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wchilton

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Everything posted by wchilton

  1. I drop them into cold water right out of the mold just to get them to cool quickly and set the shape. That way, I don't have to lay them out perfectly flat/straight. I only leave them in the water for about 10 min or so. I've left them overnight and they turn milky (like yours) but I think they cleared up after a while drying out. After water cooling, I remove and lay them out flat, but I think shape is pretty much set by then.
  2. I would definitely use a mold release of some kind. Don't know what to recommend but probably PAM or one of the other standby's mentioned on the forum would be fine. One thing you'll have to think about is that the casting resins are VERY THIN until they set. The one I've used is almost water-thin. You may have a problem with resin running out the edges of a 2-part mold and you also will need to make sure and put release on the mold faces (not just the cavity) to prevent resin from gluing the faces together. Maybe just a little bit of modeling clay around the edges of the cavity would help control that "leakage". You could also try a grease or petroleum jelly as a sort of sealant. You could also try to pour a plastisol (melted soft plastic) "gasket" around the cavity and maybe have less of a mess...just a few thoughts. If you can get the urethane casting resin to work I think you'll like how it behaves once it has hardened. It's easy to shape by sanding, very much like wood, in fact, but with no grain to have to deal with. The stuff I use is a bit oily when I first demold so I've wondered if it has some sort of release agent "built in". When you first remove from the mold and it is a bit flexible it can be cut with a sharp pen knife so that's also an opportune time to do some trimming, might save you some work. Good luck and let us know how it works out. Warren
  3. I've got some ideas for you but have never tried them myself with POP (only with silicone). First thing I'd consider is paraffin wax. It should not stick to your POP mold and if anything goes wrong you can warm the whole mold up to get the paraffin out. The wax is more flexible when warm so that would also help in de-molding. You couldn't really sand the masters but would have to cut or scrape with a pen knife to remove material. There are "casting" waxes...I've tried them and they are harder when cool but more difficult to work (doesn't get as flexible as paraffin) because of the more definite melting point. The material I've used for silicone mold masters and like is hot melt adhesive. You'd have to MAKE SURE it doesn't stick to your POP mold with a little testing and I would use a release agent. There are hot melt "sticks" that are low-tack so they don't stick so strongly. Again, if you can't get the master out of the mold you can resort to heating it to soften the hot melt. One material I haven't seen talked about too much here is modeling clay. Modeling clay is basically just clay, paraffin, and oil. It can be melted and poured just like wax but it doesn't get quite as hard when cool. My problem with modeling clay is just that it is so soft I find it takes too much patience (for me) to work with the stuff. There is a low-melting-point metal called cerro-safe that gunsmiths use. It melts below 200 deg F and it has a unique property of shrinking just a little bit as it cools and then expanding back to original size when fully cooled. It would be more expensive for you but would certainly give you a "hard" material to use as a master and again you could heat the mold to remove it if there were any problem. If your original is smooth and has no under-cuts this might work. I got some from Brownells several years ago, looks like prices have gone up quite a bit on it since then. Last thing is I've been using a casting resin from AeroMarine that I really like working with. I think it's a urethane resin. It's used for making cast objects and sets up to a sort of creme/white color. Anyway, what I've noticed is that when it first sets up it is still somewhat soft and can be bent/shaped just a bit. That might be just flexible enough to allow you to de-mold without problems. Downside is if it doesn't come out easily you'd have a real problem on your hands. If I were gonna try this I'd probably make a soft-bait "master" and then a test mold that I could try things out with without risking my original mold. Good Luck. Warren
  4. If you have in mind something specific and it's not too exotic you might be able to get a pre-made mold from LureCraft. They have a ton of different ones for around $10 each and you'd spend that much or more on pourable silicone to make the thing. Lots of guys here use POP (plaster of paris) to make molds with. It takes some practice but is inexpensive. With POP you need a soft master that you can get out of the mold without breaking it (the mold). The master can be soft plastic (cut/glue to make) or you could use modeling clay but it will only be good for one mold cavity unless it's really easy to remove. If you wanted to start out just making your own mold of a bait you like, that's relatively easy to do with POP (also inexpensive). There are different types of plastic formula available. I've tried LureCraft formula but seem to scorch that a bit easier than the Calhouns I got from bearsbaits.
