Gun Metal

[ctom]

This has become my best crappie color ever. Looks can be deceiving though as this has absolutely no color added.



Its a simple recipe.

4 oz Essential Plastic with some softener and stabilizer.
a small dab of uv enhancer.

Mix well and cook to the 350 degrees needed.

Add Canada Blue glitter and Gun Metal glitter at a ratio of 1 part C. Blue to 2 parts Gun Metal. Both glitters are .015 flake size. Stir the plastic and glitters to blend well, then simply allow to cool. When thoroughly cooled, re-melt to use and this is the color you get.

I'm not certain which if not both glitters are slightly bleeding into the plastic as it re-heats but you'll end up with the beautiful smokey blue color. Crappies up here go nuts over this one. The bait is a 1.5" Thump-It from Do-It and all the components in the plastic are of Do-It label. This color is just a knock-out nice color of plastic that would go into a laminated worm beautifully. Senko maybe? Or a carrot?

This color was not created. It just happened. I can inject the first couple of molds using the first time hot plastic and its crystal clear. Let it cool and then re-melt and here it is. Its better the second time around!

[Steve J]

Using a lami, assuming a dual injector would work equally well, what other colors would you pair it with?

[ctom]

I haven't used it for any other color combinations but I have used it in other crappie sized baits. They all work very well with the combo.

A real thin pearl would make a super belly color for the twin injector. You don't want a real opaque pearl but you wouldn't want it super transparent either. I might try a shot later using the pearl belly under the gun metal. I'll post the pics.

[ctom]

Here Steve.....

This is the 2 1/2" Stinger Wutzit. I hand poured the belly using a fire opal plastic. Its simply 4 ounces of plastic with stabilizer and uv enhancer added along with about 1/2 teas. of the fire opal micro glitter Do-It sells in the lead casting section. In the paper catalog its in the lower right corner of page 81. This is awesome glitter in all colors but for making a realist belly color, fire opal is tops. Simple effective.

With the gun metal injected in as a top color things really liven up. The bait at the top will give you a great representation of what the belly color looks like. In the hand its a very thin, soft pearl. I can't quite describe what seeing it in water is like, but in the cup of water I use to set the eye dip these things are just plain out of site gorgeous.

[Steve J]

Outstanding. Thanks for sharing.

[Lines]

Another great job.

[Apdriver]

these things are just plain out of site gorgeous.

I can see that. Nice color.

[ctom]

If you look closely at the bellies on the Stingers you can see the reflection and refraction of the light from the fire opal. The second one from the right, the one on top of the others, is belly up and you can see just a blaze of light going thru the plastic. I drop them in a cup of cold water as I finish the eye dip and when these were swimming around in there they were just plain out of site.

[Steve J]

How much value do you place on 'eyes' as an attractant for the baits you make for your own use?

[ctom]

I put eyes on baits for the camera. My own baits do not have eyes. Never seen a need for them and even with the cover dip they are the first thing to come off. Eyes jack the price of a bait much higher. 

[Mike J]

Nice looking baits tom.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Them are really nice.