Homemade Plastics

[acwatkins]

I've been toying with the idea of pouring my own plastics for a while and I'm ready to get started. Seeing that a lot of guys here pour lead and tie jigs id figure I'd ask if anyone has any recommendations on kits or equipment to get started with? Or any tips in general? Thanks!


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[Mark]

Plastics is an area of lure-making I have not tried. I'm interested to see the responses to your question.

[jsnyd86]

It's a lot of fun! Can be anyway, if you do it right. I caught my PB Smallmouth during a tournament on a bait I poured. It was awesome. Only advice I would give anyone is to start off slow. Maybe with lead pouring and a powder coat. Or if you're dead set on plastics, try a cheaper hand pour mold or one you know you'll use a bunch. Like a 5" worm mold or a fluke. With all things considered, it's pretty easy to shoot plastics minus a few safety concerns. Along with a kit you'll want a good thermometer, a respirator (or great ventilation at least), gloves and eye protection.

A few years ago I got into it and went overboard. There's so much you can do and so much to learn. Hard baits, soft baits, glitter, paint, powder coat, clear coat, different heating appliances, different ways to shoot multiple colors... It was fun for a while but turned into a lot of work and bought things I thought I needed, but hardly used. With online shopping and shipping being so cheap, or usually free, it's very hard to make or save any money with baits. Plastics specifically. I thought I knew that going in, but I had to learn my lesson the hard way I guess.

Now I just do it as a hobby since I have a few things still laying around. Once in a while I'll make a pile of jig heads.. simple things like that so I dont worry too much if I lose them to the bay or a greedy CNR. You can get most things on ebay or facebook groups like Do-It Molds Tacklecrafters. Do-it molds website is probably a good place to shop around and see what there is. There's a small forum on that site with loads of great information and recipes for certain colors. There's also Bears baits, lurecraft, I think Cabelas even sells some now.

Good luck!

[Huntrava]

Goes without saying, just be sure to follow basic safety precautions when pouring lead. It makes me uncomfortable to think about all the times I closed split-shot with my teeth. Pouring lead involves lead vapor which is easily ingested if you don't vent well and/or wear PPE.

[suicyderider]

Bear Baits LLC has a starter kit that comes with everything you need and your choice of 1 mold under $200. if youre wanting to do smallie as I did I would suggest the circle K grub in 3" as it is a smallie killer and anything else in the stream will eat them too.

[Memory Maker]

It's fun to do ......... Best way to start us to get a yard sale cheap microwave, Pyrex measuring cup, plastisol and a mold. Lurecraft makes some silicone molds for around $10. Then go to tackleunderground or other sites to learn how to do it.

There are some things to watch out for. Try to do it in places that are very well ventilated. If you get it too hot it will smoke very badly and the fumes are toxic. Always where gloves and eye protection and cover all skin. 350 degree plastic will leave permanent scars if spilled....... That said, it's great catching on a lure you poured and you can also adjust the softness, color and weight to get the results you won't get with over the counter lures.

[bignose]

I've tried pouring soft plastic and you absolutely must have excellent ventilation and a respirator. I would not do this indoors. Tried to do some of this in my Middle School Tech Ed lab, and the Home Ec teacher next door did not appreciate the smell. (I was sick for days!)
If the plastic gets too hot, the fumes are horrendous.

You can recycle old lures but be careful. Some plastics, like Z-Mann lures, are not compatible with other plastics.
Long sleeves, ditto for lead.
That being said, there are better ways to save money, IMO. I'd rather somebody else deal with the fumes.

Lead is a different deal. Be careful about skin contact, lots of ventilation, do not get any water near where you are pouring (steam explosions of molten lead!). Plastic is poured at 350 degrees, but lead is poured at 600-700 degrees. Enough said, be careful!
Gloves and goggles are a good idea.
Do not use any utensils that would have food contact.
If you are using a torch to heat the lead, use good sense about nearby flammable materials.

Barlow's online is a good source for lead and plastic molds, as well as liquid plastic. Tochtermans, up in Baltimore, has a real good selection of Do-it molds upstairs.
If I were getting started pouring. lead lures, I'd consider starting with a Round head jig mold with a barb, 1/8 and 1/4 oz. size. You can use curly tails and other push on lures, or you can tie on your own tails.
By adding a snap on spinner set you can create spinner jigs, much like Mark does.

[Mark]

This has been an interesting thread.

I'm comfortable with pouring lead; the safety processes, the results on the bench and in the water.

Plastics on the other hand seem to be a bit more problematic.

I think I'll stick with the lead for now and buy my plastics.

Aside from bluefish, one paddletail usually lasts a long time.

[Memory Maker]

Trust me ....... Plastic is no more problematic ......... It's basically the same. Both are very hot ..... Lead 650 ..... Plastic 350. Both have toxic fumes and need ventilation, skin and eye coverage for burn protection and both will explode with drops of water. If done properly, it can be done indoors ........ Many people do. Doc Irv makes all his lures in his basement with a kitchen type vent hood w/fan. Many plastisols have low fumes with little or no smell. The problem comes when you try to melt existing lures too fast and without adding more plastisol or additives and getting it too hot and too fast.

[jsnyd86]

+1 on them being similar. I did most of my pouring in my garage. Same precautions need to be taken. Hot lead or plastic on the skin or eyes would be brutal.
For me, plastics just got too involved. The creativity is what got me hooked, but at the end of the day all the additives and different ways to do this or that took up so much time I started getting sick of it. Maybe I wasn't very good at it. I like to think I was just giving fish too much credit. I prefer the simple things now.


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