  5. Thanks, Mark, Glad to share that one. For the small batches I tend to work with these have worked out real well for me too. I've been playing with a few different (microwave-safe) insulating materials added to the outside to both improve the heat-holding properties and to stiffen the sides up a bit. When/if I come up with something that I think is a real improvement I'll post that as well.
  6. I'm never filling these above 1/2 full, more like 1/3 to 1/4 full actually. Agree with you, Jim, that people need to BE EXTRA CAREFUL if you're going to try these, just like with anything else new or different. The cup I'm using right now has been slightly "stiffened" using silicone caulk and some insulating material. It's better (stiffness-wise) for handling but I'm still not completely happy with the result and still would never fill it above about 1/3 full. Just to give some idea where I'm coming from, I'm not producing a lot of baits...just pouring a few at a time for myself as a hobby. In my case, these cups make working with the small batches a bit easier.
  7. keep an eye on that plastic handle to make sure it doesn't melt. Also, is that a metal band holding the handle on? Is it ok for microwave use? Let us know how it works for you.
  8. Update: I did a little more pouring tonight. You definitely want to fill these no more than 1/3 of the total (1/4 is better) so the 1-cup size is best left for pretty small batches. I added some stiffness by putting a bead of clear silicone caulk about 3/4 inch below the top edge and that worked ok, no problems in the microwave. The bead of silicone (on the outside of the cup) also provides a little more secure grip. I started 1/2 cup of plastic and it was a bit too hot so just folded a paper towel a couple of times and used that as a sort of potholder and was good to go.
  9. I wouldn't recommend these being filled more than about 1/3 full. You could maybe go 1/2 full but what happens is the cup gets hot up to the level of the melted plastic so you have to grip only above that point. These are really nice for small batches. I've had no problem working with 1/4 cup, just enough to pour 3 or 4 baits. It's easier to pour a small stream because the silicone cup doesn't cool the plastic as fast. The 2-cup size is heavier material than the 1 cup size. I haven't used my 2-cup size yet. The ones I've got are the NORPRO brand, same as shown in that eBay link above.
  10. I was going to hold off on this tip until I'd had a little more time to test but a recent post makes it seem timely to post now. I've been using one of these silicone measuring cups to heat plastic in the microwave and it's working pretty well for me. I can't comment on longevity because I haven't used it long enough. The silicone acts as more of an insulator than the pyrex so it makes it easier (for me at least) to heat smaller amounts of plastic. I run my microwave at 50% power level and it is one with an inverter so it heats at 50% for the time it's running rather than 100% for half the time and 0% the other half. These cups are a little bit "floppy" to hold onto and they do get warm but so far I can work with them without needing gloves. I'm going try insulating one with microwave-safe material to help retain even more heat and also to support the sides of the cup to make it a little easier to handle. I got these from Amazon. Just search over there for "silicone measuring cup" and you'll find them. The one I've used so far is the 1-cup size. Here's a pic.
  11. Vodkaman, your method of hand mixing is one I saw suggested on some of the art-casting sites I found. They suggested to treat hands both before and after with moisturizer or light petroleum jelly to protect against the dryness. One CAUTION that should be mentioned is you never ever want to allow POP to set up while your hand is in it. It can quickly become very difficult to remove the hand and the plaster can heat up enough to cause serious burns. As long as people know that I'd think mixing by hand is safe enough.
  12. Ultracal is a gypsum-based plaster (like POP) that sets up much harder...no sand in it, it's smooth like POP. You're probably thinking of the sanded plaster used for building exterior/stucco , which is a cement-based plaster and is different. While we're on the topic, I've been wondering if thinning Ultracal (like POP) would make it more porous. That's what happens with concrete...excess water makes it porous because the extra water evaporates and leaves voids. One issue would be whether/how much extra water could result in shrinkage and/or cracking, and the plaster would also be a bit lighter and not quite as strong. POP seems to be pretty tolerant to adding extra water so I'd bet that ultracal would be like that as well. I did a bit of googling the last few days and it looks like the best way to mix any of these plasters is to sift the plaster into the water slowly, allow it to set a few minutes to hydrate, and then mix gently to avoid getting bubbles into the mix. Some mix by hand but an electric mixing tool is ok if it's not run too fast.
