Making POP Molds

Hey everyone, I had some time on my hands with my sweetie down at the youngsters house in Florida, so thought I would play around and try to copy some crawfish baits. First I had to make the molds and this is a two piece POP (plaster of Paris) mold. It's not finished as it is still drying. Then I need to Apply a couple of coats of a sealer to it before I can use it. So far two days are tied up in it.
Got the Idea from the internet. It's not real hard to make, just time consuming, with the major factor being attention to detail for the best possible molds. They will last a long time if properly taken care of. This is the most detailed bait I have tried. I will follow up with more pictures and details if their is interest. But there are a ton of videos on the internet on how to do it.
once you have the molds made and sealed, you can start, and the baits will be shiny just like store bought. These will be sealed with a 50/50 mix of Elmer's white glue and water. The idea is to have the sealer penetrate the plaster with out loosing any details, or softening the plaster. And the sealer will actually make the mold stronger. I will be sealing these tomorrow afternoon, and hope to be able to shoot the first ones on Sunday...Eric,AKA Jamesdean.

Here's the two piece mold. Don't know why but couldn't down lad them to my computer tonight...Attachment 383779Attachment 383780

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Did they load?

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

Here's the two piece mold. Don't know why but couldn't down lad them to my computer tonight...Attachment 383779Attachment 383780

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Try it again...Attachment 383781

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Well they actually loaded up...Sorry folks, been having issues with the server lately...

About two months ago we made our first plaster of Paris mold for bass we used Elmers glue to seal the cavities will post pictures maybe tomorrow

They look good but...I do not see any vents

"G", if you look where the tips of the claws are, the lines going to the edge of the mold are the vents. Big enough to allow air to pass, but not plastic. They are only on one half the mold.

Sweet! Will you use an injector to fill them?
Looking for to the final baits!



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Waiting to see these....mold looks good

Redge, yes I will be using an injector to fill. Without having it in front of me I over estimated the size of the injector nozzle, so I'll have to go back and fix that but it's comming along nicely...I have the first of three coats of sealer on them, and will allow several hours between coats for drying.

As I promised I would post it a plaster Paris mold this is a overhead pouring will be working on more of these in the future I haven't had time and I definitely would do it a little bet different in the future I did not pour the plaster of Paris over the plastic bait instead I push the plastic into the plaster paris when I should've put the bait on a flat surface and poured over it.
Attachment 383798

Snake River, when you do the next one, pouring the plaster over it, instead of using glue to hold the lure in place, use a small amount of hot plastisol slightly cooled. in the mold the small amount allows a slight lip should there be any over pour, which helps on the flashing. To do this simply heat the plastic then allow to cool down to a molasses consistency and place the lure on this to hold it in-place so it don't move it around when pouring your mold.

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

Redge, yes I will be using an injector to fill. Without having it in front of me I over estimated the size of the injector nozzle, so I'll have to go back and fix that but it's comming along nicely...I have the first of three coats of sealer on them, and will allow several hours between coats for drying.

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Waiting to see the baits from this mold ...I bet they going to look great

Still sealing them up "G". I just put the third coat of sealer on it, and have to put a Thermostat in my truck today. hopefully this afternoon or in the morning...

Well folks, the one problem with two piece pop molds just raised it's ugly head and I have to start back at square 1. I went to clamp the mold together and one side busted into 3 big pieces. I only had enough pressure to hold them together. Sooo I'll try it again...Maybe mix aome gorilla glue int the water for the POP...

Darn hate to hear that. Hopefully next one works good.

I was afraid it was going to happen, next time use a dish that don't have an raised portion in bottom. Mold ends up too thin in this area. I now have a couple that are flat all the way across the bottom. They came from deli sliced sandwich meat...lol.

You could even glue or even just place a piece of plywood 1/2 inch thick to the back side of each half maybe...your clamp would put pressure on the wood and maybe transfer the pressure more equally on the mold itself instead of it being all in one spot where the clamp is. Worth a try.

I don't think it would need to be 1/2 inch thick "G". When I get the next one done I have some scrape panel board, It's actually sold at Lowe's as floor underlay, but the same as plain 1/8" wall panel that mobile home walls are made from, and I'll cut and glue that to the backs of each half.

Wish I could find a 1.75-2" beaver tail flat fish. Yum makes a 2 1/2"-3" one which I made a mold of. I think they would work real well for getting farther under this bridge I fish. Can't shoot it as one would normally as you can't put a tube, or boat of any kind in the lake, city of Springfield drinking water...Wonder what they think the aquatic wild life does in the water??? Anyway, It can only be fished from top side. I know there are some big crappie under their as I was lucky enough one day to catch my personal best at this lake from under their, 13.75 incher...I know there is an aluminum mold of one, just don't have the funds to get it...I recon I'll break out the sculpy clay and see if I can make a make one the size I want...

I was wrong, the one by Yum is 3 1/4 almost 3 1/2 inches

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

Wish I could find a 1.75-2" beaver tail flat fish. Yum makes a 2 1/2"-3" one which I made a mold of. I think they would work real well for getting farther under this bridge I fish. Can't shoot it as one would normally as you can't put a tube, or boat of any kind in the lake, city of Springfield drinking water...Wonder what they think the aquatic wild life does in the water??? Anyway, It can only be fished from top side. I know there are some big crappie under their as I was lucky enough one day to catch my personal best at this lake from under their, 13.75 incher...I know there is an aluminum mold of one, just don't have the funds to get it...I recon I'll break out the sculpy clay and see if I can make a make one the size I want...

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Attachment 383976

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Looking forward to seeing more on this post. Excellent information in it. I tried a POP mold years ago. It was very bad! That is when I started the switch to aluminum.

Mike

Yes Mike, aluminum molds are a lot easier to shoot and pour. I have the carrot mold from do-it molds and it shoots wonderful.
But with all these riots and such going on, my wife decided it just isn't worth being on the road any more, (in here words, she was a freight relocation specialist ), so money here has gotten real tight. So instead of buying aluminum molds, I try to save some and make my own with pop. No, they may not be as pretty as one from aluminum, but they still catch fish, and to me that's even better because I made the mold, that formed the resin, that caught the fish.
That being said, up above in a post I said I was looking for a 1.75" to 2"flat fish bait for casting/shooting under this bridge I fish. Well, here's a start...it's right at 2 inches. Now to smooth it out, bake it, and see about making a mold...it's a work in progress anyway...

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Originally Posted by shipahoy41

Looking forward to seeing more on this post. Excellent information in it. I tried a POP mold years ago. It was very bad! That is when I started the switch to aluminum.

Mike

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Attachment 384102

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I have often thought about taking two pieces of thick aluminum....and after careful measuring and layout...using a Dremel tool and trying to make a mold. Maybe use carbon paper to transfer layout of one side to the other side. Dunno....i might try it if we have a bad winter and I get bored...be something to do.

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Originally Posted by "G"

I have often thought about taking two pieces of thick aluminum....and after careful measuring and layout...using a Drexel tool and trying to make a mold. Maybe use carbon paper to transfer layout of one side to the other side. Dunno....i might try it if we have a bad winter and I get bored...be something to do.

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I have used tools to modify a few molds I aquired such as deepening eye sockets, detailing fins, adding lateral lines etc. Would love to see what you come up with.

Mike

Here is a clay master and a test open pour mould of the 2" flat fish...I baked the mold in a confection toaster oven for 9 min. @350 deg. When it cam out, I sealed it with 50/50elmers glue all extra strong formula while still pretty warm. The mold is now nice and shiny...I'll do a test pour today. If they com out real good, I'll use them to make a multi cavity mold or two.Attachment 384139

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looking good