Most excellent details on lure weight and buoyancy force control methods while using resins and or epoxy with fillers, Thanks so much. You sir have a fabulous instructor presentation and demeanor. Thanks so much. Jim Rodgers
Great info..I just cast the front half of my first swimbait using alumilite resin..ugh way too heavy at over 2.6oz..definitely going to buy some microspheres
Huge thanks! The details are very helpful and not.over my head. I do fish in different water conditions, brackish, fresh and salt. Your info makes me think about the baits I use, both hard and soft baits. Thanks again.
I am having trouble with a glidebait I'm trying to make. You are the only one giving useful info on this topic!!! Ivreally appreciate it. I would love to send you some pics to see what you think.
@@fish2much12 I make a ton of musky size glidebaits. One thing I've learned is that the farther apart you position the weights, the wider the swimming action.
You are helping me learn so much! Thank you! But I still have questions,,, So,, if I wanted to create an object that basically sits on top of the water (yes, I know it will not be completely on top) but still be able to "hold" a lot of weight, would the buoyancy formula work? But further than that,, if I knew how much weight I wanted the object to carry without loosing any more depth of floatations,, how would I determine the size the object would have to be? Let me cut to the chase,,, I'm trying to design a boat/watercraft, that can carry at least 700 lbs, yet not have a draft of more than two inches, and also be extremely stable (to be able to stand up and move around without any, or as little as possible, listing). Oh, and this would be for two people. For the stability issue, I'm sure there would have to be some width included, but I've learned that certain "shapes" in the hull will also greatly help. I know boat building, and lure building, are not the same,, but, up till you, I haven't been able to find anyone that can help me with this buoyancy formula! Please, help!
Well you're in luck...I have also done some boat design, way back. It's a very simple equation to solve for buoyancy. Since water weighs 62.4 lbs / cubic foot, just divide 700/62.4 =11.22 cubic feet. That would be the volume you would need at the water line, with the boat drawing 2 inches (0.167 foot). You would then have to figure the dimensions of a boat at the water line and multiply length X beam X depth to get at least 11.22 cubic feet. for example; 12.5 X 5.5 X .167 = 11.48 cubic feet. Remember that the 700lbs must include total weight boat+motor+people+gear+etc. Stability is a much more complicated calculation but I would stick to a wide flat boat. Good luck,
If you are making your own molds, use Amazing Remelt and Vaseline as the mold release agent. The Remelt mold will come right out of the foam molding box.
I'm new to lure making but have done casting in the past. I've always used a pressure chamber when curing to reduce bubbles. I was playing around yesterday and with an 8% microballoon loading I get a density of 0.93 g/cm^3 when cured in a 60 psi chamber and 0.71 g/cm^3 when cured without pressure. I'm going to experiment a bit more today to see if, for a given microballoon precent, I can control density by varying chamber pressure. Maybe something like 20 psi will give me a useable density without bubbles. I'm curious if you ever use pressure casting and if you've got a target microballoon load and chamber pressure? I'm also curious if you have a target density, especially for topwater lures.
I don't use a pressure chamber unless I'm casting a clear casting. My concerns with bubbles are mostly avoiding any on the surface. For topwater lures I like a density of around 0.8g/cm³ or less. The two resin/microballoon mixes that I use give 0.65 and 0.78 g/cm³ respectively. Those two desities allow for just about any lure design.
first of all thank you for sharing this video . if you don't mind my question how to do a hollow lure from inside ? if I used a mold most likely that lure will be solid from the inside . I am trying to make a lure that is large and my computer simulation shows that am over the desired lure weight and making it hollow will help reduce the weight if u have made a hollow lures please let me know what procedure u used
It's not difficult to make a hollow in your lure that is cast from two-part resin. Simply create a chamber from a lightweight material like a plastic straw and seal the ends. A better method is to use a lower the density of the casting material. That can be done by adding glass spheres to you're resin mix. Watch this video for mixing ratio. And Goodluck, ua-cam.com/video/eqJIyzeJkVU/v-deo.html
Hi Franco watching all your vids lately… thx! I just started and used smooth on 325 with glass micro spheres but found it to be weak for thinner parts of the lure like the tail and lip, they break very easily and for I need them they hv to be super strong… Amazon peacock bass…. Any strong resins u recommend that still float a lot?
If you made the mold from a lure with a lexan bib then the bib is too thin. I would just buy some lexan bibs and insert them in the mold and pour the lure around them. Best of luck.
If pouring a crankbait (for instance), and you want to incorporate the lip into the master rather than adding a separate lip each time, how thick does the lip have to be so that the strength of the resin will support it without failure? BTW....love your videos and your common sense approach
Great video, Thanks for sharing. I tried to use this method, but i cant get my Lures strong enough. Once it cures The lure can be bended, it feels very strong but it bends using my hands, I have made 5 pieces and all have the same problem. They swim perfect, and have the desiewd weigh and doing the action that i need, but not strong, enough all can be bended. Tried both mixing methods, by weight and volume, tried different percent of Micro ballons and the results are the same, Im using Alumilite white and followed exactly the instrucciones, What can be wrong? Thanks a lot.
@@EngineeredAngler thanks a lot, I will contact provider. Reading your adviceJust noticed the B bottle have a lot of material at the bottom, that cant be dissolved, shaked a lot, and dont disolve. Label in the box is 2019.. Thanks a lot 👍👍
That's true, part A and part B can have different densities. I cover that in another video where find the weight ratio between them and use that to mix by weight very accurately.
@@EngineeredAngler just started watching your videos , i've seen a bunch already , enough that the dream of making a new creek chub darter seems a reality already .
What epoxy do you use for casting epoxy lures? Is it the same epoxy you use as a clear coat on your wooden lures? If no, why not? (Great channel btw 👍)
Thx again Franco, just out of curiosity, what's the resin that works best to get max flotation? I'm using smooth on 325 with nearly 18% microsphere and still get tail hang on my big lures... Thx aww
Excellent videos. Question, I built my lures using a 3D printer. The lures comes out in two halves. Does the placement of the weights remain the same? Is the resin to micro-balloon formula the same? I also found on another lure that Alumilite White makes an excellent joiner material for two lure halves, much better than super glue.
If you make your lures on a 3-D printer the density of the plastic will be very different from the resin I show in the video. You will have to experiment to see if you can get the lure to work with or without added weight.
I also appreciate the fact that you provide actual measurements. I'm curious about a couple things though. First, does it matter what resin you use? I have a decent amount of Envirotex Lite that I could use, if it is sufficient for this purpose. (I bought too much when I got some for coating airbrushed plastic lures). Second, I was considering using sawdust for filler, or even a pine cone (after seeing the cool lure that Solarbaits made) and was curious if your measurement would work for this, or is that only for microballoons? If the percent is different, would you, by any chance, know the correct ratio for sawdust? It's readily available to me for free, but the Envirotex is pricey, so I don't want to waste it.
I have no idea what the ratio of density between micro balloons and sawdust might be. But just go for it. Don't try to save the resin it will only go bad with time. I would start with the assumption that the densities are close and use my ratio as a starting point. I'm rooting for you!
