Pouring Plastics

[hookum243]

Maybe some of you plastic pouring pros could give a rookie here some guidance in getting started with making some of his own. I would like to know if there is abreally good company out there that you all use to purchase your supplies? Is there a good starter kit out there with some molds? The other thing I'm also looking to do is building my own casting rod. Where does everyone go for that? Thank you all in advance for your help

[bassincali]

you can get supplys from m-f maufacturing, delmart molds, jennscraft ,there are a few more you just have to search. these are a good start. i would get some lunker lotion from produto lures as worm lube if u want to make small batches under 5000

[bassincali]

one more thing make sure you have a good ventalation system

[hookum243]

Ok thanks what do you mean about a good ventilation system. I was planning on doing this in my garage at my work bench is that ok. Where do you get the lunker lotion from and when do you use it

[hookum243]

Bassincali have you personally mad a lot of worms

[bassincali]

started to but could not get around the ventalation part did some with the microwave method and used plaster of paris molds and used plastics remelted did work but i live in a appartment and people complain i have a mess of recipes if i find them i will post em. i do make my own spinnerbaits and jigs did good this year on those.good luck  try this link lots of info http://www.tacklemaking.com/default.php?pageID=2

[bassincali]

lunker lotion from a company called producto lures its worm oil it is used after the worms are done you put it in the bag so they dont stick together and it is scented m-f has some but i find the scent to strong .ventalation is not optional just be safe read as much as you can

[bassincali]

look on the top of the tacklebox page there are some realy good recipes

[bassincali]

http://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/index.php?topic=74393.msg971302#msg971302

[beer980]

I buy my plastic and most of my colorants/glitter from Lurecraft. Basstackle.com has a good selection of CNC molds. To start out I would get a few common colors and glitters. Like a watermelon red or junebug and get some black and red glitter. Pick up a RTV open pour mold from Lurecraft and a quart or two of medium plastic. They will make a bait with a flat side but most fish won't complain. These are the least expensive molds you can buy so you can get an idea if you want to advance to the more expensive molds.

You don't say where you live but if you were close I would invite you over to my shop so you could see how it all goes together. Now the rod building is a whole different area then plastics. I have not been down that road but I understand once you are set up you can make a rod for less then half what you pay in a store.

[hookum243]

Beer thanks I have been checking out the websites. You said rtv open molds I can't seem to find anything called that on lure craft. I see allot of the aluminum molds they look nice. I really want to start making my own zoom trick style worms and also lizards and strike king rodent type which molds do you suggest? I live in Myrtle beach sc pretty far away from you. Do you make a lot of your own plastics

[beer980]

I have my own plastics company so I make my share of plastics. On Lurecrafts site the RTV molds are in the plastic mold section. It is a semi-flexible silicone mold material. They have hundreds of designs and sizes to choose from. This is a cheaper way to get introduced into pouring as many people think they want to do it and after a little while they loose interest. If you compare the price of the RTV mold to the aluminum molds it is much cheaper to get started. The quality is a little less then a metal mold but still very fishable. If you are serious about getting into it and are sure you will stick with it then by all means go with metal molds.

There you have 2 types of metal designs, open pour and injection. Both have their strengths and weakness. I use a mix of open pour and injection mold. The cost of CNC molds is a lot higher then RTV molds but you get better performance from the mold.

[hookum243]

Which molds are most like the zoom trick worms and the strike king rodent. I will look into the rtv molds now

[jesse1378]

bearsbaits.com has some good stuff too. he mainly has injection molds but a few open pour, but has better prices on something but LC is a great place to deal with i have many molds from them and i am happy with every one of them

[hookum243]

Great thanks Jesse do you make a lot of plastic and if so what type of molds to you have most of?

[beer980]

Sorry I missed your follow up question. The Lurecraft mold list is a large one and really don't know which one would be closest to those. Most of my molds are the metal ones. I have a few handmade ones and a few RTV from Lurecraft also.

[SenkoSam]

Here's are two articles I wrote about 10 years ago how to make plastic lures and 1 or 2
piece plaster molds. It looks involved, but once you're set up, it's easy to copy lures or prototypes.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/pouring_plastic_worms.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/pouring_plastic_worms_supplies.html

www.lurecraft.com will send you a catalog containing a complete line of supplies for plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits and many other do it yourself lure crafting. Listed are over 250 molds of lures going back 25 years that sell for $8-$20. Their aluminum molds are pricey and Bear's site offers quality for less as
well as variety and special orders.

As far as ventilation, two things to remember:
1. Never overcook the plastic to above 320 degrees because once plastic starts to produce
    thick white smoke, it's deadly and the room must be closed off, evacuated and aired!
    I keep the temp. around 260 or less.

2. For larger batches I use a fan directing air flow outside though a window nearest the cooking area. But usually when making small batches, the fumes are far less than my pipe smoke. Some people use an exhaust fan and a double filter mask - overkill IMO. I always use a microwave for ease and less
energy consumption.

As far as worm oil goes, I only use it to give a new plastic lure a slippery quality and sheen and as a mold release oil; nothing beats clear Original Fish Formula. One bottle will last years! You can also create a shiny surfaced lure if you brush a little in your silicone (RTV) mold cavities, which always produce a dull finish (though not detrimental to catching fish). The oil does help plastics from sticking to one another in a plastic bag, but I use tackle boxes and it's not a problem.

[jesse1378]

my favorite molds are swimbait molds. i have caught alot of slid fish on them. also buzzfrogs. those two are top favorites.

[Mindhunter]

I would recommend lureworks for your plastic and coloring. I've had pretty good success with their stuff. For molds I think basstackle is the best, they seem to be cheaper for multi cavity than most other places. Just IMO

[SenkoSam]

The only dye I found was Spike It dipping dye.

[Mindhunter]

It's under the lureworks tab after you get to the store. Pearl and glo pigments or pigments and dyes. In my experience their colors are a bit stronger than others I've tried. It doesn't take as many drops to get a strong solid color and their plastisol is the cheapest you'll find. The only negative thing I can say about the plastisol is it has to be heated slowly or you'll he bubbles in it. Low power setting + longer heat time in a microwave, if your using a burner or a presto pot you'll be fine.

[SenkoSam]

Thanks. I'm always looking for an alternative to Lurecraft.