Custom Baits - Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: BassDetective on 02/16/12 12:58 UTC
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I am learning as I go. One thing I have noticed is that when I get close to the bottom of the cup I tend to get more air into the injector. I am at the point where I am not going to draw from the bottom once it gets past a certain point. I am thinking that if I can see the top of the nozzle then it is too shallow.
Question for you experienced guys: Is this the best way to handle this?
My only objection to using this method is you have a fair amount of plastic left that has to be re-heated. I shoot a lot of clear swimbaits and I am having trouble keeping the yellow out on re-heats - no matter how careful I am. Adding a little white tends to dull the clear and it is noticeable from a first run to a second. What I have done to compensate is just used the left overs for green pumpkin which is way forgiving on the re-heat.
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Have you tried adding heat stabilizer or a little fresh plastic to your remelts? Also, do you cut up your remelts or leave it as one big chunk of plastic?
Jason
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Ditto re the heat stabilizer. You might also try to tip your cup when you get down towards the bottom. You can avoid a lot of the left over plastic by doing so.
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Here's a long shot as well. If you are using a griddle, you can take off two of the "feet" that are toward you, and if you are using Pyrex with an "open handle" you can hang the handle over the edge of your griddle, to keep the cup from sliding around, and the missing couple of little feet of the griddle will create a tilt to allow you to get more of that last bit before you reheat. The "tilt" is not enough to spill anything, but should get you at least an extra ounce and a half or so before you need reheat your sprues or add plastic. Of course as always be safe and watchful as all griddle feet are not created equal, and if the heating element is touching your bench you won't want to do it this way unless it is in the "off" position and not hot.
I feel like I just rambled a bit. Sorry about that...but this method works pretty well. :)
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I do cut up the remnants. I do add some heat stabilizer. The stabilizer doesn't seem to help enough. I am probably aiming high on the "clear-ness" of the plastic but that ghost color is a big deal in my parts.
Not sure I am brave enough to dangle the cup - I would be certain to burn myself or someone else - thank you for the idea - maybe in the future. I have tried tilting but that is almost a three handed operation. I spilled one cup already and decided that wasn't for me at this point.
All good suggestions.
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I just made a quick vid showing how I do it. I suck it dry and get no air in the mold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTVqWME2tNc
....Bill
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I do cut up the remnants. I do add some heat stabilizer. The stabilizer doesn't seem to help enough. I am probably aiming high on the "clear-ness" of the plastic but that ghost color is a big deal in my parts.
Not sure I am brave enough to dangle the cup - I would be certain to burn myself or someone else - thank you for the idea - maybe in the future. I have tried tilting but that is almost a three handed operation. I spilled one cup already and decided that wasn't for me at this point.
All good suggestions.
You should be able to reheat it quite a few times without it yellowing. I haven't tested beyond 4 times, but I can easily get 4 reheats without any yellowing (zero yellowing). In my testing I would even take it quite a bit beyond 350. If you aren't getting this sort of mileage can you give a little more detail. I would start with specs on your microwave, could it be old and creating hot spots (does it have a turntable), how hot are you getting it, how much stabilizer are you adding and when, basically anything to do with the heating process.
Jason
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If you are making baits for yourself....
I just use the little bit left in the 6" Flippin stick open pour mold (or my small freedom fry).
That 6" Flippin Stick is a great worm mold! If you are working with two colors...you can easily pour the tail one color ...and the body the other.
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On clear plastic re-melts or any very light color I chunk the plastic up and heat it slowly, like on high for 20 seconds, then let it set for a second or two before I stir the contents, then repeat the heating. I do this until the plastic is really sticky and stringy, then I add the stabilizer and mix it in as best as can be done at that point. I continue the incremental heating until the plastic is up to working temp.