I’m confused - which would I use for top water prop bait? Are you saying 8% is better for topwater baits? I can’t seem to get this right when adding a prop to rear of bait -I want it to float as best it can
Hi, very interesting video, thank you a lot for all your informations, as I start making my own lures, I wanted to know some things before : (sorry I'm french so excuse my poor writing lol) - Is microballons all the same density,etc... or does it depend of the brand ? - Your mixing ratio of microballons is (approx.) the same and would be ok with every resin or does it depend of the resin (difference of density,etc I guess between all the brand) - So if I rightly understand, in fact, on the final mix and body of lure, the lure would float much more on the top and less on the bottom due to the microballon and his density who make them go on the top of the mixing ? (that's why you recommend to put the hole of filling at the very top of the body's lure... but on the site I purchased my materials, their recommend to fill the mold by the tail, for a popper, opposite of what you recommend, and following all of that, MB would be much more on the tail) Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to read my questions and your reply and for your videos ! Keep up the good work ! Cheers !
First, thank you for watching and asking good questions. I have used the micro-balloons from 3 different suppliers and have found no differences. The specific gravity of epoxy resins are all very similar, 1.1 to 1.2, therefor you should not need to worry about the difference. For almost all lures filling the mold from the top will work best. But as a lure designer you should always consider the fact that the lure will be less dense near the fill hole and use that fact as part of your design. So a popper with a very thin tail might work best if the tail floats more. Therefor filling from the tail end could be the best method. Good luck.
Hi, you're welcome, and thank you again for your video,help and informations ! Happy to heard that you tried 3 different suppliers and no differences, it make the things more simple. I ordered mine on "Bricoleurre", and they said that their density is equal to 0.25... and after some search on the internet etc I discover that some local shop for carving, surf, boat,etc finally sell Microballon from Sicomin (d= 210 to 250g/Ltrs... I bought one to try) and an other brand I can't remember (they said no at the start of my search because I asked them about "light charge" based on the name they use on Bricoleurres), they also sell epoxy and Polyurethane for lures (what I bought first with them... and then decided to order Microballon, thinking that no one sell that here) , but they didn't knew that we can use them for lures lol I didn't think about the fact that fill popper by the tail would make it more stable, well spotted ! thank you for that ! I would like to make a kind of insert of Microballons, and cover this insert with aluminium/abalone foil, then put the insert in the final mold and fill with the epoxy with some pigment for the colors, the idea is that the colors will be always here, no need some paintjob,etc..., for weighting, I hesitate between put it in the mold with the insert or proceed same way of wooden lures and drilling hole, put lead then adjust... it could be interesting in my opinion, but it will be a lots of trial and error I think, as lot of people say when making lures and as with most things. One more time, thank you very much for all ! Keep up the good work Cheers !
question on measuring mixtures by weight. I coat mine with e-tex, and I do the measuring of the two parts. do some things have differing weights, which would make that method not work? I know that hardeners are usually more a yellow colour than resins, but would they pretty much be equal weights? it sure would make a lot more sense, and be a whole lot easier, to measure the mixture by weight, that's for darn sure.
Most two-part epoxy have the same density for part A and Part B but on occasion you'll find that they don't. Usually when the manufacturer tells you to mix them by volume there's some difference in the density of the 2 parts. But it's easy enough to figure it out just squeeze a little into a graduated measuring cup and weigh the cup, note the volume in the cup. Do the same thing with both parts using the same volume in a cup . If you see a different then you can just calculate the percent difference and use that for calculating the weight of the two parts next time you mix. ... Maybe I should make a short Pro tip video on this.
After I make a silicone mold for my lure but I don't know how many grams in total it will take to properly fill it with resin. How do I determine how much the total amount of resin I will need to mix based on the size of my lure? Is there a way of knowing how much I need before mixing and pouring? My lure is already 4-5 inches in length how do I determine the total volume of resin? Thanks😃
Calculating the volume that you'll need to cast your lure is a lot easier if you've already have the density of the resin mix. If you've watched my videos on casting lures you will have seen how I poor a test sample of my resin and then calculate the density. You should also have the volume of your lure. Of course if you have neither one you will have to do the whole process by trial and error. For a lure the size you're describing I would start with 10 grams of part a 10 grams of Part B and 2 grams of microballoons. Good luck.
Really helpfull, thanks so much! Why do you suggest to use a fast cure resin? What about the pros to use a fast one? What about the cons to use a slow curing resin? The resin that you use most, I see that you're experimenting with many different brands, is epoxy or poliuretane? Thanks so much for your valuable help!
I prefer the fast cure because it reduces the probability of the resin leaking out and, of course, to make more lures faster. I definitely prefer the epoxy resin...
Thanks so much, here in Thailand is not as over there in USA, I can't find all the products that you easy buy in shops or even online, I already explained why. Here I can't find poliuretanic resin but you said that epoxy is better, at list you prefere, more important and unfortunately, I can't find fast curing epoxy so I have to make work the materials that I have. Thanks so much for your help, I'm watching all your videos an thanks so much, your dedication is remarcable!
hello mr engineered i have a question for you i want to make lures for my friends in south america but fish there they have big teeth line dorado or tararira wolf fish i using all resin d60 d80 if i put my teeth in the lure is getting the marks in the lure what do you recomend stronger material to cast i a silicone molde thanks very love your videos
I'm using a two part casting resin that is harder than the others I have tried it's made by Specialty Resins. It's 65d and that's pretty hard if you're using 80d resin that should be as good as your going to get. The problem with casting super hard resin plastic Is that if you add microballoons you defeat the hardness. If you don't add the micro loans then you just have a block of plastic with hooks in it very difficult to control the action. I would recommend 65d hardness and let the tooth marks be trophies. Best of luck
@@EngineeredAngler thanks very much for the reply i will used AlumiFoam with is hard 20 lb i have not idea if is harder as d80 but i think yes i see the smash with a hammer and nothing happens thanks again i will text you if you want to know how is the foam THANKS AGAIN
Hi mate, what an great channel! A question if you don't mind. How do I find the relative density of a lure? In your video you your mix is 10% MBs, which is really easy to understand, but in a lot of other forums etc guys talk about mixing to relative density eg. 0.6 density. I know its vol/mass but how do I find the volume? Thanks in advance and keep up the amazing content!
Thank you for sharing a good content.. I have a question for you, instead of microballoon, is there something can replace microballoon to make my urethane lure float ? Microballon is rare and very expensive in my country.. Thank you 🙏
Love the way you calculate everything, I have a question I want to pick your brain on. I’m currently building a musky top water bait, Full resin bait. I’m trying to reduce weight and I’m not reducing wire size or hook size anymore than they are. First bait was 10% microballoons by weight, total weight of lure was 4.35 oz. By changing mixture to 15% and using standard strength trebles I’ve reduced weight to 3.85. Should I be worried about strength at 15% micro balloons and here’s the big question, I’ve pondered on adding something like a mini ping pong ball on my wire ballast to create more buoyancy, do you think this will work? Maybe I can get back to 10% micro balloon mix ?
If you're using screw in eyes then yes...high microsphere % can make the resin easy the deform so screw eyes can work loose. Use a harness and you'll be fine.
Wow...that must be a big bait. A ping pong ball is an excellent idea if you can keep it high in the lure for vertical stability (if that matters for the design.)
@@EngineeredAngler 97 grams total resin, it’s a two part top water bait. I did pour a couple with mini ping pong balls suspended on wire frames ( I have a brass tube running in rear piece I used) I added bb’s to also create rattle, it reduced weight by 1/2 oz. still waiting to test as I am trying to base coat over the resin bait with east coast epoxy but having issues with it not setting right. Not sure if it simply doesn’t like being on resin bait or what but it’s being a pain even though I’ve used it as a top coat several times. I want the paint to be smooth so that’s who I’m base coating with east coast but I may have to re think what I use there. Do you recommend anything to coat raw resin to create a super smooth surface to paint over??
