Soft Plastic Making

[Dat_Bass]

Where is a good place to look if I want to buy soft plastic molds that closely resemble a 1) Zoom Speed Worm 2) Zoom Fluke 3) Just some stick bait and 4) A swimbait that resemble a Gambler or Reaction Innovations it something along those lines? What all would I need to buy and what would an estimate of price to start making baits?

[12poundbass]

Tackleunderground.com is the best site for the lure maker. They have everyone from newbies like you to guys who have huge set ups that do it for a living. 

 

Do-it molds has a ton of different molds including and exact copy of the Senko

 

I spent a lot of time on Tackle underground pondering the idea of making my own lures and the thought still comes and goes from time to time but from what I've read on there and he adds from some who do it is you're not really doing it to save money because it's not a cheap hobby. I can see what they mean, I've never don't it and I was already thinking "ok I need this, this, and this" and the list goes on and next thing you know you're up to your eyeballs in stuff you'll use once. That being said it does look fun and like I said earlier I stink think about doing it. 

 

Good luck with your venture.

[dsqui]

7 hours ago, Dat_Bass said:

Where is a good place to look if I want to buy soft plastic molds that closely resemble a 1) Zoom Speed Worm 2) Zoom Fluke 3) Just some stick bait and 4) A swimbait that resemble a Gambler or Reaction Innovations it something along those lines? What all would I need to buy and what would an estimate of price to start making baits?

Making baits to save money I don't think is possible.  Maybe if u only fished one bait and never felt the need to try new things.  An estimate at what you mentioned I would guess ur gonna be around $350-$400 in the molds alone.  Another $125 for plastics because to buy it a gallon at a time is way more expensive then buying it by 5 gallon increments.  I.e. $60 gal for Lurecraft or $130 or 5 gal Lurecraft. The stuff don't go bad so to try and make it worth the investment and break even in the long run u will be better off just buying 5 gal.  Now u r at $630 and u don't have an injector coloring and glitter.  Injectors run around 60 Pyrex measuring cups 5 but you will need two so $10.  So now ur at 700 and still need colors and glitter stick to the basics for color u'll wind up with 5 or 6 colors around $5 each so 730.  Now glitter I would stick with basics again probably 6-8 colors with a few same colors in different sizes so call it 10 total glitters at 5 each now ur at 780.  Gonna need hot gloves $10 $790 big clamps $8 each need four one for each mold ur now at $825 a few storage containers some bags worm oil salt and scent u will be in the $900 ballpark. Now u have everything u need until the first time u use it and ur wife smells it and u are forced to buy a new microwave cause u don't want to eat out of the same one ur making worms in so now there is another $50-$100. Add in shipping prices and we can call it a nice even $1000 give or take.  But 6 colors don't cut it neither does 8 glitters and u also have highlights and pearls and ya lol so u wind up having this 

Sorry can't get pictures to load but ya u get point.  I just started 3 months ago and have probably 20 molds and 30 colors and highlights along with 20 or 30 glitters.  It's very addicting to say the least.  On a side note for personal use colors and glitters will last a long time just like the molds and once u have them you have them so it's a long term investment don't think they will pay for them selves short termbecause wat it cost plus ur time u could buy alot of baits.  I also found that the baits I do pour that I like I have multiple molds of just to speed up production on them.

[dgkasper58]

What if you just want to remold your old plastics instead of wasting them all the time?  I am just looking either for a senko mold or a big hammer tail swim bait.  

 

Is it worth it?  

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, dgkasper58 said:

What if you just want to remold your old plastics instead of wasting them all the time?  I am just looking either for a senko mold or a big hammer tail swim bait.  

 

Is it worth it?  

I know a guy that has all the jazz and will pour it for you! Also the recycling worms never works from what he says. 

[dsqui]

3 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

What if you just want to remold your old plastics instead of wasting them all the time?  I am just looking either for a senko mold or a big hammer tail swim bait.  

 

Is it worth it?  

To buy a mold to try and recycle plastic you would have to have alot of junk baits. And still need everything I just said minus coloring and glitter u would still probably be in the 200-300 ball park and have to wait to have enough baits to do it probably a 30for 15 ratio and they would have to be single color baits and all match. U would have to make sure there clean. My honest opinion not worth the investment to try and recycle old baits.

[Jig Man]

7 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

What if you just want to remold your old plastics instead of wasting them all the time?  I am just looking either for a senko mold or a big hammer tail swim bait.  

 

Is it worth it?  

Yes it is if you like brown.  Unless you have a bunch of scrap in the same color you will have to mix colors to get good pours and mixing colors winds up with brown.

