SteveLibs Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8266-moss-mouse/ How would you folks deal with the hook moving around in the above? Maybe an initial layer to embed/hold down the hook/swivel, or a tube? I was trying to just stake it to the rtv mold to avoid having to do more work/layers, but it didnt work so well. PS - not sure this belongs on a "soft plastics" forum as its not a soft plastic, but didnt see a better place to ask. Edited February 25, 2011 by SteveLibs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 26, 2011 Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 Steve, I see there have been a lot of people looking at your post, but no answers so far. If the others are like me, they need to see you mold, and learn what type of plastic you're using, in order to try and help. This is not to copy you, it's to understand your process better, so we can actually help, instead of fumbling around and suggesting the same things you've already tried. Are your mice solid pours, or hollow, like the original Snag Proof-type frogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted February 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) Its no secret - I'm not in it for the commerce - and would love to see more of this type of bait copied and improvements and innovations made to it in the custom tackle making community. You can find the initial instructions for this on Larry Dahlbergs forum, where he provided me tips for making a Scum Frog. I modified them a bit for a moss mouse instead. Anyway, here's a pic of the RTV mold I made and the master from sculpey you can see in the background: http://www.tackleund...oss-mouse-mold/ This is a hollow body mouse, so the body flexes/collapses when the fish bites - exposing the hooks - and returns to shape when removed. I poured a little Flex 40 in the bottom mold and let in cure. Attached the rabbit zonker to the hook with pro soft CA, and laid it inside. I attached a swivel so the fish can't get leverage on the hook, and laid the swivel head out the top of the mold and pinned with the nail shown in the pic. I filled the bottom mold almost to the top with Flex 40 (you'll have to play with the amount to get the right thickness depending on the depth of the mold), attached it to the top mold with rubber bands, and started the drying motor - I'm already working on a different fixture as the one in the pic is somewhat clumsy. About 40 minutes later, it was ready to demold. But as you can see, the swivel head moved around so it didnt come out as good as I'd like. Larry suggested using a tube for the hook, which I'll try using pen makers tubing. Any other suggestions would be awesome. Thanks. Edited February 26, 2011 by SteveLibs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted February 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 I'm thinking maybe just another layer that I lay the hook into and then let cure around the hook... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 26, 2011 Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) I am thinking the tube idea would work. You will need to figure out how to keep it from sliding out. But think the hook will look better if it is floating. The tube does not even have to be a tube it can be a rod that is removable. Then you can make it a line through. Maybe use a high strenght rtv around that part. Good concept and a great start. Not to highjack the thread but you build rods too. Is that a renzetti or a clemmens rod lathe? Frank Edited February 26, 2011 by Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted February 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 I am thinking the tube idea would work. You will need to figure out how to keep it from sliding out. But think the hook will look better if it is floating. The tube does not even have to be a tube it can be a rod that is removable. Then you can make it a line through. Maybe use a high strenght rtv around that part. Good concept and a great start. Not to highjack the thread but you build rods too. Is that a renzetti or a clemmens rod lathe? Frank Thanks Frank. That makes a lot of sense - I'll try it when I get a chance! One thing thats becoming obvious as I tinker more with this today, is that very little of the Flex 40 is needed per bait and I'm wasting some by making too much but I'm concerned if I use too little that it wont mix as well. It would be more useful I think to make a multiple molds, or multi-bait molds, for this process. Regarding the rod lathe....Some parts may be Clemens. I didnt buy them, but rather inherited them and dont know their source - some folks from RBO think they are clemens but cant say for sure. Other parts, like the supports, I got from Renzetti afterwards, and as I understand it they bought the Clemens line and continued it so that they work, for the most part, together anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 Steve, That's a neat idea, but your mold method is something I'm totally unfamiliar with, so I don't have a clue how to help you. I'm glad Frank chimed in. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 heres the new fixture i made for this. thanks for all your help/suggestions - i think this if going to work out just fine. would be nice to have an aluminum mold that would fit in the fixture instead of the rtv mold, but it will do for now. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8279-moss-mouse-new-fixture/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Maybe one of the aluminum mold makers out there will make a mold for us? Package it with some Flex 40, a few hooks with Rabbit Zonkers, and a pack of split shots to imbed in the bottom, and a cheap rod dryer (in addition to the one in the pic, I have a homemade one from a few scraps of wood and a $6 motor from Cabelas), and I bet you could corner a market. The small bottle of Flex 40 is going to make a LOT of baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 How does the hook set in the new bait? I think if you refine your mold a bit more you can get some really good looking mice. I need to make something like that for Alaska. Great work. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtrs5kprs Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 That is beyond clever. And yes, I think it definitely belongs in the soft bait page...molds, soft material, qualifies for me. Welcome and glad to have you. Re: the hook issue...Would it be possible to just mold one without hooks, then insert the hook, using a wire arrangement like the scumfrog uses. Have pulled a ton of those out to upgrade hooks, pretty simple piece of metal, can't see that it is any way molded in. You could still use any skirt material you wanted. Or maybe some sort of mandrel is needed to form the hollow space? Also think you might have an RTV that is not quite in spec for what you are attempting. Have used some that made similar looking molds, and to a one, they did not work as expected/designed. Looks a little "airy". Do you have info on the hardness/durometer, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLibs Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 The new mold does not include the hooks. Instead, I used an 8mm tube in the master to create a thru hole. Then, I run an 8mm rod thru the hole. The rod sits centered in the rotating fixture. Spray it with mold release. The thought, as suggested by Larry, is to embed some split shots in a puddle on the bottom half of the bait, and let that cure. Turn the top half of the mold upside down and fill it with just the right amount with Flex 40 to create the right thickness for the hollow body. Raise it up, strap on the rubber bands, turn on the drying motor, and let it spread the goop for 45 minutes until cured. It should create very much the same mouse as before, except a thru hole and no hook. I'll pass the hook thru the back and out thru the front. I've got separate mold I made to create an 8mm 'nose plug' (pink of course) around the eye end of hook, so that it fits nice and keeps it from filling with too much water. I'll post a pic of the finished product when finished, probably this weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfly Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 i'd love more info on this as i'd love to be able to rotomold hollow frogs...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