Hi, there are many types specificy of micro-balloons for the application? or It's tge same? example fore the popper or needle? 30 gr ? 15A+15B+ 2,4 of micro?
The micro-balloons are all the same but, the percent you add can change depending on how you want it to affect your lure. I usually add a little less for topwater lures. But I stick to my 10% rule for all others so 15gA + 15gB +3.0g micro.
@@EngineeredAngler Thanks for the reply. I've already done some tests, and I'm going to do some more! I am afraid that my handmade lures could break in bending or twisting.
Aloha! Thank you for sharing your videos, they are very helpful. When adding weight to your lures do you just drop them in the mold and then pour casting resin? Or do you suspend them to be a little up? Attach them to wire?? Considering that the resin isn’t enough to give the bait the proper action looking for that is prototyped in the master. If have video of how you do this could you please share it. Thank you!!! Hunter C🤙🏼
Aloha, thank you for watching and for your question. I have a system where I attach the weight to my internal wire harness, the location is critical because my design usually needs to follow some balance that I've decided for it. You should check out my lure design and build from scratch videos it will walk you through the entire process. Thanks again
Engineered Angler Thank you! I gone ahead and poured some anyway with %8 MB and took it for a swim, came out perfect and just what I was looking for just from the weight of hooks. For reference if other builders are curious. Took 2lbs of Alumilite High Strength 3 for a 2”1 /4”x2”1/4” x 9” rectangle mold box. For a 7.5” Stickbait. While casting with Alumilite White found that 67g is the lowest an least resin to pour and 90g is the max the rest starts to overflow with 8% Micro Balloons. Mahalos for sharing your knowledge 🤙🏼 tightlines!
I'm trying to make a 2 piece, 6 inch glide/swim bait for bass. I want it to be suspending or very slow sink, but i also want the added weight and resin float forces to be very polarized so when i burn the bait it doesnt blow out. I understand that the only way to achieve this is to add more microballoons. Not sure what volume ratios you are using as you mix by weight, but i have read that 1 to 1 ratio of balloons to resin in volume is about the density of maple. I feel that is a good amount of polarization, but i am worried that this many ballons may lead to brittleness of the finished products and hook hangers ripping out. What are your thoughts on this? (Are the mixes you are using similar?, or maybe my idea is too weak?, maybe theres a different resin, or maybe your mix will work fine for my case?)
You are absolutely on the right track. A swimbait needs to have a strong static equilibrium between floatation and weight. My 10% mix is just slightly less dense that maple (about 15% less) and I never had any issues with strength. I highly recommend you switch to mixing by weight it is much more accurate and repeatable. Measuring the volume of something like micro-balloons is a bit of a guessing game. Also the placement of the tie-on eye is crucial to keeping it from blowing out. Good luck.
So, micro balloon will get reaction with resin and make some air inside the resin? So far i think put much microo baloon on resin will get more buoyancy. Which one is true?
Hello, I've recently started making my own baits with Alumilite White and the 10% mix you mentioned in your video, but am running into issues with bubbles forming on the top of my bait and leaving tiny voids all over the bait. I suspect it's due to moisture contamination and tried eliminating every possible source of water in my process to no avail. I was curious if you have any experience with this issue?
It is not likely moisture. I find that it is usually a mechanical issue, not enough vents in the top of your mold or the sprue in a less than optimal location. Put more vents in your mold...it will likely take care of it. Good luck.
The mix designs I offer in the video should be all you ever need for lure making. 20% will create a very week resin, but if that's ok, you can try. Good luck.
@@EngineeredAngler I want to get my lure under an oz. while keeping the same form factor. I’m injecting it into a 3D printed lure so that may work. I’ll test it and find out.
Question, why do you use less microspheres for a topwater lure, but more microspheres for a sinking lure? Also, if i want a topwater that sits nose up, do I just tilt the mold nose-up to allow for more weight in the tail?
Okay, last question first, no unfortunately you cannot use only Spheres for weight and balance. The irony is that you need to add the glass spheres in excess so that you can then use weight to balance the buoyant force with the sinking force. If you don't do it this. way you will end up with a lure that is unbalanced and unlikely to work correctly. The reason I use a less buoyant mix for topwater is that top water does not need as much top to bottom balancing since they are on top of the water not in the water. Crankbaits and twitch baits need to have strong opposing forces to keep them vertical in the water column and that's why I use a more buoyant mix for those types of lures.
I have only seen micro balloons in white but if you want to color your resin, there is a resin dye you can use. here's a link www.amazon.com/s?k=alumilite+dye&crid=17OAOMVO49K4H&sprefix=alumilite+d%2Caps%2C289&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11
Mr. Engineered angler. Really need your help. I purchased 1 gallon of resin from specialty resin. Mixed microbollons to 10 percent mix. Cast it let it dry for 1 week. Cleaned it with detergent. Added epoxy and there are a bunch of places that the epoxy does not stick to the casting. I made like 10 lures and all 10 had this issue. I even tried to spray primer and I notice there are some location on the primer never dries. I did this to 10 lures and all horible results. Any ideas?
Oh man...I know the frustration. I had the same issue with the specialty resin. I bought the black quick setting resin and it did the same things to me. I tried everything and the only thing that helped was baking the lures at about 150 F for at least an hour. Then wipe down with acetone and prime it. In the end I switched to the Alumilite resin...more expensive... never had the problem again. About three months ago I decided to give Specialty resin another try and I bought the white quick set resin...no issues with it so far.
Sorry for the long delay on the reply... The best method depends on the material you're using but, best techniques will start with: 1) not producing bubbles when you mix, gentle mixing, 2) If your material allows you the time, you can vacuum out the bubbles in a vacuum chamber before you pour, 3) Removing as many bubbles while pouring the mold by pouring in a thin steam. 4) Again if you have the time before the material sets you can put the mold in a pressure chamber (pressure pot) this reduces the size of the bubbles. Without knowing the material you are using for you casting its difficult to say what combination of the methods would be best.
HELP! I used your 10% formula for a glide bait. The head is total 32 grams and the tail is 30 grams. I did 10 of micro on both. I added weight and have the perfect fall rate. But when I twitch my bait it is very unstable. Why?? Please help me!
@@EngineeredAngler wow, that's pretty darn good. I was thinking about trying the Smooth-On Featherlite, as it's bouyant as is. Will be fun to have lures done and ready to paint so much faster.
If you're just planning to use it for fast jigging or twitching, 8% will work perfect. But if you expect it to swim or some other controlled movement then 10% allows for a little better chance to control the buoyancy and attitude of the body in the water. Hope that makes sense.
I disagree with your ratios. I was going off your advice but I found my 10% mix was always sinking, I went to 20% but it made it unable to be poured so now I've got a 15% mix that can be poured yet is still buoyant although once I add weight it doesnt float anyway but I just need to put less weight in. Otherwise great advice and has helped me greatly.
Well I demonstrate how I do it and how well it works on every lure. The thing is everyone uses slightly different materials and that can change your results.
@@EngineeredAngler bloody oath. Still a very helpful video. Your videos have helped me greatly in pouring baits to making molds and working out the nitty gritty. That's it we all get different resins and micro balloons. Was just pointing out something I noticed in making baits from resin.
