Cheapest Soft Plastic Molds

[Baseball 'n Bassin]

I am broke because i'm a teenager and making soft plastics sounds like fun. I looked around and everything is expensive. What is the absolute cheapest way to get into this?

 

Thanks!

[Bdnoble84]

I think barlows tackle sells cheap ones. Otherwise search how to make your own from resin. Youtube marling baits

[moguy1973]

Hate to say it but it's not a cheap hobby.  Molds, plastisol, dyes, flake, microwave.  It's all not cheap.  By the time you even break even you could have bought several dozen bags of mass produced baits.  And that's if you only fish one kind of bait.  You'll need a different mold for every type of bait you fish.  $$$.

 

Here's a video of what you need to get started though (this guy makes a lot of baits):

 

 

[Baseball 'n Bassin]

21 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

Hate to say it but it's not a cheap hobby.  Molds, plastisol, dyes, flake, microwave.  It's all not cheap.  By the time you even break even you could have bought several dozen bags of mass produced baits.  And that's if you only fish one kind of bait.  You'll need a different mold for every type of bait you fish.  $$$.

 

Here's a video of what you need to get started though (this guy makes a lot of baits):

 

 

For a thermometer can I just use the kind that you put under your tongue?

[Jig Man]

24 minutes ago, Baseball 'n Bassin said:

For a thermometer can I just use the kind that you put under your tongue?

No you need an infrared thermometer.

[Bdnoble84]

On 5/28/2020 at 12:27 PM, moguy1973 said:

Hate to say it but it's not a cheap hobby.  Molds, plastisol, dyes, flake, microwave.  It's all not cheap.  By the time you even break even you could have bought several dozen bags of mass produced baits.  And that's if you only fish one kind of bait.  You'll need a different mold for every type of bait you fish.  $$$.

 

Here's a video of what you need to get started though (this guy makes a lot of baits):

 

 

Cheap is a relative term. This kid just wants to make something. Do you have a budget? How much can u get in this for. U may not be able to buy everything right away or use the best materials. But u can make something for even 50$. Melt down a buch of old plastics or heck even buy a couple bags of the cheapest plastics u can buy. And make your own mold. Steal your moms oven thermometer and pyrex dish (the asschewing will be worth it later, as well as using her microwave) melt the plastics down to correct temp and pour in homemade mold.

[smalljaw67]

My advice to you would be to wait until you have a job and can do this the right way. Trying to make good baits on the cheap can be frustrating and may cause you to give up a hobby that might have enjoyed had you done it the right way. That isn't to say it can't be done but there is a learning curve and doing it on the cheap makes it take that much longer. The cheapest way is to either make your own molds from plaster of Paris or RTV silicone or to buy already made silicone molds. A lot of silicone molds run in the $10 - $15 range then a hot plate and pour pot can be used to cook your plastisol. However even on the cheap route you are going to spend around $100 to start depending on how much plastisol, colorant, glitter along with other supplies. 

[Bdnoble84]

38 minutes ago, smalljaw67 said:

My advice to you would be to wait until you have a job and can do this the right way. Trying to make good baits on the cheap can be frustrating and may cause you to give up a hobby that might have enjoyed had you done it the right way. That isn't to say it can't be done but there is a learning curve and doing it on the cheap makes it take that much longer. The cheapest way is to either make your own molds from plaster of Paris or RTV silicone or to buy already made silicone molds. A lot of silicone molds run in the $10 - $15 range then a hot plate and pour pot can be used to cook your plastisol. However even on the cheap route you are going to spend around $100 to start depending on how much plastisol, colorant, glitter along with other supplies. 

