed of plaster or epoxy. It creates a multi-razor "sandwhich" with the edges up and good stabilty. I lay the tubes upon that and roll the plastic over the razor bed. Roller is nothing more than a 2" section of white plastic Bic pen barrel one a bent up rod. Picture a miniature paint roller for this tool with the pen barrel section instead of the fuzzy roller. I used an old Fondue fork because it had a comfy wooden handle. There are press-down splitters and one can also use the razor bed to press down upon the tube and get the same effect. After several experiments with those, I found rolling into the razors to be the easiest for me. Less stretching and drag to the process. You can also make a roller with blades much like a pizza cutter, but I'll leave that description to those who are more familiar with them. I like tougher plastics, but my main focus now is Smallies and they are not kind to plastics. Crappie and Whites are going to require a softer plastic for better action in smaller sizes. If you have any questions, fire away on this and I'll do my best to help and not mislead. I am still a rookie at plastics myself and there are many veterans here who can answer just about any Q. If I say something that sounds impossible or dumb, listen to them...it'll work better:). Have fun and don't be afraid to heat it up and experiment a while. jrav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthworm77 Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Too much work to get quantity. The softer plastics we use are not really suited for them....too fragile. I will stick with Mizmo tubes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 I was building a tube mold. just stopped due to being busy with some other things... I had a hard time pouring it due to the plastic I was using m-f.. the last 3 months Ive had calhoon plastic and while pouring other worms and stiks Ive noticed I can get calhoon plastic very very runny.. so last week I tried to pour it in the mold I had previously made and it worked fine.... I willl try it again soon and if it works I will be putting the molds up for sale... Nice thing about pouring a tube in a mold rather than dipping one is the time and the amount of plastic you will not need... Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finger Lakes Bait Company Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Del, When you have the mold ready for tubes I'll be one of your first customers! Your senko mold has worked great. Look forward to the tube mold. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolina Slim Posted July 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 I will be the second! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Just in case you're not busy enough Del, you can chalk me up for third Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
