Dave V Posted August 20, 2005 Report Share Posted August 20, 2005 Hi, I'm new to the forum and am finding alot of great info on the art of pouring plastics. I'm a father of 4, 3yr old Triplets and a son a year later. Cash is tight at the moment as you can see the priorities have changed in the last few years. I've been making 1 sided plaster molds and am ready to kick it up to a 2 sided mold for senko baits. I've been using the kids play-doh to make custom bait molds and they are coming out pretty good with trial and error. Question: I am melting old plastics down, but they are smelling bad. Is this too much heat or all the impurities in the pre processed plastics? I am using an old pot on my BBQ side burner. Thanks, Dave V. (Sorry so long winded) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted August 20, 2005 Report Share Posted August 20, 2005 I feel for ya Dave(instant family), but they are so much fun and they'll keep you young. The bad smell is a combination of impurities, additives and the lower grade plastic that injection companies use. I started the same way some 13 years ago making Shadows in a 2 part plaster mold. I used a coleman stove and a cast iron pan until I set the whole thing on fire. then I went out and got a hotplate and an aluminum pot. Just pick up a hotplate at a yard sale. You don't have to have all high quality gear to start or even enjoy this hobby. I have a few LC molds I don't use anymore. Just PM me and we'll talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted August 21, 2005 Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 I think we've all gone through the gas burner ordeal. It just gets too hot. Fish will still eat it, just pour the garlic to it! We got to keep you fishin'! With four kids under four years old you'd go insane without it. :-D Things are going to be interesting around your house when they all get old enough to fish. There'll be hooks flying in all directions. Anyone have an old football helment, Dave's going to need it. You'll have a blast with them. The real pain starts when they get 24 and 22 and they beat you fishing! Guess I taught them too much. Hang in there, it'll get better with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted August 21, 2005 Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 Dave....PM me also and include your address......I've got some stuff I can help you out with....molds, plastic, etc... I just have 2 yound kids and I am constantly saying...Pass the energy pills!!! Pouring will definitely help take you away for a while.... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted August 21, 2005 Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 I highly recomend you dont melt production baits down, its an injection type plastics. a completly different tyep of plastic. your baits will come out real soft for the most part and they wont set up right, also . due to the scents and other stuff they put in there baits you will get sick breathing that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave V Posted August 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 Thanks for the replies. Some great guys in these forums. I really need to get some pastisol soon. Your right about the getting sick part. The extra additives in the massed produced stuff is awful. I'm wanting to do a 2 piece mold for a senko. I was thinking a 5 cavity mold 3 x 5" 2x 4" What material would you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotton Posted August 22, 2005 Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 Got 3 younguns 10, 6 and 4; we fish every Sunday; there first question on Monday is "Daddy where we going fishing this Sunday?" Their mother loves it, she gets the day off ! The most frustrating thing is, you're basically babysitting and you're not gonna get much fishing in yourself...on the other hand when they catch a fish, its a monumental event! On the other note, will a microwave melt down old plastics (never tried it myself)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 No problem Cotton. Just do it in short bursts as the impurities and moisture will cause the plastic to "foam up". Doing it in short bursts will minimize this effect a little and hopefully you won't wind up with an overflow in your micro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Hi, I remelt scrap for things like mold impressions, where I could use a little harder plastic and color doesn't make any difference. I decided to use up some old commercial "dead" worms, and got something in the batch that smelled like dead fish, bubbled incessantly, and wouldn't quit bubbling till I burned the batch. I ain't got time for this. Next time I'll use my own scrap only, and add new plastic and hardener till I get the tool plastic I need. In the good old days, when every plastisol was vinyl resin and DOP, you could use them. Now there are about a hundred different plasticizers, and about a gazillion resins, along with many other additives and flavors. You can't know what you are getting if you try to reuse it. The "3X" totally uncompatible superplastics further complicate the issue. If your time is worth anything at all, just buy new plastic and pour good worms with minimum effort every time. jm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Berkley is notorious for foaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 That explains the awful smell, too. Getting that power bait stuff on your hands could wreck your marriage. jm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotton Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Dave V...and anyone else new to pouring...check out the m-f manufacturing post...free pint of plastic to new customers! Just pay the shipping...Great deal!