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Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation since 02/19/2024 in all areas
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Temp & speeds are pretty crucial when shooting plastics. Heat it to 350 & shoot quick. Like said above heat the injector if it's cold. I mix in colorant & flake most times before heating unless i'm making a totally new color that i haven't figured out the mixture yet. This way i prepare the mix, heat to 350 & inject like a well-oiled machine more or less & seldom have any problems at all. The more you do it the more you'll get your system worked out & the problems pretty much become a non issue.3 points
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Then take your marbles and go play somewhere else if all you're going to do is complain about them. I'm not 100% up to date with this stuff. Fat Guys would be a solid place to get it though. I believe Jeff stopped because of that and they jacked his pricing up on him. I do know that anything Calhoun is the previous formula they've had for years. when they tweaked it everyone complained, including the production customers.2 points
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When I used to make jointed swimbaits, I found that the key to keeping them stable at higher retrieve speeds was to make the body taper from top to bottom, creating a V cross section. In my case, my swimbaits tapered from 7/8" at the top/back to 5/8" at the bottom/belly. This kept more buoyancy higher in the lure body, so I could put less ballast into the belly and still get the stable retrieve at higher speeds. I actually started the taper about a third of the way down from the shoulders of the bait, as you can see in this picture" It doesn't look like much, but it worked, so I could burn my swimbaits without them rolling.2 points
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2 points
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One of the old school hollow swimbait techniques (kinda like a BassTrix) was to use a butter knife with the light serrations ground off and the edge rounded over. If they wanted a conventional looking tail they just cut it that way. If they wanted a paddle tail they would split a Colorado blade part way and solder or braze it to the knife. One of the parts suppliers even started selling dipping blades with the tail blade already attached.2 points
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I have no Idea - But it sounds like the rod u dip with would need a wide spot in the belly area. If that makes sense?2 points
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You may want to heat your injector as your plastic heats. I stick mine on a hot plate.2 points
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Agree above, Sounds like things are getting cooled off to soon. Not the product at all.2 points
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Ok, package came on lunch while I was at work today. I shot home quick, mixed the plastisol up good, poured a cup and popped in in the microwave for 3:40 total. I can say it's not not degassed, lots of bubbles. Not a big deal as the Calhouns/FGF flavor is much the same for me (it smells like Calhouns to me too). My degasser is down so I had to let it sit in the micro for a few minutes. most of the bubbles rose and popped. I also got 3 of their colorants (GP, Watermelon, Junebug). I chose Junebug, dropped 40 in the cup and it was thin, like.....MF thin. 90 drops to a cup got me the semi transparent Junebug I like for the Northeast. It has a little more purple than blue, which I like. The Em Grn flake picked up nicely. I cant say I WOULDNT buy it again....just wouldnt be my first choice of plastisol. I'll shoot the GP and Watermelon this week and post up those pics. Sorry for the blurry one.....phone wouldnt focus. My prefered plastisols in order are still: 1. Bait Plastics Low Odor 2. Calhouns/FGF 3. Dead On 4. Ozark Tackle 5. Do-It I havent tried MF, Lureworks, Barlows, or Lurecraft yet.2 points
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I picked up a cheap meat grinder from harbor freight. It works really good and I think it was around $30.00.2 points
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Just a guess but it looks like the white powder was sprinkled in the mold cavity then the base color was shot.2 points
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I shape (including ballast holes adding hardware hangers) and seal my baits with penetrating epoxy (epoxy thinned with alcohol), add ballast as needed to get them to suspend, seal the ballast holes, paint, and finish. For me, the paint and topcoat don't effect the suspension enough to worry about.2 points
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While not sure what a corky is, I think you might be looking for The Holy Grail. If plastic is soft, it's not firm, and if it's soft most likely it's not durable. The durable plasitisols would be the flex type, stretch type, or saltwater types. Too soft and they rip apart off the hook. Too firm and you probably won't get the action you're looking for. Once your baits have a chance to cure, about 24 hours or so, you can bag them up with whatever scent you choose, and after a while the baits will be impregnated with the scent. I make a 50/50 mix of scent and worm oil to bag mine. Then sprinkle with salt. As far as your plastic, you may have to spend some time researching. Some suppliers do sell sample sets. Bait Plastic.com being one of them. Don't forget to order softener and hardener to custom make exactly what you want. Another suggestion. MF Plastisol. Get the flex or med flex, and use the hardener or softener to adjust. and remember to right down your recipes. When making baits, there is no none size fits all.2 points
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This is the chart I use as a reference guide when someone asks for a "crayfish" colored bait. Allen1 point
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Never use your good sprue cutter for anything but cutting lead. Just touching them on a hook shank will dull them. I used to wrap the shank on a mold that flashed a bit on the shank. About three times around the shank and one was dull. all that said, I like the Xuron flush cutters. I’ll copy and paste a pair but they have a bunch available. Really high quality tools. https://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/3/841 point
