Tutorial: How to make your own trolling lures

So in part 1 we made a mould.  Cut 2 slits on oposit sides of the mould only upto the shoulder with a hobby knife. This will help demoulding.
 

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Now we need an insert. Decide on the size you need. in my case, the smallest diameter of my lure is 20mm so I'm going to make the insert 16mm wide. The head is 30mm so I want it at least 40mm long. So I cut a piece of holographic tape 17mm X 80mm long.
 

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Then push a 2mm straightened wire through a piece of 2mmX4mm tubing. Mine is about 120mm long I guess. It needs to be at least 50mm longer than the lure.
Slip the tube through the hole of the tape and fold it back to stick to it's self.
When positioning it, consider the length of the tube that fits in the hole of the mould and allow 1 or 2mm so the insert is well within the head.
 

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Casting:

Here is what you need:
Resin - Polyclear 555 from AMT. Costs around R70 for 1kg pack. You can also get the same stuff from NCS but they sell in 5kg packs and it's the same price any way.
Plastic cup for mixing in - These I got from party shop - 50c each
Something to stir with - Tong depressors still the best. - R15 for 100. Also from AMT
A scale - I have a 200 gram jewelers scale. This is really handy as it weighs in fractions of a gram to 2 decimals. I got mine on Bid Or Buy for about R200. So it isn't expensive. If you dont have one, you can use this guide. Measure out 50ml of resin and add 25 drops of catalist. Obviously for 25ml use 12 drops.
 

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I recommend decanting your resin into one of these water/juice bottles. Make metering / pouring much easier with more control.
 

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I insert the "insert" into the mould till the "insert" touches the bottom, then I pull it back about 1mm. Note the mark I made on the mould. That is so I know which way is top and bottom since I have a slant head.
I have used a very light elastic band to keep the mould together.
 

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Time to mix resin.
I measure out 40grams in the cup using my scale. Not noticeable here but it has a blue tinge to it.
 

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When you mix it, it will turn a green. Don't worry, it goes clear again when it cures. This is a sign to show it is properly mixed.
Then you need to let is sit for 5 or so minutes and it will expel all the air bubbles.
 

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THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIP: Once all the air has escaped... you pour the resin into the mould, holding it at 45 degrees. Let the resin flow close to the outer edge of the mould and then rotate the mould to line the skirt ridges with resin before filling. This will prevent air bubbles getting trapped on the ridges.
 

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There might be air escaping from the insert we made. these can be popped using a lighter. The same can be done to get rid of those last nuisance bubbles in the cup before pouring. However it will catch fire so you have to blow it out immediately.
 

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This part may seem tedious but it isn't. It really takes just minutes.
We are going to clean and sand the head. I use a drill to spin it and clean the head first with a rag drenched in acetone then I use various grit sand paper from 220 grit to 1000 grit. to sand it with water.
 

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Then sanding with water and water paper. It is really 30 seconds with 200#, 30 seconds with 360#, 600#, 800# then 1000#.
 

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Now polishing. This stuff is the best. I have tried everything, this is what you want. It will shine the head up in under a minute. Same process, spinning with the drill.
 

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