Bleeding colors

Questions about Making Your Own Lures

Bleeding colors

Postby Fomen38 » Mon May 05, 2014 10:02 am

Larry- do you ever have issues with colored plastics bleeding onto one another? I just poured up some plastics over the weekend and I just kinda piled them on top of one another when they were cooled off. I left them overnight and found that some of them had bled off on one another. The colors that I found bled were the plastics that I added softener to. In looking at the softener, it seems to be some sort of oil based liquid. All that being said, have you experienced this? Do you have any recommendations to avoid this from happening? I have separated all the colors schemes to individual ziplock bags now. Should I leave them out to air dry for a few days? Bleeding colors is the last thing I want to happen to the lures I'm pouring up. Thanks a Larry.

Scott
Fomen38
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby dahlberg » Mon May 05, 2014 12:36 pm

it's not uncommon for some leeching to occur, especially with lots of softener added. it might help to give them a cool bath in water after you pour them, or you can try backing off a little on the dye.
good luck
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
User avatar
dahlberg
Site Admin
 
Posts: 5279
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:49 pm
Location: Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Fomen38 » Wed May 07, 2014 3:35 pm

Thanks for replying Larry. So here's the deal.... I poured the lures on 2 separate occasions (2 days in a row). The first day/pour, I added no softener whatsoever. The next day, I poured 2 new colors, adding a small amount of softener. I always have a cool water bath to put my lures into after pouring them. While they are still warm I extract them and toss them into the water. I wait until they are cool to the touch before tossing them onto a dry towel to let them dry. I tossed them all into a pile and let them sit overnight. The next day, I repeated the process. The only difference was the addition of softener to the hot Alumisol. The next day, anywhere the lures with the softener touched, they transferred a small amount of their color. The lures that had no softener added didn't bleed at all. I made 2 tone plastics, and the ones with the softener bled into each other a bit. Anyways..... I'm wondering if the softener had anything to do with it? Ever experienced that? Anyone else ever experienced that?
Fomen38
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Mike - Alumilite » Wed May 07, 2014 7:25 pm

Not sure if it is only soft plastic with softener in it but it definitely sounds like it is a factor and could be expediting the bleed or transfer. Most of the lures I cast, I dust with Alumidust on the outside, then torch it to lock in the dust. Perhaps that is why I'm not seeing any bleed. I use softener in 95% of the soft plastics I pour. I'll try to do some tests to see if I can reproduce what you are seeing. Were there any colors that seemed worse than others?
Mike - Alumilite
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:15 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Fomen38 » Thu May 08, 2014 5:31 pm

One color combo in particular bled. I poured a 50/50 bar (orange and white). The orange bled into the white a bit. It became a yellow hue at the transition of the two colors. I also add micro balloons, but I added those to the first pours as well and it didn't effect the bleeding. If you want to see the colors I poured, look at the thread about "new saltwater plastics" in the lure making forum. The 4 different colors are the lures I poured. The first day I poured the black/red and the yellow/black. The 2nd day I poured the purple/green and the orange/white. Those bled into each other, and those were the only ones I added softener to. However, whatever color was even touching the plastics with the softener bled into them. The colors without the softener didn't absorb anything, but the colors with the softener absorbed seemingly everything. Thanks for your help guys.
Fomen38
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Fomen38 » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:23 am

I know I posted this thread a LONG time ago, but as anglers, and fabricators we should always be in a state of learning. I noticed the Alumilite dye colors and its consistency weren't (in my opinion) ideal. The green color actually looked like turquoise/blue instead of vibrant green, the brown looks yellow-ish, and the red ALWAYS bled into whatever color I poured with it. So I turned to lure dyes that were made specifically for plastic lures. there are about 150 different colors on the market. I poured up a few of them (thinking the issue was the dye), and the trouble followed. At this point, I realized I wasn't doing something right. So I started to research and found the answer right in front of me. When I watched Larry's lure making videos, he always added his lure dye to the hot plastisol after pulling it out of the microwave (right before pouring into his molds). So instinctively, I always did this too. Well, when I visited the website of the lure dyes I bought for my plastics, I went to their "instructions" page, and I discovered the dye should be added BEFORE the curing process begins. I though this strange since the molecular properties and the appearance of the plastisol is different in it's uncured form vs. it's cured form. The uncured plastisol is milky, so I thought it would be difficult to get a true gauge on what the color would be. So here's what I did- I poured 1/4 cup of plastisol in 2 separate glass measuring cups. I added 6 drops of red to one, and 6 drops of white to the other. I stirred vigorously, and of course the red dye looked pink in the uncured plastisol. I popped them both in the microwave, set it to low, and let it run until it achieved a temperature of 350 degrees. The pink, milky liquid transformed into a beautiful, vibrant red, while the white came out looking like it came down from the Mount of Transfiguration. BEAUTIFUL! I poured a 2 tone lure with both colors. It's been a week, and there has been ZERO bleeding! I will admit, it makes it more difficult to gauge the final color you're looking to achieve, but there's no bleeding at all. This is just my experience though. Maybe none of you guys have experienced this before. But if you have, try adding the dye before you start curing and see if it eliminates your problem.
Fomen38
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Mike - Alumilite » Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:34 am

Great info formen. Thanks for sharing your results.

Mike
Mike - Alumilite
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:15 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Fomen38 » Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:26 pm

Mike- let it be know my intention wasn't to bad mouth Alumilite's products. You are a great guy (who has helped me repeatedly), and your products are TOP NOTCH! Where your dyes are superior are their ability to multi-task. The other lure dyes a uni-functional. They can ONLY be used in soft plastics. That being said however, they have tailored a gamut of colors for their dyes. This really takes the guess work out of trying to customize colors from a limited range. I have noticed that when I use the Alumilite dyes with some of the casting resins, the colors come out muddled. I'm positive this is because of the chemical reaction that takes place in the curing process changing the color from translucent to cream colored. The dyes work GREAT in the clear cast resins though. The color stays true, and you need significantly less to achieve desired results. THANK GOD for Alumidust! :P
Fomen38
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:03 am

Re: Bleeding colors

Postby Mike - Alumilite » Tue Jul 21, 2015 11:16 am

Nothing negative taken Formen. Larry and I are both committed to expanding the body of knowledge when it comes to lure making. Your insight, experience, and views benefit that cause and we appreciate your input. We carry a large amount of colors in Alumidust and not nearly the amount in dye. We are actually working on expanding some Alumidust colors toward the end of the year as well as finally nailing down some bigger/bulk sizes.

Will keep you posted and please keep sharing your experiences.

thx,
Mike
Mike - Alumilite
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:15 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI


Return to Lure Making

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests