JRammit
-
Posts
1,809 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
25
Content Type
Profiles
Articles
TU Classifieds
Glossary
Website Links
Forums
Gallery
Store
Posts posted by JRammit
-
-
I don't pour to sell, so I'm not into huge numbers... But I do know that a good routine can make you faster at anything
When you perform the same task over and over, you can really fine tune it... All the way down to where you place tools and which hand you use to grab them, how you pull off the clamps and where you put them, or which direction you open the mold and which end of the bait you grab to pull it out...... When you do these tiny details the exact same way in the exact same order every time, you develop a muscle memory which makes you move faster.. And you don't waste any time thinking, it just happens
But as stated above, it happens even faster with more cavities
-
1
-
-
Toaster oven, hot plate, presto pot... All ways to keep plastic warm.... But not necessary... An occasional "bump" in the microwave will keep temp up to working levels
Have to know your microwave well though... And adjust as your cup gets lower
I try not to let my plastic "cool" until I'm done with it... Usually a 30 second bump between pours is enough to keep it hot..... Also, placing the cup back in the microwave immediately after pouring slows down the cooling process too, basically a big insulated box
-
I got one of those too... Only saw him once, and he hasn't chewed anything up yet, so I don't bother him
-
Yea, most dogs aren't spoiled like ours... They were indoor/outdoor dogs at our old house... Big mistake! Animals have no resect for things like carpet and trim..... The shop idea was to solve that problem, the dogs are no longer allowed in the house.. Except my puppy, she only comes in for feedings and short training sessions, which will be moved outside now that the weather is cooling down (black labs don't train well in the heat)
Animals do fine in the elements as long as they're acclimated to it.. It's our fault these dogs aren't..... I've considered kicking them out of the shed, but haven't quite been pushed to that point yet.. Close! But not yet
-
Ha ha ha!!!... I'll pass
Good lookin booth tho!... I'm cheap myself, so I can appreciate the frugality
Mine is a big cardboard box our pool came in... I use spray cans (no airbrush) so I needed mine a little bigger
-
I start out like this, but I take the master out after the plaster(I use really hard stuff) has dried and sand the surface flat, then I drill a couple keys in the surface. Next, I spay paint the surface and cavity with el cheapo enamel, while the paint is still wet, I put the master back in the cavity, the wet paint helps hold the master in place. When the paint is dry, pour the second half of the mold, the plaster wont stick to the paint. Next step is to clean the paint off with some acetone and seal, I use Elmers
I like that... Why not use high temp paint and leave it on??..... 2 birds, 1 stone
-
The general rule is "hard master = soft mold... soft master = hard mold"..... But if you wanna make your own designs, you can't carve plastisol, so your only option is a hard master..... I got tired of paying $30-$60 in RTV silicone for 3 or 4 molds (that doesn't sound too bad until you consider how many of those molds were failed designs)... A $15 bag of pop can make ALOT of molds!.... So I made due out of necessity
For those interested, it can be done.... There's just a few "rules" to follow, which I leaned the "hard" way (pun intended
-
I know I'm not the only one in this predicament... And I'm sure many of you have some funny stories to share... Or maybe some do's and don'ts we can all learn from
Here's my situation... I have two 3 year old black lab muts, and one 6 month old black lab mut puppy (my future hunting dog)... They have roughly a half acre fenced off, in the middle of which sits my shop.... So being the nice guy I am, I decide to install a doggy door in my shop... They now have the ultimate dog house... A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, and a dry place on a rainy day
Consequently, they also have unlimited and unsupervised access to all my stuff... They taught me a few things real quick.... Like "don't leave your buck tails where we can reach em, cause we WILL eat them"... And "the only thing cooler than a bag of duck feathers, is a bag of duck feathers spread out all over the floor"....... I couldn't even be mad about that, those things are just too tempting to a dog
But let me tell you about a few other things dogs like....
Play-do, an easy convenient way to seal a mold box... But it only works if you stand guard, cause soon as you walk away they pick it clean... Might as well use peanut butter
Screw driver handles... No big deal, they still work with or without teeth marks
Acrylic paint bottles... These are a big turn on for some reason, I swear I find a new color in the yard at least once a week... Ever seen a black lab with red freckles??... Kinda funny
Silicone molds... RTV is some pretty tough stuff!!!.. I can still use most of those molds
There's more on the list, but those are the big ones
So what do you have to put up with?... Cat? Dog? Snake? Hamster?.... And how do you deal with em??..... I'm running out of top shelves
-
Mark, I keep forgetting to add glue to my plaster... I still wanna try that
You always use soft masters right?... I thought about sealing my mold face w epoxy like you do, but I carve my masters from wood or PVC, and I'm afraid of gluing them in...... The Vaseline has worked great though!
-
1
-
-
I do that when I do two or three color laminated 6" swimbaits in a top pour one piece mold, because I found that the first color needs to cool more, or I get a melted/blurred joint line. The first color pour gets a chance to shrink before I go over it with the second color. My second color pour is not as thick as the first, so I get less shrinkage, and I go back and top them off as I pour. I only do two at a time, so I can keep them topped off. By the time I top them off, the plastic has cooled and shrunk some, too.