Sorry but i disagree. Learn to be creative and inginuitive. Learn to deal the fustration. These are always great life skills and will make u that much more desirable when u go out into the workforce. Luremaking isnt just luremaking to catch fish. Its an expression of creativity. Plus you cant make lures if u dont try to start

[smalljaw67]

5 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Sorry but i disagree. Learn to be creative and inginuitive. Learn to deal the fustration. These are always great life skills and will make u that much more desirable when u go out into the workforce. Luremaking isnt just luremaking to catch fish. Its an expression of creativity. Plus you cant make lures if u dont try to start

Totally get what you are saying but I know full grown men who gave up this hobby trying to melt lead on a Coleman stove and just didn't have the time.  I think a teenager wanting to do this for fun probably wouldn't think of it as fun when encountering issue after issue. I've taught a lot of teens how to tie jigs and cast lead, and in a group of 37 kids not a single one is still doing it. Why? "It takes too long to learn" was the number one answer and when I asked what would make you want to try it again guess what the response was? "If it was easier to do" and "if it didn't take so long", it is why I stopped doing tackle classes for my former Bass club. I agree with you about letting them be creative and deal with frustration but having never made a lure I think it would be much better and safer to learn with proper pouring equipment. Perhaps I'm a little too cynical but the kids I was teaching were all enthusiastic as most of them fish the Jr. Bassmaster circuit as well as in high school clubs and they wanted to do this. I know it is wrong to gauge every teen by the small sample size, I have taught roughly 6 groups ranging from 8 kids in the smallest group to 37 in the largest and the other 4 groups had 13 or 14 kids. I'm also not saying that the OP wouldn't be one to learn on his own and figure it out but I think he would have a better chance at having this as a lifelong hobby that he could build on if he learns the basics with things that make it easier to produce a lure than to struggle with trying to make something work when not even knowing if he is going about it the right way. This is just my opinion based on experience with trying to teach todays youth about making tackle.

[bholtzinger14]

Look into open pour molds. Tell your friends to save their used up plastics for you. Melt them down and make baits.

 

Edited to say this is the dumbed down version of this.  Lots of safety equipment needed to.

[Bdnoble84]

6 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

Totally get what you are saying but I know full grown men who gave up this hobby trying to melt lead on a Coleman stove and just didn't have the time.  I think a teenager wanting to do this for fun probably wouldn't think of it as fun when encountering issue after issue. I've taught a lot of teens how to tie jigs and cast lead, and in a group of 37 kids not a single one is still doing it. Why? "It takes too long to learn" was the number one answer and when I asked what would make you want to try it again guess what the response was? "If it was easier to do" and "if it didn't take so long", it is why I stopped doing tackle classes for my former Bass club. I agree with you about letting them be creative and deal with frustration but having never made a lure I think it would be much better and safer to learn with proper pouring equipment. Perhaps I'm a little too cynical but the kids I was teaching were all enthusiastic as most of them fish the Jr. Bassmaster circuit as well as in high school clubs and they wanted to do this. I know it is wrong to gauge every teen by the small sample size, I have taught roughly 6 groups ranging from 8 kids in the smallest group to 37 in the largest and the other 4 groups had 13 or 14 kids. I'm also not saying that the OP wouldn't be one to learn on his own and figure it out but I think he would have a better chance at having this as a lifelong hobby that he could build on if he learns the basics with things that make it easier to produce a lure than to struggle with trying to make something work when not even knowing if he is going about it the right way. This is just my opinion based on experience with trying to teach todays youth about making tackle.

I see your point. And understand where you are coming from now. Alot of that comes down to what the person is driven to do. Its a catch 22 wait till u have stuff and make a nice easy product get hooked because u were successful but run the chance of never starting, or cobble something together, experience the creativity and joy in the adversity of it all but run the chance of getting fustrated and losing interest. Ive been in both places personally.

Whatever you do @Baseball 'n Bassin you need to share with us your work there are plenting of experienced makers on here that will guide you. You need that experience of catching a fish on something u have created if you are to the point of reaching out on here

[Baseball 'n Bassin]

11 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

I see your point. And understand where you are coming from now. Alot of that comes down to what the person is driven to do. Its a catch 22 wait till u have stuff and make a nice easy product get hooked because u were successful but run the chance of never starting, or cobble something together, experience the creativity and joy in the adversity of it all but run the chance of getting fustrated and losing interest. Ive been in both places personally.

Whatever you do @Baseball 'n Bassin you need to share with us your work there are plenting of experienced makers on here that will guide you. You need that experience of catching a fish on something u have created if you are to the point of reaching out on here

I definitely will!

[detroit1]

Don't use a microwave that you plan on using later for food.