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I use my Do-It Arky weedless jig mold to pour 1/2oz vibrating jig heads, using Mustad 5/0 60 degree jig hooks, but I found the hook eyes would crack when I tried to open them to insert the chatter blade. So I tried heating my hook eyes red hot with my torch, and that made them soft enough to open by driving an awl into them until I got enough gap to put the chatter blade on. That worked, but the hook eye felt soft and ovaled when I pinched it shut with the blade in place. So I took a batch of the opened eye hooks and put them into my toaster oven for a hour at 350 degrees, the same temp I use to bake my powder coat, to retemper them. When I pinched them closed this time I felt much more resistance, but none broke, so this is another step in my vibrating jig making process. Success!1 point
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1 point
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This applies to their molds because they make them on an as ordered basis. The name may seem funny but from videos I’ve seen of their operation I’m led to believe the name refers to the owners physical stature. Man I hated to be the one to say that. While I can’t speak to their plastic their molds and accessories are top notch. Don’t let the name fool you.1 point
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They're buying it directly from Calhoun so I would assume it is theirs. The "OG Blend" part is is referring to a tweak they (Calhoun) made to the compound that resulted in an undesirable outcome, so they reverted back to the original formula.1 point
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I make wood wake baits mostly about 7" finished length. I use stainless steel wire from McMaster Carr that I buy in a spool that is 1/4 lb. in either 0.052 or 0.062. Mostly 0.062" for a 7 inch wake bait. Then I twist it into a hook or line tie. I do this because there is much more holding power with a twisted wire hangar that with the screw eyes. I drill my holes for a snug slip fit and all the way through the wood. Then I fill the hole with D2T until it comes out the other side and put my finger over the other side while I push the hanger into place that way I am sure I have 100% wood, wire, and epoxy. On holes that don't naturally exit the bait, like line tie, I drill a vent hole down from the top to accomplish the same thing. I find that if I use the 0.092" screw eyes with the size hooks and split rings I want to use, it is easy to over stretch the split ring over the 092 size wire. I do keep 0.092 screw eyes in stock though in 2" and 2-1/2" and now I use them for wood chopper type baits so I have plenty of hold even after holding the big chopper blades.1 point
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I also mostly make baits over 6" up to 12". I typically use the LPO .092 stainless screw eyes for a pre-made screw eye. I will use .072 if I make less than 6" bait. Occasionally, I will make a bait over 12". On the largest baits, I have used up to 2.5" inch long screw eyes when there is room in the body. Most of my current baits are made with .051 or .062 stainless safety lock wire twist screw eyes or are wired-through. I sometimes use gate hardware screw eyes that I find in the assorted hardware racks of may local Ace hardware. These are the screws that are used to latch a gate or door in a wood frame. They are like size 208 to 212 screw eye but have a longer thread. These types of screw are great if you want a sloppy joint with a thick gauge screw eye that make a lot of noise like on the MS Slammer. I only use stainless screw eyes. I have a bad habit of not drilling a big enough pilot hole and snapping the non-stainless screw during installation. If fishing in musky or pike waters, I like to make a recessed cup in the lure body that the base of the eye on the screw can sit in. When I epoxy the bait, the part of the screw that can open gets covered in epoxy reducing the chances of it opening.1 point
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1 point
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I agree with Bass-Boys on the belly made onto them. . You could take bolts & weld & shape a belly on them or use jb weld to make them.1 point
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Jig Man, I pour mostly hard lead in that mold in hopes of getting the keeper from loosening up and it doesn't help but I don't have lead going up the hook shank. Also I don't use Victory hooks. Couple things could make this happen. #1 The Victory hooks are thinner than the shank cavity in your mold leaving a gap and the hot lead is seeping through. If you have always used Victory hooks, maybe a new batch and the hooks are thinner or maybe a couple of hooks are thinner in the current batch? Just guessing here. #2 You have some lead or foreign substance on one of your mold halves that is gapping your mold causing lead to seep through. On the latter, take a single edge razor blade and lightly run the blade across both mold halves. This might dislodge any foreign substance that you may not readily see. Once done check your pour. On the first one, if you have a different brand hook check to see if you have the same problem. Post your results when you find your solution.1 point
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1 point
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Never had this issue. I have gone down as low as 320 grit. But it takes a lot more glass to achieve the desired results. As far as the medium, I've only used virgin glass beads. Some baits I've used half salt and half glass. Those were mostly senkos. Now I hardly use anything. I like being able to see the glitter in the baits. And colors are better too. I only weigh some senkos, and a wacky worm bait. I typically fish my wacky worm weightless, unless the water is over10'. Then I'll use a weighted wacky hook. My 5" wacky worms weigh almost as much as my weighted senkos. I've even been toying with the idea of using tungsten powder.1 point
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I use scissors. Cut while plastic cooks and molds cool. Also I never leave pucks.. Pour the left over into molds then it is way easier to cut up later.1 point
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I highly doubt it’s your plastisol. Are you certain your temps are at 350? What thermometer are you using? Is it cold in your work area? Your mold may be too cold to begin with. And your injector as well. Heat them both up before you begin. I pop mine into an oven. Start with these easy fixes first.1 point
