the best way to?

[slabchaseroco.]

whats the best way to pore/produce plastic body's for jigs...crappie jigs ...

[backtocrappie]

Do you have any equipment to start with or is this a general question?

[slabchaseroco.]

I tie feather jigs with thread but never have tried to do the plastic bodies....I understand the concept with molds and mixing the solutions die, hardener etc, i've never seen the molds that jig manufacurers use to make them...just wondering if there was an easy way..

[BleuGhill]

Slabchaseroco go to tackleunderground.com. There is an entire forum dedicated to making plaster (or rock putty) molds yourself for small plastic lures. For more advanced and higher quality aluminum molds, there is a vendor there that makes/sells them. The easiest to achieve for a beginner will be a simple rock putty mold of a grub, that uses melted, recycled plastic worms, etc. that you already have. Tubes are another story. Lots of good info there as well on powder painting jig heads, fluid cups, casting jigheads with weed guards, tying jigs/flys, etc.

[backtocrappie]

Molds means money, lots of it. The cheap and simple way through it is the common name brands like M-F manufacturing, or Hilts. You can cast your own (replicate) in casting resin or fiberglass epoxy, plaster, or RTV. It gets into a little bit of chemistry and a bunch of money to start, but once you have everything it isn't too bad. If you really have money to burn you can buy molds from Delmart. They make NICE 2 sided machined aluminum molds but again then you need an injector and a real system to get going.

I pour my own stuff fairly cheap, but getting started can be a pain. Another trick I use is buying cheap baits at Walmart or Kmart and melting them into new molds I have. Beware, this is strictly outdoor work. I've done it with the microwave, the stove etc. and poured on the kitchen counter. No words can express how your wife reacts to that. Most important of all- worm plastic is extremely flammable. It makes a great fire starter once it transitions into clear gel form in the melting process.

[shipahoy41]

Molds means money, lots of it.

Beware, this is strictly outdoor work. I've done it with the microwave, the stove etc. and poured on the kitchen counter. No words can express how your wife reacts to that. Most important of all- worm plastic is extremely flammable. .

You are not flapping your gums there. That is why I now do chenille instead of plastic body on my marabou jigs. First of all it works extremely well for crappie. Second of all my wife has stopped complaining about the smell and the mess from working with the plastics that I used to work with 30 years ago. If I need a plastic and marabou jig, I'll get a Cabela's catalog and buy some in the 1.5 inch size. Otherwise I use chenille and krystal flash if I want a nice body on a jig.

[backtocrappie]

Second of all my wife has stopped complaining about the smell and the mess from working with the plastics that I used to work with 30 years ago.

ship, I meant to tell you that Mrs. Ship looks like a lovely lady to me. I got myself an old electric 2 burner stove I found and started doing my work in the garage.

[shipahoy41]

ship, I meant to tell you that Mrs. Ship looks like a lovely lady to me. I got myself an old electric 2 burner stove I found and started doing my work in the garage.

Thanks man. She still is after 38 years of marriage. I remember the first "plastic and marabou jig I made mack in the 1960's. I cut up some bass worms into about 1.5 inch segmants. Then I would tie my marabou on a hook. Take the "segment and cut it half way with a paring knife. I slipped that over the hook and pushed some aquarium cement into it to seal it all back up.

Worked pretty well back then and still does. (No mess.............no smell)

[backtocrappie]

Thanks man. She still is after 38 years of marriage

She has an unmistakable gleam in her eye, you lucky man.

I haven't done that style of jig yet and darn it I forget the name of it, but I always thought you pushed back the plastic with something like a hackle guard, then tied in the boo, or at least that was my outtake on it, and I been meaning to try it.

[deathb4disco]

I cut up some bass worms into about 1.5 inch segmants. Then I would tie my marabou on a hook. Take the "segment and cut it half way with a paring knife. I slipped that over the hook and pushed some aquarium cement into it to seal it all back up.)

Ship, I'm sure Lindy did the same thing with their Fuzz-E-Grub.