Great content! Very informative. I just started watching your videos since I'm looking to get back into lure making, and this have been useful for me. Not sure if anyone else mentioned in the comments, but your 10% is really only about 9.1%. 9.5+9.5+1.9=20.9g total, so 1.9/20.9~=9.1%. I'd assume you do your 8% similarly, so that would be about 7.4%. I don't think it really matter what the actual percentage is since you've providing two mixes that work for you and your method for calculating. I'm just pointing out in case someone builds a spreadsheet with equations so they know to calculate it the right way.
Yes I see your math is correct and it's my poor description that makes it look like I flubbed up the numbers. When I call it a 10% mix I do not mean it is 10% of the total mix. Just that you calculate 10% of the weight of A and B combined and that would be the weight of the added micro balloons. This seems to me to be the most direct way for most folks to calculate their mix proportions. Otherwise the calculations gets a bit cumbersome for the average person. for instance, using my method if you miss pour part A and correct by matching it with part B you simply take the total weight and multiply it by 0.1 and you still get the correct proportion for the micro balloons. Hope that makes sense.
No..I make a point of keeping my mix constant so that the amount of weight is more predictable. Then I just adjust the weight for the rate of sink I want on the lure. The only exception is for topwater I use an 8% mix.
hello how are you can you help me pls howcan ı use Smooth-Cast 300 for topwater or Poliüretan Polyol - İzosiyanat rasın because both my wives are sinking in the water even though I use microballons ?
Yes...it's a bit Counter intuitive. The thing is I need more buoyancy for lures that I want to sink so that I can use that buoyancy to stabilize the lure body. Topwater lures just need to float. But you can just use the 10% mix for everything.
Yup...as long as you have the density of the material, wood, resin, whatever you made the original from, you can just weigh it and divide the weight into the density and you get the volume of the lure....
@@EngineeredAnglerhow the heck do you figure out the density?? one of my lure styles is made out of cedar, the other is ash. I weighed them and weighed out the same in casting, ended up not having enough, but was actually close. another big oops I did, was being too anxious. wanted to get a second mold made quick so I could do two lures at the same time. real excited to open the mold and see how it turned out, making it. it turned out great, until I noticed that something seemed to be missing......the keys!!!! totally was in a rush and forgot to make keys for alignment. it still works, but I just have to be real careful when fastening them together that they are lined up really well. helps that there are brick-formation lines all over the mold from the lego, so I use them to be sure it's pretty close.
I take a small piece from the wood I'm going to use, measure the volume and weight and then I just write it down. wood density can change from piece to piece so I err on the side of a little more resin.
I will demold a lure as soon as it is hard enough to do so. But I will allow it to cure for several days before beginning painting and final finishing. If I'm in a hurry I will bake the lures in an oven at about a hundred and seventy degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour to accelerate the Cure time.
Paul Sturgill if you are trying to budget to get started in lure making., I would budget a couple hundred dollars for all the material. that should get you through your first few batches of lures. As far as a cost per lure in materials, that varies so much that I hesitate to give you a number. if you're trying to figure out if you can make a profit selling them, keep in mind that your biggest investment will be your time. good luck
Paul Sturgill last time I calculated, it came out to somewhere between 45 ad 60 cents for an average size lure (2.5 -4.5 inches) but you can definitely increase the cost with fancy finishes.
I enjoy your videos, but I don't agree with your declaration that 10% is the end all of all ratios for all non topwater resin baits. I make larger swimbaits and find a considerably smaller ratio works great, requires less lead, less weight, and causes less issues with pock marks from the microballoons. Just my own personal experience.
Sorry I gave that impression. For top water I actually use 8%. But sometimes having a single formula simplifies things. the irony is that you actually need a more buoyant formula for lures you want to be subsurface and less buoyant formulas for topwater.
Most excellent details on lure weight and buoyancy force control methods while using resins and or epoxy with fillers, Thanks so much. You sir have a fabulous instructor presentation and demeanor. Thanks so much. Jim Rodgers
Very welcome!
Thanks for getting us bait builders on the money. Going for some musky swim baits, will need these numbers. You are awesome sir
You bet
Great info..I just cast the front half of my first swimbait using alumilite resin..ugh way too heavy at over 2.6oz..definitely going to buy some microspheres
Huge thanks! The details are very helpful and not.over my head. I do fish in different water conditions, brackish, fresh and salt. Your info makes me think about the baits I use, both hard and soft baits. Thanks again.
Great to hear...Thanks for watching.
Really good information, thank you for sharing. I can't wait to try it out. 😊🎉
I am having trouble with a glidebait I'm trying to make. You are the only one giving useful info on this topic!!! Ivreally appreciate it. I would love to send you some pics to see what you think.
Sure. Send them to EngineeredAngler@gmail.com
Heck yeah I will do that. Thank you for replying!!! I watch your videos a lot, and you give a ton of great info. Thanks again
@@fish2much12 I make a ton of musky size glidebaits. One thing I've learned is that the farther apart you position the weights, the wider the swimming action.
You are helping me learn so much! Thank you!
But I still have questions,,,
So,, if I wanted to create an object that basically sits on top of the water (yes, I know it will not be completely on top) but still be able to "hold" a lot of weight, would the buoyancy formula work? But further than that,, if I knew how much weight I wanted the object to carry without loosing any more depth of floatations,, how would I determine the size the object would have to be?
Let me cut to the chase,,, I'm trying to design a boat/watercraft, that can carry at least 700 lbs, yet not have a draft of more than two inches, and also be extremely stable (to be able to stand up and move around without any, or as little as possible, listing). Oh, and this would be for two people. For the stability issue, I'm sure there would have to be some width included, but I've learned that certain "shapes" in the hull will also greatly help.
I know boat building, and lure building, are not the same,, but, up till you, I haven't been able to find anyone that can help me with this buoyancy formula! Please, help!
Well you're in luck...I have also done some boat design, way back. It's a very simple equation to solve for buoyancy. Since water weighs 62.4 lbs / cubic foot, just divide 700/62.4 =11.22 cubic feet. That would be the volume you would need at the water line, with the boat drawing 2 inches (0.167 foot). You would then have to figure the dimensions of a boat at the water line and multiply length X beam X depth to get at least 11.22 cubic feet. for example; 12.5 X 5.5 X .167 = 11.48 cubic feet. Remember that the 700lbs must include total weight boat+motor+people+gear+etc. Stability is a much more complicated calculation but I would stick to a wide flat boat. Good luck,
@@EngineeredAngler again,, thanks!
@@EngineeredAngler would the material the boat is made with affect anything?
It would only affect the weight and maybe the center of gravity...the calculations for displacement would remain the same.
I love all of your break downs. You’re the man
Thanks man
10%
8%
I shall remember forever
Thank you
Thanks for this I was looking for exact measurements to start off with and no one would give it. So thanks. I love the videos keep it going
You got it....thanks for watching
If you are making your own molds, use Amazing Remelt and Vaseline as the mold release agent.
The Remelt mold will come right out of the foam molding box.
I'm new to lure making but have done casting in the past. I've always used a pressure chamber when curing to reduce bubbles. I was playing around yesterday and with an 8% microballoon loading I get a density of 0.93 g/cm^3 when cured in a 60 psi chamber and 0.71 g/cm^3 when cured without pressure. I'm going to experiment a bit more today to see if, for a given microballoon precent, I can control density by varying chamber pressure. Maybe something like 20 psi will give me a useable density without bubbles. I'm curious if you ever use pressure casting and if you've got a target microballoon load and chamber pressure? I'm also curious if you have a target density, especially for topwater lures.
