1 Piece Mold & Cast - 4” Swim Whiz
Here is a simple process for making a one piece mold of a fairly complex fishing lure. So here we go …
First we need to create a stand on the lure’s back which will help suspend the bait as well as act as the pour hole for the lure. In this example we simply cut a 1/4” tall section of a wood craft stick and glued it on the crest of the lure’s back.
Next we glue the lure upside down on the stand that was created by the wood craft stick. When using super glue, it is helpful to use super glue accelerator. Most industrial strength super glue manufacturers also make accelerator which enables the super glue to cure within seconds of applying.
Use Alumilite’s Corrugated strips to create a custom fit mold box around the lure. 1/4” wall thickness on each side is perfect.
Continue to make your mold box until it completely surrounds the lure.
Cut the remaining plastic off, glue the box together, and seal the bottom edge with hot melt to make sure the silicone will not leak out of the box.
Once your mold box is assembled and sealed (double check), mix and pour Alumilite’s High Strength 2 Mold Making Rubber to make a perfect 1 piece mold of your original.
If you have the ability to degas the silicone it is highly recommended as this will help avoid air bubbles (created when stirring) to float up to the back of the lure and be stuck in your mold.
Slowly pour the silicone from one corner of the mold and allow the rubber to flow slowly and naturally around the lure until it is completely submerged and covered by a 1/4” of High Strength 2.
Continue pouring the rubber very slowly from one corner. Do no move the bucket. This will allow the rubber to flow naturally and minimize the potential of air entrapment in your mold.
Continue pouring slowly from the same corner until the mold is completely covered by 1/4” of rubber.
Once the silicone has cured, you are ready to remove your mold box and base.
Begin by breaking he corrugated mold box material away from the silicone mold.
Now remove the silicone from the mold base.
Here you can see where the wood stick stuck to the mold base and left a small hole which we will use as the pour hole.
Optional Step: By setting your mold down on its side and using an Excel knife, you are able to trim all the flash edges off of the mold to make it very clean.
Put the knife on an angle and trim the convex edges off the side of the mold to trim them. Then flip the mold to the next side and repeat the process.
Peel the edges off and discard.
To remove the piece, we will cut a slit starting at the pour hole created by the wood stir stick. Using your index finger and thumb, separate the hole until you can see the top of the lure’s back.
Using your Excel knife blade, make a single line cut down the back of the lure toward the front of the mold. Continue until you get all the way to the head of the mold.
Repeat the process down the back of the lure towards the tail section of the lure.
Once the mold is split, simply flex the mold open to begin removing the original lure.
While holding the mold open, simply remove the original lure from your 1 piece mold that has been split along the lure’s top side.
As soon as the original lure as been removed, the mold will snap back into its original place leaving only a small slit opening on its back.
We are now ready to pour a reproduction of our original lure. In order to make it float we must use approximately 50% microballoons (by volume) in the resin. Here you can see we are mixing 1 oz of A, 1 oz of B, and 1 oz of microballoons.
This will equal 2 oz of resin and 1 oz of microballoons which equals 50% by volume mix ratio which will give a specific gravity much less than 1 which will allow the lure to float.
First we poured in the 1 oz B and now are adding the 1 oz of microballoons to mix thoroughly prior to adding and mixing in the 1 oz of A which will begin reacting and start using up our open time. Therefore we recommend mixing and making sure the filler is completely stirred in prior to adding the second component of resin.
Mix the B side and microballoons thoroughly until no clumps are seen.
Then add the A side.
In this example we are using Alumilite White which gives you approximately 3 minutes of work time to mix thoroughly and pour.
Mix thoroughly for approximately 30 seconds.
Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the containers well while mixing prior to pouring.
Holding the mold open with your index finger and thumb, slowly pour the resin into the mold until it is completely filled.
When you slowly release the mold from the open position, the mold will retract and purge out any excess material out the slit and pour hole at the top of the mold.
Continue pouring until the resin is all the way to the top of the opening created by your fingers holding the mold open.
Slowly release the side walls and allow the mold to shut and squish the excess material up and out of the mold.
Allow the resin to cure for 10-15 minutes. If you preheated your mold, it would be ready to demold in approx 5-10 minutes.
The microballoons will slow the cure of the resin down slightly compared to pouring straight Alumilite White with no filler.
Once the resin has cured, simply peel the thin layer of excess material off of the top of the mold and prepare to demold your cast lure.
Remove the cast lure the same way you removed the original by opening the mold and gently pulling the lure out.
You have now demolded your new lure and all that is left to do is to remove the thin layer of flash created by the slit in the top of the mold as well as cut of the small pour spout created by the wood craft stick that was glued to the lure’s back which created our pour hole.
In front, you can see the original lure with the screw eyes as well as the exact replica of the original that is ready to have screw eyes added to it.
