New member here - some beginner questions...

[Oneida Bassin]

Hi everyone,

Ryan here from Upstate, NY. I'm 15 years old and someday hope for you all to see me on the FLW leader boards!

I'm really serious about bass fishing and now getting some support from my parents to get me on my way. I've saved for the past 2 years and with some extra funds from mom and dad, I was able to get a 2005 Bass Tracker 175 last fall. Today for Christmas, I got a Do-It Mold kit with the CNC Senko mold!
One of my favorites is the GY Senko. Being 15 years old with no sponsors, it's tough to buy these things... I'm hoping to make as close to the real thing as possible.

I've been searching the boards today and found tons of good information. The big thing I've seen is the use of HD additive to replicate the Senko. My dad did some research and got me off to a good start by getting me the ES plastic, X2 colorant, HD additive, high temp glitter and the basic tools.

Any information you could share to help me with getting a formula as close to the real thing would be really appreciated. I'm looking forward to making my own color and glitter combos!

Thank you in advance and Merry Christmas,
Ryan

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Welcome to the forum Oneida Bassin. Way to go getting a boat at your age!!!! HD additive will get you the right fall rate but you only can pour solid color worms. Glass bead media you can make transparent worm with the right fall rate. There will be more people that have formulas they use. Have fun making your creations. Can’t wait to see what you come up with. That is a great Christmas gifts. If you look at HD additive on this site it tells you how much HD to plastic you need but depending what you think you may change the amounts of HD.

[ctom]

Welcome aboard Oneida.

If you read back on several of the different forums here you'll find a wealth of information regarding that Senko. Keep in mind that there is also the Essential Senko mold that makes a perfect replica too. The only difference is the semi-matte finish on the essential baits...not shiny. In the water they all appear the same.

[Paneltruck.lures]

Welcome!
Good to see another teenager here. My son who will be 15 in about 6 weeks is the one who got me started making lures and the reason I’m on this forum. I wouldn’t worry about sponsorships. Sure they are nice but my advice to you would be work hard mowing yards, shoveling snow and other odd jobs to buy the materials to make your own lures. You can make stuff cooler than what you can go buy off the shelf plus you have the satisfaction of making it your self. That’s the most rewarding part.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here who will be more than happy to help you get started and then some. They have been of great help to us.

[andrewlamberson]

Most of us use 2 tablespoons of HD per 4 oz of plastic. Bill had done some testing and that was very close to the fall rate of a Senko.

Remember that the HD additive works best in darker color baits since it is gray. The good news is that you will get a lot more fish per bait because the Essential plastic is " tougher " and the HD additive also makes it more durable.

Read up on "glass bead media" to use in your light color baits.

Remember to get your plastic up to 350 degrees on a digital thermometer ...NOT an IR ! The digital can also help you stir the plastic so ALL of it completely changes state at hits 350 F.

For sure read all the safety posts before you start!!!!

And the other piece of advice I always give to beginners is to inject slowly...no...even slower! Hold a little pressure for a count of ten at the end. After the 1st injection you can inject your leftover plastic at a lower temperature (320 F) to avoid " dents" in your baits.

A little tip on searching the site. Click at the highest level of the thread (Custom Baits - Forum) to get the most complete results and use a minimum number of key words like: Senko glass media

Good luck and stay safe. It is a great hobby when done right!

Andy

[Oneida Bassin]

Thanks guys!

I tried my first batch with just color and glitter to try things out. They look great but want to get a tank to test the action. One thing I noticed was the smell. Pretty bad.

One guy mention a vent hood and I just watched a that guy skimpy video and he was wearing a mask.
I'm doing this in a large basement. Do I need a vent system or a mask? This stuff can't be good for you. What do you do for the smell and danger?

[Paneltruck.lures]

Wear a mask! It will help with the smell and your liver function later in life. Also wear long sleeves, gloves and pants. You don’t want a bad burn I haven’t had one from the plastic but I have had several really bad burns in life and it’s not something you want.

Stop and read the safety posts here before you farther. Get a good respirator from a auto paint store, Home Depot, hardware store or million places online.

[Oneida Bassin]

Ok I will. I have Christmas money for a new spinning reel but will have to get a mask now.

[Paneltruck.lures]

You can get a good one for about $15 shouldn’t put your reel fund out much. Worth it in the long run

[Oneida Bassin]

One last question.

Now that my parents know I need a mask, is it safe to still do this in the basement??? It's winter and I can't open windows for fresh air.  Will it be dangerous for them?

[2XL]

You may get different answers on this but there is no way I would be pouring plastic baits in my basement. 

[andrewlamberson]

Search " ventilation " and "respirator" for LOTS of info!

Is it "safe".... Maybe, but it will smell like heck and I'm guessing Mom won't be real keen on it! The fumes become an eye and throat irritant especially in an area with no air exchange.

BUT, and it is a big BUT, if you accidentally over heat  your plastic to the point of burning you have a significant toxic event.  Google burning PVC for more info.

Many of us pour in the garage using fans to draw out the air and we wear respirators. I live in
Minnesota where winter time pouring is limited. It's -7 this am and the garage is a balmy 38 degrees so today is not one of those days!

[Oneida Bassin]

Hello everyone,

This is Ryan's dad - I had no idea what I was getting into!!!!! Figured this would be a great winter hobby but now I'm second guessing myself. This is sounding like a major project for ME now instead of my kid! LOL

Thank you all for brining this to our attention. I think I have to make some sort of vent hood without breaking the bank. Our basement is a walk out with some good size windows and our would furnace. I spoke to a friend who is in the HVAC business and he said a 500-1000 cfm fan would turn air over in 20 minutes! His worm making has been put on hold until I can find a safe solution.

[Lines]

As everyone has stated, ventilation is mandatory. I tried shooting worms in our basement with the windows open, but the fumes were still to much. I am now in the garage, and as andrew has said, winter puts limits on my pouring time. Oh well, it'll warm up again. Good luck you guys, and welcome to custombaits.com!

[andrewlamberson]

I tried to come up with a good plan for working in the basement but the math never worked out.

Something else to consider when working in the basement:
http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=1002.0

I just wanted to bring this up - given the time of year.  Andy shared some of the most relevant info ever in this post for pouring in your basement.  Thanks again Andy.  Jason

Quote from: andrewlamberson on 01/12/12 08:55 UTC
Our Safety Coordinator at work alerted me to a possible issue with how I am venting the fumes from molding. He brought me an article from a Nascar Model Car Forum discussion problems with where the make up air is coming from  with basement spray paint booths. (hobby booths ....under 500cfm)

The concern was that one of the easiest places for that air to come from is from the flue of your furnace. So instead of venting your carbon monoxide out the flue...the fan for your ventilation is pulling that air into your work space and that is NOT a good thing! If you are getting a headache while molding....it may not be the plastic fumes!!    It was bad enough for one guy that his MRI was showing damage to his brain...likely from the carbon monoxide!

So...I'm going to do 3 things this weekend while molding:
1. Put a carbon monoxide tester (with digital reading) by my work area to see if there is an issue.
2. Close the door between my work area...and the furnace! And tape the bottom.
 3. ALWAYS have the window across the room open...even when it's single digits outside...like this week.

FYI...I did have an issue.The carbon monoxide registered in the concern/danger area

When you work with your guy make sure you have a cold air exchange source close to the work area.

I moved to the garage because it is a 3 car, had no carbon monoxide sources and sliding window to mount a large fan in to draw out the air. I open the garage door a crack for fresh air.