CNC Molds N Stuff Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) Copied from Tackle Maker with permission: Question: Should I have a custom mold made? These answers are geared towards plastic (plastisol) bait makers, but much of it also applies to lead molds. Answer 1: In spite of the fact that CNC Molds (a custom mold maker) is our primary sponsor the answer is, "probably not," for most people. Atleast not at first. A custom mold costs a lot more than a "mass produced" mold of roughly the same size and complexity. There are a lot of "mass produced" molds out there where the mold maker sets up their machine and runs off several at a time or one after another. They already have it designed and saved in their files. They already know how to set it up on the machine. They just throw an appropriate size piece of metal on the machine and press start. They did all the work required for a custom mold at one point, but they have amortized that cost over the numbers of that mold they have sold. ** Mass produced does not necessarily mean they are cranking out thousands of them in massive production runs. It means for these purposes that its a mold they can crank out multiples of and sell them to whoever they want. Usuaully they will produce a few at a time for inventory, and produce more at a time of those that are faster movers. Sometimes if a mold maker likes your design they may be willing to gamble that they can sell them in numbers to other people and offer you a lower price on your "custom" mold. If you specifically want to make a mold design 100% exclusive with a mold makre you need to be clear up front, and understand that they will charge for all of the time they spend helping to develop your design for you. Answer 2: If you have done your homework and you want something that just isn't out there then yes. Absolutely. A custom mold can be a good investment. But I refer you to Answer 1: There are a lot of mass produced molds out there. Do you really need exactly that little detail you are looking for or is there a cheaper production mass produced mold that will be "close enough?" Answer 3: For small scale commercial production custom molds are a solid answer. Things as small as putting your name on the baits you make or making something nobody else has could be huge for you. Getting several molds at one time may reduce your per mold cost slightly, but its still custom. The mold maker isn't going to give you mass production level pricing on your mold unless you are paying up front for atleast a hundred of them all identical. Your price per cavity may go down slightly (especially with simple designs) if you get a 10 or 20 cavity mold made instead of a two cavity mold. Then you have to think about logistics. The first large cavity count mold I had wouldn't fill with the largest injector I had. I had to get a bigger one. Summary: For the average home garage bait maker just producing for their own use a custom mold is a luxury. Some professional anglers might have one made for a particular application, and some small growing bait companies certainly should consider it. For the average home bait maker you should atleast master the basic skills of the craft first. Edited December 3, 2013 by Bob La Londe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudd Butt Baits Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Did you get a mold made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) Did you get a mold made? Bob is a mold maker and a good one! I had him CNC a couple of lead molds for me and they work great. Edited January 12, 2015 by Kasilofchrisn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
