Author Topic: Getting Frustrated... Need all the help I can get... (Read 14802 times)

Cormorant Lures · « **Reply #15 on:** 04/22/12 21:40 UTC »

So I finally think I've got this Pourasol down to a science and at least I know I've got the 3.5" Croaker molds figured out...

First off the plastic: I heated up my plastic like normal in my presto pot... Before shooting my first set of molds, I shut off the stirring mechanism and let all the microbubbles rise to the top... Now thanks to one of the posts I read in either this forum or another forum, I lit my blow torch and watched all the microbubbles burst on the surface... Again, THANK YOU to whoever came up with this little trick, it is probably the coolest and easiest idea I have used to date!!! Watching all those microbubbles burst was like a release of BAD CARMA!!! I also thought of a new storage vessel tonight while at my grandparents house... I was sitting on the couch and picked up a local Menard's ad and there IT was on the back page... One of those rubbemaid water coolers like you use for camping and such... It's perfect for my purpose, it can hold 5 gallons of plastic, it has a really nice pouring spout, and the top comes on and off with ease and allows for me to easily use my paint mixer when necessary... So it seems that the Lureworks Pourasol is finally becoming user friendly for this novice bait maker...

Now to the molds: I am also going to include a little updated information on my injector situation as well... It seems that lubrication is the key for a happy injector... My o-rings seem to be doing just fine as long as they stay lubricated with a little bit of worm oil... Now last night it seemed as though I thought I had my mold and injector situation under control... I guess I thought that WAY to soon... Things went south quickly and I thought it was going to be another rough night in the laboratory... But I took the advice that many have given me and I decided I needed to figure out what I was doing wrong... Inject to fast and the feet filled up correctly but I was having problems with air pockets around the eye sockets... Inject to slow and the air pockets around the eye sockets disappear but the feet did not fill up correctly... Soon after experimenting with both fast and slow injection rates, I began to incorporate BOTH and found that it worked PERFECTLY EVERYTIME!!! So it boils down to this: There is about a 1/2" or so of injecting that is involved with a 3.5" Croaker mold... I found that if I inject the first 3/8" really slow and the last 1/8" super fast, not only do the voids around the eye sockets disappear but so do the feet problems!!! I have now shot 2 1/2 presto pots full of frogs and have only had about 4 total bad ones out of the 150 or so that I injected... Pretty darn good success rate if I say so myself...

I haven't done any recent injecting with my craw molds... I would like to get the claw dent situation figured out as well... Hopefully if I can use the same type of diagnosing techniques I used for the frog molds, I can get rid of those pesky dents...

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED!!!

Dave · « **Reply #16 on:** 04/23/12 00:03 UTC »

Outstanding job! Persistence + Determination = Success

Jason · « **Reply #17 on:** 04/23/12 08:01 UTC »

Awesome job working through the process.

Two things jumped out though. Open flame and plastic... PVC will put off dangerous fumes at high temps. I would try and find a safer way to do that part.

The jug you mentioned. Lay a bait on it for a couple days prior to putting plastic in it. You are testing for compatibility. You don't want to put it in there and find out after the fact that they're not compatible.

Again, great job on the progress.

Jason

ghostbaits · « **Reply #18 on:** 04/23/12 08:42 UTC »

If the spout has any type of soft plastic mechanism in it, the plastisol will eat it up in about 2 weeks. Just from personal experience, I decided that the clear jugs you can get for water for your fridge would be nice to put plastisol in. All before CCm mind you. Nice spout, clear so I could see how much. They stand up great and dispense good! All great until the plastisol eats the inside of the spout up and plastisol leaks all over your shop!!!!

The other BIG downside to that type of storage is that it is NOT air tight or even close. You will get additional moisture in the already bubble Lureworks plastisol and it will be even more of a nightmare.

Good to see you are having better luck. I found the root of all my pour bait issues was the Lureworks plastisol. Still have several gallons at my shop as it took up so much time waiting and de-bubbling that I was saving money (TIME!!!!) by just paying a little more for a product that I could use without waiting on micro bubbles. That is just personal experience mind you.

Progress is good!!!!!!!

