CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Well I spent all afternoon in a futile attempt to pour some good masters with my old molds. The horrible old plastic was a mixture of who knows what and would not hardly pour at all and when it did I had dents from cooling. So I just got the RTV in from MicroMark and thought what the heck. I brushed a real fine coat of...yeah, Johnson's Paste Wax into the frog mold cavity and mixed up a little RTV and poured it in and prayed Three hours later this is what came out of the mold... This is just awesome to me!!! I forget who told me about MicroMark RTV...Thanks :grin: I'll be able to make a bunch of these and that means lots of molds :-D :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Crawchuck you do some awsum work keep it up Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Good work Craw, I got some RTV this week also and made a few molds, made one last night with your tube bait directions but changed it up a bit, I will post some pics later. How do you plan on suspending that frog with the rtv to get a 2 piece mold as I am sure plaster is easier 2 make suspending bait's because it is thicker ? Or are you making one piece molds with frogs? Or are you just using that frog to make more plaster molds ? The down side of the rtv from micro mark is out of there 32 oz 2 part mixture you only get about 6, 1 piece molds (4x5x5/8 thick) or 3, 2 part molds (3x5x1 1/4 thick), and at about $43 shipped. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 That's an RTV Master to use in making the other plaster molds. I can't afford to make all RTV molds! Wish I could though. It's worth it to me to buy a couple of kits to get masters this good to work with. It's just stiff enough to be able to handle and ought to make a killer plaster mold. Hard to get masters from pouring plastisol as you never know what the plastic will do when cooling. Seems like there's always a small dent somewhere in a finished bait you don't want to mold with. This will make a perfect master every time Craw is next Oh yeah...I mix plaster thick on purpose just for this reason. I want to have to poke the master down to where I want it instead of having it sink or try to hold it up with something. I don't just jab it down in there but use the end of a paintbrush to kinda work it down with precision. Those little fingers and toes gotta be exactly halfway or they won't pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmik26 Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Crawchuck - what is the measurement of the frog? Is it smaller then the one you have on ebay right now? If so how much would you sell it for with a "Buy Now" option? Looks Great :!: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Yes I might be intersted in one of your masters as well. Or a finished mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Actually the one pictured is a bit larger than the mold on ebay. I have some smaller ones though and will be showing some of them later. Haven't set on a price yet. Speaking of that. It's always been hard for me to set a price on something I make. I used to sell these molds for $20 locally. Figure that's what I would charge for them now. What in you guy's opinion makes a mold worth it's price? Is it the material or the bait it produces or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 The bait for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmik26 Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I figure out cost of materials, then I figure out what I want to pay myself per hour. Lets say you have $8.50 in materials and it took you .25 hours to make the mold. Since I am my own boss, $30 dollars an hour sounds good. With that said 30 X .25 would be $7.50 + 8.50 = $16.00. These are just numbers to give you an example. I am looking for a 3 1/2" or a 4" mold, if you have one of those I would definitely give you $20.00 for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmik26 Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Sorry, kind of misread the post. As long as it makes a good bait and the mold will last for a decent amount of time I am willing to bite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I will take a 3.5 or 4" one as well. Can you make mine a 2 pour mold.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 That ebay auction is heating up as the time draws close!!! The end result will have some bearing on the final price I decide to charge since that was my objective for placing them up for bid. Trying to make up a product sheet/page for folks to look at with all the current baits and sizes and get the molding table ready. Boy this is great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsryno Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Craw, I think people are most interested in your molds because they are actually made from a REAL frog or craw or whatever. You can't get any more realistic than that. I think you can charge a premium over what Lurecraft sells, that is for sure. You have laid it out to us, showing us how to do it, but I'll be quite honest with you, I'd assume just buy one from you :grin: Also, keep in mind that when somethign is new, it is going to fetch a higher price on eBay. After you sell a few, the price will come down. just something to keep in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I appreciate that Ryan. I did spell it out for ya in hopes somebody would be able to use the information. I have honestly tried to teach people how to do this and even sitting right there watching most people just can't. It's intricate tedious work...more a kind of art. Ya either got it or ya don't kind of thing. Some might think I'm crazy for letting it out. Oh well!!! Or copy me...hey, I copied the greatest designer of all time since I figure He did it right I'm not figuring on going over the current bid on the frog mold anyways regardless of how high it gets...probably not that much like I already stated, around $20. It's a fair price for me and I think it is way fair considering the baits they produce. Just as long as overheated plastisol is not poured into them, I mean so hot you change the color, they ought to last as long as my originals have, 20+ years. That ought to be long enough for anybody's quality tastes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbor Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Care to tell a little about making the origional mold? How well does rtv stick to a bullfrog??? Did you freeze him so did him in alcohol first? Great looking bait but with almost no action I can only think of dreagging it across heavy cover. Ever thought about making the legs either bent or out like a T so when you jerk it the legs go back and at rest they move back either bent or out to the side which is kind uo natural but a bigger mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I don't know how a frog sticks to RTV cause this origonal was made in a plaster mold and I can tell ya frog skin does stick to plaster As for getting the legs bent. That I will let somebody else figure out You can't do a frog like a craw with wax and stuff. Gotta do em fresh to get the detail and gotta work fast or they start to draw up. Put it in, hurry and apply the release and pour the second half quick!!! Then comes the part not for the squeemish and you figure it out!!! Action in the legs. You have to lay the hot baits out of the mold and place the legs bent up toward the body like contracted and let them cool that way. For really good swimming action like you mentioned, I cut the front of the legs next to the body about halfway through. Short jerks of the rod tip and it looks just like a frog swimming with the legs going out and coming back. I'm kinda a detail freak when it comes to poured baits, especially the frog. I take care to store them laid flat with the legs contracted so they stay that way. Is it worth it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I will take a 3.5 or 4" one as well.Can you make mine a 2 pour mold.? I need to do some experimenting to answer that. Am going to try the lego block trick to see if I can build it up for multiple cavity instead of spread it out in a larger mold box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Looks good. Glad you posted it gave me a kick in the rear. I had began on a frog some time ago and had ended up dropping the "work in progress" behind my workbench. Well I dug it out after seeing your post on the frog. I was going to mold a live frog also but then decided I would first go ahead and carve one (winter is great). Have to finish up the legs and feet then add some detail. Hopefully get a chance to mold it this weekend. Five inches long, two inches wide between the knees. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/TravisH/Frog.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ominousone Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 very nice job on your prototype, that carving is tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Killer carving!!! Good luck on your mold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Nice mold..Im thinking of trying something similar with a dead shad I got in the freezer I'm sure micro-mark RTV sales have increased about 10 fold in the past few weeks lol!...That stuff is great! and at a good price to boot! bassnfool is the one to thank..He turned me on to the stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 I only wish I would have had it a long time ago...more masters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
