Melting Down Old Senkos To Pour New Ones

[annexation]

Just went in half with my dad and purchased this Del-mart mold for senkos. http://www.del-mart.com/shop/product.php?productid=16143&cat=256&page=2

 

The plan is to melt down old, shredded plastics (mostly senkos and fat ikas, stuff like that) and reincarnate them into brand spanking new senkos! I was wondering if anyone has experience with this and could explain to me whether I'll need to add salt, if so how much, that kind of stuff, or anything else a rookie plastics maker like myself could stand to know. I'm a total noob in this domain, albeit very optimistic.

[Jig Man]

As much salt as they already have you probably won't have to add any.  Salt sinks so be sure to keep stirring it or the salt will settle to the bottom.

[keith71]

I like to add a little new plastisol whenever I re-meIt old baits.You have a much better chance not scorching old plastics this way.Just my 2 cents.

[Comfortably Numb]

Used Senkos are hard to remelt because the salt in them absorbs water. Water + heated plastic = not so good.

 

It will probably bubble and foam. Alot of stiring and short heat cycles (15-30 secs) may get rid of it and work.

 

To hand pour those you need the plastic pretty hot so it is thin enough. Its a fine line between just right and overheated/burnt.

[loodkop]

Please be very careful of the fumes when you melt plastic. Don't use your cooking/ everyday microwave. This stuff is poisonous and can harm you. Use appropriate safety gear to protect against burns. This is an addictive and rewarding hobby but be careful and make sure you know what you are getting into. Enjoy

[annexation]

This is useful stuff - thanks, guys. I'm looking forward to getting my mold.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Good luck very addicting!

[S Hovanec]

Also, cut the baits in to small chunks.  They re-melt easier that way.

[ipt]

hand pours are usually good molds in my opinion, the only thing i dont use them with is stick baits.

 

you need the plastic hot enough to reach the bottom and not have voids. when you have hot plastic the salt/sand sinks fast, so you will most likely end up with all your salt at the bottom of the mold.

 

aside from that, they will still work and you will still probably get addicted like everyone else around here.

 

cant stress enough to wear safety glasses, be super careful with the stuff its no joke, and make sure you have good ventilation.

[Downeaster2010]

I have that mold in hand pour, and am now looking into an injector.  You have to get the plastic real hot

and not scortch it, then pour very slowly into cavity.  There are a lot of duds in hand pour.  When they

come out whole, they are perfect and you will be happy with them.  They catch fish good too.

[annexation]

Tried it out on some melted green plastics - the first four were a major disappointment but I realized I didn't have them hot enough. Tried again and whammo! Beautiful green pumpkin senkos with a mutt-mix of flakes spread out perfectly. I'll post pics later but man they turned out great. Can't wait to put them in a fish's mouth.

[ChicagoEd]

Tried it out on some melted green plastics - the first four were a major disappointment but I realized I didn't have them hot enough. Tried again and whammo! Beautiful green pumpkin senkos with a mutt-mix of flakes spread out perfectly. I'll post pics later but man they turned out great. Can't wait to put them in a fish's mouth.

Annexation, post some pics bud.  I want to see how those turned out. 

[Kevin22]

Yamamoto products contain silica sand as well as salt. This makes them VERY difficult to re-pour and get a good stick. They will not come out like the original sticks so don't be disappointed when they are not like the real deal. However, they will still catch fish.... I have not seen a stick bait yet, be it hand poured or store bought, that did not catch fish. 

[Kevin22]

Also remember to let your sticks cure, being perfectly straight, for at lest 3-5 days before bagging them. You don't want your stick bent. 

[annexation]

Sorry guys, I forgot to post pics like I promised. I've actually fished through most of the hand pours I've made (they've down well!) but still have these four:

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/10CPeSw.jpg

 

The third one down has caught over five fish and the black one at the bottom has caught two (had to rip the nose off after an aggressive bass tore it off the hook). The top two haven't been used yet.

 

Here's a couple fish I've caught with my hand pours:

 

http://i.imgur.com/Un4M9wE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sJl0t5u.jpg

 

I made them by melting down old senkos and senko-like plastics (yum dingers, etc.) along with some used up fat ikas. The first batch was botched as I didn't really know what I was doing but the next ones were golden. A few didn't sink right, so they were culled out, but most had the same fall as a senko and those are the ones I bagged up and used. To melt them down, I used a cast-iron pan (with a pouring side) over a hot plate, stirring constantly once it melted down. I was able to keep the fumes out of my face with a giant box-fan and also by doing it outside by the garage. 