I shot some Bluegill today.... Caney's pthalate-free soft formula clear with just a hint of blue hi-lites and a mix of equal parts of Caney's green, blue and purple glitters...and loaded the raw plastic with 30 drops of stabilizer in a 6 ounce batch along with 30 drops of softener. I went back later and did a couple re-heats on it and its still as clear and nice as when I started with it. I think cutting the cooled plastic into pieces, slow heating, and the addition of extra stabilizer will help you a lot.
On another note.....these baits in the bluegill are super soft but tougher than nails. I can stretch the baits well beyond three times their original length and these have a seperate tail color. The pthalate-free plastic, even softened as such, has an amazing degree of stretch and resiliance, even when shot in two colors where the weld is butting up to the other color.
The mold is not a Caney mold, but the colors are simply flat out incredible using this plastic. Every color here is a Caney Color 100% of the way.
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/crappietomtackle/IMG_0583.jpg)
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MonteSS - You are a man of service. Someone asks a question and you are kind enough to make a video. Also like your mold clamp. That one will get the job done.
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Are you using a temp gun, i had the same issue until keeping it 350 max. Try to use short heating 30 sec when you get close to temp. You may even use 15 sec when heating small amounts. I hope this helps you i am still pretty new to bait making myself.
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I really like the mold clamp idea...
Jason...any issues that you can see (assuming I have enough common sense not to clamp the molds into oblivion!
MonteSS: Is the clamp wide enough to clamp the longer molds acceptably?
That clamp would not keep disappearing in my work area like my darn clamps do!!!! And if I drop one more clamp on the ground I'm going to go Postal! :o
(Gravity increases as you age...the older you are...the more stuff falls to the floor)
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Its just a standard vise. Yes it works fine with very long molds too. You can tighten plaenty. The mold is stiff enough, especially CCM molds
BTW. I always burp my injector like that to get any air out. Seems to work well.
....Bill
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Thanks for the video. I have noticed purging does help.
I do use a temp gun but I will try to heat in smaller increments that will probably help. I maybe getting it too hot. But I haven't seen temps above 370.
I do think my microwave has some issues. It does have a turn table. It is 600 watts.
I notice that the plastic in the center of the cup is still gooey when the outer edges is at temp. The microwave is newish but not very high quality.
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I really like the mold clamp idea...
Jason...any issues that you can see (assuming I have enough common sense not to clamp the molds into oblivion!
MonteSS: Is the clamp wide enough to clamp the longer molds acceptably?
That clamp would not keep disappearing in my work area like my darn clamps do!!!! And if I drop one more clamp on the ground I'm going to go Postal! :o
(Gravity increases as you age...the older you are...the more stuff falls to the floor)
As long as you don't over clamp I don't see a problem. I would just be concerned with knowing when is enough pressure.
Jason
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I agree with Jason on the pressure with the vise. I use C clamp all the time but dont really tighten them just snug. They are rigid enough to have very little give. One quick twist and they fall to the table. I have had the irwin ones get to hot and let the mold flash. On the perging part, the bubbles float to the top and as long as you dont use all of the plastic it should be alright. Or maybe it is just me. Frank
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. On the perging part, the bubbles float to the top and as long as you dont use all of the plastic it should be alright. Or maybe it is just me. Frank
Correct. Even if you suck up bubbles, they rise to the top of your injector. As MonteSS showed, he sucked up all the plastic plus air. No worries as the air will rise out of the way.
On the yellowing, I would look at the microwave. My smaller 600 watt heats only the center part as well and can burn in the center with the outside barely or not melted. My 1000 and 1500 watt mics do a far better even cook job. Even get less bubbles with the higher wattage.
Jim
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Thanks for the additional comments. It all helps. I guess I need to set my expectations that I will either have some in the cup or a decent size plug left over. This info helps alot.
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I have used two different microwaves. An 800 watt less expensive model from an estate sale; and a 1,000 watt honest to goodness Amana Radar Range. Difference is like night and day in the way the plastic heats.
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Looks like I am shopping this weekend. Walmart and Target here I come.