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Dave: Molds and plastisol (new plastic) coming your way this week + some baits to use in case you end up not having time to pour!!!! Do you need color...flake...?? Let me know and I'll throw some in also!!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannabefishing Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Dave:Molds and plastisol (new plastic) coming your way this week + some baits to use in case you end up not having time to pour!!!! Do you need color...flake...?? Let me know and I'll throw some in also!!!! Jim Now how often do you see that?!.... a member offering another member some stuff to get him going, simply awesome community here. Nova sent me some of his baits, free of charge, and has been allowing me to harass hime through email with questions, didn't realize there were more members than just him willing to go beyond just "helping over the 'net" don't see that too often anymore... great group of of guys here!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 Thanks for the nod Dave. When I started pouring in the early 90's I did not know another soul who did it besides Don Ivino in California and he wasn't talking. All I had was my imagination and an understanding wife. You can't imagine how excited I was when I found this site. TU has helped me move my art form/hobby along so, I'm more than happy to help out new folks with what little I've learned. I know what it is like to be frustrated trying to do something and be unable to move beyond a certain point because you're standing too close to the answer to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave V Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 I successfully created my senko mold. Used 2 senko's and 3 of my favorite wanna be baits. I didn't have any pop sticks for guides so I'm just fitting them together. I pulled a few peaks from the hardening plaster on the first form and the top form molded to it so they lock together pretty good. I'm going to practice with the old baits so I'm ready to pour with the new plastic with some confidence. I took my po-mans worms on the lake this weekend. Had a blow-up at the boat with one and 2 were ripped from the hook (Pickerel for sure) but very exciting none the less. The bite was slow and only bagged 5 on wacky rig Senko and wanna be's Hopefully the bite is on this weekend so I can land a few bass and make my fishing partner eat his hat. This place Rocks!!! Dave V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave V Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Here's my firs pouring of my 2 piece mold. What a confidence boost. I'm going to make a new 2 piece mold soon. Question: Whats the best way to rid the top layer of bubbles? Thanks, Dave V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Question: Whats the best way to rid the top layer of bubbles? Hi, When you pour in the plaster, pour it slowly beside the bait, then tease it toward the bait so that it finds it's own level, rising up the bait like the tide. That pushes the bubbles off the top and to the surface, or lost somewhere where they're harmless. I vacuum de-gas the plaster before I pour it to remove most of the bubbles. Tapping the table near the mold and/or the container you're pouring from helps to bring the bubbles to the top. Anticipating your question, the vacuum is from an old refrigeration compressor, and the vacuum chamber is a fruit jar with a Schroeder valve permatexed into the top. I like to use clear polyester casting resin for molds. You can see the bubbles and tease them out with a toothpick. I don't think you can make a usable 2 part mold with it, though, because it shrinks a couple of percent. They make Epoxy mold casting materials for just this sort of thing, namely vacuum forming molds for plastic. It's about $150 a gallon, and hell to use. The main difference is that the resin is high temp, which I don't think is necessary, and it's filled with aluminum, which gives it some of the characteristics of aluminum. I'm working on formulating an inexpensive casting epoxy, either finding a filled resin that works, or filling a standard casting resin with aluminum or aluminum trihydrate. I'll post it when I get something done. For sure it'll cost at least twice the polyester price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass1cpr Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 I remelt zoom and Berkley plastic all the time the Berkley does foam but it stops after a little while I just love the smell of power baits. I usually add a little fresh plastisol and haven't had any problems with the remelts except sometimes color issues but they still catch fish. Now using fishermen's choice baits (Berkley Seconds) some of them reak. Won't do that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
