Pete Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 there have been many questions regarding expandable foam, but I haven't seen anyone ask if 8lb foam was useable for bass/crappie cranks. I know some of you guys use the 16lb stuff, just wanted to know if the 8lb stuff would hold up before I buy either one. -Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Go with the 16 lb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 thats what I needed to hear, thanks Husky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskydan666 Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Hi Pete!I dont use foam no more!!I use the smooth-on feather lite resin and it's much better!!!More durable and cost the same price!!So you sould try it,I like it a lot!!Makes nice cast,allmost no pin holes. Cheers,Muskydan666 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 thanks Muskydan, I'll give that a shot. -Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yes the featherlite material is great, easy to use, with minimal fuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Hi Pete!I dont use foam no more!!I use the smooth-on feather lite resin and it's much better!!!More durable and cost the same price!!So you sould try it,I like it a lot!!Makes nice cast,allmost no pin holes. Cheers,Muskydan666 I don't know what you pay for foam, but I get 2 gals for $48 (Shopmaninc.com)US and Featherlite runs $75 per 1 gal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskydan666 Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Hi husky,I pay about 40$can. for a 2.4lbs kit of feather lite and I can make 8 of my cranks,the foam is about 37$can. to make the same 8 lures!!!so for about the same price I have a much better product!!!It's like the legend and hooker baits,foam is to soft,fragile compare to the feather lite resin! Cheers,Muskydan666 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whibley Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 What kind of mold are you going to use? Would a plaster mold work?? And where can you get expandable foam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Hi husky,I pay about 40$can. for a 2.4lbs kit of feather lite and I can make 8 of my cranks,the foam is about 37$can. to make the same 8 lures!!!so for about the same price I have a much better product!!!It's like the legend and hooker baits,foam is to soft,fragile compare to the feather lite resin! Cheers,Muskydan666 Dan, The Foam I get is 16 lb wt which I pay $48 U.S. for 16 lbs. That would make many more than 8 lures, more like 100. This product will come out as hard as a rock. " 16 LB Density Urethane Foam Common Applications: This 16LB density foam is essentially as hard as a rock, you would need a hammer in order to make any dents in this product. Can be used for sculpting or the casting of objects that require superior toughness and strength. More questions? [Try our Foam FAQ.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Dan, Husky is right. I also use the foam, 16# density is under $20.00 for a 2# kit. With the 2# kit, I can make over 100 of my topwater frogs.With shipping added, it works out to less than .25 per lure. Just be sure to keep the product in a warm place and work in a warm area for best results. If you are topcoating with Devcon II or any other epoxy, wait about a week before topcoating as it may take a while for the resin to fully cure.If done too soon,the release of gasses in the resin will make small bubbles form under the topcoat if applied too soon. Good Luck, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Dan, Husky is right. I also use the foam, 16# density is under $20.00 for a 2# kit. With the 2# kit, I can make over 100 of my topwater frogs.With shipping added, it works out to less than .25 per lure. Just be sure to keep the product in a warm place and work in a warm area for best results. If you are topcoating with Devcon II or any other epoxy, wait about a week before topcoating as it may take a while for the resin to fully cure.If done too soon,the release of gasses in the resin will make small bubbles form under the topcoat if applied too soon. Good Luck, Joe Thanks Joe. The key with using foam is to use it relatively soon after purchasing it, washing the lures to remove all traces of Mold release, Let them cure out before finishing, dip them in a plasticoat of choice, and then finish as you would any other lure. While there are better products, many of them are cost prohibitive. At Shopmaninc.com, you can get 4 lbs of foam for under $20. When you're making a lot of big baits, that is a huge savings. When finished in accordance to the steps I mentioned, the results are quite comparable with other products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Either is fine. Number of cranks all dependent upon the size of the bait guys. Musky crank may take a little more foam than a bass crank:wink: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskydan666 Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hi guys!!The foam is i used is the smooth-on 15lbs and i pay about 35 $can. for 8 lures!!!!And that stuff is not very solid!!!!the hooks was making some very big damage so that is not good for me!!!3 hours of fishing and the hooks as make a 1/8 grove in the lure!feather lite is much more solid!!!!So better for me!!!cheers.Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskydan666 Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 feather lite also have to be used in a few weeks!!!cheers!!dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hi guys!!The foam is i used is the smooth-on 15lbs and i pay about 35 $can. for 8 lures!!!!And that stuff is not very solid!!!!the hooks was making some very big damage so that is not good for me!!!3 hours of fishing and the hooks as make a 1/8 grove in the lure!feather lite is much more solid!!!!So better for me!!!cheers.Dan Then my recommendation is not to use Smooth-0n foam. The 16lb wt foam from shopmaninc.com is rock hard, harder than most woods! I've literally hit it with a hammer and it stood up to the punishment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 What kind of mold are you going to use? Would a plaster mold work?? And where can you get expandable foam? All supplies can be got at shopmaninc.com. Use either the Urethane rubber or the Tin Sil RTV in the highest Shore hardness. While Bondo and Plaster can work, the come in a distant second to the Urethane and Silicone Rubber. PM me if you need to know more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 This thread has been a real education, Thank's to you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter jones Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 after you cast what do you use to seal/prime the foam with?. Has anyone had any sucess making a suspending jerk bait with foam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadisonWI Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Could someone try to give an equilivent wood denisty compared to the 16lb foam. I've used basswood and poplar before. Which is it more similar too or is it even less dense than basswood? Thanks for the info. Also can you use screw eyes with the foam? THanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesehead Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 16 lb foam has a density of 16 lbs per cubic foot. not sure where to find it but a comparable wood would have the same density. the problem is that wood and foam have other properties such that 16 lb foam does not act the same as 16 lb wood. I myself havent tried foam yet and prefer to continue using wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Hey Husky, Can you tell me a commercial lure that is made from this type of foam? I would just like to get a sense of this matterial in action. Bruce PS: The St. L lambs are PO'd about the Packer crowd, colors, cheering during the game at Lambeau South - can you believe all the time taken went Brett beat another of Dan's records... Go Packers!!! Usher, give me back my "medicine".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Hey Husky,Can you tell me a commercial lure that is made from this type of foam? I would just like to get a sense of this matterial in action. Bruce PS: The St. L lambs are PO'd about the Packer crowd, colors, cheering during the game at Lambeau South - can you believe all the time taken went Brett beat another of Dan's records... Go Packers!!! Usher, give me back my "medicine".... I don't believe any commercial lures are made from it. I found it quite durable and it performed well. The downside is that it is messy and can, at times expand differently based on temp/humidity. Your best bet would be going to Urethane resin and micro balloons. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10995 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Thanks for the info... Like Vodkaman said, this is educational. Would the Urethane resin and micro balloons be as temperture sensitive as the 16 lb expanding foam? It's about 20 degrees F outside. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Husky, you sound like you have given up with the foam! I only got to play with it for a few days before I moved to Malaysia. I wish I had brought it with me. I experienced the variations in expansion. It seemed to be relative to how much airation was introduced in the mixing stage. I would imagine temperature would have a profound affect also. I did learn that PoP was not the mould material, every attempt was a disaster. Now I have RTV and no foam! I have done some experiments with the resin (50%) and air in a mould and rotating until the resin goes off. This leaves a centrally located bubble to provide the buoyancy required. I did not succeed totally, as turning the mould by hand was inconsistant. I estimate that one rev per second would do it. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment to test this out. The resin 'goes off' from liquid to rubbery in just a few seconds, this is the reason for the speed. Testing with even higher speeds may be necessary. Has anyone tried this technique? If not, I invite one of you to have a go and report. It may be a while before I am in a position to test the method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
