porkmeatballs Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Hello all! I'm rather new to TU and I don't know if there is a search function, so forgive me if this question has been asked already. I'm thinking about making a silicone mold for hard swimbaits. What should I use to make the lure? I've heard good things about resin and pvc, but which brands are the best? It would also be really nice if I could get it off of Amazon... Thanks for reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 If you look in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see our search function.That should provide you with days of reading on the topic..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted February 19, 2016 Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would make the lure from balsa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted February 19, 2016 Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) I would run away because once you get into this deal, life will never be the same. You'll look at normal everyday items and try to figure out how to use them to make your next lure. You'll daydream and doodle at work about your next lure build. You'll spend more money than you thought you had in pursuit of the next great lure! Oh wait, never mind, all that sounds like fun to me. I would recommend PVC. There is a pinned topic called "why pvc" at the top of the hard baits forum regarding this subject. Edited February 19, 2016 by FrogAddict 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would run away because once you get into this deal, life will never be the same. You'll look at normal everyday items and try to figure out how to use them to make your next lure. You'll daydream and doodle at work about your next lure build. You'll spend more money than you thought you had in pursuit of the next great lure! Oh wait, never mind, all that sounds like fun to me. I would recommend PVC. There is a pinned topic called "why pvc" at the top of the hard baits forum regarding this subject. Hahahah lol. I know what I'm getting into Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 Alright I read through that post, but what I was really wondering is if there is some type of liquid pvc that I could pour into a mold. I want to try mass producing some of my better lures..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aulrich Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Lookup the alumilite youtube channel that will be a decent place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 X2 on alumalite. Makelure.com is a good place to start. They sell the silicone for the molds as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Alright cool! Do i have to put anything onto my mold before putting the resin in? Will the resin stick to the mold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim2199 Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 The urethane resin will not stick to the silicone, but a spray of mold release will make any detail on the silicone mold last longer. You will need some mold release if you plan on making a two piece silicone mold as well. Watch the makelure.com videos, and check out solarfall baits videos on YouTube. He has lots of great how-to's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Silicone rubber/RTV works fine with resin. I just brush on a little cooking oil. The cast p0ps out real easy. As for making a mold with hard material, you are asking for problems; casts stuck in the mold, damage to molds and so on. You might get away with it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 While not ideal you can make a mold with hard material. I could get around 75-100 baits out of my POP or Rock puddy molds on simple designs. The key is you have to design a bait that will not lock itself into place. I also was using a 16 lb polyurethane foam and typically used a mold release of some sort. With a little experience you can get away with some minor undercuts with foamies but need to pay attention to mold times as you can demold and it has a little give still but wait a minute longer and locked in. (search foamies for more info). As you can see around the gills in the top water there is no undercut just undulations around the gill as to avoid locking the bait in place. That top water and similar designs easy to do with hard molds. This style crank can be done also but molding the lip slot would not work well and will end up breaking off quickly in a hard mold. You would be better off molding it solid and then cut the slot after. Do you master right and you can mold in cut lines for the lip slot. However an RTV mold is much better solution. I first made a solid mold for testing while my RTV came in for that crank. A crank design as above would be no go. The claws would be problematic along with the underside in some areas and the recess near the eyes. RTV only way to go for your sanity. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Travis is spot on, and he has the experience. Look at that beautiful craw crank. You can do stuff with RTV and silicone that you just cannot do with 3-axis CNC aluminium molds. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah i just ordered some silicone to make a mold and I also got some alumilite casting resin. Will any cooking oil work Dave? I also got mold release, but the cooking oil sounds cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) I try and stay away from oils in general as just seams they always are messy and a tendency to get everywhere and seam to be more prone to have issues later with paint and topcoat. I used Johnson paste wax, Mann Ease Release, and talc and toyed with various other things but typically a good RTV mold and urethane foam didn't need to use release too often. Usually when became and issue just made new molds. Edited February 26, 2016 by Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Thanks for the input guys! Yeah I also ordered the Mann Ease Release so it should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted February 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 Once again sorry if this was already asked, but any easy ideas on how to carve scales on my wooden lures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted February 27, 2016 Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 Yes, oil is messy, but you have to scrub your castings anyway, as they do come with an oily surface, regardless of release. Like I said, the release is hardly necessary with resin on silicone, I think it helps things flow in the pour and it makes me feel better. I use olive oil, purely because I have this in my kitchen. Any oil will do. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted February 27, 2016 Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 Baby powder seems to work well as a release agent... Also, maybe just an assumption, but i think it helps control moisture as well (moisture + resin = bubbles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted March 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Alright folks I just poured the mold for my swimbait! Let's see how it turns out! Also, has anyone used the silicone from the mold to make fins for their lure? I had a little extra and it feels like good fin material... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I agree, soft silicone RTV is a good consistency for molded fins. Just don't forget the release agent. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I just made a clay mold and poured the extra silicone into it. Thinking about making tails out of silicone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 How well does the silicone hold up to bites? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I have not used silicone for this purpose, but fully intend to do so one day. For a quick test, a few minutes ago I cut a slice off the edge of an old scrap silicone mold and did some tugging and tearing. I would describe the test piece as near indestructible. I don't see any powerful jaws and sharp teeth could get near silicone, due to its strong, elastic qualities. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 You would have a hard time finding paint and clear coat for the silicone... I would try mixing in a colorant before pouring, experiment first to see if it affects the cure Just curious, how long does the average RTV take to set?... Mine takes at least 24 hours (sometimes more)... I dont mind waiting a day or two for a new mold, but if i were making lure pieces i believe i would find a quicker setting material Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