I don't use a pressure chamber unless I'm casting a clear casting. My concerns with bubbles are mostly avoiding any on the surface. For topwater lures I like a density of around 0.8g/cm³ or less. The two resin/microballoon mixes that I use give 0.65 and 0.78 g/cm³ respectively. Those two desities allow for just about any lure design.
first of all thank you for sharing this video . if you don't mind my question how to do a hollow lure from inside ? if I used a mold most likely that lure will be solid from the inside . I am trying to make a lure that is large and my computer simulation shows that am over the desired lure weight and making it hollow will help reduce the weight if u have made a hollow lures please let me know what procedure u used
It's not difficult to make a hollow in your lure that is cast from two-part resin. Simply create a chamber from a lightweight material like a plastic straw and seal the ends. A better method is to use a lower the density of the casting material. That can be done by adding glass spheres to you're resin mix. Watch this video for mixing ratio. And Goodluck,
ua-cam.com/video/eqJIyzeJkVU/v-deo.html
@@EngineeredAngler thank you . I appreciate the fast response
Hi Franco watching all your vids lately… thx! I just started and used smooth on 325 with glass micro spheres but found it to be weak for thinner parts of the lure like the tail and lip, they break very easily and for I need them they hv to be super strong… Amazon peacock bass…. Any strong resins u recommend that still float a lot?
If you made the mold from a lure with a lexan bib then the bib is too thin. I would just buy some lexan bibs and insert them in the mold and pour the lure around them. Best of luck.
Great instructional video... exactly what I was looking for. Thumbs up, well deserved.
Awesome, thank you!
coming from a true engineer...awesome information
Thanks you.
Brilliant will do this exactly
Здравствуйте, подскажите пожалуйста какой материал используете для заливки приманки
What about a low floating or suspending swimbait? Wouldn’t the heavier mix make it easier to balance for a larger bait!
Yes...but you need to be sure you have enough buoyancy so the lure suspends upright...
Found the video I was looking for! Great information!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you.
If pouring a crankbait (for instance), and you want to incorporate the lip into the master rather than adding a separate lip each time, how thick does the lip have to be so that the strength of the resin will support it without failure?
BTW....love your videos and your common sense approach
3mm is a safe thickness for almost any resin mix.
@@EngineeredAngler Thanks!
Great video, Thanks for sharing. I tried to use this method, but i cant get my Lures strong enough. Once it cures The lure can be bended, it feels very strong but it bends using my hands, I have made 5 pieces and all have the same problem. They swim perfect, and have the desiewd weigh and doing the action that i need, but not strong, enough all can be bended. Tried both mixing methods, by weight and volume, tried different percent of Micro ballons and the results are the same, Im using Alumilite white and followed exactly the instrucciones, What can be wrong? Thanks a lot.
The only thing I can think of is that the resin you have is no good. Alumilite makes a good product but it is possible you got a bad batch.
@@EngineeredAngler thanks a lot, I will contact provider. Reading your adviceJust noticed the B bottle have a lot of material at the bottom, that cant be dissolved, shaked a lot, and dont disolve. Label in the box is 2019.. Thanks a lot 👍👍
Wow. Mind. Blown. Just what I needed to know. If you're even in Thailand, look me up and I'll take you giant snakehead fishing. 😊
That sounds like fun
by vol. you use exact vol. but a and b might not have the same wt. for vol. for instance i use a lot of 1 to 2 and it's 100 to 43 by weight
That's true, part A and part B can have different densities. I cover that in another video where find the weight ratio between them and use that to mix by weight very accurately.
@@EngineeredAngler just started watching your videos , i've seen a bunch already , enough that the dream of making a new creek chub darter seems a reality already .
Awesome video! Lots of great information!!
Glad it was helpful!
What epoxy do you use for casting epoxy lures? Is it the same epoxy you use as a clear coat on your wooden lures? If no, why not? (Great channel btw 👍)
I use a couple different brands check my Amazon store
Thx again Franco, just out of curiosity, what's the resin that works best to get max flotation? I'm using smooth on 325 with nearly 18% microsphere and still get tail hang on my big lures... Thx aww
I'm using the casting resin from Specialty Resins. Check it out in my Amazon Store
Excellent videos. Question, I built my lures using a 3D printer. The lures comes out in two halves. Does the placement of the weights remain the same? Is the resin to micro-balloon formula the same?
I also found on another lure that Alumilite White makes an excellent joiner material for two lure halves, much better than super glue.
If you make your lures on a 3-D printer the density of the plastic will be very different from the resin I show in the video. You will have to experiment to see if you can get the lure to work with or without added weight.
I also appreciate the fact that you provide actual measurements. I'm curious about a couple things though. First, does it matter what resin you use? I have a decent amount of Envirotex Lite that I could use, if it is sufficient for this purpose. (I bought too much when I got some for coating airbrushed plastic lures). Second, I was considering using sawdust for filler, or even a pine cone (after seeing the cool lure that Solarbaits made) and was curious if your measurement would work for this, or is that only for microballoons? If the percent is different, would you, by any chance, know the correct ratio for sawdust? It's readily available to me for free, but the Envirotex is pricey, so I don't want to waste it.
I have no idea what the ratio of density between micro balloons and sawdust might be. But just go for it. Don't try to save the resin it will only go bad with time. I would start with the assumption that the densities are close and use my ratio as a starting point. I'm rooting for you!
@@EngineeredAngler Thank you for the reply and advice.
I’m confused - which would I use for top water prop bait? Are you saying 8% is better for topwater baits? I can’t seem to get this right when adding a prop to rear of bait -I want it to float as best it can
With a topwater lure that you're adding hardware to (propellers) go with the 10% mix.
Great information as usual ..thank you
Hi, very interesting video, thank you a lot for all your informations, as I start making my own lures, I wanted to know some things before : (sorry I'm french so excuse my poor writing lol)
- Is microballons all the same density,etc... or does it depend of the brand ?
- Your mixing ratio of microballons is (approx.) the same and would be ok with every resin or does it depend of the resin (difference of density,etc I guess between all the brand)
- So if I rightly understand, in fact, on the final mix and body of lure, the lure would float much more on the top and less on the bottom due to the microballon and his density who make them go on the top of the mixing ? (that's why you recommend to put the hole of filling at the very top of the body's lure... but on the site I purchased my materials, their recommend to fill the mold by the tail, for a popper, opposite of what you recommend, and following all of that, MB would be much more on the tail)
Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to read my questions and your reply and for your videos !
Keep up the good work !
Cheers !
First, thank you for watching and asking good questions.
I have used the micro-balloons from 3 different suppliers and have found no differences.
The specific gravity of epoxy resins are all very similar, 1.1 to 1.2, therefor you should not need to worry about the difference.
For almost all lures filling the mold from the top will work best. But as a lure designer you should always consider the fact that the lure will be less dense near the fill hole and use that fact as part of your design. So a popper with a very thin tail might work best if the tail floats more. Therefor filling from the tail end could be the best method.
Good luck.
Hi, you're welcome, and thank you again for your video,help and informations !
Happy to heard that you tried 3 different suppliers and no differences, it make the things more simple.
