what is a good temperature

[Shaunm81]

Hello what is a good temperature to attach tails to the other color for a good  bond without coming apart.  I been shooting at 350 ish.  Lots of people want the Chartreuse tails added on to
baits.  Thanks

[olsarge]

You should be fine at those temps.  The secret is to not screw with them for at least 24 hours.  I don't care how hot the plastic is, pick at it and it falls to pieces.

[ctom]

Once the plastic has been cooked for the tails and bodies I shoot anywhere from 350 to 320 degrees. Most of my baits are smaller but I do make a bunch of 4" plus baits for waldos and inject the body plastics between those two numbers and haven't had any come apart. I've had tails bitten off, leaving a stub of color or taing the who tail and some of the body color but I don't have issues with separation at the weld.

Little piece of advice though if you're shooting a ton of a color for tails and cut them off to store in a bag for later use, cut the tails longer than you want on the bait because the tails will get oily in the bags and if you don't offer a fresh cut or wash the tail sections in a good alcohol wash that oil will not allow a good weld. I make a couple thousand of the  1 1/2" Thump-Its at a time and just cut the baits in half for the tails. When I want to use some I take the time to cut them back to the size I like....about three body segments from the tail stem.

[Shaunm81]

Thanks olsarge and tom. So you actually have injected plastic at 320 tom for the bodies and it stuck to the tails alright ? I wish I could get away with a lower temperature like that. 

[ctom]

Yes and if in doubt just hold the injection pressure a few seconds when filling the bodies. The biggest thing is to have a clean cut surface to weld to. Absolutely no oil. I do tail colors all the time on the 1" Ice Ticklers and the 1.1" Wax Wigglers for people wanting these for ice fishing. Next in line is that 1.5" Thump-It and I never hear anything about tails separating.

[Shaunm81]

Great thanks tom I will give that a try.  You got me into the chartreuse tails and then you're bluegill recipe.  I just love that bluegill recipe it looks really awesome thanks for sharing that.  Any more glitter recipes that you know of? I used some silver black and red and call it red camo with chartreuse tails and it looks really awesome. 

[ctom]

Do-It sells a micro glitter found in the powder paint area of the catalog called Fire opal. Its a very small glitter and works super in plain clear plastic. It works well in transparent colors as well. The Party Crasher glitter is another after-market automotive glitter that I favor too when mixed into plain clear plastic. I make small panfish/crappie baits using both of these.

Here's a link to the party crasher. If you snoop thru the "flakes" section under the .004" you find quiet an assortment of colors and that size is the same as the fire opal Do-It sells. Try some of the .004" purple heavily dosed in clear plastic with a chartreuse tail....unreal bait combo.

[Shaunm81]

Hello I don't see anything on Do-its website maybe they are out of it?  I went over to didspade.com and found this but it says 0.004 for the party  crasher  here's a link is what you use the .004 party crasher stuff? And are you talking about getting the. 004 purple from disapade also? Sorry I am asking so much questions.   Anyhow here is a link to what I am looking at on didspade.com  https://didspade.com/collections/metal-flake/products/party-crasher-shredz%C2%AE

[ctom]

Use the link provided, then click on Flake Shredz at the top of the page drop down under glitters/flakes. Check the whole site out. This is where I get most of my color shift pigments....under fine particle.

[Shaunm81]

Okay thanks tom.  Sorry so many  questions but anyhow have you used the bronze pearl powder ? Thinking about getting some of that but curious how good it would  look in crappie baits.

[ctom]

I have it but don't use it often. Its so close to gold that I just use the gold when I need it. The bronze is nice brushed on black dry then clear coated when doing some of the larger baits that get color shift over black.