Cami

Perhaps this link could be useful. http://baitmold.com/plastic-bait-mold/worms/mold-w174-63-inch-158-mm/ Bye Cami

x2 Mica White Pearl Powder bought in a Art Craft store. Crayons pastels work fine too, I've never tried with crayon pearl tints, but I know that they are there. Bye Cami

As said I'm using the silicone syringe from several years without any troubles, safety issues included. The conical edge, as the piston, is in hard ABS plastic and you can adapt it to several casting doors. I added a thermo resistant O-ring to the piston. My cups are also in silicone with a plastic handle (for a microwave hoven of course). Surely you have to use thermo resistant gloves, as with an alluminium injector. Bye. Cami

At least, there are two other options: powder pigments, and I buy them from Art Craft Shops http://breizhbaits.com/WordPress3/tutoriel-fabriquer-ses-leurres-fluorescents-avec-les-pigments-true-color-pigment-fluo/ crayons and oil pastels With these two different systems perhaps is easier to obtain solid color. Bye Cami

Two options. Have you ever thought to use a silicone syringe for cakes? I'm using my 200 ml silicone syringe from several years without problems. Second you can try to buy an aluminium one 175 ml from Baitmold.com for less than 30 €. Buy Cami

Perhaps this link could be useful http://baitmold.com/custom-bait-molds/ Bye Cami

Mapa Temp Dex 710 are gloves certified EN407, so heat resistant, but the most important information is the number X3XXXX that means heat resistant with a contact for 15 sec to 350 °C (662 °F) max. For instance mine gloves are Goodyear EN407 certified X2XXXX that means that they (me) can resist to 250 °C (482 °F) max for 15 sec. FYI the symbol of the flame inside a shield is not enough, must be written EN407. Bye Cami

Here you are an European (German) solution. https://www.bleigussformen-shop.de/navi.php?qs=bullet Bye. Cami

If you like the Sizmic Toad here you can find the 5,6" version http://baitmold.com/plastic-bait-mold/soft-plastic-bait/mold-v204-56-inch-142-mm/ Bye. Cami

Perhaps following link could be intersting http://baitmold.com/product-category/injectors/ Bye Cami

Dear Guys, following the system suggested by Larry Dalhberg , I tried to spray the alcohol ink of some marker pens (black Copic, Bic Marking Color for others) upon some soft baits, but I did not use the Copic Airbrush System, I used this manual "airbrush" https://www.amazon.com/Ranger-Holtz-Distress-Marker-Spritzer/dp/B00IRHZOPY . It is easy to spread the color and you can use also stencils. Moreover you do not need a compressor. Of course It is not possible to reach the results of an airbrush pen, but, as some of You know, it is a really pain in the ass to handle a soft bait painted with acrylics to do the dipping process before their peeling off. Alcohol inks are instead aggressive Vs. PVC, but bleed so, also in this case, it is necessary a final bath in clear plastisol (as suggested by Larry). If you wish to see some examples, then here you are the link of my post in the Italian Lure Maker Forum http://autocostruzione.forumcommunity.net/?t=59427234 . The Pintail bait is a white pearl base, other baits are in clear ambra (recycled transparent plastisol). You can use this manual airbrushing system also for hard baits ... it is cheap. Hoping to be useful to someone, I wish You Happy New Year. Cami

Generally speaking about Bulldawg type lures, have you seen this open mold http://baitmold.com/plastic-bait-mold/soft-plastic-bait/handing-pour-mold-v259-65-inch-165-mm/ ? Anyway, as already suggested, it is really simple to "clone" an original one with RTV silicone making an open mold. Bye Cami

Dear Jeff, thank you for your clarification about the use of Vinyl Floor Adhesive, in fact I used till now Tangit that is a glue for PVC-U, that is glue for rigid PVC pipes: I will give a try to the Vinyl Floor Adhesive. Thank you also for your help in testing, I'm sure that an experienced man like you, will arrive to obtain the right Formula: let know us your results, please. FYI I learnt from the initial French Forum that the best thing is to dry/clean the soft bait with a soft pc. of paper imbibed with MEK before the painting. As already said it is quite easy to use with a brush the mix of MEK/PVC glue or THF/PVC glue, but I'm not Michelangelo and with the airbrush pen it's a little be easier, moreover you can obtain better results in terms of mixing colors. Talking about toxic/strong effect I suppose that THF is the worst one because it has dissolved the plastic pipe of the glass airbrush cup, instead it didn't happen with MEK. Well, as you say ... "working in progress". Bye. Cami