  13. I would try a thin layer of POP around the baits to eliminate bubbles and then as soon as it sets up pour the ultracal for the main part of the mold. Saw a video recently on making a mold of a clay sculpture and they started with really thin POP (extra water) followed by the thicker/heavier mix for structural strength.
  14. [/qdo you heat the baby oil are just mix it up and what is glycerine and where do you get it NO HEATING of oil or glycerine. That's one of the things that keeps this easy. You could also use worm oil or any other clear oil. The baby oil was just easily available and inexpensive. Since it is mineral oil you don't want to get any on your plastic baits. I think you can get glycerine at any pharmacy. Look around near the first-aid area. I've noticed that nearly all the color (both liquid and powder) settles to the bottom of my discard cup. Gonna see if I can recycle the oil for more color testing by pouring through a coffee filter. The oil has just a slight grey tint just by allowing color to settle so could actually be reused as-is for colors that don't need an absolutely clear base. W
  15. I've been using the baby oil to experiment with color for a week or so and it works out fine. I play with only about 1oz at a time in a 2 oz disposable "condiment cup" and keep a cup/can on the table to dump "used" material into. Quick and easy to try several color combos. Haven't tried glycerine yet but I will. It might match the viscosity of hot plastic a bit better so colors don't settle as fast. My original idea was to use clear shampoo to test solid colors but it was too thick and got too many bubbles while mixing...also couldn't see it working with liquid colorants. W
  16. Haven't seen this in past posts so thought I'd share. I'm new to pouring my own baits and in my first few pours have already had some color "surprises". I decided I'd better figure out a way to test color combos separately from the pouring process to (a) save on plastic ( reduce the number of off-color lures that I will probably never use and © be able to develop a color formula while not having to deal with hot plastic, heat adjustment, etc. Here's what I came up with. I bought a clear bottle of baby oil at the local grocery (the cheaper the better) and now test colors in that medium. Any clear oil should work for this. For initial testing, I only use 1 oz of oil and then scale my recipe appropriately. When I'm close to what I want I can always up the test-batch size and tweak the recipe. The test batch needs to be kept stirred, flake and heavier colors separate out relatively fast. If I need to see what the color looks like for thinner appendages I can just dump the whole thing in a zip-lock bag and manipulate to get whatever thickness I want. The final test, of course, is to pour a few baits in the new color, but hopefully this little trick will speed up the process a bit. Regards, Warren
  17. I've had trouble getting my infrared temperature meter to get a good reading on shiny (aluminum) surfaces. I had a couple of aluminum blocks sitting on top of a laboratory hotplate. Hotplate temp was 360 F but the aluminum read as high as 1200 F. I'm not sure if it's the shiny surface or what. Also, you gotta be careful with heating in any oven that does not have accurate temperature control...like regular kitchen oven or toaster ovens. You can set the temp to 400 F or so but the element heats up a lot hotter than that and if the object you're heating is near the element it can get much hotter than the temp you set the oven for. W
  18. One article I read a few years back on line strength happened to find that the double-improved clinch knot was stronger than the line for virtually every line they tested. That's when I switched to that one and I don't remember it ever failing on me. The review of the different lines was an eye-opener as well...most lines break above their rated strength and some by nearly twice rated strength. You have to be careful in comparing these things. As mentioned above, a slow-pull test can be different than a "shock" test and for lines you need to test them wet as well as dry because some loose a bit of strength when wet. They did a number of other tests as well for abrasion resistance, etc. and my take was you just need to choose line for the conditions you fish. Lately my preferred mono is P-line flouroclear and I also use spectra, but not for surf fishing. I've had spectra ruined by sand abrasion, something I've never seen with mono.
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