Haebar Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Hi, I'm new to this and have read about how some of you transfer plastisol from 5 gallon buckets to smaller 1 gallon jugs for easier handling. I understand that you must mix the 5 gallon bucket very well before pouring to other containers to keep the mix consistent. When transferring to one gallon containers do you also add your softener, color, and heat stabilizer or do you wait until you are ready to make worms with it? Once the plastisol is in the one gallon containers how hard is it to mix/stir it up again with the narrow lid on the jugs? When you are ready to pour worms do you mix the colors in small batches like in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup? (I've noticed that lots of the recipes are for small batches). I'm going to be using the microwave method. I noticed that some people say to put worm oil or pam in the molds before pouring but some mold manufacturers say you don't need to do that... which is the best way? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 It's best to mix your softener and heat stabilizer in the 5-gallon jug before the transfer. That way you don't have to do it 5 times. Just make it one lump sum and you're done with it. Don't ever mix your color until you're ready to pour. I have better luck if I add my color after the plastisol has been heated for a couple minutes. Once the plastic is transferred into one-gallon jugs, all you need to do to keep it mixed is shake the jug once in awhile. You might run into problems if you leave the jug on the shelf for a long time without pouring. I only had this problem with Lure Craft. As dumb as it sounds, I bought a 16-inch screwdriver and forced the hardener up that way. Now I have an automatic mixer on my 5-gallon jug with a built-in spicket, and it's just heaven. As for small orders, I still do it the old fashioned way.....a hot plate. If I'm making 10-packs of different colors, it takes more time to work with a microwave or pro pot than to just cook an ounce of plastic on a burner. Of course, I try to keep some of my more popular baits and colors in stock. I don't even mess with a pro pot unless I have to make at least 100 baits of one color. This is why lots of companies are going to bulk orders only; 50 baits or more. Hope all this makes sense Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted August 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Thanks for all the good information! Does it matter what kind of plastic jugs I use? I have some apple juice jugs that are made of a clear hard plastic kind of like two-liter coke bottles. Their opening in large enough to be useful. Would they dissolve or somehow mess up the plastisol if I were to use them? Was also thinking of those one-gallon glass pickle bottles, reckon they would work okay? Do you use a funnel? How much softener and heat stabilizer should I put in a 5 gallon bucket of Calhouns? Now with a hotplate can you just leave a pot of plastic simmering while you work on pouring? In other words do you cook the plastic and then pour it in a pyrex cup and put the color in it there or do you mix the color in the pot on the hotplate? Just trying to visualize how it is faster to use the hotplate. Sorry to needle you for info. I appreciate your help very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Chris-You are so helpful to everyone, I guess that's why we pick on you. Can you explain some more about your automatic mixer on the gallon jugs? Thanks, Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Sorry Chris :oops: I mean on the 5 gallon jug. Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 How much softener and heat stabilizer should I put in a 5 gallon bucket of Calhouns? To make the calhoun plastic soft enough for the really small molds I add 3/4 cup per gallon of plastic. (1/2 cup works, but 3/4 cup made it perfect for me) Heat stabilizer is 2 oz per gallon. But many people say that calhouns has enough in it they dont need it. But when you add salt to the mix it does get hotter than if their is no salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Haebar, I used old milk carton containers. They work great. I would not use glass or solid containers because you need something with a little "give" when you shake the container, plus there's no chance of having shattered glass on your floor when you drop it (like I've done ). As for the hot plates, I pour directly out of the old tin cups. Lure Craft used to make wooden handle cups, but good luck trying to find any now. I saved a ton of the old ones and still use them for small amounts of plastic. Keep in mind that this is only for orders of 10 or less. Anything more than that and a pro pot or microwave is much more effective. Depending on the bait, I just heat up about 1/2 ounce per cup (if it's a dual or vein color). The trick is to get both cups ready at the same time. Sometime you gotta mess with it a little. A note on the microwave: not sure if I mentioned this, but I just use a pyrex cup to heat, NOT to pour. Some guys pour out of the pyrex cup and they have no problems. I don't like trying to pour into small cavities with a pyrex cup, so I transfer the plastic to the tin cups. Pop...... there is quite a story behind my auto mixer. A good friend of mine asked me the same question this morning, so I took a bunch of pictures. I'll get them posted with a better explanation as soon as possible. