rinn-69 Posted October 13, 2018 Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 So, this is my first shot at making soft plastic lures. I decided to try this since they stopped making my favorite bass lure, the Gotta Bite Air Lizard made by Riverside. I liked this one because it was easy to insert the little glass rattles. My first "problem" was to figure out how to make the air pockets....I used the top portion of a nail and added epoxy putty to it--24 of them. Then, as seen on youtube, I got some clay that you can bake and made the bodies. Now, here is where my 14 yrs experience as a dental lab tech came into play--making the molds from Type 4 dental stone, carved the tail and legs and made another separate mold for the air pocket device that will sit on top of the main body mold. The first attempt was miserable, so I tried again...better, but some more practice is needed. Added some worm oil and crawfish scent. And here it is....I should have trimmed them better, but I'm sure the fish won't care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted October 13, 2018 Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Young Posted October 13, 2018 Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 Great job for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saugerman Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 If that is your first attempt at making a mold and shooting the bait, then you will be awesome at this hobby, when you get a little time under your belt. Very good first job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt mike Posted November 1, 2018 Report Share Posted November 1, 2018 How do you pour it. Are both halves of the mold attached when you pour? Injector? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rinn-69 Posted November 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2018 I was just pouring into the main mold, then putting the top half on....didn't work very good. Tried heating the molds on a cheap griddle, which helped. I just finished making a 2 pc mold, and a copper injector and plan on giving that a try in the next couple of days....and I moved all the equipment into a small room (6'x6') in my basement and installed a exhaust fan in the window. I was in a garage and it was cold (40) when I tried the first time, so I'm hoping the warmer ambient temp will help as well as it being an injection mold vs hand pour. I'm going to preheat the injector since it's made from copper and hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf Posted November 2, 2018 Report Share Posted November 2, 2018 I don't have the patience for this kind of stuff, good on you though for not only getting it done, but continuing to perfect what you are doing! I hope you catch tons of fish with those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rinn-69 Posted November 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2018 So....after the first attempt was less than ideal, I decided to make an injector. I used 1.25" copper pipe (2' section), a 1.25" to 3/4" reducer, a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer (they fit together with no 3/4" pipe needed) and a short piece of 1/2" pipe., and soldered it all together. Then I drilled a small hole the same size as #10 copper wire in the main tube and soldered it in place. Drilling and a cutting wheel made the locking notch on the nozzle to lock the nozzle in place when injecting. The first shot was a failure, so I increased the thickness of the legs and made the air relief vents larger. Lubed it all up with some worm oil, installed the air pocket nubs, and tried again----SUCCESS !!! Much better looking, very minor trimming needed. I made 4 without glitter and 4 with....man, that crap gets everywhere !!!! Going to send the first batch down to my son in Mississippi and see how he does. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted November 7, 2018 Report Share Posted November 7, 2018 Love the injector. Good job. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 7, 2018 Report Share Posted November 7, 2018 Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastman03 Posted November 12, 2018 Report Share Posted November 12, 2018 That's awesome! I'm starting to dabble in the soft plastic world (hopefully). Although I may get red flagged here in Canada by even looking at that AR-15 box. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rinn-69 Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 4 hours ago, eastman03 said: That's awesome! I'm starting to dabble in the soft plastic world (hopefully). Although I may get red flagged here in Canada by even looking at that AR-15 box. haha LOL ! After I retired from the USAF, I went to gunsmithing school at the Colorado School of Trades...now it's just a hobby. Making lures...another hobby, like woodworking, fishing, hunting, trapping, etc. I have a lot of hobbies 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
