Live Target Shrimp - Can You Or I Make This Lure? (Not Exactly Of Course)

[Cannon]

The detail is amazing on this pre-rigged soft plastic. IF I had or made a good enough mold, is it possible to get this kind of detail using a combination of techniques available to us small hobby guys? The color detail looks airbrushed not poured, and the legs look extremely delicate/difficult to get out of a mold. I just want to know if there's any information on their techniques and if they're doing anything I can't do at home (assuming I knew what I was doing lol).

Edited May 12, 2015 by Cannon

[Cannon]

And just to be clear, I don't want to copy this lure. I'm just wanting to achieve that level of realism.

[Vodkaman]

Spectacular lure for sure.

 

I only see one way to achieve the offset legs and antennae and that is with a mold insert, basically a 3-piece mold.

 

To force feed those fine appendages, I would use a combination of injection and vacuum, possibly driven by a foot pump. Injection might work on its own, but it is a big ask.

 

A CNC aluminium mold would be possible, but it wouldn't come cheap.

 

Not sure how you could make a plaster mold, but possible. Again, it would be at least a 3-piece.

 

This looks like a life casting to me, so not a machined mold. A rubber tube mold, sliced into 3 parts.

 

Dave

Edited May 12, 2015 by Vodkaman

[robn510]

Those are nice but the plastic is a bit stiff.

Theres a guy on hfbf forum that makes a shrimp which have more realistic

movement (hinged flapping tail ect)

iirc he makes them in sections (carapace,appendages,tail) and puts them together to complete the lure. I'll try and find the pics i saved. I remember him using living rubber for the lower legs on some which i thought looked really good.

 

good luck

Edited May 12, 2015 by robn510

[Cannon]

Ok thanks for the feedback. It's clearly an involved process to get that kind of detail. I'm not familiar with a three piece mold concept or the life casting process but I'd like to see an example picture if you have seen one you can point me towards.

[Vodkaman]

I haven't attempted a life casting, but this tutorial would be the way I would go. I don't think it was written with life casting in mind, but I think it could be adapted for a 3-piece mold. It was one of the first things I read on TU and convinced me that this was the place to be.

 

As I see it, the trick will be to get all the legs and appendages lined up on two planes. I would make a former and freeze the legs with CA glue or something similar. I hope you get the idea, 'cos I don't want to write a tutorial on something that I have not done.

 

Dave

[JRammit]

Maybe if you took 1 "dimention" away from this bait, it could be done in a 2 piece mold... What i mean is, 5 legs instead of 5 sets, 1 antenna instead of 2.. That way they all lay in the seam of the mold

The tail and eyes will sit deep in the mold.. The RTV would be your best option, maybe just flexible enough to get these parts out with a little bending

Unless you are EXTREMELY skilled at carving or sculpting, the life cast is your plan... But if i were attempting it, i would cut the fragile appendages off and replace with thin wire or something similar

Oh, and maybe some threaded through skirting for that mess of arms in the front... I stole that idea from someone else on here, now my conscience is clear!

Edited May 14, 2015 by JRammit

[Cannon]

Thanks for the reference to that tutorial Dave it's an interesting approach for sure and I can see some potential in that radial mold style for delicate appendages. You could have two slices down the mold, one for each side of legs and eyes.

And so we're talking about using an actual shrimp here right? I think that's brilliant and my head is seriously churning now. How to prepare a shrimp for this mold though... Freeze it then coat in a glue, epoxy or other clear coat and then dry it? And I agree J that RTV is going to be the ticket for the delicate parts over PoP. This will be fun.

[JRammit]

I just now looked at that link... Thats almost exactly how i do my RTV molds... But i stand my master up in wet clay and mash the PVC down around it..... I didnt think to put a slit down the side, looks like that makes it ALOT easier to cut the mold apart! I always had problems with that part... Some extreme precision would be in order to cut around the tiny legs on a bait like the one in question!

[Vodkaman]

Cannon - yes, you got it exactly right, a cut for each row of appendages.

 

I haven't figured out the prep, but yes, this would be a life casting of a real prawn.

 

One idea is to boil it, then split it carefully down the belly and remove the meat. After fixing the legs into two lines, the thing could be epoxied with something light. Thinned D2T would probably work. You could try with a raw prawn first, but it is soon going to get smelly.

 

Pouring those fine appendages is still going to be a problem with this kind of mold. Me personally, would try and build a 3-piece plaster mold and use vacuum venting to draw the plastic into the appendages. But I haven't figured out how to make the mold yet.

 

Dave

[Cannon]

Dave I have searched and seen multiple videos on injecting PoP molds for plastic lures. Can you point to one which you think is the best technique you've seen? One that I can adapt to what I'm trying to do. Thank you again for your feedback.

[Vodkaman]

Plaster will need reinforcing to stand injection. I quite liked JRammit's suggestion of a copper pipe insert. Other than that I have nothing.

 

This is what I liked about the use of vacuum; the suction is applied at each individual appendage and there are no bursting risks.

 

Dave