I ordered mine on "Bricoleurre", and they said that their density is equal to 0.25... and after some search on the internet etc I discover that some local shop for carving, surf, boat,etc finally sell Microballon from Sicomin (d= 210 to 250g/Ltrs... I bought one to try) and an other brand I can't remember (they said no at the start of my search because I asked them about "light charge" based on the name they use on Bricoleurres), they also sell epoxy and Polyurethane for lures (what I bought first with them... and then decided to order Microballon, thinking that no one sell that here) , but they didn't knew that we can use them for lures lol
I didn't think about the fact that fill popper by the tail would make it more stable, well spotted ! thank you for that !
I would like to make a kind of insert of Microballons, and cover this insert with aluminium/abalone foil, then put the insert in the final mold and fill with the epoxy with some pigment for the colors, the idea is that the colors will be always here, no need some paintjob,etc..., for weighting, I hesitate between put it in the mold with the insert or proceed same way of wooden lures and drilling hole, put lead then adjust... it could be interesting in my opinion, but it will be a lots of trial and error I think, as lot of people say when making lures and as with most things.
One more time, thank you very much for all !
Keep up the good work
Cheers !
question on measuring mixtures by weight. I coat mine with e-tex, and I do the measuring of the two parts. do some things have differing weights, which would make that method not work? I know that hardeners are usually more a yellow colour than resins, but would they pretty much be equal weights? it sure would make a lot more sense, and be a whole lot easier, to measure the mixture by weight, that's for darn sure.
Most two-part epoxy have the same density for part A and Part B but on occasion you'll find that they don't. Usually when the manufacturer tells you to mix them by volume there's some difference in the density of the 2 parts. But it's easy enough to figure it out just squeeze a little into a graduated measuring cup and weigh the cup, note the volume in the cup. Do the same thing with both parts using the same volume in a cup . If you see a different then you can just calculate the percent difference and use that for calculating the weight of the two parts next time you mix. ... Maybe I should make a short Pro tip video on this.
After I make a silicone mold for my lure but I don't know how many grams in total it will take to properly fill it with resin. How do I determine how much the total amount of resin I will need to mix based on the size of my lure? Is there a way of knowing how much I need before mixing and pouring? My lure is already 4-5 inches in length how do I determine the total volume of resin? Thanks😃
Calculating the volume that you'll need to cast your lure is a lot easier if you've already have the density of the resin mix. If you've watched my videos on casting lures you will have seen how I poor a test sample of my resin and then calculate the density. You should also have the volume of your lure. Of course if you have neither one you will have to do the whole process by trial and error. For a lure the size you're describing I would start with 10 grams of part a 10 grams of Part B and 2 grams of microballoons. Good luck.
@@EngineeredAngler thank you so much
Really helpfull, thanks so much! Why do you suggest to use a fast cure resin? What about the pros to use a fast one? What about the cons to use a slow curing resin? The resin that you use most, I see that you're experimenting with many different brands, is epoxy or poliuretane? Thanks so much for your valuable help!
I prefer the fast cure because it reduces the probability of the resin leaking out and, of course, to make more lures faster. I definitely prefer the epoxy resin...
Thanks so much, here in Thailand is not as over there in USA, I can't find all the products that you easy buy in shops or even online, I already explained why. Here I can't find poliuretanic resin but you said that epoxy is better, at list you prefere, more important and unfortunately, I can't find fast curing epoxy so I have to make work the materials that I have. Thanks so much for your help, I'm watching all your videos an thanks so much, your dedication is remarcable!
hello mr engineered i have a question for you i want to make lures for my friends in south america but fish there they have big teeth line dorado or tararira wolf fish i using all resin d60 d80 if i put my teeth in the lure is getting the marks in the lure
what do you recomend stronger material to cast i a silicone molde
thanks very love your videos
I'm using a two part casting resin that is harder than the others I have tried it's made by Specialty Resins. It's 65d and that's pretty hard if you're using 80d resin that should be as good as your going to get. The problem with casting super hard resin plastic Is that if you add microballoons you defeat the hardness. If you don't add the micro loans then you just have a block of plastic with hooks in it very difficult to control the action. I would recommend 65d hardness and let the tooth marks be trophies. Best of luck
@@EngineeredAngler thanks very much for the reply i will used AlumiFoam with is hard 20 lb i have not idea if is harder as d80 but i think yes i see the smash with a hammer and nothing happens thanks again i will text you if you want to know how is the foam
THANKS AGAIN
Hi mate, what an great channel! A question if you don't mind. How do I find the relative density of a lure? In your video you your mix is 10% MBs, which is really easy to understand, but in a lot of other forums etc guys talk about mixing to relative density eg. 0.6 density. I know its vol/mass but how do I find the volume? Thanks in advance and keep up the amazing content!
I'm editing a video that goes into that subject a bit. It will be available Friday.
@@EngineeredAngler ok great, alert button clicked!
Wow awesome video, super helpful
Thanks for the information, very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
I am having issues with the bottom part of the bait not curing and its soft. Any idea where I'm messing up?
Poorly mixed, or a bad batch of resin.
another incredibly informative video. thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Is there anything you can add that would leave the resin clear instead of white? Thank you
No, if you want clear casting resin it is available. The curing time is substantially slower.
Thank you for sharing a good content..
I have a question for you, instead of microballoon, is there something can replace microballoon to make my urethane lure float ?
Microballon is rare and very expensive in my country..
Thank you 🙏
Not that I know of...sorry.
Thank you 👍
@@EngineeredAngler 7:07
How about wood flour?
For glide baits is good for 8%
Love the way you calculate everything, I have a question I want to pick your brain on. I’m currently building a musky top water bait, Full resin bait. I’m trying to reduce weight and I’m not reducing wire size or hook size anymore than they are. First bait was 10% microballoons by weight, total weight of lure was 4.35 oz. By changing mixture to 15% and using standard strength trebles I’ve reduced weight to 3.85.
Should I be worried about strength at 15% micro balloons and here’s the big question, I’ve pondered on adding something like a mini ping pong ball on my wire ballast to create more buoyancy, do you think this will work? Maybe I can get back to 10% micro balloon mix ?
If you're using screw in eyes then yes...high microsphere % can make the resin easy the deform so screw eyes can work loose. Use a harness and you'll be fine.
@@EngineeredAngler your thoughts on the ping pong ball adding buoyancy?
@@EngineeredAngler and to add, I am using 2 to 3 coats of east coast resin top coat as well
Wow...that must be a big bait. A ping pong ball is an excellent idea if you can keep it high in the lure for vertical stability (if that matters for the design.)
@@EngineeredAngler 97 grams total resin, it’s a two part top water bait. I did pour a couple with mini ping pong balls suspended on wire frames ( I have a brass tube running in rear piece I used)
I added bb’s to also create rattle, it reduced weight by 1/2 oz. still waiting to test as I am trying to base coat over the resin bait with east coast epoxy but having issues with it not setting right. Not sure if it simply doesn’t like being on resin bait or what but it’s being a pain even though I’ve used it as a top coat several times. I want the paint to be smooth so that’s who I’m base coating with east coast but I may have to re think what I use there. Do you recommend anything to coat raw resin to create a super smooth surface to paint over??
Great content brother
Thanks. ..happy new year
Hi, there are many types specificy of micro-balloons for the application? or It's tge same? example fore the popper or needle? 30 gr ? 15A+15B+ 2,4 of micro?
The micro-balloons are all the same but, the percent you add can change depending on how you want it to affect your lure. I usually add a little less for topwater lures. But I stick to my 10% rule for all others so 15gA + 15gB +3.0g micro.
