# Lead



## Black swamp hunter79 (Jan 28, 2020)

Who all likes making their own sinkers & jig heads


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

i pour my trolling weights , jigs, down rigger weights, oh yeah bullets for my cannon lol


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

I make my own jigs and sinkers nearly every year.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Yes sir, I make a few things with lead, mainly for the salt water but , the jigs work here to fo saugeye too.....doing it for about 8 years once I acquired 800lbs of soft lead plates from a job , all was headed for the dumpster ..... was several thousand pounds of lead counter weights 



































ok


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## Pooka (Jan 30, 2012)

ironman172 said:


> View attachment 340733
> Yes sir, I make a few things with lead, mainly for the salt water but , the jigs work here to fo saugeye too
> 
> View attachment 340729
> ...


Hmmm You have a factory going on there! lol


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## katfish ken (Feb 5, 2010)

I enjoy making my own ,been doing it for years . Once you get started it's almost as habit forming as fishing. The first mold I had was a wooden thread spool my granma split with a butcher knife. It work well considering the material it was. That's been near 60 years ago now.


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

awesome


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

I love making jigs and sinkers. I have made so many sinkers I will probably never use them all. I need to get some jigs poured though, went through a lot last year.

@ironman172 I don't know where I would put 800 lbs of lead, but I know I certainly wouldn't turn it down. Its hard to come by anymore. Used to get it for 30 cents a pound at scrap yards and now people want $2 a pound plus shipping online.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

BuckeyeFishinNut said:


> I love making jigs and sinkers. I have made so many sinkers I will probably never use them all. I need to get some jigs poured though, went through a lot last year.
> 
> @ironman172 I don't know where I would put 800 lbs of lead, but I know I certainly wouldn't turn it down. Its hard to come by anymore. Used to get it for 30 cents a pound at scrap yards and now people want $2 a pound plus shipping online.


Didn'ttake up much room , 20lb plates..... went kinda quick when making weights for offshore fishing for friends 3lbs each for deep drop weights plus many others..... free for me was shared





































Also 2-1/2lbs to weighted pier gaffs


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

@ironman172 thats awesome right there. I was gonna ask how you broke those down but saw the picture with the burner and cast iron pot. I had to do similar with a 20 lb chunk I got, I did it in my fire pit though. Got a fire going, put on old cast iron pot over it, and poured the lead into a cheap mini muffin tin.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Cheap is my middle name..... most if not all bought at the flea market or garage sale
I can loose many jigs in a good catching day of Spanish mackerel..... they can cut 40-50lb leader line nothing
Plus share with local friends that share with me when catching is lean, to get a daily limit
2.00 to 3.00 at the bait shop per jig..... it doesn't bother me loosing a 15 cent jig ....plus enjoy making and tying them.... something about making something and using it for the intended purpose and being successful
Getting into other things in my older age
When needed I have cut the lead plates with the portable band saw to fit the production pot


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## Star1pup (Aug 3, 2004)

Make my own jigs including the Road Runner type. Also sinkers including bottom bouncers and keel sinkers. Use powder paint on them.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

What was all that lead used for? tow motor counterweights?


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Counter weights for a Honda body lift system stacked in steel tube 4 total to get the bodies to the second floor 
I just got a small portion in the first day or 2 then I think it went somewhere besides the dumpster


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

I cracked up when I seen this ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. Lmbo ;>)

*Been-there-done-that!*
(then, I started to put the welding clamp up top, middle center, & Lower the chunk down with a wire or flexible cable. NO chance of tipping over! ;>)

& Now, I sometimes do what Buckeye said,,,, I fire up the wood burner in the garage (or outside fire pit,,, like 'free' heat) and melt those huge 'weights' & chunks down in a large castiron pot. Then I safely skim it off & pour it into smaller briquettes.
*
And for you beginners,,, those of you that haven't screwed up as much as us old-timers,*
*NEVER EVER put LEAD WATERLINE PIPE pieces into you molted lead pot, unless BOTH ENDS OF THE PIPE ARE OPEN! (& like 110% DRY)*

FWIW,,, another Once-Upon-a-Time Story; 
I acquired many 3'-5' long pieces of lead pipe,,, I had them sitting out back in an open drum. 
Usually, before I melt it down, I chop it apart with an axe, so the smaller 6" pieces have ENDS that are SMASHED CLOSED! (like a PIPE BOMB! ;>)
I turned away from the pot for 10 seconds & one of my SA friends decided he'd help!
(& he didn't even have on safety gloves or glasses!) He grabbed one of those pieces & quickly dropped it into the pot! * KAaaaBOOOMMMM!*
*I still have dozens of lead 'splatters' sticking 8' up on my brand new patio vinyl ceiling!* 
HE RUINED HIS PRETTY SWEATER, SHIRT & PANTS,,, he even had LEAD STUCK TO HIS SHOES.
*Luckily, No hospital,,,,,, this time!*


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I'm glad your such an expert

Not sure what you think your seeing..... the clamps keep it from tipping over they are resting on both sides of the pot.... im not a dumb a$$ ,unlike your stunt in your brand new patio vinyl ceiling and buddy.....
Most of the time it's cut inside with band saw in the winter
From 800lbs to now 160lbs ..... never have had a oops/accident
200lbs out of the 1000 went to a Honda employee to make ML round balls he shot compitition and needed soft lead

I have found the difference between soft and hard lead with friends donation on the pier


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

I like this pic, Ironman; I'm trying to figure out how you did the bottom treble jigs. What did you use for the 'bodies'?


