Question about tube dippin

[badfish03]

What do you usually use for the actual form tube to dip these?

I understsnd the process but am not sure about what the rod

to use for this.

Also do you apply a form release to the rod?

Robert

And yes I know it is cheaper to buy these than make them

but I want to try it anyways.

[woodsac]

I don't have much knowledge in this area But I've played with it a little.

The tool of choice seems to be aluminum rod. You might have to rub a little worm oil on each rod.

Check out this tube dipper by dtrs5kprs. Hope you don't mind Dave

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dtrs5kprs/detail?.dir=7cac&.dnm=03f0.jpg&.src=ph

I think he's posted how to make them in the past. But if you can't find it, drop him a PM.

[badfish03]

Yep thats the one I saw the other day that got me curious. Been beating the search function to death trying to find it again.

It looks likw he is using aluminum pipe for this and not solid rods. Is this the case?

Robert

[charkins]

I use 5 inch bolts that I mark at 4 inches. I don't precoat the bolt with anything. Get your plastic hot. Dip the bolt and pull it out. Let some drain off and flip the bolt with the head side down. I fixed a board with holes in it to hold the bolts while they are cooling. I dip again once or twice more, according to what kind of tubes I want. You can also dip once in chartruese or some other color. This makes the tail. Then dip in the head color a couple of times. Don't dip completely, just to where you want the different colored tail to start.

Yes it not easy, and you sure don't want to try to do them for others, but they give you a lot of satisfaction catching fish on tubes you make. I made a dark blue tube with blue gitter and a chartreuse tail last year. Caught a bunch of fish on that.

Hope this helps

Cal

[dtrs5kprs]

Woodsac, don't mind at all. That is why the pics are there. Glad they are useful to people.

Have made a couple of different kinds of dippers. Used aluminum rods on some (can buy in the aluminum trim section at most hardware stores), available in a variety of diameters and cut to size. If using it again, I would cut threads in the tops of the rods (by the plate) and use nuts to assemble instead of JB weld.

The other ones use large lag bolts (like decking bolts) with the inch or so of threads cut off. Both work.

Tube dipping is a PAIN. Be really sure that messing with it is worthwile. Even good flip tubes are pretty cheap.

[WidowMaker]

The majority of tube baits on the store shelves today are made in mexico or some other third world country that is why they are so cheap.

[BassnG3]

Are you guys dipping in pots or pyrex?

Scott

[charkins]

I dip in pyrex. I reheat and stir often. That takes a lot of time and pain, but I don't do enough of them to justify a pot. I have been told that a deep fryer would work, but I don't know about the temperature control. Anybody with any experience with the deep fryer, please enlighten us.

Thanks

Cal

[dtrs5kprs]

Sorry to say, but Mexico-made or not, most of the stock tubes fish fine...at least as well as the ones I spent hours dipping over gallons of fuming molten plastic in a $300 melter. Might make me a "bad American", but better their lungs than mine. If there was a big difference in performance I could see it. Also plenty of good US companies (Pheonix) to by from. Just my thoughts.

Deep fryers will work. So do big "job-site" type melters (such as those used for roof tar). Biggest problem is finding something with enough depth to allow you to dip the length tube you want, and with temp control.

[bump]

I am curious to know about the pros and cons of the 2 piece aluminum tube molds. If anyone has an opinion of them.

Chris

[james bradshaw]

The mold would give you a consistant thickness on your tubes. Where dipping them could give you more inconsistent thickness. You would have to mix larger batches of plastic for tubes, to keep the plastic deep enough to dip a tube. Using a mold you just mix as much as you want and basically use the whole batch without much waste. The mold would be much easier and less hassel than dipping, unless your doing alot of production. Looking at the cost of the mold, I think it might be cheaper to just buy tubes allready out there. unless you wan't to make colors that you can't find. Just my two cents!

[jrav]

Badfish03, there's an easy way to get a feel for tubes, doesn't require much plastic, it's called horizontal dipping. Instead of dipping a tube mandrel in the verticle (tall) position which requires a depth of hot plastic the length of the tube, dip it on it's side and you only need the width of the tube in hot plastic level.

It's done with an "L" shaped mandrel, in my case an "L" shaped section of coathanger wire with a brass tube on the lower leg. Granted, you need to make alot of mandrels (12?) for a good run on tubes, but they are easy to make. All you really need is a little rack with holes in it next to the plastic pot to set them in while they are hot. You dip horizontally, but the tube must be pointing down as it cools for even walled consistency. Dip like this "L", set to cool like "...well, there's not a letter for that one, but I think it's kinda obvious:).

If you want a quick experiment, just bend some wire (thick or thin) into an "L" shape and dip in a shallow batch of plastic...you'll get the idea. Yes, the thin wire mandrels do make nice little tubes and long tube worms for D-shotting so save 'em.

Beauty of horizontal dipping is that it doesn't require much plastic for a few and one needn't worry so much about proper levels with alot of dipping like the veritcle method. When the levels get to low for even tube worms or little crappie tubes, just pour the excess into a mold for a few worms.

I never could understand how some could be willing to heat up THAT much plastic for verticle dipping 4" tubes unless they were selling them for a fortune...or just had alot of molds ready to accept the remainder when levels got too low. That's got to be expensive!

BTW, you can make mandrels out of just about anything that will handle the plastic temps, they are not that hot for long. I've even used a couple layers of heat shrink tube on a thick coathanger wire for panfish tubes. You can wrap coated wire around the "tail" section of the mandrel for a ripple/wavy effect as well. Wood and epoxy works, too, but I don't dip those enough to comment on the longevity of them. Heck, dowels are cheap and you just need to drill a hole for the lower leg to fit into, go for it. Have fun, get creative, play with shapes, shoulders, oval shapes...tubes are and should be the easiest thing to make, especially good way for using up remelt plastics and scraps.

[Teamdiarrhea]

jrav has it right. I call it "rolling" tubes. I cut up a bunch of 1/4" brass rods that I had laying around into 8" or so long pieces. Your plastic pots need to be around 4" tall but you only need to fill them with 1 or 2" of plastic. I like to use lots of salt so dunk the rod in the container and stir like heck to mix up all the salt - tip the container until the plastic is just out to the edge like you are about to pour it out. The rod should be laying in the layer of plastic and touching the bottom of the pot - roll the rod back and forth between your fingers until you get an even coating then hang it on a drying rack over something to catch the plastic that will drip off. Repeat the process as many times as necessary to get desired tube thickness.

See ya on the riv' - TD