Custom Baits - Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Cormorant Lures on 02/06/12 10:06 UTC
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Hey Jason, I noticed a post from January of last year that said you were working on an Injection Machine?!? Anything ever come through with that situation?!? Just interested in any updates, so any input is appreciated... Thanks!!!
Cormorant Lures
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Cormorant, uh?! :D Yawl from LA?
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I got to see a working prototype but it was cost prohibitive for what we were looking for. It basically would have put you half way to purchasing a big machine.
Jason
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Nope... LOL!!! From the Upper Peninsula of Michigan... My buddy came up with the name of my company... He said nothing can outfish a cormorant, so why not use one as bait?!? LOL!!! I knew some people would hate it, but others would get the humor... ;D
Cormorant Lures
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Those darn things migrate down the Mississippi and in the fall there are thousands of them sitting up in the trees on the points.
NOT a good thing if you spook them and they fly over you!!!
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One of your competing companies has a single color injection press for $1,500 and another competing company has a dual color benchtop machine available for $5,500... Were the costs you were looking at beyone those numbers?!? Not trying to start anything with you, I LOVE your company and would hate to see you miss out on this part of a niche market... :D
Cormorant Lures
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Roger on'na U.P.! My Dad lives around Ithaca. We did some AWESOME Smallmouth fishin' on Lake Paradise (was Carp Lake) in May '09.
The 1st thing that hit my mind when I read "Cormorant" was that those Birds are SERIOUS Predators. Yawl chose Wisely. Welcome to the Forum!!!
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One of your competing companies has a single color injection press for $1,500 and another competing company has a dual color benchtop machine available for $5,500... Were the costs you were looking at beyone those numbers?!? Not trying to start anything with you, I LOVE your company and would hate to see you miss out on this part of a niche market... :D
Cormorant Lures
It was in the ballpark of the higher one. It's still out there, I just don't have a high level of comfort with the marketability and support of it. I can see where it potentially could tun into more of a support hassle than it's worth. When we look at something new we try and look at it from your perspective. A mid size machine to help bridge the gap is very interesting, it just has to make sense. We'll see, for now I want to make sure our focus stays pretty sharp on bait design. There are a few other things we are working on that aren't as big of a distraction that should be well received.
Jason
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At this point in time, I am strictly hand-pour and with my limited amount of time to pour, I am looking for ways to be able to maximize my time... I have 20 or so single colors I pour and only have time to keep up with 5" stick baits... I haven't been able to expand into laminates or even another type of bait... This is NOT the way I would like to run my business... It wouldn't be so bad but my day job runs from 3pm to 11pm and with my wife's work schedule, its hard for me to schedule a whole lot of pouring time... How do you think I can turn this around?!? All opinions are deeply appreciated!!!
Thank you,
Cormorant Lures
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At this point in time, I am strictly hand-pour and with my limited amount of time to pour, I am looking for ways to be able to maximize my time... I have 20 or so single colors I pour and only have time to keep up with 5" stick baits... I haven't been able to expand into laminates or even another type of bait... This is NOT the way I would like to run my business... It wouldn't be so bad but my day job runs from 3pm to 11pm and with my wife's work schedule, its hard for me to schedule a whole lot of pouring time... How do you think I can turn this around?!? All opinions are deeply appreciated!!!
Thank you,
Cormorant Lures
Are you making a good profit off of them?
Jason
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At this point in time, I am strictly hand-pour and with my limited amount of time to pour, I am looking for ways to be able to maximize my time... I have 20 or so single colors I pour and only have time to keep up with 5" stick baits... I haven't been able to expand into laminates or even another type of bait... This is NOT the way I would like to run my business... It wouldn't be so bad but my day job runs from 3pm to 11pm and with my wife's work schedule, its hard for me to schedule a whole lot of pouring time... How do you think I can turn this around?!? All opinions are deeply appreciated!!!
Thank you,
Cormorant Lures
Presto pot would allow you to increase your numbers on sticks 10 fold with hand pouring.
For laminates, the twinjector is the quickest I have seen by far. Of course, That does mean you have to have injection molds. It probably would work on the hand pour molds (I can try it out) but the big issue would be keeping both cups stirred well. Might slow you down vs speed you up!