Jim

Cormorant Lures · « **Reply #19 on:** 04/23/12 08:48 UTC »

Quote from: ghostbaits on 04/23/12 08:42 UTC

If the spout has any type of soft plastic mechanism in it, the plastisol will eat it up in about 2 weeks. Just from personal experience, I decided that the clear jugs you can get for water for your fridge would be nice to put plastisol in. All before CCm mind you. Nice spout, clear so I could see how much. They stand up great and dispense good! All great until the plastisol eats the inside of the spout up and plastisol leaks all over your shop!!!!

The other BIG downside to that type of storage is that it is NOT air tight or even close. You will get additional moisture in the already bubble Lureworks plastisol and it will be even more of a nightmare.

Good to see you are having better luck. I found the root of all my pour bait issues was the Lureworks plastisol. Still have several gallons at my shop as it took up so much time waiting and de-bubbling that I was saving money (TIME!!!!) by just paying a little more for a product that I could use without waiting on micro bubbles. That is just personal experience mind you.

Progress is good!!!!!!!

Jim

So may I ask what formula of Lureworks you have at your shop?!? Might be interested in buying it from you if you're interested in selling it...

ghostbaits · « **Reply #20 on:** 04/23/12 08:55 UTC »

I believe I have some medium and hard. Plus a gallon or partial of medium/soft.

Just PM me and I will make you a GREAT deal on whatever I have. Basically shipping costs and it is yours. Stuff is bad ju-ju to me!!!!

Jim

Cormorant Lures · « **Reply #21 on:** 04/23/12 09:06 UTC »

Quote from: Jason on 04/23/12 08:01 UTC

Awesome job working through the process.

Two things jumped out though. Open flame and plastic... PVC will put off dangerous fumes at high temps. I would try and find a safer way to do that part.

The jug you mentioned. Lay a bait on it for a couple days prior to putting plastic in it. You are testing for compatibility. You don't want to put it in there and find out after the fact that they're not compatible.

Again, great job on the progress.

Jason

You think that by just swiping the flame over the plastic for a split second or so would put the plastic temperature to the levels of dangerous?!? I really don't even have to touch the surface of the plastic at all with the flame, just over the tops of the bubbles and they all just disappear!!!

As far as the Rubbermaid water cooler, I will keep you updated on what happens with my experience... I already put a couple gallons of plastic in it last night so we'll just have to wait and see I guess... This is one of those situations where I will have to learn from personal experience so I can share my results with the rest of you... Whether it's good or bad I guess...

Jason · « **Reply #22 on:** 04/23/12 09:27 UTC »

I honestly don't know about the heat. It's just something I wouldn't do. Guys siphon gas with a hose, I'm not lining up for that one either. There are lots of things we "can" do, and I'm really into the, "hey Bubba watch this" moments. I just try and avoid anything that can't be fixed with stitches or a cast.

As far as the bottles go, I wish I could provide a comprehensive list, but I know you are okay with LDPE, HDPE, and want to stay away from other PVC (or at least test it well) and poly styrene.

What happens if there is an adverse effect is the other plastic which is harder will start to absorb the plasticizer. This will make it soft and ultimately compromise it's integrity. I'm not sure about it contaminating your plastic, but my gut is it would have some less than desirable effect?

Jason

Cormorant Lures · « **Reply #23 on:** 04/23/12 10:41 UTC »

According to the website that makes the cooler, the inside liner is made out of "FDA-grade polypropylene"... Is this a "no-go" material for plastisol?!? Kinda sucks... LOL!!! I thought I had such a good idea... I guess maybe not so much...

ghostbaits · « **Reply #24 on:** 04/23/12 10:48 UTC »

Like I said, I found containers that worked but the spout was affected.

Jim

andrewlamberson · « **Reply #25 on:** 04/23/12 10:57 UTC »

Flame and PVC is a REALLY Bad idea!

http://www.pvcinformation.org/links/index.php?catid=3

It only takes 5 ounces of burning PVC to give off enough hydrogen chloride gas to kill the occupants in an average size bedroom in ten minutes. (Denny: Are You paying attention to this?

)

http://www.completewastemgmt.com/backyard_burning.htm

If you do it occasionally...like melting a tail on a bait is one thing. But burning off bubbles in your process seems like a really dangerous process.

fish_4_all · « **Reply #26 on:** 08/27/12 02:37 UTC »

I was reading about the micro bubbles and the open flame dangers. I had the idea of possibly using a hair dryer instead of a torch to possibly get the same effect of popping the micro bubbles on top.