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Couple Laminate Questions

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Hi Guys,

Just started pouring for the first time. I bought some plastisol and colorants from Caney Creek and have been messing around having fun. I suck at it and am having all the usual problems like bubbles, scorching, 3rd degree burns, bubbles.

I'm starting to get some good looking baits and wanted to try some laminates. The problem I'm having is the layers don't stick to each other very well. I didn't use any oil in the mold but there is an oily layer around the baits that I think is whats preventing the layers from sticking? I thought If I poured them quickly without allowing the first layer to cool they would weld together, and the adhesion is noticeably better the hotter the plastic. I've read though that you can pour part of a bait, like a tail, then later add it to a different mold and add the body, so I'm thinking the problem isn't so much the temperature difference but the oil thats either in the plastic or the colorant. I'm having the same problem when I try to dip clear over the heads to cover eyes. It looks good but can be easily pealed off, and when fished, it doesn't hold up.

Other than brain cells, is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for any suggestions, I really appreciate all the help you guys give and information you share on this site!

Dan

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When you are doing laminates one color at a time do the lighter color first. The second color needs to be as hot as possible without scorching. By doing the darker color second you avoid the discoloration that can effect clears, and light colors if you get them too hot.. I place my molds with the first color in the mold on a griddle set at 250. I don't know if this is necessary but it works for me.

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Do you have a good digital thermometer? Make sure you plastic is 350.

Try not to nuke your plastic to aggressively...especially if you have a high wattage microwave.....and clean and DRY out your cups on a regular basis...that will help on bubbles. Bubbles are caused by moisture in the plastic....or aggression heating/stirring. DON"T stir until you get your plastic to 350.

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When adding pieces (which is not lamination) like tails it will depend on how the tail mold is designed. For a thin tail like the flaps on my Speckled Hog the plastic is thin enough that the hot plastic causes it to soften and fuse nicely.

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8532-2010-10-23-21-05-35-509/

For a thicker tail it would have a "cold seam." for my simple craw mold I made a claw and claw arms mold, to go with it. While it may cold seam to some degree it really doesn't matter as the body plastic goes all the way around the arm plastic.

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8533-flipping-craw/

For other bait a tail molds like this I made a thinner "plug: that will fused better.

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8534-shakey-swimmer/

As to actual laminations. I have not done any hand pours. Or pour one half now and the other half later. If you watch Franks video on YouTube you will see that he only lets the first part cool enough to not move before injecting the second half.

The only laminations I have done so far are using the Bass Tackle dual injector and manifold.

Dual Color Injection Bait:

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/9489-square-back-minnow/

Bass Tackle Injector:

http://www.basstackle.com/TWINJECTOR_p/twinjector.htm

I am currently working on my own version using different size injectors to "weight" colors more heavily. ie more belly color, and less back color. If that experiment works my next one will be another multi size injector and a 3 path manifold. The key will be that the travel distance in the manifold will be the same length, but the cross section of each path will be proportional to the size of the injector so all colors hit the mold at the eaxct same time. If that works then I will try some experiments with getting plastic to hit the mold at different times to see how they "mix".

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Thank you. I am guessing the set up you are talking about is the griddle. It is a hamilton beach high sided Griddle. On the back side I have a wire that keeps the pyrex from spinning when I stir. On the front it is just a sheet of aluminium to catch the drips. Pretty simple.

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Thanks for the suggestions! I tried again last night and had slightly better results but still having problems with dipping the heads in clear. I heated the plastic to over 350 and let the bait take a bath in it for a few seconds when I dipped it. I can still pull it off fairly easily. I am going to try again but clean the baits to remove any oil before dipping.

Thanks again,

Dan

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