This is Part 2 of this post - Click here to read Part 1
Silicon Molds:
I left off the last post after pouring the silicon mold. Pulling the mold apart is super easy and will leave you with this.
Now for the tricky part: pouring them. Heat up some clear soft plastic in a Pyrex container. These are availible at most grocery stores. Using a microwave is the easiest cleanest way to work with this small of an amount of material. Make sure and heat it up slow so you don't burn it.
Pouring them is a very delicate process and I guarantee you will mess up a lot. However, it does not take too long to get the hang of it. Remember: you are pouring the eyes lens up, so the top of your pour is the finish. A good pour will end up looking like this with a good covex edge across it.
It only takes a minute before they are ready to pull out of the mold and paint. Soft plastic paint is availible at Lure Craft on-line and is super easy to use. First paint the pupil of the eye with a small detail brush. I used black here.
Let the paint set for a few minutes then paint over the whole back side of the eye with the color of your choice, I used a silver pearl mix for these.
After letting them sit for 10 minutes or so they are ready to glue into your favorite bait.
Here is an eye before glue in the socket of a 3:16 Rising Sun. You will need to glue them in with Mend It Soft Bait Glue available at most fishing stores.
Cover the whole eye with Mend it and it will seap in beween the eye and the bait creating a very real look.
That wraps it up! The eyes are now permanently part of your soft plastic bait. They also have a soft, more natural feel to them.
FInd more great bait tips and tricks in the Wired Angler How-To Category
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