Jim
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I currently have two presto pots... I have yet to find an alternative way to pour laminates using the pots instead of the mic when it comes to hand-pouring... I just can't stand the thought of putting metal in the mic since my divided cup started arcing... I do not have problems hand-pouring but I also realize that this limits me when it comes to the amount of molds on the market and time when pouring... I am working with a budget controlled almost completely but my wife so that's been my biggest hurdle... I started my business later in the year last year, so this Spring will be big for me as to the marketing of my business... I have a couple sport and rec shows coming up that I am pouring my *ss off for... I will be marketing my product to the local baits shops and resorts... Time is always of the essence!!! 8)
Cormorant Lures
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Slide your pots next to each other, get a twinjector and you can make laminates for days!!!
Darn budget causes issues for me!!!!
Jim
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Ghost,
How do you use the twinjector with the stipping system on the presto pots?
Thanks,
Scott
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Put the pots close and suck it up. Turn the stirrer on after you suck up plastic. I tilt my pots towards the end and the run the rest into cups.
Jim
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Well how many baits would you be happy with pouring? And Jim I am guessing he is looking at a machine anyways so new molds are pretty much a given. I am just wondering what you would be happy with pouring. I alway seem to figure out a way to meet my goals at least with pouring. When I talked to Don and Bruce from spike it at I cast last year they were somewhat surprised at how many baits I can pour without a machine. You too might be surprised at what you can do without a machine. Then you can buy more molds from Jason and not break the bank. I will say this it is not easy to get high numbers but it not impossable either. Frank
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Frank; I thought you had a Jacobs machine?
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I guess I should re-state my status on this situation... A machine would be nice, and eventually it is a goal I would like to achieve... At this time, I guess my main focus should be adding a couple injectors and a twinjector to my arsenal... The only thing that sucks is buying up all the injection molds... That's been the hardest thing to convince my wife about... If it was just a simple switch of process, I would have no trouble at all... But since there is not only just a switch of process, there is new equipment involved, my money's locked up behind the secret vault my wife keeps under lock and key... LOL!!! :P
To be honest, I am just glad I found this forum... Jim, I have missed your insight since you left TU... Glad to see you're still around... Frank, as far as how many baits I wanna pour?!? Well for me, as many as my time will allow me to... I want to improve my process as much as possible so I can get the most amount of pours per hour... I have watched your videos and realize that hand injecting can be fast and achieve the results I might be looking for... You are right, my first step is to switch my process and buy more molds... I guess I just don't wanna be caught with my pants down when the ice leaves the bay and the boats are ready for launch... If you know what I mean... ;)
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I don't know what molds you are invested in, but they may be able to be converted to injection molds if you thought that would increase production. I believe Frank took a piece of aluminum and made it where he could inject a multi cavity hand pour mold and made it a single injection mold. Frank, correct me if I'm wrong.
Jason
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I wasn't going to say anything, but that's how I did the MD 3XL OP in the Gallery. The 3XL and the Flippin' Stick, the same. That'll have to be my method 'til I get Hand Pouring down. It works well, but You HAVE TO keep Injector Pressure on it as it cools since You don't have the Sprue and Runner to feed the cooling/shrinking. It does work, but not nearly as well as an Injection Mold, of course.
For the 2" wide OP Molds, I use a 1/8" thick piece of 2" wide Aluminum Flat Bar. Cut it to length with a little "overhang" on each end of the OP mold, drill the hole(s) at the "head end" of the cavity so it lines-up with the end of the cavity, round-off all edges.
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Got in late on this but thise hand pour stick molds can be made into injection molds and then you could laminate.
Frank is right that you can make A LOT of baits with the correct set up and process. I may never need a machine as single colors are a breeze and 2-3 colors are tougher and more expensive with the machine.
I don't even look at needing more molds as once you shoot and de-mold, you are ready to shoot again. The process is simple if you watch Frank's videos and think it through.
Jim
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I do have a jacobs machine but only does single colors. At least for now. I did make an adapter to convert olds and it works. Let just say if you want 200 baits an hour, I can figure out a way to make it happen. But you have to go through a process that is comfortable for you to keep up. Here is my thinking in an hour you can only open and refill so many molds in that time. So you dont want to wait for plastic to heat up and mold to cool. I have a bait that I know how many cavitys I can fill with one fill of the Twinjector. That way there is no time wasted on half full molds. I will keep the Twin in the plastic to keep from having to clean it out every pour. Have a fan to cool a set of mold while I inject another. Just saying were there is a will there will be a way. Frank