Dear djs, thank you for your suggestion about THF, I tried also it. About poured clear plastisol I've been able only to obtain a dense gel ... not applicable; instead with the original formula to use the PVC glue (Jeff, you are right) I've been able to airbrush only one soft bait. After that the mixture completely clogs the duse 0,8 mm. I suppose that the root cause of this accident is that the THF evaporates very quickly and the mixture becomes too viscous to pass through. FYI I did not find/apply the cycloexanone to retard this evaporation. I continued to apply the mixture to another soft bait with a brush (as I have already done with the MEK/PVC glue mixture). As with airbrush applying, as with brush applying the varnish penetrate very well on the plastisol surface. Here you are the pictures of 2 tests. The recipe is: 5 drops per 100 ml of plastisol, after that the back and the area around the eyes have been airbrushed with a mixture of 50% Tangit PVC glue, 50% of THF, more 10 drops of black ... of course body has two inserts of mylar net per side. The recipe is the same, but the back has been painted with a brush; gills are in mylar foil ... ehm, it's an uncompleted bait. Please Guys, if you have made similar experiments, perhaps it is possible to gather all our experiences and arrive to a final formula. Bye. Cami

Dear DJS, thank you very much for your help. Please, are you talking about plastisol in solution before heating or already heated and poured? Do you know the ratio in volume or weight between Tetrahydrofuran and Plastisol to create this paint base, please? I found it for 7€/100 ml ... to start an initial experiment with black it is ok. Bye. Cami

Here, in Europe, due to the anaffordable shipping costs, several Soft Bait Makers tried to elaborate "home brews". In this thread http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/31413-homemade-spike-it/ I have already explained the recipe 50/50 PVC glue/MEK plus some drops of color or some powder dye. This solvent paint stick enough well, but it is too viscous for airbrush and I could apply it only with brush. Anyway painted works of Boggs Custom Lures are well known and ... he mix himself his paint, so the "Formula" exists. Talking about the No Solvent Paint, a Frech Soft Bait Maker wrote this article http://esoxiste.com/decoration-leurres-souples/ He is using the german Real Effect Special Vinyl Color for Reborning Dolls with success (but painted soft baits must be dipped in clear). Guys, what do you think about this Vinyl Paint? Could it be similar to the Spike It one? Bye. Cami

I love to fish with the Keitech Swing Impact Fat and looking at the bibliography found on the web the meanings of Japanese Engineers about rings should be: to trap air that can be released during the falling; to fuzzy the shape during the swimming action; to move more water during the swimming action (as already said by Mark); to hold better the hook edge giving a weedless effect; finally to give a munching textile to fish mouth. I really do not know if all these characteristics are really achived, but I know that I am really enjoying myself when I use this 3,8" bait, injected by me with Ukrainen Baitmold mold (16.20 $). Moreover there are not the two slots and perhaps it gains in durability. Bye Cami

Perhaps the following link could be useful: https://www.youtube.com/user/CatchSeaFish/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1 All their soft baits should be made in silicone: Shape of bait is of course the winning key: i.e. a thin profile, before a paddle tail, can give the right movement, but on my mind the silicone, even if with a real low ShA, cannot be compared with the flexability of plastisol. Bye Cami

I bought 2 molds from Bait Mold and, after 23 days, I could use my silicone syringe to inject, it woks great with them: Swing Impact Fat 3.9' mold V25/1 Crazy Flapper 3.6' mold C25/1 Details and appendages are perfect. This evening, while I was surfing on the web, I found this new simple and effective idea of the Ukraine Friends: I think that the centrifuge machine can be substituded also with a disk sanding machine. I suppose that a lot of us will find it really intersting. Bye Cami

I'm quite sure that Plastidip and Plastisol are enemies. Plastidip is very similar to Plastivel and about this one I'm completely sure that it's better don't leave an hard bait covevered with Plastivel close a Plastisol Soft Bait: they dissolve each other. Bye. Cami

There is a very known recipe about the common Acetic Silicone (that one mostly used in bathroom) to realise molds: simply adding few drops of water and one/two drops of tempera or acrylic colour. You will not obtain the same details of RTV Silicone, but it really works and in two hours you can obtain the first halve. FYI: with only few drops of tempera/acrilic colour (no more water) added to Acetic Silicone you can obtain a real soft and odourless silicone that can be spread on a "1000 rows carpet" with a spatula to obtain coloured Jig skirts (24 hours). The "1000 rows carpet" is a plastic table protection (a little plastic carpet), used mostly in mechanics, to avoid that tools and instruments can ruin on the floor: its V shaped rows are perfect to realise silicone skirts and a releaser is not necessary. Bye Cami

Hi Ed, you can find holographic mylar sheets and net tube in the Fly Fishing shops. FYI the holo Nail Art Foil well resists to the hot temperature of fused plastisol. Have fun. Bye. Cami