best way to melt plastic

[bassmangarvin]

sorry to bother you again guys but I'm still researching. for my own personal use of plastics what is the best way to go about melting my plastics. microwave or the little metal pouring pans you can put on a flat range.

[Senkosam]

Nuke it! or an electric pot for pouring many lures in one color, but with fine salt or no salt (clogs spout). Stove top requires a lot of monitoring to prevent searing the plastic.

[nova]

Frank is right. It only requires a cheap micro and then you can remain in good graces with the wife. Just heat it in short bursts. If you try to do it all at once you'll burn the center of the plastic, as a micro heats from the inside out.

Once you get the hang of it, it will go quite quickly.

[Senkosam]

Also remember, reheated plastic takes less time and needs more care to avoid burning it or killing the glitter. I recently poured some jig trailers using smoke and .015 gold hologram. Example: The third reheat, the holo started to fade in color and I added more.

[charkins]

Microwave is the best friend that a soft plastic bait maker has. It is easy and fast.

Cal

[Delw]

Nuking it is easier faster and does a decent job, However the stove is the best way and it gives a clearer plastic as well. The colors come out much better on the stove tahn ina microwave.

The one problem with the microwave is that if you dont have alot of molds your going to be constantly reheating plastic

The major problem with the stove is that, it smokes it stinks more and you have to constantly stirr it, its alot more work but its always hot when you need it.

Both have benifits but microwave will generally win because guys(males) just dont like to wait for things, and we like to do min work.

[Joe S.]

I prefer the stove, I pour in a lot of different climates through out the year, 100? and 10? I heard stories of the pyrex cups shattering etc.

I have two burners, one I put up to 8 cups of plastic in a big tin candle pitcher and place on the one burner, leaving it on high, it might take longer to initially cook but once it's ready I can leave it on high and not worry about it till I get down to about a cup or so then I have to lower the heat.

I just transfer plastic from big tin into 1 cup pans and mix colors and pour my worms, that way once the big one is ready I have 8 cups of hot plastic ready to go then bang them out.

[saint308]

Here is my take on the heating issue. It sounds like you are in a similar position as I am. You have not been doing this very long. If you do not have very many cavities to fill, then put about 2 oz. of plactic in a pyrex and nuke it. That pours about 5-6 5 inch stick baits from a Del mold. Once you get the hang of that, you can increase it to 4 oz, and so on. Just remember once you double the plastic you must also double the color, salt and anything else you put in. Good luck.

P.S I have a Del brush hog mold that was used only once. I do not use it any longer, any suggestions on what I can do with it? Thanks. Saint