Need help with this one...

[reelnmn]

As most probably know, I'm new to this hobby. I have an order from Del on the way and I got my free bottle of MF yesterday. The past week or two I've been experimenting with old plastic and have been trying to get my molds perfect.

Anyways the bait I've been working with is the 7" Berkley Bungee worm. It's my goto bait, and since it doesn't come in some of my favorite colors I want to duplicate it. I've made about 5-6 plaster molds of it so far. I've run into alot of problems. Started making 2 piece molds, but only half the tail would fill with plastic. After numerous attempts to fix this I sat back down and studied the bait - after looking at it closely I noticed it had a flat side except for the first inch of the head. So I decided to pour a one piece mold and not super glue the upper inch of the head. Needless to say it worked nearly flawlessly. I've also made some POP molds that will pour the tail on this bait also. However, looking closely at these baits the head looks like it sunk in on every bait, including those poured with the new plastic. It happens on the bottom piece of the mold. I'm guessing (?) that when I pushed the bait into the plaster that the resistance there deformed the bait just slightly.

So which should I go with:

2 piece mold - lots of flashing and slightly sunken head, but very easy to pour

1 piece mold - pouring the small tail yields lots and lots of flashing and I get a small V along the 'flat' line of the bait, but the body of the bait has WAY better detail (besides the "V")

Sorry for the long explanation, but I've tried everything I could find on this board and then some. Should I try to pour through a small funnel for the one piece mold to try and reduce flashing? How can I get rid of the V without overpouring? How fast should I be pouring?

I know alot of this will just come with more experience in pouring, but I'd like to know your thoughts. Thanks

Chris

[reelnmn]

I also wanted to add that one thing I tried to reduce flashing.

After the mold had dryed - no oven and no devcon yet, I poured some baits. Afterwards I left them in one side of the mold and checked for flashing. I drew around the flashing marks on the whole bait then removed it. Mixed up a small cup of POP and water and started slightly filling in the area I had marked. It seemed like a good idea, but I didn't notice a difference.

The last 2 piece mold I poured used the marble idea to align the molds. I'm thinking about getting a couple clamps to apply slight pressure to the molds to help hold them together. Think this will help? What other tips do you have for flashing on two piece molds and one piece molds?

[Delw]

Light pressure clamps work the best ones that look like a giant close pin.

if you have any air gaps bigger than .003-.005 in the mold after its clamps it will give you flashing , it will give you more flashing the hotter the plastic is and the hotter the mold is.

Stay away from remelting comercial plastic thats stuff is crap and will make you sick, not to mention stink up the house and it pours like water( very thin) . It has alot of other things added to it also.

Delw

[reelnmn]

Del, do they sell those clamps at Wal-Mart? I'm sure I'll find something there that will work.

I've also noticed that the hotter the plastic is the more flashing there appears to be. I've quit remelting commercial plastic as of now...it did stink pretty bad, but I never got smoke. I've been remelting 2oz of the MF plastic I have. There's no point in wasting that whole pint when I'm just testing my mold out.

Do you have any suggestions about the other questions- a funnel to pour through so there's not as much flashing, the "V" in the one piece mold, etc?

Thanks for helping out the newb. Also Del, I have to give Del-Molds a plug, I had two separate orders that were made 1 or 2 days apart - received a phone call the next day asking if I wanted you to combine the orders and save $8 in shipping. Ending up getting an extra bottle of glitter and color for no extra charge. That's good service. Thanks again.

[Dungeonhawk5]

me too... talked to april on the phone, they hadnt shipped an order i had asked for yet, so she helped me out with shipping combined... cant beat free money.. just ordered more stuff today get on the machine del

[reelnmn]

Del, thanks for the help the clamps did the trick. They eliminated 95% of the flashing. The seam line is now as clean as an injection bait.

Now if USPS could hurry and get my color and glitter here, I could make some real baits.

Another question, when you reheat plastic (MF or Calhouns) do you get a darker color. As I don't have color yet I've been pouring clear. With each reheat the plastic turns more and more yellow. Is this from burning? Should I be reheating any different than the first heat after it has completely cooled?

[Delw]

M-f I have found its best to add a little bit of heat stablizer when reheating.

If its turning yellow your burning it,

Cut the plastic into very small pcs and heat on a low - med temp when reheating that will help you not to burn it so much.

Remember when heating in the micro wave the plastic cooks from the inside out so keep that in mind that the center will alsway be hotter than the outsides.

Delw