@@EngineeredAngler
Thanks for the reply. I've already done some tests, and I'm going to do some more! I am afraid that my handmade lures could break in bending or twisting.
Aloha! Thank you for sharing your videos, they are very helpful.
When adding weight to your lures do you just drop them in the mold and then pour casting resin? Or do you suspend them to be a little up? Attach them to wire?? Considering that the resin isn’t enough to give the bait the proper action looking for that is prototyped in the master. If have video of how you do this could you please share it. Thank you!!!
Hunter C🤙🏼
Aloha, thank you for watching and for your question. I have a system where I attach the weight to my internal wire harness, the location is critical because my design usually needs to follow some balance that I've decided for it. You should check out my lure design and build from scratch videos it will walk you through the entire process. Thanks again
Engineered Angler Thank you! I gone ahead and poured some anyway with %8 MB and took it for a swim, came out perfect and just what I was looking for just from the weight of hooks.
For reference if other builders are curious.
Took 2lbs of Alumilite High Strength 3 for a 2”1 /4”x2”1/4” x 9” rectangle mold box. For a 7.5” Stickbait. While casting with Alumilite White found that 67g is the lowest an least resin to pour and 90g is the max the rest starts to overflow with 8% Micro Balloons.
Mahalos for sharing your knowledge 🤙🏼 tightlines!
gotta love it when that happens...cheers
Great insights
For making resin glide baits what’s the ratio
I'm trying to make a 2 piece, 6 inch glide/swim bait for bass. I want it to be suspending or very slow sink, but i also want the added weight and resin float forces to be very polarized so when i burn the bait it doesnt blow out. I understand that the only way to achieve this is to add more microballoons. Not sure what volume ratios you are using as you mix by weight, but i have read that 1 to 1 ratio of balloons to resin in volume is about the density of maple. I feel that is a good amount of polarization, but i am worried that this many ballons may lead to brittleness of the finished products and hook hangers ripping out. What are your thoughts on this? (Are the mixes you are using similar?, or maybe my idea is too weak?, maybe theres a different resin, or maybe your mix will work fine for my case?)
You are absolutely on the right track. A swimbait needs to have a strong static equilibrium between floatation and weight. My 10% mix is just slightly less dense that maple (about 15% less) and I never had any issues with strength. I highly recommend you switch to mixing by weight it is much more accurate and repeatable. Measuring the volume of something like micro-balloons is a bit of a guessing game. Also the placement of the tie-on eye is crucial to keeping it from blowing out. Good luck.
@@EngineeredAngler thank you! I can always count on you to reply.
So, micro balloon will get reaction with resin and make some air inside the resin? So far i think put much microo baloon on resin will get more buoyancy. Which one is true?
Microbaloons will just make the resin more buoyant.
Hello, I've recently started making my own baits with Alumilite White and the 10% mix you mentioned in your video, but am running into issues with bubbles forming on the top of my bait and leaving tiny voids all over the bait. I suspect it's due to moisture contamination and tried eliminating every possible source of water in my process to no avail.
I was curious if you have any experience with this issue?
It is not likely moisture. I find that it is usually a mechanical issue, not enough vents in the top of your mold or the sprue in a less than optimal location. Put more vents in your mold...it will likely take care of it. Good luck.
If you want a lighter lure, do you think 20% Mircoballons would work?
The mix designs I offer in the video should be all you ever need for lure making. 20% will create a very week resin, but if that's ok, you can try. Good luck.
@@EngineeredAngler I want to get my lure under an oz. while keeping the same form factor. I’m injecting it into a 3D printed lure so that may work. I’ll test it and find out.
Question, why do you use less microspheres for a topwater lure, but more microspheres for a sinking lure? Also, if i want a topwater that sits nose up, do I just tilt the mold nose-up to allow for more weight in the tail?
I must also add that I plan on making larger topwater baits that have a wide gliding action. Is it possible to weight that solely with microspheres?
Okay, last question first, no unfortunately you cannot use only Spheres for weight and balance. The irony is that you need to add the glass spheres in excess so that you can then use weight to balance the buoyant force with the sinking force. If you don't do it this. way you will end up with a lure that is unbalanced and unlikely to work correctly. The reason I use a less buoyant mix for topwater is that top water does not need as much top to bottom balancing since they are on top of the water not in the water. Crankbaits and twitch baits need to have strong opposing forces to keep them vertical in the water column and that's why I use a more buoyant mix for those types of lures.
@@EngineeredAngler Gotchya, that makes sense, thank you so much!
Very nice video
How much it take to cure molded lure ?
I like to let it cure for a couple of day minimum.
Thanks a lot for your video
I need ask if there was micro balloons filler clear or all is white color
Yes I use microballoons on nearly all lure castings.
Sorry I need to know if micro balloon come in different colors or all white color ?
It come in clear ?
I have only seen micro balloons in white but if you want to color your resin, there is a resin dye you can use. here's a link
www.amazon.com/s?k=alumilite+dye&crid=17OAOMVO49K4H&sprefix=alumilite+d%2Caps%2C289&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11
@@EngineeredAngler thanks alot
I have never seen clear microballoons. ...
Mr. Engineered angler. Really need your help. I purchased 1 gallon of resin from specialty resin. Mixed microbollons to 10 percent mix. Cast it let it dry for 1 week. Cleaned it with detergent. Added epoxy and there are a bunch of places that the epoxy does not stick to the casting. I made like 10 lures and all 10 had this issue. I even tried to spray primer and I notice there are some location on the primer never dries. I did this to 10 lures and all horible results. Any ideas?
Oh man...I know the frustration. I had the same issue with the specialty resin. I bought the black quick setting resin and it did the same things to me. I tried everything and the only thing that helped was baking the lures at about 150 F
for at least an hour. Then wipe down with acetone and prime it. In the end I switched to the Alumilite resin...more expensive... never had the problem again.
About three months ago I decided to give Specialty resin another try and I bought the white quick set resin...no issues with it so far.
Engineered Angler thank you so much. I did what you said and it works. Thank you
Sir can you put a link to the glass beads product or the name . ?
I use Alumilite microballoons
Thank you so much sir ! And thank you for all the information you put out 🙏🏽
what is the easiest way to remove casting bubbles ? Vacuum chamber ?
Sorry for the long delay on the reply...
The best method depends on the material you're using but, best techniques will start with: 1) not producing bubbles when you mix, gentle mixing, 2) If your material allows you the time, you can vacuum out the bubbles in a vacuum chamber before you pour, 3) Removing as many bubbles while pouring the mold by pouring in a thin steam. 4) Again if you have the time before the material sets you can put the mold in a pressure chamber (pressure pot) this reduces the size of the bubbles.
Without knowing the material you are using for you casting its difficult to say what combination of the methods would be best.
HELP! I used your 10% formula for a glide bait. The head is total 32 grams and the tail is 30 grams. I did 10 of micro on both. I added weight and have the perfect fall rate. But when I twitch my bait it is very unstable. Why?? Please help me!
Send me some photos...engineeredangler@gmail.com. And explain how it is unstable.
I sure will!! THANK YOU!
how many lures can one make from, say, those sizes of alumilite? i'm thinking about trying the casting now, instead of carving my lures from wood.
You can make between 60 and 70 average size lures from the 16 Oz each of A and B. That's using my 10% by mass glass sphere mix.
@@EngineeredAngler wow, that's pretty darn good. I was thinking about trying the Smooth-On Featherlite, as it's bouyant as is. Will be fun to have lures done and ready to paint so much faster.
