millsryno Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 Hello everybody, First I just wanted to say, THANKS! This website is so full of good information, I have been reading the old posts for about 2 months now and I hope to become a contributing member for a long time to come. I have already purchased a ton of glitter from SenkoSam and have to say it looks and performs great and more importantly, his customer service is top notch. We had a problem with some shipping (not his fault at all) and he came through for me big time. Del, your molds are great and I plan on getting more from you soon. So, about these 2 part stick molds. If you are new to them, you might frequently be getting an air pocket on the top 1/3 of the bait after you pull it out of the mold. I did a bunch of research on this forum and got a lot of advice here and there. Most of the advice is to keep the plastic real hot, make sure it is mixed real well and all that basic stuff. I was doing all of this and still getting a lot of baits with this stinkin' air bubble!! I kept digging through the archive and kept taking bits and peices of info from everybody and finally figured it out. Now I don't pour any with air pockets. The trick is to pour it so it overflows. As the air escapes, you will notice the hot plastic start to sink back into the mold. Keep topping it off so that it does not sink back in. Don't worry about how much overflow you have, you can trim it off and remelt it. I was always too worried about not having overflow and pouring it nice and slow, etc. Until you get really good with them, overflowing them is a GOOD thing. I just thought I would try to contribute something to other new members because I know they might be having the same frustrations I was. Hope this helps. You pros, you might laugh at this technique, but it has worked wonders for me If somebody already posted this, sorry to beat the same drum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbasser Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 Thats what you gotta do! Always pour extra and just cut the tops off with scissors. A tip for you that a bunch of guys already told me is to flour your salt before you put it in the plastic and it won't sink nearly as quick. It works great. You just put salt in a blender about an inch over the bades and pulse it. I come out with very fine salt that way and it suspends better in the plastic. The only down point with salt in general is that it clouds colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madbass Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 2 things to add to Bigbasser regarding salt. 1-I found a coffee grinder to work much much better than a blender, 2-I dont completely flour the salt, grind it so that it is approx. 1/2 or lesss, the size of regular table salt and use non-iodized salt.This helps cut down on the cloudiness. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senkosam Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Thanks RM for the kudos. Even when I overpour, I still get the air pocket. I shove a wooden skewer into the top 1/3, pop the bubble and then overfill. Seems to do the trick. Soon I will be carrying clear plastic flakes that have proven to be the best substitute for salt. It weights the plastic but allows more light to come through than floured salt and I think .040 would be better than .015. Salt can still be added for taste, but is not necessary for weight. Softener must still be added, but not as much. Amazing how close the worm feels to the Senko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthworm77 Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Non-iodized salt is the ticket!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
