Making molds for plastics
 

I couldn't wait to try to make a mold after talking to
GS on Saturday. Got mixed results, the 10" sluggo mold came out mint but the 10" Fin-S fish mold was screwed up. GS, I tried using Pam before pouring resin it made the Fin-S fish come unglued from the pan.They were floating in the resin. Probably cause I overloaded the pan I think, I did salvage one of two on the Fin-S fish. I haven't got my plastic yet so I cooked up a bunch grubs on the hot plate to try the molds.I'm encouraged by the results, with the right plastic they should be fine. Am going to make another Fin-S fish mold and be a little more careful this time. Am thinking that Squid strips would make a good candidate also. Thanks for all your info GS a big help. ...mrpogie

http://striped-bass.com/fishpix/mrp_slugfins1.jpg

Mr. Pogie you are the man. Those look awsome. I hope the plastic does'nt distract you from those wooden masterpieces of yours. :D

Actuall, the plastics will compliment the super wood. Mr Pogie, make sure Mrs Pogie realiazes how much dinero you save by making all of your own stuff :p ... Nice work Mr P.

Did you use contact cement to hold the baits down? I've had baits float up on me, but the contact cement seemed to take care of that. They look good enough to eat :), glad I could help.

Mr. Pogie, They certainly look good from here. I tried carpet tape the first time I made molds and it didn't work so good. Next time it is defintely contact cement.

BTW, GS thank you very much for the 10" stick baits. They may turn into my first plastic plastic mold. The plaster ones I made are JUNK compared to the beauties you make.

Yes, I used contact cement and it worked perfect for the sluggos but the top of the fin-s fish is only 1/2" wide and with the middle being concaved there is limited area that actually touches the pan. Probably 1/16" on each edge. I really soaked the pan with Pam and I think it possibly loosened the cement. Am going to make another mold with fin-s fish and brush on the Pam instead of spraying it. ...mrpogie

Ed, that what I did. I used GS's sluggos for my molds and they worked perfect. I went to the Taunton store, they have quite a selection of books and videos. I think I'll get something after the holidays, I have one book on Turning Basics but for me sometimes it's easier to grasp something the first time when I see it rather than try to visualize it from a book. Thanks for the info. ...mrpogie

Made a mold of some squid strips last night and popped it out this morning, it was 99% perfect. Because there is raised printing on the side that gets glued down certain spots had a minor amount of resin seepage underneath. But it was easily cleaned up with a pocket knife. Both molds I have made using Pam as the release agent for the resin, works good but what a gooey mess when you pop the mold. I am thinking of brushing on mineral spirits or wd-40 for the next one. less cleanup afterwards. Then someone asked what would happen if you added a little wd-40 when you mixed the resin, would it have qualities like the RTV material. Am going to mix a small amount with wd-40 in the bottom of a coffee can and make a small mold to try this theory. GS, have you ever tried using wd-40 in any capacity? I don't even know if it will mix with the resin but I figure it's worth a try. ...mrpogie

here's a picture to go with above text.

http://striped-bass.com/fishpix/mrp_squidstrip1.jpg

Mr. Pogie, I was thinking about paintbrushing some cooking oil on the baits rather than spraying them. WD-40 might really penetrate under the baits and make them float up.

All my molds were prepared by brushing on mineral spirits with a good size, but soft brizzled, artist's brush. Pogie those molds are sweet, you did a great job.

MR POGIE, What type of resin do you use and where can you buy it- home depot or only a fishing specific type store???

Dave

Dave I just use an automotive type fiberglass resin. You may be able to get it at Home Depot, I don't think I've ever seen it there. Your best bet is an auto store such as Pep Boys or Auto Palace, etc. It will be in the sandpaper, spray paint, body filler aisle. Probably available in qts. or gals. ...mrpogie

Fishpart, I was going to try a mold with mineral spirits tonight but didn,t feel like going out to get some. I used cooking oil with a soft bristle artist brush like GS said, very sparingly only on the plastic baits. I'll let you know how it looks when I open it tomorrow. ...mrpogie

No question in my mind that GS's method with mineral spirits is by far the best. I did make a mold of sluggo with cooking oil and it came out pretty good, very usable. Then I made another with mineral spirits and it was flawless, the detail inside the cavity was exact, every little mark on the original was reproduced which is important when you get around those two little indents in the side. Even though I used the cooking oil sparingly there were certain spots around the indents that were not really crisp in the mold. GS, I should have listened to you in the beginning. You're the man. ...mrpogie

http://striped-bass.com/fishpix/mrp_sluggomold.jpg

Nice Job.......
Got Strippers...... I got a quart of fiberglass resin...
I need to make a 4 cavity mold for my special pour, You know The long Rubber I use.......
Will it be enuff?

http://striped-bass.com/fishpix/bm_j2.jpg

It's the Loch Ness Monstah!!!

BM, I wasn't sure how much to mix in the beginning either. Try this tape your baits in the pan and pour in 1 qt. of water to test height. Keep track of how much water it takes to cover the baits by about a1/4". I do know that picture of the 9" sluggos in a 11x7 brownie pan requires 40 ounces. Yours seem to be longer so I think you're going to be a little short. ...mrpogie

I here Ya I need a narrow mold... Dont want to pour 2 baits any more..... that pic has the bait on a lead head........
the ones i use are killer.......
just want to pour more at 1 shot.....

http://striped-bass.com/fishpix/bm_1216_pikies.jpg

Water is the way to go if you have doubts, as you don't want to waste resin. I'm sure a quart is a lot more than you need, but use water one night to check and wait for the next to allow time for things to dry out well.

Nice pikie bodies dude. I painted the needle black. It has a coat of envirotex on it now and is curing as I write. I hope it comes out nice it's going to be a present for my dad. Thanks for the help at the party, with the shaping and drilling.:)

cool, Im glad....... see I knew ya could do it.........
thanks rumma man.......
Got fumes???