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I'm just a hobby bait maker making about 500 baits a year for myself and friends. I use just plain every day 1qt. slide lock bag from Walmart. They come in boxes of 75. Never had one leak or dissolve, disintegrate, or whatever. I've got some with salted oiled and scented baits going on 4 years now without any problems. When I was buying commercial bags I believe it was from either LureCraft or Barlows.. There is a big seller out there of all types of packaging materials. ULINE. Check them out Send for their catalog ( it's huge ). You should be able to find something in there. Otherwise most bait making suppliers have bags of all sizes, double laminated, with tabs for hanging on hooks. https://www.uline.com/1 point
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I did years ago. Unless things have changed, it was one of the worst plastisols I have ever worked with. Hard packs easily and smoked big time!1 point
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1 point
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I used 20 Redrum and 2 M-F Indigo (I know, not DoP), try Electric Grape in place of the Indigo. If you dont have it, Junebug or Blue should get you real close.1 point
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They work great on most crimp sleeves. I'm using a smaller size sleeve than these crimpers will crimp on a .027 wire. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3352479300021 point
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Like Mark, I seal my wood wake and top water baits with slow cure epoxy like penetrating epoxy of Devcon (D2T). After I have done my shaping and have epoxied the hook hangars and the lip in place. Then I can use needle nose vise grips to hold the bait while I work on it. I think it helps to heat the wood bait with my heat gun before I apply the slow cure epoxy. That helps it pull the epoxy in as the wood cools. You can't really get the sides of the wood grain to absorb epoxy but end grain will. This makes the end and tapered sections harder and on my 2 piece baits I get a really great wood knock like that. Of course you will end up adding or moving weights as needed and you have to be diligent about sealing each hole. Be advised that warmed wood will make the epoxy more fumey, use an extraction fan or I use a fan blowing across my bench to keep the fumes away.1 point
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I had a conversation with David Alexander about it, he told me his postmaster chewed him out because one of his shipments leaked and made a mess. He was told don't do it again, David shipped only UPS after that and even though it was more expensive at the time he said it was a relief to not have to worry about it.1 point
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I found that with stick worms you need to use soft sinking, or super soft and add a lot of salt until you get the sink rate you want.1 point
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I'm glad it helped. So many problems are caused or qualities degraded (*) by shooting some plastics to hot that often people dismiss going a little hotter as a potential solution to other problems. * (Denting, scorching, colors drift, drawing air hollows, toughness with hard plastics, etc etc)1 point
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Not familiar with the Dead On Plastics worm blend, but to add some action to you stick baits,I'd add softener to to your raw plastic. Especially,if you've added salt. If you haven't added salt ( I use glass sandblast beads and salt ) your bait may sinking too slow to add any action. A typical yamamoto senko weights about 9.5-10.5 grams. I fish deep water so mine will go around 11.5 grams. When adding salt or beads. Then you absolutely need to add softener. After you cure your baits, or even right after demolding, are the floppy? Wiggly sort of?1 point
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A agree with Big E. I use Tupelo for floating swimbaits and poplar for sinking ones because of the buoyancy. I just made a 7” three piece floater with Tupelo and it’s taking a crapload of lead just to balance it.1 point
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I heated it to the 400 degrees and injected it super slowly. That solved my air issues. Thank you very much!1 point
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Thanks guys. I can dip larger profile tubes for bass & they're fine but the thinner diameter of the crappie tubes just haven't suited me when i dip a second color. I'll just let the second color cool a little more & dip once & should be ok. I just thought you guys may have an easier way. No big deal i'll fix it. Thanks1 point
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Looks like a basic Watermelon with 0.035" Square Black, Kelly Green, and Gold and 0.015" Red.1 point
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I seem to recall their being some issues with International shipping of colorants. I think it was one of the things that caused changes in who could and could not buy and resell certain colorants from some companies. It could also have just been an excuse to stop working with intermediate resellers. There was some bruhaha about it here many years ago.1 point
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Rocket release or silicone oil film on the pin may help. Maybe even motor oil since it's so heat tolerant.1 point
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Sometimes a cavity will skin over trapping air depending on how it's injected. I'd try going hotter to reduce the viscosity, and shoot slower so the cavity fills from bottom to top allowing the air to float on top and get squeezed out the vents before they get covered. Not knowing what the coefficient of expansion is you may also have to hold pressure as it cools.1 point
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Great video. Proably going to have folks bothering you wanting their lures changed. Good job. Arne.1 point
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Bryan, I have not seen the 5/64 (.078) pins in teflon, reason being is they are not a std size. However like anything else it can be custom made which would be cost prohibitive. So what I do is this. You can either buy .078 stn stl rod and cut it into 1" pieces, and use that or you can buy severl 5/64 drill bits ( that's what I use), and stick the non flured end into the mold up against the hook. This works for me. There are many other things you can use as well, howeve you want the 5/64 diameter, and I know they make drill bits that size, so it's an easy find.1 point