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 2, 2003 Report Share Posted August 2, 2003 Here's some shots of my funky contraption There's a large ice-cream type mixer inside the jug. The timer is set to mix one hour 4 times a day. I bought a basic timer at Walmart for 10 bucks. The spicket is tapped with allen screws under the base. It doesn't look like much, but it works great! The pictures are pretty explanatory. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthworm77 Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Guys remember that Chris is pouring insane amounts of plastic. His system was made to handle large quantities. I pour less frequently although I do pour for my business. I prefer to add softener and heat stabilizer per pot. This way I can really measure it accurately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted August 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Since I'm just going to be making small amounts of worms I'll probably wait on adding softener and stabilizer until I'm actually ready to pour. And I'll be sure to leave some headspace in the one gallon jugs to allow for shaking. Will shaking introduce air bubbles into the picture? What about using the clear type of plastic jugs like apple juice or V-8 comes in... nobody touched on that question. Think they'd be okay? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Yep - those containers are perfectly fine. One thing I forgot to mention is make sure you really clean the container and dry it thoroughly before adding plastisol. Any moisture will make the plastic bubble. Also keep it well sealed. Shaking the container will not cause bubbles; only excess moisture will. Craig.....I wish I was pouring that much plastic. I talk to some guys who run several 55-gallon containers at one time. I don't ever see myself doing that. I did purchase my first 55-gallon drum, but it's easier for me to work with the 5-gallon jugs. I just don't have the equipment to make it effective. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Hi Chris. Don't you need to mix whatever you buy before transferring to your 5 Gallon with the mixer? I would think the 5 gallon you purchase would be hard to shake at least for any length of time and now a 55 gallon drum, if you can shake that, I don't want you mad at me I guess my question is, do you do anything about mixing prior to the transfer? Thanks, Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 No problem Pop. I should've explained this a little better. I bought a blow hose at Home Depot for the 55-gallon drum. It circulates the plastic fairly well, but there is some inconsistency. It's designed to suck the plastic in and shoot it out at a pretty good rate, but I still notice some hardener on the bottom. Maybe I'm not doing it right, but it's just too much of a headache. That's why I decided to stay with the 5-gallon jugs, plus I just don't have the room for those big drums. With the 5-gallon jugs, I mix it one time and transfer into the auto mixer by way of the funnel (see the third picture). I use an old sanded piece of wood with a handle (kinda like a baseball bat) to work that hardener loose, add my softener and stabilizer, mix it until I feel no hardener on the bottom, then transfer to the auto mixer. It takes about 5 minutes and I'm done with it. The motor on the mixer is not powerful enough to work the hardener free, but it sure does a great job keeping it mixed. Now this is not necessary if you're using MF plastic. All you need to do is shake the 5-gallon jug once in awhile. Don't know how they do it, but that stuff never settles. I use Calhoun now and it doesn't settle as much as Lure Craft, but I still need to keep it mixed. So........sorry about the novel, but Yes....you MUST mix your plastic before you transfer it. The idea is you don't have to continue to mix it manually. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Simply genious, Necessity is the mother of all invention, and it is necessary unless you want the last pours from your container to be bulletproof I was transferring mine to a 4 walled, 1 gallon juice bottle, & I'd turn it onto a new side everyday to prevent settling, but it didnt help much, this mixer is a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 I'm glad for the novel Chris. Sometimes I need stories like "see Jane run" to understand things. I was intrigued by you mixer enough that I took a trip to Target (I live in the Pocono Mountains, going to the store is always a trip) and looked at their ice cream mixers. They are made for mostly 5 quart containers, not 5 gallon containers. Do you have a commercial model or is that small of a paddle sufficient to keep the plastic mixed? Thanks for your patience with all these questions. Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Hey Pop, Bring on the questions. I don't mind a bit. Plus my wife likes me right here in front of the computer where she can she what I'm doing. There are 2 stainless steel paddles that cross each other in an "X" pattern. They are 15 inches tall (bottom to top of the jug), 1/2 inch thick, and 9 1/2 inches wide, cut to miss the outer walls of the jug by about a 1/2 inch. I got the paddles from a machine shop at school. I'm not sure what they were used for, but I'll bet it wasn't mixing plastic. At the time, my mind was spinning with ideas and I thought those would be perfect for what I was looking for. All they needed were just a little trimming. There's about 3 gallons of plastic in there now, but when I get it down I'll take a couple pictures for ya. The paddles and motor are plenty strong to keep the plastic mixed well. In fact, there is absolutely no hardener on the bottom when it's empty. I bought the motor at a place that specializes in small machinery, but you might be able to pick one up at a hardware store. Here's the specs. on the motor...... Dayton brand Shaded Pole Gear Motor 115 Volts AC 12 RPM .49 Amps And there's another novel. Still awake?? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 thought this might help, I spoke to a guy who swears by this "squirrel" type blade for mixing big batches of resin/silicone http://www.squirrelmixer.com/uses.html if you could find an old blower motor blade, it might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Thanks Chris, Redg8r. I will search the web when I get home from work today, (maybe at work if nobody is watching) and see what I come up with. Appreciate you sharing the wealth of knowledge. Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Hey Red, I love the looks of the squirrel mixer!! I can't find the prices anywhere on their site. Did you check into that? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 nope, I just saw what it was & figured itd be easy to whip one together. I did a lil more looking through the site & saw they make em for 5 gal buckets, up to 100 gal vats :!: there is a customer rep listing in there, but I havnt checked it out, if anyone does, please reply with your findings....heck if the price is right, no need to go searching for a blower blade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidlizard Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Pop, We are also very small, and we mix our plastic a little differently. First we only order 5 gallons at a time, and I add 3oz of heat stabilizer per gallon. (no softner) We use 3G plastisol and mix the soft with the medium about 50-50. To mix we use a drill and a paint mixer like you can buy from lurecraft. (cheaper to get at lowes) Then I transfer to 1 gallon container as I need it. You have to mix it 5 times, but it only takes a minute and the drill does a real nice job. Hope this helps, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Thanks John. That was my original question and thought that might be the best way to go. It is very interesting though to see how clever (didn't know how to spell ingenious) some people are. I did try to contact the people about the squirrel mixer via email but I got back that there was no receipient. I then called and got a recording. I left a message but I doubt I will hear back. John, I looked at the on line catalog for LC but didn't see any mixer. Have you seen it in their catalog? Also what is 3G plastisol. I know when I hear the answer I'm going to feel stupid. Thanks, Pop Still like that 5 gallon mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coley Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 There are several companies that have them. Red Devil is one, I think they call it The Demon or something like that. Here is one for a 5 gal. bucket for less than $10 http://www.cornerhardware.com/item_220491/Paint-Supplies/Paint-Prep-Cleanup-Strippers/Drill-Powered-Paint-Mixers/-Mustang-Mixer-Drilldriven-Paint-Mixer-5-Gallon-.html Coley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Thanks Coley. I just emailed red-g8r the price list from the manufacturer. He will probably post it shortly to the site. The only problem is they won't sell just one. But the pricing is not bad on the site you suggested. Thanks, Pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidlizard Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 Pop, I got my mixer from Lowes, in the paint section. 3G is the plastisol we use, and its pretty cheap. Some people like it and some dont, just depends on what you get used to. We tried Calhouns and several others. If I was pouring just for myself I would stick with lurecraft, or MF plastisols. Just cant afford those for larger production. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