 

At first, I was skeptical about how they might perform - they weren't as soft as senkos. But after catching some decent fish on them I'm sold. It's nice to be able to recycle old stick baits for another go. Not sure how much money it saves when you factor in the amount of time it takes to melt and pour, but it is enjoyable and makes me feel like I'm getting a little more bang for my buck when I plop down seven bucks for a bag of Yamamotos.

 

Also, while they're not as soft as senkos, they're ultra durable. Even with the added stiffness, they're still on par with Yum Dingers as far as softness goes, and quite a bit more endurant.

 

Next batch I make, whenever that is, I'll post some better pics of fresh worms!

[Getfit74]

Good stuff, it's very addictive.

[Brian6428]

Sorry guys, I forgot to post pics like I promised. I've actually fished through most of the hand pours I've made (they've down well!) but still have these four:

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/10CPeSw.jpg

 

The third one down has caught over five fish and the black one at the bottom has caught two (had to rip the nose off after an aggressive bass tore it off the hook). The top two haven't been used yet.

 

Here's a couple fish I've caught with my hand pours:

 

http://i.imgur.com/Un4M9wE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sJl0t5u.jpg

 

I made them by melting down old senkos and senko-like plastics (yum dingers, etc.) along with some used up fat ikas. The first batch was botched as I didn't really know what I was doing but the next ones were golden. A few didn't sink right, so they were culled out, but most had the same fall as a senko and those are the ones I bagged up and used. To melt them down, I used a cast-iron pan (with a pouring side) over a hot plate, stirring constantly once it melted down. I was able to keep the fumes out of my face with a giant box-fan and also by doing it outside by the garage. 

 

At first, I was skeptical about how they might perform - they weren't as soft as senkos. But after catching some decent fish on them I'm sold. It's nice to be able to recycle old stick baits for another go. Not sure how much money it saves when you factor in the amount of time it takes to melt and pour, but it is enjoyable and makes me feel like I'm getting a little more bang for my buck when I plop down seven bucks for a bag of Yamamotos.

 

Also, while they're not as soft as senkos, they're ultra durable. Even with the added stiffness, they're still on par with Yum Dingers as far as softness goes, and quite a bit more endurant.

 

Next batch I make, whenever that is, I'll post some better pics of fresh worms!

Those look great!

[Rangerphil]

They look great! Have fun!

[annexation]

Made a newer batch that turned out nicely. I promised better pics, so here you go:

 

Before the cut:

 

 

After:

 

 

 

A pair of them turned out a little short, but I'm sure they'll catch. I'll just use them in when the situation demands a 4" stick.

[AJMichigan]

If you're ever interested in selling i'd be interested, especially if you're willing to let them go cheaper than the originals do. PM me

[Mark Rogge]

I see this is an old topic but figured I would post here first.  Saved 20lbs of used yamamoto senko and curly worms.  All are watermelon black red #208.  Bought some doit senko molds, plastisol, color, glitter,  injector etc.  Cut up some old baits and melted with safety equipment etc.  Baits are absolutely great.  BUT THE COLOR IS OFF.  The watermelon turned to pumpkin.  Did we burn it?  Do we need more colorant?    Really appreciate the help

[MN Fisher]

52 minutes ago, Mark Rogge said:

I see this is an old topic but figured I would post here first.  Saved 20lbs of used yamamoto senko and curly worms.  All are watermelon black red #208.  Bought some doit senko molds, plastisol, color, glitter,  injector etc.  Cut up some old baits and melted with safety equipment etc.  Baits are absolutely great.  BUT THE COLOR IS OFF.  The watermelon turned to pumpkin.  Did we burn it?  Do we need more colorant?    Really appreciate the help

There was another thread about recycling worms. The main problem is that by melting and re-casting, you lose some of the special 'stuff' that makes the worms act as they do. In the case of Senkos, you're changing the distribution of the salt content that's the main driver for them. They may look like original Senkos, but they're not going to have the same action much less the all important salt base as well as the scent - which is driven off by heat.

[Bluebasser86]

I reuse old worms and the color always changes a bit when I melt them down. They still catch fish though, that's all that matters. 

[spoolnaround]

On 2/5/2019 at 5:26 PM, MN Fisher said:

There was another thread about recycling worms. The main problem is that by melting and re-casting, you lose some of the special 'stuff' that makes the worms act as they do. In the case of Senkos, you're changing the distribution of the salt content that's the main driver for them. They may look like original Senkos, but they're not going to have the same action much less the all important salt base as well as the scent - which is driven off by heat.

You can get softening additives to soften them up.  Color usually tends to darken up when reheating but yes they do catch.  My black worms are all re melts with softener added.