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Sunglass tubing they sell in the bait shops /Wal-Mart on the gulf coast..... most use it behind a bubble rig instead of a piece of straw.... not a lot of success with it, just trying out something different.... worked ok behind a bubble but don't fish those to often.... thought the treble would help hook ups on short striking fish.... always experimenting with things

Also make trolley anchors/ claw anchors


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

OK,,, THANKS.





FYI,,, I found out that there is room to ADD a small dia SS wire along side of those 4/0-5/0 hooks in the DO-It jigs molds. So the Erie jig, Roadrunner jig & weight forward Erie Diery molds can be made into inline spinner harnesses.
I don't know if they will CATCH FISH YET?

,,,, 3 more months to go,,,,
What do you think?


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## Hookm n cookm (Apr 2, 2013)

Love pouring and sharing with family/friends. Everyone brings you lead when they get a nice bag of jigs.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

bustedrod said:


> i pour my trolling weights , jigs, down rigger weights, *oh yeah bullets for my cannon* lol


(Off topic, but still pouring lead ;>)
Hey bustedrod,,,,,, how'bout a picture of that cannon?
What's the ID,,,,, bullet dia?
Did you make the mold?

When I use to work for a living, I came across many 8' pieces of schedule 120 SS oxygen pipe, about 1/2" ID,,,,,, & an 8' piece of 120 black pipe with a 3/4" ID.
That pipe quickly made 4 black powder barrels,,, 2'ers & a 3'er.
I made some breach plugs on my lathe, threaded them in then welded the outside. NOTHING fancy,,,, a M80 firecracker fuse worked good for ignition, & a heavy RailRoad plate for a base.
Those cannons told my neighbors that the annual 4th of July CookOut party was starting!
lol,,,, I HAD a coffee can full of SS ball bearings,,,,, I NEED to make a mold!


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

A TIP, For the lead pouring beginners,,,,, & RECYCLERS. 

If you don't have a production pot, yet, & your kinda handy,,,, you can easily use an old electric stove top or even a small camper gas stove. 
(that's outside,,, even if you don't have a 220-230v outlet. ;>) 
Almost all of those electric, stove top electric coils are 115v. If they GLOW bright red, they'll work.
Swipe one of your wifes aluminum frying pans or 1 qt soup pots & your ready to go!
Melt the lead on one coil, & warm up your mold & lead on the other.
Sometimes, I'll also use a propane soldering torch to speed things up.

Pert-near everythings FREE,,,,, I like that.


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

And I thought I had a lot of lead and molds. My old molds were plaster of paris, and bees wax to prevent sticking, good for about 100 pours, then upgraded to expansion cement after getting a bad burn after the plaster blew apart. I still have all my old molds. Good memories I suppose. They are in my basement. 






















Back in 80's , if you wanted something different, this was how it was done...


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

This is what I have been up to the last week since deer season is over. Have two more molds, hooks, and tying materials coming some time this week.


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

I cover the inside of my molds with soot from my grill lighter. One time and it's no stick for the day.


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

I told my friend I want to smoke my molds with the diesel smoke from his (Bio-diesel) F250 cause it smells just like French fries when he drives it


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

I sprayed my molds with a release agent that I "borrowed" from a company I worked for in the mid 2000's. We used it to release hardened adhesive from tin testing plates. Works awesome and lasts a really long time.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

BuckeyeFishinNut said:


> I sprayed my molds with a release agent that I "borrowed" from a company I worked for in the mid 2000's. We used it to release hardened adhesive from tin testing plates. Works awesome and lasts a really long time.


Mold release is commonly used for injection plastic molds. Never thought about using it on a sandwich lead mold. Good tip.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

never needed anything on my molds to get the lead out .... YET.... do have trouble with mixed hard lead getting good turnouts, mainly around the hook cavity


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

The expansion rate of lead to aluminum causes lead to stick. smoking the molds helps. Hard lead is always more difficult on small molds. Keeping the mold hot is important. I polished the pour holes in my 1/16-1/32 to open them a little more, but it adds flashing that needs cut. I see it as an even trade-off if I don't have to dig them out or wasted pours. I also heat up the hooks.


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## LEADHOPPER (Mar 7, 2020)

Been known to pour some hot lead into a mold or two. Been making my own sinkers for years, getting into pouring my own jigheads and the such.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Looking around the garage the other day, thought I had 160lbs of soft plate lead..... missed the stack underneath the shelf turned into 480lb plus what's already in corn mold & almost 100lbs of bought soft lead at the flea market last summer..... dang better start using it up


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## Hammerhead54 (Jun 16, 2012)

I have a question for hatteras 1. What is expansion cement and where do you get it?


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