Reel Repair by Alan Tani

I recently bought all the equipment and materials to make soft plastics and jigs. Made my first batch of stingray grubs yesterday and caught my first fish on a homemade lure this morning!

Very nice and obviously work well. After they get torn, I guess you melt them and cast a new one?

Quote from: MACflyer on May 13, 2026, 01:20:40 PMVery nice and obviously work well. After they get torn, I guess you melt them and cast a new one?

Yup, that's exactly what I'll do. I have a lot of old soft plastics laying around my garage so I've been melting them down to use for molds. I do a lot of night fishing so melting a bunch of lures and creating dark colors is perfect for me.

Congrats! Let's see some pics!

From what I understand they get darker each round. But the concept is cool. I've considered getting into it for a while.

Admittedly I could count all the fish I've caught in salt water on anything artificial on one hand. With fingers left over. As with many things, it's probably user error/lack of effort.

They come out dark if you mix colors. And don't melt any Powerbaits, throw them away. Trust me.

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on May 13, 2026, 02:36:27 PMFrom what I understand they get darker each round. But the concept is cool. I've considered getting into it for a while.

Admittedly I could count all the fish I've caught in salt water on anything artificial on one hand. With fingers left over. As with many things, it's probably user error/lack of effort.

That's funny, it's the opposite for me. I've caught maybe 5 snook on live bait and dozens on artificial.

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on May 13, 2026, 02:36:27 PMFrom what I understand they get darker each round. But the concept is cool. I've considered getting into it for a while.

It shouldn't get much darker on a a remelt unless you get it too hot. The vapors from overheated PVC is highly toxic, including dioxins and other nasty stuff.   The difference in temp between hot enough to pour and hot enough to be very unhealthy is not that great.

If you are going to melt and pour soft plastics, it is worthwhile  to do a some reading on the risks and make an educated choice.  Some mitigations include pouring outdoors in a non enclosed area, learning how to properly used a respirator with the appropriate cartridges that get periodically replaced.  I did both (together), but eventually  decided that my health was more important than any benefit I got from designing and pouring soft plastics.  YMMV.

-J

I'm mixing them with several different soft plastics that I used for bass fishing, which are mostly watermelon colored.

From what I understand, if you keep the temperature around/under 350 degrees, then you should be fine. I use a 700 watt microwave and heat the plastic in short bursts and wear a P100 respiratory mask, welding gloves, and a jacket while handling the plastic. 

Quote from: Jighead on May 13, 2026, 07:31:36 PMI'm mixing them with several different soft plastics that I used for bass fishing, which are mostly watermelon colored.

From what I understand, if you keep the temperature around/under 350 degrees, then you should be fine. I use a 700 watt microwave and heat the plastic in short bursts and wear a P100 respiratory mask, welding gloves, and a jacket while handling the plastic. 

It is good that you are looking to take some precautions.

As I am not qualified to give safety instructions, I don't want to get too specific here.  You will need to do your own research.  But here is some stuff to get you started:

A P100 designation of the respirator cartridge means two things: First, the P means that it is an oil resistant particulate filter. Next, the 100 means that it can filter out nearly 100% (99.9)  of PARTICLES 0.3 microns or larger. Not too different from the N95 masks(N=not oil resistant,95 =  95% of particles .3 microns or larger  filtered) we know from the COVID days. Only particles get filtered,  Not vapors.

There are also a variety of cartridges designed to filter VOCs and other vapors that a particulate filter is not effective on.  My understanding is that these cartridges generally use activated carbon, so you need to store them in a well sealed container or bag of some sort to prolong the lifespan, but you will still need to replace them on a schedule.  You also need to match the cartridge type with the specific chemicals that you are going to be exposed to.  I think that there are also hybrid particulate and VOC filters that will last a bit longer if there are a lot of particulates present.

Slapping on any old respirator ain't gonna cut it.

Here is the 3M guide: on selecting cartridges: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/639110O/respirator-selection-guide.pdf

And since air will follow the path of least resistance, your respirator has to seal on your face correctly or the fumes won't go through the filter.  This means a well shaved face, a proper size and fit on the respirator and performing a leak test while you are wearing it when you first fit the mask and and later at regular intervals.

A respirator with the wrong cartridge, the wrong fit, an incomplete seal, or an expired cartridge could get you into trouble by providing a sense of false security. I would be very surprised if a P100 is sufficient protection for melted PVC, so you might want to check this out.

And then there is dermal exposure.  Dioxin and other chemicals can be absorbed through the skin.  I don't know how great this risk is relative to breathing the stuff.

My apologies if you already know this, but for everyone else out there: once you start melting PVC in a microwave, it is not suitable for food.  Also, a microwave  does not heat the plastic evenly, so in order to achieve 350F after you stir it, some of the contents will have to be heated over 350. Some caution in the heating process helps but it is hard to not generate at least some overheated PVC.

Working outdoors, completely in the open, can help to cut down on the exposure.  There are laboratory style fume hoods that can be used indoors with a vent to the outdoors, but you have to know what you are doing to set one up properly.

In the end, I decided that I was not comfortable enough with my capability to ensure my safety. But I recognize that other folk may come to different conclusions.  There is  a lot of stuff on pouring soft plastics out there without much emphasis on safety.  So I wanted to put in my $0.02. 

But I promise to stop raining on your parade after this if you want to share your pours.

-J

No problem, I appreciate the advice

Well... after reading this thread, I am no longer interested in remelting all of my old torn soft plastics. Bummer.

Looks like using a glue like Mend It may be the safer option. But it's kinda pricy.