Author Topic: Hard Pack Colorant  (Read 8880 times)

Offline andrewlamberson

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Hard Pack Colorant
« on: 08/24/13 17:42 UTC »
With the recent discussions about colorant hard packing I got a little worried about my supply of colorant since I haven't made any baits since ice out (for you southern guys...that means "once it got warm enough to put the boat IN the water...instead of standing ON the water!).

Bottom line...all my stuff is hard packed....big time (all brands...all colors)/

So I did a little research on making a paint shaker and found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmMls-GYOI

Anybody have a better idea? A REALLY easy idea?

I'm planning to try this idea after the heat wave is over (90's is heat wave for us Northern guys)...unless someone warns me off or has a better idea!

Note: I am very mechanically challenged. I do NOT do modifications to molds, fix things, build things...or even hand pour very well....so it has to be a REALLY simple idea!!! ;D

Maybe this is a better idea??? A mini drink mixer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy1IVR4EjwY
« Last Edit: 08/24/13 17:47 UTC by andrewlamberson »
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Offline gone2long

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #1 on: 08/24/13 17:48 UTC »
Andrew I happen to be getting into airbrushing and saw a neat little gadget that will work great for your problem and is on the cheap,  search mini drink mixer on ebay its like less than $10 it has several different attachments 2 that will meet your needs perfectly.

Offline toadfrogbaits

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #2 on: 08/24/13 22:46 UTC »
You REEEEALY don't want to know what I'm thinking LOL

Offline Brent

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #3 on: 08/24/13 23:15 UTC »
old palm sander with pvc tubing attached to sanding pad, drop bottle in and go

Offline Lamar

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #4 on: 08/25/13 03:37 UTC »
  That's a cool idea. And simple.

Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #5 on: 08/25/13 05:09 UTC »
Andrew Both are really cool ways to mix  things up. mike
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Offline gone2long

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #6 on: 08/25/13 09:09 UTC »
Here's the video I found on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy1IVR4EjwY

Offline ctom

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #7 on: 08/25/13 17:28 UTC »
I was pretty much thinking I could stop by and pick them all up and you could order new, Andy, but I think this might be your salvation..."a neat little gadget that will work great for your problem and is on the cheap,  search mini drink mixer"....and you could always pull double duty with on your anniversary if you want to get Ma frisky.
There are good ships
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ships that sail the sea
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and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline bassbuster

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #8 on: 09/03/14 20:10 UTC »
great got to get one  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Offline Botanophilia

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #9 on: 09/03/14 23:20 UTC »
HDA also hard packs.  Mixes back up pretty well, but it's hard work!

Offline 2XL

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #10 on: 09/04/14 08:32 UTC »
Short of shaking every bottle every day, is there a way to semi prevent hard packing ? Are the X2 colorants water soluble or do you need to use some sort of thinner? Mostly wondering if just a plain water would clean the blade (of colorant ) of one of those little drink mixer deals.

Offline ctom

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #11 on: 09/04/14 08:50 UTC »
Nothing made to be involved with these plastic is water-soluble.

X2 colors will settle over long periods but I haven't seen them pack like other colorants do.

I shake my plastic a lot. Often. Opened or other-wise, I shake it. All of my colors have a lead sprue from casting small jigheads inside. Some have two. If you have colors that pack fast and super hard, loosen everything up with a small thin screwdriver and shake the heck out of it, then split it into two different bottles and add some worm oil or raw plastic along with the stainless nuts or lead pellets and continue to shake until the floaters are dissolved.

Colorants will settle faster in some colors than others but that depends on how much pigment is used and what color the pigment is. White is by far the worst color to loosen up in regular colorants. I have a bottle of X2 white that has not packed at all in the more than a year that I have had it and white has more components than any color on earth. Keeping colors mixed all the time is almost an inconceivable task without having agitators working around the clock. Still, the more often you take time to keep things mixed, the more you'll get out of your products. That's just a fact with this stuff and pretty much a bottom line.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline andrewlamberson

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #12 on: 09/04/14 11:30 UTC »
Water and hot plastic...goes BOOM....Instant steam explosion.

So don't keep water close to your hot plastic. I keep a small milk jug of water on the floor away from my area just in case I ever get burned...you have to get the water on it right away! DON'T try to rub it off.

Otherwise....keep any liquid other than bait making supplies away from your hot plastic
" You can't buy happiness...But you can buy fishing gear...and that's kind of the same thing"

Offline 2XL

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #13 on: 09/05/14 16:01 UTC »
No worries. I've got 25+ years pouring jigs and I NEVER keep liquids anywhere close to my bench so keeping liquids away from my plastics bench won't be an issue. I've  been in blacktop the last 22 years and have seen first hand (Unfortunately) what 300+ degree blacktop can do to exposed skin.  That stuff sticks and burns and it's not a pretty sight. Had a kid without a shirt on sitting in a bobcat get a lap full one time = ambulance ride , skin grafts and six weeks off work.

Offline Billmo

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Re: Hard Pack Colorant
« Reply #14 on: 09/08/14 22:52 UTC »
Andy mine have only been sitting for about a month and they hard packed so bad the bottom looked like dry pigment powder.  im not sure just shaking is going to work if yours look anything like mine..