I need help. I asked for and received a couple Do-It injector molds for Christmas. My delima is the "fumes" that melting plastic gives off. I've watched many videos on this and some are done in basements with no masks on and some are done in open sheds or garages with respirators on. Almost looks like a hazmat outfit. The Do-It mold videos seem to not worry about fumes and "That Guy Skimpy" is in full mask. I'm planning to use Do-It brand Plastisol. Does the brand of plastic you use matter?
You do NOT want to smell the plastic, wear a respirator. If you scorch the plastic and see a black cloud, run. If I remember correctly that is cyanide gas. Its Highly flammable so have a fire extinguisher close by. Wear protective clothing at all times, you cant get the plastic off till it cools. Kinda like getting hot bacon grease on you, and takes months to heal. Does not matter the brand of plastic. Dont cook it in the kitchen or use the wife's microwave. Best to use in a well ventilated area.
Not sure what brand of plastic Do-It is using. Mar-Chem ( a high supplier) is one that also makes a water thin pouring plastic, you do Not want any water thin plastic for injectors, it will pour right out or spray plastic everywhere.
It will be worth your time to go to www.tackleunderground.com and look in the soft plastic forum. Read the thread DON'TS FOR NEWBIES.
Personally, I do plastisol in my garage. I don't use a respirator but don't stand over the fumes. You do need eye protection and a good pair of heat resistant gloves.
This guy goes over things really well.
Tackleunderground.com will be a huge help. If you get the plastic a little to hot it will smoke & give off some bad fumes. It's actually pretty simple & addictingonce you catch on. I started with plastics & have a fly tying vise now. Just part of the process of making your own baits in my opinion.
I use two box fans ,, one positioned to force air across my work bench and the other to pull air across and out the window, gloves and long sleeve shit is a must ,
I do not wear a mask. I use an industrial exhaust fan which I used reduce to 6" tubing over my poring pot inside and vented outside with
a dryer vent kit. I have NO exhaust fumes in the shop. If you do not have adequate venting, WEAR A MASK. I use M/F Plastisol
Here is what I use... Worth every penny!
I pour plastic in the corner of my basement. I use a small fan on the bench. I also open a window and put a fan backwards (blows out) for an exhaust. If pouring multiple times I may leave the fan on most of the weekend.
i would check into Bait plastics or dead on for your plastisol. Recent videos / reviews for these two plastisols show it to be very user friendly. Most plastisols need to reach 350 degrees for complete conversion, but will scorch at temps slightly higher. Bait plastics and dead on seem to tolerant temps near 400. This will make it less likely that you will scorch it and there is less need for heat stabilizer. Scorching is very easy to do during re heats and turns the plastic to a amber color and has a foul smell. The prices for these two are also very fair. I don't know much about the Do it plastic and have not heard of anyone using it. For that reason I would stay away from it.
I finally tried me bait plastics medium baitjunkys blend. One thing it is not is baitjunkys plastic. The medium i was use to that i got from Leonard who owns baitjunkys is better in my opinion. It's harder * will definitley be more durable then what the bait plastics brand is by all indications. I'll be going back to lureworks when this is gone.
I have used several plastics over last few years; Bait Plastics, Bait Junky's, Do-It, and just recently tried Dead On Plastics, wow what a difference. It is super clear, no bubbles, very low fumes, and does not yellow even if overheated. My pouring buddy and I both agree that the soft (not super soft) is the best all around grade as we pour for ourselves and friends only and don't keep several grades of plastics going in the same colors, we add softener or hardener if needed.
Some hints I would recommend for you: use a good mask as recommended harbor freight has several with filters, we use a range hood over our hand made pouring bench to vent fumes even though Dead On Plastics is much lower in fumes. Get good heat resistant gloves (I really like the Ove Glove as seen on TV sold at drug stores mostly) and my buddy got a pair of heat gloves at Harbor Freight, buy the digital thermometer from Harbor Freight very inexpensive and doesn't touch the plastic and gives good readings quickly, we pour from 310-340 deg F, wear long sleeve shirt and no flip-flops to avoid severe burns (I say this cause I've been burnt being stupid) this stuff is serious. Get a variety of Pyrex cups from 1-4 cups. This is an OCD hobby so your little starter kit will soon turn into 50 molds, 30 colors of dye, and 40 jars of glitter in various sizes. The best part is making lures in colors you can't buy, such as a RI Dirty Wizard or Paycheck Senko or Dream Shot so have fun with it and get excessive!
Baitjunkys plastic is Calhoun plastic with a different label. If you want the same plastic, Fringe Tackle is selling it (as Calhoun plastic).Originally Posted by Les Young
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