The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

hi
i need to make a soft plastic sleave to go over a lure or encase it so the hard lure has a thin even soft plastic layer around it any suggestion how that might be achieved can make the lure but dont know how to encase it
thanks for any help

A few ways you can do it ... first simply paint on a thin layer of Flex 30 or 40 after demolding the hard casting you want to overmold.

If you need detail in the outer layer or film, you'll need to make two molds ... one of the hard plastic inner piece and secondly one of the outside shape of your finished piece. Then use the inner casting as an insert into the second mold and pour around it. If the soft plastic surface coat is really thin, this option will be extremely tough and you'd be better to simply demold the inner piece, and paint on a Flex coat afterwards.

If you have natural mechanical locks on the inner piece you could also try dipping it in a clear coat of Alumisol. This will give you the softest surface coat but will not chemically bond to the hard resin core. It will hold but not chemically bond and therefore would need some good flow through or locking features in the design.

Mike
Alumilite
800 447-9344

hi mike
thanks for such a quick reply will think about what you have said and see how it comes out have just ordered the rtv
so can't wait to get going
thanks

i have another question i need a tough soft plastic in clear as iam using in salt water same as the swim baits i have bought as it seems to be fairly tough any sugestions as i can order it with my mold making stuff
thanks again

Alumisol with nothing added should work just fine. If you want it tougher you can add hardener, but for most swim baits I'd use it straight.
It hardens some after you heat it and cool it a few times too.
best,
L

hi thanks for the previous help worked a treat now my new project i need to copy a flutter jig. As it has the wire loops at each end any suggestions on how to position it in the mold form. So i can make the copys with the wire already in hope this makes sense thanks in advance for all your time answering all our questions

Simply mold it with the wires sticking out, then cut small slits to the wires to give them a way out. The insert your new wires into the mold where the slits were. The mold will hold the wires in the exact place of the original, then just cast it and you have an exact replica.

Mike
Alumilite