My First 6" Carrot - With a Lesson hehe

[RTL]

So, I get home today at Lunch time and Low and Behold CCM did it again, FAST DELIVERY!!! There it was, sitting at my doorstep, just as pretty as you please, not one, but TWO Packages!!

This could only mean one thing.  I not only got my 6” Carrot Mold, I got my Gallon of Plastisol, my new Colorants, all of my FLAKES!!!!!!!!!!  Happy happy happy!

So, I tear into it and pour me out 4oz of Plastisol and whip up 2 drops of Caney Creek Green and start to stirring!  Couldn’t wait to nuke it and see how it looked!!!

So after I got it up to 340 degrees or so and stirred it, I was like, man, I gotta go eat!

So, after I was done eating, I wanted to make a pour… This is where the lesson begins

I grab the Pyrex cup and obviously the Plastic was no longer a liquid, So, instead of heating the Plastic back up into a liquid and stirring in some Flake, I begin measuring out my Flakes.  1/8 tsp of Red, 1/16 tsp of Gold, 1/16 tsp of Black and I’m just pouring it right on top of the plastic.

Close the Microwave door, Powerlevel Down to 8, Put one minute on the clock, Hit start

At about the 40 Second Mark (It had been cooking for 20 seconds) I see smoke at the back of the Microwave, I look in the window and HOLY CRAP! 

FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I open the Microwave and grabbed the Pyrex cup and started stirring like a mad man.

WHEW!

So I look at the result and was like, well, I wouldn’t sell this batch to anyone, but as far as I can tell, I’d still fish it!  So I heated it the rest of the way up, Sucked up some Juice into the Injector and Injected me 4 almost perfect 6” Carrot Sticks!

[andrewlamberson]

Ummmm....I never heard that if the flake was on top it would catch fire.... You may have the dubious distinction of doing a first!

Make sure that plastic gets to 350 degrees...or you will end up with sticky (or cloudy) baits.

The bait looks great....it will catch fish!

I'm betting that gallon of plastic won't last you very long!

[Denny Welch]

 Denny Welch
Lunker

 
Posts: 727
     

Overheated plastic
« on: 02/11/12 10:02 UTC »
QuoteModifyRemove
It's not too hard to become preoccupied with something and lose sight of something else.  I had some friends coming over yesterday to pour baits and I was heating plastic to preheat my molds.  I set the timer on the microwave for two minutes and then started playing with my new lamination plates.  I must have set the microwave for 20 minutes instead of 2 because when I looked over it still had 10 minutes to go.  Smoke was starting to seep from the microwave and I could hardly see through it's window.  I immediately turned it off and opened it's door.  I was only heating 4 ounces of plastic, but it had formed a mushroom head that was extending about 4 inches above the Pyrex cup.  Smoke was pouring from the blackened plastic and I had real fears that it was going to blow up at any moment.  I carefully picked it up and put it outside.  It didn't cool off for a half-hour.

It really shook me up.  Some of you have probably had similar experiences and I'm curious how you handled it.  I'd like to know what I did right and what I did wrong. 

I can't help but think what would have happened had by friends arrived early.  Clear as day, I can see one of them throwing a coke or a bottle of water on that hot plastic.  Can you imagine the result...it's scary.


RTL...go find this on the Safety Do's / Don't page and take a look at the responses.  It's an eye opener and pretty scary.

[pjmcla]

Ah the learning curve.  I agree with Andrew, I think you have a first on toasting flake on top of gelled plastic.  Glad things did not go any worse.  Sounds as though you are enjoying the process, and learning. 

[RTL]

I first want to say I'm very very cautious with this stuff. I never leave sight of the plastic while it's cooking, even this mishap, and I KNOW it was the flake catching on fire because I watched it go POOF and start.  Like I said, it's a lesson learned. I'll always heat the plastic first before putting in the flake from here on out.

[RTL]

Ah the learning curve.  I agree with Andrew, I think you have a first on toasting flake on top of gelled plastic.  Glad things did not go any worse.  Sounds as though you are enjoying the process, and learning.

Yes sir, I am 47 years old and off and on I've Melted, poured, painted and tied Jigs for over 30 years (I began working for a tackle shop at 15) and I have wanted to do Soft plastics since I can't remember, I mean, ever since people started doing it, it's been something that I've ALWAYS wanted to do.

FINALLY I am able to do it, and I'm having a hell of a time learning.

[ctom]

Denny's post with the quote is a stark reminder of how important it is to have a clear head when working with plastic. I tend to be a very focussed person when I am casting jigs or working with plastic and absolutely loathe distraction. When I am playing with the plastic I will not have anyone around my work area. I have my scars from hot plastic and I don't want anyone to go thru what I've been thru. For those who haven't been burned, plastic burns deep, quickly.

I have had one near ugly incident occur while dealing with the type of heat that plastic and lead come with. It was several years ago and involved lead. Once was enough for me to become a solitary shooter and pourer.

[biglewers]

Hang in there RTL I know you only have a few molds but soon you will be buying drums of plastic and shit tons of molds. 

[MonteSS]

I have had two fires in the microwave.

First was reheating a buddies old used plastics. Ended up he left a hook in the scraps.

Second was adding flake to cooked plastic and not stirring it in before heating more, similar to what he said.

So be careful, you never know...Bill