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After reading every foam thread I still have some questions

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I have spent the last week reading all the foam threads (printed them out along with the tutorial) but still have a couple questions. Since I have only ever made one mold before (durhams water putty) will practicing with POP help me learn for the silicone or are they that different? How many molds can I make out of 2 lbs of silcone? (I am making cranks about 3/8oz size).

I plan on using the Alumilite regular resin as Coley recommended it with their microballons. They sell 28oz bottle which should get me started but how many cranks can I expect? Do I need to order more from the start?

Husky recommended hoppy silicone but which one of these hobby silicone do I want to use? I am guessing the FIRM one but have no idea?

http://www.hobbysilicone.com/Silicone.htm

Sorry for all the questions but I plan on ordering my supplies in the next couple of days. I would like to get all the correct supplies on the first try.

Allen

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Well I am only a couple of weeks ahead of you.

This is where I am at:

I did get the an Alumilite kit to start the whole thing. I found it while picking up some other supplies at the hobby store. What have I gotten myself into!!!!!!!!! LOL I do like the their resin.

Mr. husky has been a great help to me. I also got a gallon of the Hobby silicone #28. I have made about 7 molds so far. Three BIG musky molds and about 4 other walleye type of baits. I only have enough left for the smaller type of baits. Hard to gage on what to tell you. In my alumilite kit I was able to make only one #18 type of husky jerk mold. I can't remember how much was in there but you can go to the alumilite site and view the kit and it should list what it was.

I have also got the Dascar plastics resin and have tried it. Not to bad but I get some oily residue every once and while. The mold may not be hot enough. Or I may have not mixed it well enough. The ALumilite in more forgiving in my opion. I have had NO problems with theirs

I have the 16 lb foam coming with the microballons. It should be here on Monday.

Not sure if this helps. The whole set-up of the resins,silicone and foam I am seeing gets very costly fast!!!!!! You can sink $400 to $600 real fast without trying.

One tip. As you learn to make the molds you can see how to use less silicone. At the start for me I was pouring away. I cringe now when I see how much silicone I wasted. It is like gold I see now. There are ways to use resin with the combination of silicone to get the job done. I am new to the resin thing but you learn fast on the do's and don'ts as I play with it.

Good luck

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I'm curious why you guys are talking about microballoons with the foam. I haven't used the Alumalite version of foam but I have used Feather Lite by smoothon and it is like most foams........very light! The only time I used micro-balloons was with a plastic product like smoothcast.

I hear ya Tigger on the cost.......I figured it out once and it seemed to me that the cost per musky bait was going to be about 3 dollars with smoothcast and microballons. Of course there are advantages to using a plastic or foam but the cost is definitely high.

Jed

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I have been messing with the stuff!!! Tigger.. I made a square box out of lexan and epoxied it together... I can put in 4 crankbaits in one mold.. But I also did a 8 inch swimbait!!! I got all the piceces in that same box plus one crankbait... Now making the freaking box was fun!!! I had to cut 5 sides of lexan and hold it together while the epoxy was setting... If yall had a video you would have cracked up watchin!!! As for Foam lures... I have a old Foam Lure Jerry Lohr was messing around with and a friend of mine knows a friend that knows Jerry..LOL anyway he gave me some lures to put some lips in and one was a foam lure...THE SUCKER SMELLS like Gasoline!!! If all foam smells like this I dont want to mess with it!! I will stick to the plastic and microballoons... I hope to have some picture of my molds and lures soon so you can check them out.. I been messing with this for months... But man its fun!!!

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Jed , The place that I ordered the foam had the microballons also for the resin pours. They are seperate. LOL I am hoping to maybe slip out and go to the Chicago Musky Show next week. I may see if Fatfingers wants to go on a road trip! LOL He lives only 45 minutes away. Jed I read that you are going to be there. If I go I will definetly look you up my friend.

It is very interesting to read all the resin and foam threads. This site has a wealth of knowledge. I have only been making the lures for just over a year. I hope to post more on hear as I feel comfortable that I am doing things the right way. I have made many mistakes but learning fast.

I played around more with the Dascar resin last night. The problems that I was getting with an oily residue was my fault. I was not warming the mold up enough. Plus on the thinner style molds ,the wire and or screw eyes can cool the material down in those areas they occupy. It really never reaches its bonding heat temp. I am warming them up more. Its working great now.

I played around with using Bondo as the base for the mold and adding RTV silicone as a buffer. It worked great but I didn't take steps to make sure it bonded to the silicone. I have worked that out with tube silicone between the two.

I have played around using the casting resin at the outer box and lining it with the RTV. It works great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really really like this. I am finding that I like making the molds more than the lures! LOL

I hope to get my 16 density foam on Monday and play with it. I may have a list of questions after I do.

Tater, I hear on the fun side of it. I like making the molds more than the lures!

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