[RyneB]

I have found some good deals on ebay. basstackle has great molds as well if you want to buy new. Dont get into it expecting to save money, you just wont. The good news is, aluminum molds hold value. So you can buy a mold and shoot a couple hundred baits and sell the mold for a little less than what you paid for it. good luck

[Pat33]

If you just want to remold old plastic, you will need heat stabilizer. You can get by without it, but you will have to keep a close eye on reheats. Unless you want something special, saving money is hard to do.

[Chance_Taker4]

On ‎7‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 11:27 PM, dgkasper58 said:

What if you just want to remold your old plastics instead of wasting them all the time?  I am just looking either for a senko mold or a big hammer tail swim bait.  

 

Is it worth it?  

Recycling old baits fail 95% of the time. You can also buy the items you need (not counting molds or other tools) to bring cost down to $.07 to $.12 per bait. Molds go with BTSmolds.com and buy Dead On Plastix and get your glitter and coloring from Lureworks. start is expensive but will save you tons over the years.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

People are so negative. Lol.  You can buy plaster of paris for like 5 bucks( however, you spell it). Then make your own molds. Using a old microwave (20 bucks yard sale) and a microwave safe glass measuring cup (pirex, 2 bucks yard sale)to melt down old plastic (free if you ask people ), ( don't melt down zman plastic). It is tricky melting plastic but you will get the hang of it. Just heat it slow and stir often. Respirator (50 bucks)will be needed melting soft plastic stinks. Now we are talking about less than 100 bucks. Joys of being creative ( Priceless)!!! Then slowly but surely you can grow your materials and equipment as big or as small as you want to get. That will get you started on the cheap were you go from there is on you. May the force be with you!!!

 

 

Jay D

[BassNJake]

On 10/26/2018 at 5:17 PM, Chance_Taker4 said:

Recycling old baits fail 95% of the time. You can also buy the items you need (not counting molds or other tools) to bring cost down to $.07 to $.12 per bait. Molds go with BTSmolds.com and buy Dead On Plastix and get your glitter and coloring from Lureworks. start is expensive but will save you tons over the years.

I have had very good success recycling my old baits, not sure where you pulled the 95% failure number from?

 

My success has been 100%, seeing that anything that fails gets cut up and repoured.

This is especially beneficial for my topwater toads and the stickbaits I pour.

Sure the colors are muted but for these baits I'm mainly looking for something green, something dark or something lighter in color.

 

Now if I'm going to fish a gin clear lake I'll also pour baits with new plastic in colors specific for that trip.

 

 

[bholtzinger14]

I have had good luck melting down my old plastics. I melt down my odd colors (basically anything other than watermelon red flake) and add a little black colorant and blue flake and they turn out great.

[Comfortably Numb]

Melting down old plastics can work. As said Zman and any Elaztech is a huge No No. Also Powerbait does not play nice. Some salted baits absorb moisture and can bubble up or foam. I do recommend adding a lil fresh plastisol and heat stabilizer to keep from burning.

[MerkinScarf]

I have done both re-melting old plastics and making them fresh out of plastisol.  Both work well, if you want them softer just use softener and/or add salt.  The cheap molds don't make as high quality baits as the aluminum but they still look good.  I would say 95% of the time they come out nice either way, once you have put in a little practice with your equipment.

[Munkin]

On 11/8/2018 at 1:45 PM, Comfortably Numb said:

Melting down old plastics can work. As said Zman and any Elaztech is a huge No No. Also Powerbait does not play nice. Some salted baits absorb moisture and can bubble up or foam. I do recommend adding a lil fresh plastisol and heat stabilizer to keep from burning.

This is what I have found as well. For remelting plastics cut them up into small pieces and add some new plastic.  I remelt a lot of baits to make trailers.

 

Allen 

[Comfortably Numb]

On 1/21/2019 at 11:28 AM, MerkinScarf said:

 if you want them softer just use softener and/or add salt.

Salt make them stiffer, not softer

[spoolnaround]

On 1/22/2019 at 9:10 PM, Comfortably Numb said:

Salt make them stiffer, not softer

There is a softening agent out on the market.  I haven't bought any plastic making supply's in a while, I used to buy my stuff from Bears Baits but it looks like the flooding a couple of years ago did them in.

[Munkin]

You can save money if say all you use are 5" senkos in green pumkin. Save your used plastics, get some fresh plastisol, a yard sale microwave, Pyrex cup, and a hand pour mold. Problem is once you start you will buy more molds, etc. to try which starts to get expensive. I can say that about 3 in 10 molds I have saved me money and have paid for themselves several times over. The other 7 I doubt if I re-coup the cost of the mold in the next 10 years. Since I like making my own stuff the way I want it the cost does not matter and is just part of my fishing budget.

 

Allen