If you know the volume of your lure blank (I assume ml is best) how do you determine the grams of resin needed per ml of volume?
Look up the specific gravity of the resin. Or you can use 1.12 g/ml that is a good number to get you really close.
@@EngineeredAngler thank you. I really enjoy your approach to lure making
So what ratio are you counter weighing at, or is that a case pure experimentation?
The weight I add is dependent on the lure and how I want it to behave. There's no fixed ratio...it would be nice if it were that easy.
I’m making a fast sinking stick bait for fishing tuna in Southern California. Would it be best to use the 8% or 10% in this situation?
If you're just planning to use it for fast jigging or twitching, 8% will work perfect. But if you expect it to swim or some other controlled movement then 10% allows for a little better chance to control the buoyancy and attitude of the body in the water. Hope that makes sense.
Engineered Angler awesome thank you for helping out all of us newbies!
I disagree with your ratios. I was going off your advice but I found my 10% mix was always sinking, I went to 20% but it made it unable to be poured so now I've got a 15% mix that can be poured yet is still buoyant although once I add weight it doesnt float anyway but I just need to put less weight in. Otherwise great advice and has helped me greatly.
Well I demonstrate how I do it and how well it works on every lure. The thing is everyone uses slightly different materials and that can change your results.
@@EngineeredAngler bloody oath. Still a very helpful video. Your videos have helped me greatly in pouring baits to making molds and working out the nitty gritty. That's it we all get different resins and micro balloons. Was just pointing out something I noticed in making baits from resin.
Great content! Very informative. I just started watching your videos since I'm looking to get back into lure making, and this have been useful for me.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned in the comments, but your 10% is really only about 9.1%. 9.5+9.5+1.9=20.9g total, so 1.9/20.9~=9.1%. I'd assume you do your 8% similarly, so that would be about 7.4%. I don't think it really matter what the actual percentage is since you've providing two mixes that work for you and your method for calculating. I'm just pointing out in case someone builds a spreadsheet with equations so they know to calculate it the right way.
Yes I see your math is correct and it's my poor description that makes it look like I flubbed up the numbers. When I call it a 10% mix I do not mean it is 10% of the total mix. Just that you calculate 10% of the weight of A and B combined and that would be the weight of the added micro balloons. This seems to me to be the most direct way for most folks to calculate their mix proportions. Otherwise the calculations gets a bit cumbersome for the average person. for instance, using my method if you miss pour part A and correct by matching it with part B you simply take the total weight and multiply it by 0.1 and you still get the correct proportion for the micro balloons. Hope that makes sense.
Is the specialty resin a polyurethane or epoxy resin? Please link it if you can.
Specialty Resins casting resin:
specialtyresin.com/product/model-pro-white/
@@EngineeredAngler Thank you!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
does the 10% mix not vary for wether you want the lure to be shallow diving or deep diving?
No..I make a point of keeping my mix constant so that the amount of weight is more predictable. Then I just adjust the weight for the rate of sink I want on the lure.
The only exception is for topwater I use an 8% mix.
hello how are you can you help me pls howcan ı use Smooth-Cast 300 for topwater or Poliüretan Polyol - İzosiyanat rasın because both my wives are sinking in the water even though I use microballons ?
You must use more micro balloons
What was the name of the product for the Specialty brand? I was a the website but don’t know what gallons to pick. Thank you
Specialty resins is the manufacturer, and I'm using their MODEL PRO OFF WHITE
I usually only get the small bottles.
Engineered Angler thank you! You inspired me to make my own baits. Going for a topwater (walking through the dog)
Can you use polyuréthane
Do you mean as a casting resin? If so, yes you can. I use 2-part polyurethane resin for all my castings.
You say the 8% mix is for top water, but wouldn't the 10% mix be more buoyant?
Yes...it's a bit Counter intuitive. The thing is I need more buoyancy for lures that I want to sink so that I can use that buoyancy to stabilize the lure body. Topwater lures just need to float. But you can just use the 10% mix for everything.
@@EngineeredAngler you are the best technical guy doing this stuff!!! Thanks for the quick reply. I love your content 🙌🤙👌
What type of Resin use
CASTING resin
Or
Epoxy resin
Casting resin.
@@EngineeredAngler
Thanks
Can i use
Table top resin
and
Art resin
Have you tried in soft bait?
Sure, check out my videos....
Imade apopper out of epoxy resin with a mould and then drilled out the centre
just watched the video again. so, to figure out how much mixture needed for the casting, you just weigh the original lure?
Yup...as long as you have the density of the material, wood, resin, whatever you made the original from, you can just weigh it and divide the weight into the density and you get the volume of the lure....
@@EngineeredAnglerhow the heck do you figure out the density?? one of my lure styles is made out of cedar, the other is ash. I weighed them and weighed out the same in casting, ended up not having enough, but was actually close.
another big oops I did, was being too anxious. wanted to get a second mold made quick so I could do two lures at the same time. real excited to open the mold and see how it turned out, making it. it turned out great, until I noticed that something seemed to be missing......the keys!!!! totally was in a rush and forgot to make keys for alignment. it still works, but I just have to be real careful when fastening them together that they are lined up really well. helps that there are brick-formation lines all over the mold from the lego, so I use them to be sure it's pretty close.
I take a small piece from the wood I'm going to use, measure the volume and weight and then I just write it down. wood density can change from piece to piece so I err on the side of a little more resin.
Put a video of the blaze test of this bait and it definitely does not have a good blaze because it is epoxy
But suppose u want the lure to remain transparent u cant add the filler
Thank you it’s very helpfull...
Just wondering, what kind of density do you get with the 10% mixture?
I do the density test on this video...check it out.
ua-cam.com/video/j5p9vBS8BgE/v-deo.html
How long you let it setup for?
I will demold a lure as soon as it is hard enough to do so. But I will allow it to cure for several days before beginning painting and final finishing. If I'm in a hurry I will bake the lures in an oven at about a hundred and seventy degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour to accelerate the Cure time.
Thanks for the help
After getting all the materials, what does it generally cost to make one lure? Mold material, resin, beads... just the materials for the lure?
Paul Sturgill
if you are trying to budget to get started in lure making., I would budget a couple hundred dollars for all the material. that should get you through your first few batches of lures. As far as a cost per lure in materials, that varies so much that I hesitate to give you a number. if you're trying to figure out if you can make a profit selling them, keep in mind that your biggest investment will be your time. good luck
Everything they promote as materials for lure making can be made yourself out of simple kitchen supplies. And molding materials also.
Paul Sturgill
last time I calculated, it came out to somewhere between 45 ad 60 cents for an average size lure (2.5 -4.5 inches) but you can definitely increase the cost with fancy finishes.
Pay the man comment
I'm impressively horrible at math, this helps me to no end. Thank you
no sound
hummm...there's sound when I played it....
I got sound as well
plenty of sound here too.
I enjoy your videos, but I don't agree with your declaration that 10% is the end all of all ratios for all non topwater resin baits. I make larger swimbaits and find a considerably smaller ratio works great, requires less lead, less weight, and causes less issues with pock marks from the microballoons. Just my own personal experience.
Sorry I gave that impression. For top water I actually use 8%. But sometimes having a single formula simplifies things. the irony is that you actually need a more buoyant formula for lures you want to be subsurface and less buoyant formulas for topwater.
@@EngineeredAngler agree for sure. I've learned that the hard way :)