bribass Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Ok I need some input This will be hard to explain but ill try.. So I got molds from BTS and the molds felt a little different kind like a rougher surface if that makes sense. Didnt think much of it and then I started shooting baits with it and cleaning out the molds from aluminum residue from the machine cutting. Now from a design aspect they are EXACTLY the same but the aluminum feels different then the other molds not as clean and smooth feeling. the issue is the baits are coming out cloudy like cloudy surface to it and the molds Ive already had come out nice and clean and have like a shiny finish to them. These don't have that shiny finish to them more cloudy like. Now I know this can happen the first couple shots with new molds from the cutting process and the excess aluminum dust but these molds have been shot over 15 times and still not coming out clean and shiny Please help! Is it possible they are using a lower grade of aluminum now to save costs and the quality of the bait suffers? Not sure if it ay be an aluminum blend or if there is different levels of quality when is comes to aluminum Thanks for any input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basseducer Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Take one and give it a good wash with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush then shoot it. If it still happens give the maker a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Take one and give it a good wash with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush then shoot it. If it still happens give the maker a call. I agree. It doesn't really make any sense that they would be using a different "grade" of aluminum. There isn't a huge difference in price between different alloys. unless you get into the high strength stuff. My biggest savings is in volume. For stock bar lengths I get the best price locally, and to save money I'd have to buy enough to cancel out truck freight. I figure atleast 2000 lbs to break even. They are probably already buying larger quantities than that since they make so many off the shelf designs. Also they have several metal vendors within a short delivery distance of them, so they are probably getting decent prices on their single bars as well due to competition keeping the price right. The only thing I could think of that might make a difference like you describe is using cast pieces. It really doesn't pay though. A foundry uses a lot of energy to melt metal, time is not insignificant, and cast pieces are generally harder on tooling due to a poorer mix of the alloying elements. Extruded bar stock really is the way to go IMO for our type of molds. Edited January 22, 2016 by Bob La Londe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bribass Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Ok Ill try the hot soapy water I guess Never had to do this for any molds before but ill give it shot Thank you Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipt Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 i've got different (grades?) of aluminum from the same maker. the inside cavities seem to have the same look to them and you cant tell from the finished baits. maybe grade is the wrong word to use here but you can tell they arent exactly the same aluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 maybe something is just wrong with the mold...call them first / email and send it back....i wouldnt think they would have sent a bad mold out...never had that happen on any of my molds..ive never washed any of them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bribass Posted February 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) maybe something is just wrong with the mold...call them first / email and send it back....i wouldnt think they would have sent a bad mold out...never had that happen on any of my molds..ive never washed any of them Yea its not one mold though its the whole order so 8 cavities of the 702 craw and 12 cavities of the tip claw molds too i've got different (grades?) of aluminum from the same maker. the inside cavities seem to have the same look to them and you cant tell from the finished baits. maybe grade is the wrong word to use here but you can tell they arent exactly the same aluminum. EXACTLY!! - you tell something is different and feels more gritty instead of smooth and i wouldn't mind as long as the baits turned out the same but they come out dull where as all others come out with a shiny finish if that makes any sense Edited February 3, 2016 by bribass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 "Yea its not one mold though its the whole order so 8 cavities of the 702 craw and 12 cavities of the tip claw molds too" Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcbv Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Maybe you can polish one of the cavities and see if it is just a surface finish issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 CALL AND SEND IT BACK..ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS IT A CAST ALUMINUM LIKE A SAND CASTING....MAYBE THEY GOT A DEAL AND TRYED IT ..IDK....WE BOUGHT CAST PLATE ALUMINUM BEFORE BUT IT HAD SMALL PITS IN IT AFTER WE MACHINED IT..LIKE SOMEONE TOOK A PIN AND POKED THE HELL OUT OF IT....??? BOY THAT SUCKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bribass Posted February 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Just spoke with Bob.. he said he has no idea why they would be like that and he wants me to send them back and he will replace all of them for me. he said the material he has been using is the same stuff he's been using for 15 yrs so there should be no variance. Either way as long as the new ones arrive and seem the same as previous molds Ill be happy Edited February 4, 2016 by bribass 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Bob sounds like someone who cares about his customers, and about what he sells. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipt Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 bob stands behind his work, there was a small issue with one of my molds from him and he fixed it no questions asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FATFLATTIE Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Bob has excellent customer service. He sent me top inject instead of side inject molds once and just sent me the side inject molds and let me keep the top inject!!! He will stand behind his product and look after his customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 thats good seams like a stand up person that cares about his customers ..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bribass Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Yup ill keep y'all posted when new ones arrive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
