Most of us are familiar with plaster casting, latex casting, silicone casting and polyurethane resin casting, etc. But when it comes to casting and casting fishing lures, liquid plastisol is the preferred medium in the fishing industry.
So what is this liquid plastisol? Well, plastisol is PVC particles suspended in a liquid plasticizer. It is modified with the help of other raw materials to produce the results that users will require.
Plastisol comes in liquid form: it must be mixed well first and then heated, preferably in a microwave. Once liquid plaster is heat cured, it produces a flexible yet permanently solid plaster that will have excellent clarity and heat stability. Liquid plastisol formulations can be used for slush molding, injection molding, hand pouring, and dip molding for tube baits. This may seem a bit more involved than casting resin or plaster, but it works well and is also less expensive in most cases.
Liquid plastisol comes in soft, medium, and hard (but flexible) consistency, and the hardness of the plastic can be further modified with the use of a hardener or softener, as desired. This must be added in the required amount before heating the plastisol liquid.
Plastisol is most commonly used to cast soft fishing lures that function as artificial bait. Since they are designed to look like fish prey, they will easily attract the attention of fish. The look and finish that is achieved are such that they seem almost real! Sometimes the shape, color or flash itself is enough or even movement or vibration can be added to attract fish to the bait. Again, you can even have hooks to catch the fish once they touch the plastisol lure.
Some art supply manufacturers even offer all-in-one bait kits that can be used to make first molds and then plastisol molds of soft plastic baits. Even beginners can use these kits to design attractive fishing lures in different colors, textures, and finishes (by adding a dye or powder).
In addition to making soft fishing lures like fish, crabs, squid, worms, lizards, frogs, leeches, and other critters, plastisol casting is also used to make tool handles, refrigerator magnets, key chains, toys, and even works of art. attractive. And the advantage of the new and advanced liquid plastisol formulations is that they won’t tend to crack or discolor like the old ones! Better color, gloss and clarity have been made possible with these products.
But remember that while the new plastisol formulations have little odor, they are still not safe for the user and can cause burns or other injuries. Therefore, it is always advisable to wear protective gloves, goggles and full sleeved clothing to protect against accidental splashes.
So go ahead and mold even intricate and complex shapes with liquid plastisol!
