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I have been pouring my own heads for sometime now and was wanting to try my hand at the
the jelly belly jigs (rubber body, maribou tail) and cannot find anyone that has a mold or instructons on how to make one.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I could find the info I need?
I tried to do this one time and had some success. What I did was take an old bass worm and cut out a piece of it that was about the size I wanted my body to be. I then fit it on a jighead the size I wanted to use. Super glue it to the head. Then make a form out of aluminum foil about 1/2" deep 2" by 3". Mix up plaster of paris and fill the form with it. After a few minutes when the plaster starts to firm up set the jighead in the plaster with the eye up and about 2/3 to 3/4 of the jig & body in the plaster and let it set up. After it sets up remove the jighead and rubber and using an exacto knife trip up any spots you think need adjusted. You will need to cut a spot for the feather to lay in but don't cut it to big or you will have plastic spilling out on to your feathers.
I hope this makes sense.
The way I do it would be expensive if the mold I use were just for that purpose. I pour my own "Senko" type worms. When I want to make "Jelly" bellies, I pour the worm partially and cut the end (which is tapered) to the length I want. I thread marabou thru the belly with a needle that has an eye big enough to thread with the marabou. The jigs I use have a plastic holder but I still touch a little crazy glue to the body and jig. Let me suggest you try this website http://www.lurecraft.com/ they are nice people and will be glad to help you if they can. They sell molds that are one sided and if they have a stock item you can use, it probably will only be in the 10-12.00 price range, and they will instruct you on how to do what you are looking to do.
You can melt down old plastics in a microwave using a pyrex cup from Walmart and pour your Jelly Bellies. Pop
Here's my amateurish shot at this, but it might get the ol' wheels turning, along with what you've been told already:
There are a couple of ways to accomplish what you want. The outright simplest and least expensive way is to make a mold from Durham's Water Putty (hardware store). I'll give you a quick rundown, but you can find out more on www.tackleunderground.com.
First acquire a jelly body jig that you want to duplicate. Remove the feathers with a razor blade so that you only have the head and body. Coat it with vaseline and lay aside. Now mix the Durham's putty as directed and pour into a small mold that you can easily remove the cast from after it sets. I'd suggest a plastic top from one of those foam shoe-shine thingys (about 2.5" x 4") or similar type of easy-release container (small). Coat it with vaseline before pouring.
Now pour in the water putty mix that should be about like pancake batter, let it sit for a moment to be sure that it will support your jig. Careful, it sets up very quickly and produces heat. Place the jig in the mix so that the hook curve is up toward you rather than down in the putty, and the 'back' of the jelly portion is dead even with the top of the mixture - and everything is level. Let it set up solidly then gently ease out the jig. This will require a little wiggling and care (especially the lead head) but it will come out.
Let it dry for a full couple days. Trim up the mold with a knife so that it is only a couple of inches square and manageable. Now you're ready to use the mold.
Tie up some practice leadhead jigs with the marabou attached near the curve of the hook, but run the thread itself up to the head [this will help the plastic to adhere solidly]. Dampen the marabou so that it isn't all puffed up and getting in your way. Place in your new mold, melt the plastic, pour into the mold. It cools instantly. Jig done. Use old cheap plastic worms etc. for practice.
So take it from there. Make up a bunch of negatives, coat them with vaseline, make a big mold with multiple cavities.
Of course the second, more expensive way is to make one (sort of..) like the ones that folks use that sell a lot of jigs (custom made CNC machined aluminum molds). If you are handy with a drill press, study your putty mold and see how the cavity is; try a 3/16" drill bit and a block of aluminum and simply drill holes to replicate the cavity.
Of course you can see that the your original jig was made in a mold with a flat bottom with radiused corners on the body ....and your test-drilled one doesn't have a flat bottom...and isn't too hot. But maybe you can acquire a straight end-mill cutter for the body, a rounded ball end-mill for the head and so on. You get the idea. Take it from there and study.
Hope this helps a little bit more. There's quite a bit of info on molds on the TU site I mentioned, and that same process can be used to replicate all sorts of plastic lures.
Thanks for all the help fellers.
This will get me what I need to get started I believe.