Most of us are familiar with plaster casting, latex casting, silicone casting and polyurethane resin casting and so on. But when it comes to molding and casting fishing lures, plastisol liquid is the preferred medium in the fishing industry.
So, what is this plastisol liquid? Well, plastisol is PVC particles suspended in a liquid plasticizer. It is modified with the help of other raw materials so as to produce the results that will be required by the users.
Plastisol comes in a liquid form – it has to be first blended well and then heated, preferably in a microwave. Once the liquid cast is cured with heat, it yields a flexible but permanently solid casting that will have excellent clarity and heat stability. Plastisol liquid formulations can be used for slush molding, injection molding, hand pouring and dip molding for tube baits. This may appear slightly more complicated than resin casting or plaster casting but it gives good results and in most cases, proves less expensive as well.
Plastisol liquid comes in soft, medium and hard (yet flexible) consistency and the hardness of the plastic can be further modified with the use of either a hardener or softener, as desired. This should be added in the required quantity prior to heating the plastisol liquid.
Plastisol is most commonly used to cast soft fishing lures which work as an artificial bait. As they are designed to resemble prey for the fish, they will easily attract a fish's attention. The look and finish that is achieved is such that they look almost real! Sometimes the shape, color or flash itself is sufficient or even movement or vibration can be added to lure fish to the bait. Again, it may even have hooks to trap the fish once they touch the plastisol lure.
Some art supplies manufacturers even offer all-in-one bait kits that can be used to first make molds and then plastisol casts of soft plastic baits. Even novices can use these kits to design attractive fishing lures in different colors, textures and finishes (by adding a coloring dye or powder).
Apart from making soft fishing lures like fish, crabs, squid, worms, lizards, frogs, leeches and other creatures, plastisol casting is also done to make tool grips, refrigerator magnets, key chains, toys and even attractive artworks. And the advantage of the new and advanced plastisol liquid formulations is that they will not tend to break or discolor like the earlier ones! Better color, gloss and clarity have become possible with these products.
But remember that while the new plastisol formulations have low odor, they are not yet user safe and it can cause burns or other injuries. So it is always advisable to wear protective gloves, goggles and full sleeved garments to protect yourself against accidental splashes.
So, go ahead and cast even intricate and complex shapes with plastisol liquid!
