CrawChuck Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Wish me luck ...I got a dozen minnows to try and make a mold from this evening. Somebody asked for a real minnow mold so I will post the results here later...fail or succeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reelnmn Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 CrawChuck...I've tried a few shiner molds before. Never could get the tail section to pour. I'm really interested to see how yours turn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I had planned on either carving out the tail a bit thicker or dip the master tails in RTV to build them up before making the production molds. Here's the first attempt so far a little while ago... Have poured the second half and waiting for the cure to open it up. Last fish mold I made was pretty messy at that stage :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Well it doesn't have the detail I expected or want but the basic shape is there. Will go ahead and finish in the coming days to see how it turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsryno Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Screw the minnows, craw...Let's see a rainbow trout! JK, good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reelnmn Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Yea I had similar results... The scales just didn't show up the well in the plaster. One thing that worked well for me...I used super glue on the pectoral, dorsal, and ventral fins so that I could place them exactly as I wanted. It also thickened up that part so that it was more pronounced on the mold and on the bait, especially on the pectoral fins. Be sure to post the finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Screw the minnows' date=' craw...Let's see a rainbow trout!JK, good work![/quote'] Hey Ryan...aren't any trout where I live, maybe 100 miles north to the White River but then I would have to learn how to catch one. Now if somebody were to maybe send me a fresh one of just the right size they need :idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Yea I had similar results...The scales just didn't show up the well in the plaster. One thing that worked well for me...I used super glue on the pectoral' date=' dorsal, and ventral fins so that I could place them exactly as I wanted. It also thickened up that part so that it was more pronounced on the mold and on the bait, especially on the pectoral fins. Be sure to post the finished product. [/quote'] The first half that I showed a pic of was crappy detail wise. The second half was perfect and shows every little line and scale. Has to do with the Ultracal settling I think. So did you super glue the fins to stick out all flared out like? Was your shiner dry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reelnmn Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I flared the dorsal fin most of the way, the ventral fins only slightly so that they would still pour, and I flared the pectoral fins completely but super glued them to the body. Do you think this would work?? Pour a small amount of your Ultracal in your mold (1/4" or so) just enough so that the minnows aren't touching the bottom. Let that dry. Add your release. Pour the top half of your mold to whatever thickness you normally use. Let that dry. Then remove the mold from the forms and take off the bottom (skinny) part of the mold you poured first. Then put the mold back into the forms, and pour another top half. This might help you get more detail out of your scales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Not sure but worth a try maybe. The problem with fresh minnows/fish and plaster/ultracal is it draws moisture from the body very quickly once it starts to set up and causes it to draw up. A good impression quickly is desirable or the second half will flow into around the minnow body in the first half if that makes sense. Guess I could try an RTV minnow mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reelnmn Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Yep I know what you mean. How much shrinkage are you getting? I don't remember getting any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtrs5kprs Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 How about making the original mold from resin? Would set up faster and let you make a plastic or RTV master proto bait for reproducing in whatever molding medium you prefer. You could even do it as a one piece pour-over, then cut the halves apart to release the dead fish. Curious...how bad does your workshop smell CC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Fish, craws and frogs don't smell that bad...it's the hairspray on the other end of the house that bothers me :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbor Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 See if your camera mas a macro mode, mine shows a flower and then you can focus your camera closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 There is a macro mode and I still don't know why I can't take good pics with it I am a little shaky sometimes so maybe I need a tripod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbor Posted March 26, 2006 Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 I'm shakey as can be also :oops: . On my camera I have so stay about a foot away to mold focus, the camera is just not meant to go closer. I would not think you are that close. So get back alittle and use the zoom. it may work. Take a few pics and see what you can do. here is one I was playing with the other night. How did the mold turn out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 I'm shakey as can be also :oops: . On my camera I have so stay about a foot away to mold focus, the camera is just not meant to go closer. I would not think you are that close. So get back alittle and use the zoom. it may work. Take a few pics and see what you can do. here is one I was playing with the other night. [b'] How did the mold turn out?[/b] Well seems like I better stick with craws and frogs. Not happy with it at all...don't even want to waste any Envirotex on it so maybe better luck next time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvowell Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 When shooting in macro mode, some form of stabilization device is a MUST unless you are using a macro flash set up of some sort (ring flash or the like). You are shooting at extreme ratios and usually with slow shutter speeds, so every little movement (sometimes even your pulse) can throw a photo off. Tripods all the way for macro...all you really need is a small table top one if you are shooting a point-and-shoot...plus it's a really handy size for shooting baits/molds. -Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrawChuck Posted March 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Well that explains why my pics suck so bad! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Another trick it to take a picture at maximum resolution, then crop it down to get what you want. If a bait fills 1/4 of a 1200 by 960 frame, then a crop will get you a 600 by 480, which is about full size and resolution for the bulletin board. Nobody has to know you were half way across the room. hope it helps jm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