Ahhh... Less plastic = less shrinkage
I use more plastic on the 2nd color than I do for the 1st, that could be the difference... And I've never tried a 3 color pour, 2 headaches at a time are enough for me!
-
1
-
-
Maybe even some fire tiger stripes
-
1
-
-
Mark, you pour that hot in a 1 pc mold?.. Or only 2 pc molds?
I like to get that convex top look.. If I pour at or over 320, it shrinks and the top becomes concave
-
2
-
-
Pam will soak into the dry plaster... I use Vaseline.... First use a paint brush to carefully get it all around the master and the parting line (you don't want any on the master, or you'll have ugly swirls all over the bait)... Then use a paper towel to smear it over every inch of the mold face
You can spray the master with Pam if needed, to help with removal.... The type of master you use makes a difference too.. You can get away with more using a soft master, but there are a few more rules to follow if you're carving a hard master
Once both halves are dry, place a flat head screw driver on the seam and tap with a hammer... If you applied the Vaseline correctly, the mold should open right up
-
I remember using fire balls for rainbow trout... I always thought the jar had a hint of vinegar to the smell..... Maybe it's just me, but could be worth a try.... Not sure what vinegar does to plastisol though
-
A laminate is a 2 color bait oriented top to bottom (or even side to side)... As opposed to a 2 color bait with, say, a different color tail, which would not be a laminate
Laminates in a one piece mold are fairly simple, pour one color then pour the other.. Just gotta get timing and temperature right or they won't bond well.... I pour my 2nd color before the 1st color completely hardens, and a little hotter... I get a little bleeding of colors, but don't have to worry about baits pulling apart
-
Most common is the "float and cover" method (what I call it)..... Basically press your master half way down into the plaster, let dry, cover with more plaster
Of course there are plenty of ways to mess this up... What problems are you having??
-
Dale, you're just nicer than me
-
That cat would look good with a chartreuse tail
-
3
-
-
Lure building is about more than catching fish... It's about a higher level of satisfaction... And individual customization.... It's the feeling you get when you open your tackle box and see your work opposed to someone else's....... This sounds cheesy, but when you tie on a bait made by your own hand, you have a relationship with that lure.. You didn't find it hanging on a shelf, you created it..... This boosts confidence, and in turn improves fishing
If this interests you, then you should get started... I'd recommend learning to build first, then progress to molding...... You'll have to ride the learning curve, instant gratification is not guaranteed.. But that curve is made shorter by all the knowledge gathered together here
If the Rapala is your first project, then you're taking a big bite!.... I've never used balsa, so I can't speak on it.. But I'd consider PVC a viable alternative....... First you'll need some measurements, then you'll make a template to cut out... Shaping can be done by hand or power tool... Best advice I can give, make two.. One for experiments, and one for the final product
-
2
-
-
I just reread my response to Jrammit. I meant his pours were going to be a lot better than mine, as I'm out of practice.
The darn written word can change what you mean very easily if not used correctly.
I knew what you meant... In the days of autocorrect and multiple abbreviations, one must learn to read past the text sometimes
I'm not the steadiest hand in the west myself... But I get by, and I learned to take pictures from the "good angle"
-
Don't know anything bout saltwater, but I know what a squid looks like..... Would be an easy body to carve, and if you do a plaster mold could carve the tentacles in the plaster... Easier than trying to get em all laying flat..... 2 piece injection mold would be my choice, unless you're better at pouring than me
-
It's just expensive.. No way around it
There are ways to stretch it though.... Use the rice trick to measure before you mix.... Make your mold boxes small as possible... And if you have screw ups, old silicone can be cut up and used as filler
-
1
-
-
i feel your pain!.. I usually put in my legal max 70 hrs every week (sometimes even more... Shhh!), but we don't have a slow season.. Hard to find time for a hobby, especially one like this!
But I do.. Little here, little there..... I might cut a couple bodies out on Monday.. Shape em on Thursday.. Sand em on Friday.. Paint on Sunday.. Top coat the next Tuesday.. Fish it on my Thursday off!....... A 2 day project might take me 2 weeks, but I enjoy doing it so much that I'm not gonna stop just cause I don't have time
I've made a couple crank bait molds, hoping to make more of my time.. But the baits themselves were both failed designs... I'll get back to it eventually...... RTV silicone is the right tool for the job.. Other materials could work, and a butter knife could cut a 2x4, if you have the patience
-
1
-
-
The previous thread was posted in soft plastics (can't seem to find it now).... Heat and warping were the issues with flex seal..... Way less heat with resin than hot plastisol, but I would worry about the stuff holding its shape..... Also wonder about strength in any thin areas.... Might be good for a few baits, but I doubt you'll get a long term mold out of it
It's not that expensive tho, so worth a shot.... Let us know
Making P.o.p Molds
in Soft Plastics
Posted
Glad you're seeing progress!
For the best detail transfer, you'd want a soft master.... I've tried carving ribs, lines, ect. into my hard masters.. The impressions left are so small that they are weak and usually break off when the master is removed
It's twice the work and twice the time invested, but you can make a silicone mold to capture fine details from your hard master.. Then pour soft copies to use as masters for a plaster mold... This also makes multi cavities an option