TightLine Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 I've been dipping tubes for my own use (and backseaters use) for about a year now and would like to improve the process. I'm heating plastic in mason jars in the microwave but I can only get about 6 dipped before the plastic starts to cool and I have to heat it again. I'd like to move on to a constant heat source like a fryer but want to be able to produce multiple colors from one pot. I was thinking I could place the mason jars (or more likely cans) in the fryer and surround them with some sort of liquid for a bath. Then I could have multiple colors available for dipping or start warming a different color while dipping another. Plastic would work for the bath but it would make swapping the colors in and out a pain especially while cool. I'm looking for alternative liquids I could put in there. Maybe cooking oil? I'm not sure what would happen if plastic dripped in there though so I'm considering some sort of lid I can dip through. I've also read that plastic will burn in a presto fryer if it's not constantly stirred. I'm guessing this is because the plastic is in direct contact with the heat source and if I was using some sort of bath, it wouldn't be a problem since the plastic won't be in direct contact with the heat. Thoughts? Thanks, Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassnfool Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 Plastic will not burn in a Presto Pot when not stirred if kept around 325 degrees. The reason everyone stirs is to keep any salt and/or glitter suspended so the baits come out consistant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 Ok, kind of talking out of my b*tt here, so take everything with a HUGE grain of salt. If you took several alum. tube/pipes a little bigger diameter than the width of your dipper. Cap end with alum. Then put them upright in presto or lee's plastic pot etc. Take it all to someone local who does alum. sandcasting, i.e. local high school. Have them fill in outsde of verticle tubes filling the pot with molten alum. (note it would prob. be a good idea to have hot already.) When it cools you would have 2-3 dipping chambers, deep but narrow, so little plastic waste, and thethickness of the surrounding alum. should mave for VERY even heat with no scrorching. of course I could be wrong. Clemmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassnRandy Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 There was just on thread on this subject with a minny film on how to get more tubes per ounce. It works awsome. Waste is almost nonexistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TightLine Posted July 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 There was just on thread on this subject with a minny film on how to get more tubes per ounce. It works awsome. Waste is almost nonexistent. I can't seem to find the thread with various searches. Would you post a link or a short description? Thanks, Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TightLine Posted July 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 clemmy, your idea is very similar to what I'm trying to accomplish. I was just thinking I might be able to use a liquid around the dipping chambers rather than get it filled in with metal. That way I can swap the chambers (tin cans) in and out. I've got a hot plate to play with so I'm going to try a pan filled with sand and see if it will get hot enough to melt the plastic in the cans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojon Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Sounds like me when I was first trying to come up with a way to dip tubes without using a bunch of plastic.Dipping the way I do is very conservative of plastic.Check out this forum about a week ago that asked the question "I NEED TO MAKE SOME TUBES" and check half way thru to click on and view the mini movie.It will save a thousand words.Two colors are no problem,I have even made rainbow trout colored tubes that had four colors and a inbeded red thread down the side.Tubes don't seperate like most lures.The colors stay put.You can let the first color cool for a couple of hours then dip the second color so you can seperate the tail filements making a double colored tail.Cool effect in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampBaits Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 I watched your video last week, it was very useful! Thanks for making it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojon Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Go to the forum topic 1 week ago titled TUBES....I NEED TO MAKE SOME,Click on the topic,then go to page two,then to page three,down to the redg8r input.Click on the movie.If you are not dead set on verticle dipping,this may be a fast,quick,cheap way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsryno Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 bojon's video is a must watch video for tube dipping. Very nice bojon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
