Basic start up color recipes

[ctom]

As you may tell from my posting history, I am new here and to doing plastics. I need a recipe for transparent chartreuse and transparent purple, in one cup [8 oz] batches. Can anyone help out so I am not wasting product.

I've been reading the boards here and I only have a question or two yet, one is if I want to add color to a transparent fluorescent color AFTER it has turned clear by cooking, can I add a drop or two more colorant or do I have to start from scratch with a new batch and make my adjustment cold.

Any help here will be appreciated.

[pjmcla]

Some Flourescent colorants are especially touchy colors.  Once hot; adding color is not advised.  They will "clump" and not disperse very well.  What I do is start another "Small batch" in a different Pyrex cup and add A LOT more colorant. Once to temp and  "activated" I then blend the two. I use a Floro. Orange that takes 100 - 120 drops to 4 oz. for a good bright color.   A drop or two of these fluoro. colors won't get you much at all.   Think in tens, not ones.  You can dilute these flourescents with more plastic, but do not add more color to hot plastic.  Some glitters will turn the yellow chartreuse a green color as well.  These colors can be heat discolor prone as well.  But; when you get it right; they are very fishy colors.   
NOTE --- Edited on 12/11/11 ---- These are not CCM Colorants  ---  Sorry, Jason, I should have noted that in the original post. ---  See my post below.

[Jason]

Paul,

When working on new recipes I always heat my plastic until it's clear and then add my colorant until I get the color I want.  I've never had a problem with "clumping".  What is happening to your plastic when you add colorant to it after it is hot?

From a technical perspective, colorant is just plasticizer with pigment in it.  Plasticizer just softens the PVC.  Other than it softening your baits, the only other thing it should do is cool it as it isn't 350 degrees when you add it.  Is this what is causing the "clumping", is it just your plastic thickening because you are cooling it by adding a cool substance?

100 drops is a boat load of colorant for 4 oz.  Fluorescents are really bad about hard packing on the bottom, do you have a few 1/2" nuts in them to make shaking / re-suspending easier?

As a side note, once I have my recipe down I cook my plastic with my colorant in it...

Sorry to jump in, just curious about the "clumping".

Jason

[ctom]

Jason....I tried your method of working up a color with the yellow chartreuse. I mixed a "trail" amount cold and then heated it until it cleared. It wasn't quite what I was looking for so I added more color and stirred the bejesus out of it and it worked ok. The fluorescent orange took quite a bit of color to get started but it too was adjusted after the initial heating without issue.

[pjmcla]

Sorry to be late in my reply.  The coloring "clumped" sort of like the egg in egg drop soup ( on a miniature basis ).   It was not with CCM colorants.  These instructions are with Lurecraft's Brilliant Fluorescent colors.  Lurecraft's website says they MUST be added to room temperature plastic.  Guess what - they are right. ( Report Card -- Does not read and follow directions well   :'( ).   Startup learning curve.
Sorry to cause confusion.  I edited my original post to reflect this.

[Dave]

When I have most of my trouble with clumping is when my plastic has cooled to a solid form, then reheated with colorant added after it has melted.  If you want a good bright color in chartreuse that is transparent, try a Transparent Florescent, but use heat stabilizer though. Chartreuse really burns easy!     

[pjmcla]

I agree that Fluoro's are touchy to heat discolor.  Also; for me; Fluoro's will somewhat color degrade after multiple reheats as well.  Again - this is not with CCM colorants.   But; In these colorants defense -  If I do what I am supposed to when mixing - and not reheat them 8 or ten times ( or more ); or overcook them; they produce good colors.  The best materials can not overcome poor workmanship.  I post this to try to help others --- learn from my mistakes. 

[ctom]

I've been doing 6 ounce batches and have used the CC colorants both transparent fluorescent colors and solids and have settled on some basic recipes. I have done as Jason mentioned too and have had no issues. And I have done some re-melts without too much hassel. I have been adding 8 drops of stabilizer to the 6 ounce batch as a safeguard against the scortching issue and have had only one small amount get toasted.

I have been shooting a small ice plastic and the 6 ounce serving per color is down to about 4 ounces per color now and and I have bags with like 600 pieces of each color. I am getting unreal mileage out of this mold. I am making this in 8 colors.

I have also been toying with the 1.75 inch shad stinger in two and three colors. The results are eye appealing and downright uncanny. I plan to settle on five colors and work them hard.

I'm having a riot with the colors and have ordered maybe ten new ones aside from the dozen I ititially got to start with. The stuff I am coming to think is chief is that hi lite powder. Man, the tricks a guy can do with a smidge of that stuff. Now I am starting to toy with the CC pearl liquids and finding that too is a real head turner.

Right now I have 8 different molds, all panfish models, and plan to settle down and work with them over the winter.