Really, really likin this X2 stuff

[ctom]

I now have several colors of the X2 colorants in hand and today for a bit I got to go play with the Fl. Pink one. I thought I'd start with the drops per 4 oz shown on the color plate and work from there. I like a bold transparent pink and after getting the ten drop mix heated up I thought it could use a little more zing so I added five more drops and did the re-heat. Man....talk about an eye burner.

15 drops people....in 4 ounces of plastic. The other colorant took, and get this, 75 drops to get the same color depth in the same amount of plastic and by then it had begun to get opaque to some degree. The X2 is still as clear as glass. I shot a pile of baits in the nano and small fry and a minnow bait just for tail stock. Tonight I'm taking the tail bag to bed to see if I can read by it.

With the pink behind me I turned my attentions to the Fl. Orange. I went straight to the 15 drops for 4 ounces and hit on another hottie. The same molds got shot again just for tail stock. Then the X2 Chartreuse came out of my supply box. Same old, same old....same results.

The secoind and third colors I fiddled with today are again large volumn colors in the old colorant. While this may save me some money in colorant costs, its probably going to burn me on more plastic. But I can get over that. What I have to get used to is the clean, sharp colors that this X2 produces. These three are absolutely electric, they are that brilliant.

[Billmo]

I agree with everything you said!!!  One of my most asked for colors is the "berkley fl. orange" for trout baits.. and this is the only colorant that I can use straight up and get very close to the berkly fl orange. 

[pjmcla]

That is really good to hear.  Fluoro. Pink and Orange are both tough colors for me to get a rich color on.  I wonder if Santa is Listening?     

[ctom]

I for the most part like natural colors but I also use a lot of the fluorescent colors as tail and contrast colors. I don't like those contrast colors thin looking. I want body to the color. X2 delivers. I make a real petite ice plastic and in the regular fluorescent colors I have to add and add to get the color to stand up to what I want. On the pink I actually added 135 drops to a 4 ounce batch to get what I wanted and by then it was no longer as transparent as I wanted it to be.

Every once in a while I will get thick with the colorant or add an opaque colorant to get rid of transparency, most often for tail colors when I'm shooting a very dark or black body color. Now with the X2 I feel like I can go with firetail colors and not have to just dump 1/2 a bottle of color into the plastic.   

[Billmo]

Now with the X2 I feel like I can go with firetail colors and not have to just dump 1/2 a bottle of color into the plastic.   

AMEN TO THAT!!!

[pjmcla]

Agreed; some of my add rates with "normal" Fluoros were in Teaspoons per 4 oz. and they lost some transparency.

[Frank]

Sorry but need to ask who's colorant we're you using before? I think I know but want to make sure. Me and Jason were just talking about the strength of his colors. But we were not comparing the same way. He was used to one kind and I have been using another. Just curious. Frank

[Billmo]

Well I was using Bears.. and could never get the fl. orange to look the way i wanted to unless i added 1/2 a bottle and other colors to get a good bright fl orange.

[kipbass]

Well I was using Bears.. and could never get the fl. orange to look the way i wanted to unless i added 1/2 a bottle and other colors to get a good bright fl orange.

X2 on black, black grape, watermelon (though it's identical to Z***I'm gonna miss it when I run out)..

[ctom]

Sorry but need to ask who's colorant we're you using before? I think I know but want to make sure. Me and Jason were just talking about the strength of his colors. But we were not comparing the same way. He was used to one kind and I have been using another. Just curious. Frank

My original purchases of non-X2 colorants were either MF or Jason's, but I think his may have been MF anyway? I have some solid color fluoros fron bears too but I use them little outside of for personal baits. Everyone that asks me for baits wants the transparent colors. All I know is that I had a pair of ball bearings in every color that I ordered right off and would shake the heck out of them. The fluro colors I coulld see the level line thru the bottom of the jar when it was tipped so I knew I had the stuff mixed well. I also use only Jason's pthalate-free plastic in the soft formula. I don't know if the plastic composition affect the coloring, but I do know that the transparent fluoros of the old formula were real hard to achieve any intensity or depth....lot of drops and then at a certain point the plastic would suddenly go opaque.

The only problem the X2 offers to me is being careful when counting drops. One too many in four ounce changes things dramatically in some of the colors. All told, this X2 is the clear deal. It may cost a couple bucks more in the beginning but the savings are in how little one needs to get a color bright and still stay transparent.

[CrabbyBass]

X2 is the best!  I am eventually going to be switching all of my colorants to X2 as I start using up the others.  The colors come out amazing and you don't need much at all. 

[bcsteely]

Ctom, any chance you could post a few pix of the fl pink and fl orange.  Thanks

[ctom]

I'll see what the camera says. We've noticed lately that pics taken haven't been very good and can't find the problem. I think the camera got condensation in it while I was out fishing. It will allow a pic to shoot one second and that pic will be weird, a second later it won't capture anything. If I can get a decent snap I'll take one and put it up.