Mixing plastisol?

[toojayz]

I was wondering if anyone has done this. I was thinking about possibly mixing a few oz of soft plastic to medium plastic. I do have softener but in bigger batches I thought it might be more cost effective to go this route. Is this possible? Thanks Jim

[Dawg1419]

It can be done


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[ctom]

As long as both plastics come from the same manufacturer you should have no issues: Do-It soft and Do-It medium or hard should be compatible. I've mixed the sot and medium together without any problem.

[toojayz]

Thank you for the reply guy's!

[toojayz]

Thank you for the reply guy's!

Thanks Tom, the other reason I was wondering is I have never used "soft" plastisol yet. I have added softener to 4oz of medium from a few drops to almost an oz and I can't tell any difference in softness. Is there a huge difference in the medium and soft or am I overthinking as usual? lol

[ctom]

Too....Most of the molds of Caney creek design sold as Do-It today were designed to be shot with medium plastic. That's a great starting point. It isn't necessarily a hard and fast rule. Many of those baits are even better when done in soft plastic. I use more soft than any other but then I like messing with two, three and sometimes 4 color shoots and using the soft plastic and heating it up a bit allows me to not worry about de-lamination issues. A lot of people want the additional firmness in their baits because of the fish they are looking for. Soft plastic and sharp teeth or big aggressive fish might be a one time fish type of bait.

Personally I use the soft most often because I make mostly crappie sized baits and the softness of the plastic enhances the action of the baits in spite of minimal amounts of plastic used in them but I also pour a lot of walleye baits and I like the soft for that action I get out of those baits in cold water. People who buy those walleye baits like the softness and action too. I don't worry about durability 'cause I know the guy that makes them. More than anything I like the soft because of the flexibility it affords me when I am doing multiple color shots.

[toojayz]

Too....Most of the molds of Caney creek design sold as Do-It today were designed to be shot with medium plastic. That's a great starting point. It isn't necessarily a hard and fast rule. Many of those baits are even better when done in soft plastic. I use more soft than any other but then I like messing with two, three and sometimes 4 color shoots and using the soft plastic and heating it up a bit allows me to not worry about de-lamination issues. A lot of people want the additional firmness in their baits because of the fish they are looking for. Soft plastic and sharp teeth or big aggressive fish might be a one time fish type of bait.

Personally I use the soft most often because I make mostly crappie sized baits and the softness of the plastic enhances the action of the baits in spite of minimal amounts of plastic used in them but I also pour a lot of walleye baits and I like the soft for that action I get out of those baits in cold water. People who buy those walleye baits like the softness and action too. I don't worry about durability 'cause I know the guy that makes them. More than anything I like the soft because of the flexibility it affords me when I am doing multiple color shots.

That is the answer I was looking for. I mainly fish tourney's so I would rather pour a softer 1 bait 1 fish bait to fill the live well rather than to try to use a harder more durable bait. It's pennies to make (when we pour our own) and well worth it IMO. Thanks again!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

All oil-based plastisols are basicly the same and can be mixed in any combination, to any degree.  Read the "Plastisol 101" thread...we're dealing with a 3-component chemical, and other brands are comprised of the same thing.  There are different Brands, grades, qualities and characteristics, but they're all oil-based plastisol.

Mix them how You see fit.  That's how I roll and I enjoy the results.  PVC, Plasticizer (softener), and Stabilizer...those are the 3 components...more plasticizer/softener softens...more PVC hardens.

[Bass in the hood]

I use cc soft on almost all of my bass baits I have had a lot of success.

[ctom]

Something else to think about here is that everyone has their own liking for which plastic to use in whatever mold, there are no absolutes. While a mold may be shop designed and tested using one firmness of plastic is no real indicator that a softer or harder plastic won't serve you better. This comes from using different plastic hardnesses and seeing for yourself what gets the job done best. If you blend a plastic that makes you giddy, be darned sure to write the recipe down and save it so you don't have to do the trial and error thing again to land on it. I shoot in small batches and some of the baits I make need a little softener added to soft yet to get them to come alive for me and I mix a quart of that particular blend and keep it on hand.

This hobby injection has a whole lot of favor over package tackle as you are finding out. The colors you can create are just one aspect. Designing a plastic specific to a bait or need is another facet that puts what you are making way ahead of package store baits. All of this takes some playtime with the plastic and your molds, so don't be afraid to try out different plastic blends in different molds. I shoot a very soft plastic into the 3.5" super fry for walleye baits and the people who use them can tell the difference if I try to slip a medium in on them. Apparently the fish let them know, so pay attention to your fishing as much as your shooting table.

[toojayz]

Thanks for all the replies! I really want to have the softest bait possible that the bass would hold onto for a few seconds longer. I'm not concerned at all about the "1 bite 1 bait" thing as I can make as many baits as I want for pennies. Thanks again and back to some R&D!

[Bugpac]

Soft doesnt always give the best action.

[toojayz]

Good point Bug, I just want to "tweak" it just right. Not too soft to lose action but not too firm to lose a bite. This hobby is turning me into a mad scientist and the more I read on this forum, I see I'm not alone! lol