robbor

I just started making my wire bender, all 3/4" aluminum and stainless. I have 2 more king pins to make before I start on the rotary twister.

Im wondering about sprue depth on smaller jigheads 1/32 and less. Ive seen different molds such as a hilts that will have a much deeper sprue hole I dont know if the design was for velocity or extra heat to make the lead flow longer. Is it better to have the deeper sprue for smaller jighead weights?

A very good question. It all depends in my opinion but I do always try to have as little splash as possible. I recall a bass pro who gave some tips on trying to make as much noise with his jig as possible by bouncing it off of stumps and splashing it into the water. I have gotten a ton of fish from reaction strikes on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits and always try to have the softes presentation but i feel location is more the key then the subtle entry. I started fishing large trout imitation lures for bass many years ago and my baits weigh up to 16oz and splash like a boulder on long sloppy casts and they will still catch fish because the bait is natural and not like other lures being thrown. I have also fish smaller fish when a large bobber will send them all diving for cover and a smaller float will not.

Someone mentioned getting wire for spinnerbaits from mcmaster, i went online and they seem to offer many types. What type of SS is normally used in wire frames and would another type of SS be better? I know there are a few types of SS than can be hardened like 416 but i dont think dead hard would work to well and would not want to mess with tempering it.Thank Rob

If you go through with it you may want a library to rate the users just incase you get someone who doesnt treat your mold to nice or is slow in returning. I like the idea. I always wanted to find someone in my area who pours to share with. The only problem is now Im gonna want to make stuff I dont really need just because molds are avail to swap, doh. Next we can trade wives:teef:. Ill cram mine in a cardboard box asap.

I have used a cast iron pot from the thrift store on the side burner of an old bbq and a propane torch. Also you could wrap your hooks with lead wire, really small used in fly tying to rolls of solder. You could also crimp on split shots. What are you trying to weight or make??? I might be a better idea to find someone in your area who alread makes lures and has a lead pot and then just buy one mold and go over with a 6 pack and share. Another option would be to get a electric element out of a hotwater heater, you can buy new ones for $10 and then wire it up to a cast iron pot.

Ive never used a bender but am currently making one. Normally on metal you have to bend past where you want for spring in the metal. You may try bending the loop so it overlaps the main wire then tweaking it into line causing a slight force against the gap. You may also check stanley as I recall they had some baits that had a twist there to stay closed.

you may want to look at panther martin spinners, they are much better imo

Yes you can drill the lead heads. It will not drill well unless you use lubrication, transmission fluid, 3 in 1 oil , or what ever thin oil you have. I drill out a bunch of heads for 1/16 weedguards no problem. You could probably sell the mold and have to pay about $10 for the shipping and get any new mold you want.

Anybody ever hear about temperature of an aluminum mold used for hot lead??? Im wondering aprox what is the normal temp while pouring with a smaller mold such as a normal round jig mold.

I like the idea of red but past experience tells me it really wears off fast and easy. I cant bring myself to buy the red , I got black nickel instead.

There all all the question about soft lead. I have been trying to come up with a material cheap enough i can build the main ring/ flange for a vulvanizing frame with a 9" id and a 13" od, which would be about $50 for alum. I was thinking if there was anything I can add to my already hard wheel weight ingots and then pour a large ring for this project. What can I add and how hard can I get it??? any ideas?

Over on crappie.com someone showed some jigs they had made with Matzou sickle hooks and Mustad ultra point 32746 hooks. I have really been wanting to try the mustads. SO asked him what he though of the and them compared to each other. His response was that the Matzuo was sharper but the Mustad was stronger. He did saw he had broken a few Matzuos. I plan on trying both.

anybody have a picture of the valve on the bottem pour pot?

How is the kingpin held in and handle to it? I see what looks like a hole through its diam.

it can be done. I have built my own mold frame to vulcanize the silicone spincasters use. I vulcanize in the oven. I use cone shaped sprue formers from a jewelry making store. You can also buy a jewelry mold frame and then make up a top and bottem.

I want to say, when i have priced them retail in the past they were more expensive than Gamakatsu.

There is a big differance between a 10 and a 20. The biggest ive heard of was 16". As I recall the worms were about $3-4+ each. The big problem is getting strikes where the fish holds the tail and you tear the worm up. I bought a bunch of 11" form some place in texas probably barlows, they were in bulk. I know Ive seem plastic worm molds in 12+. 16" is huge no need for 20. I even made big worm on the lathe but never got around to molding it in silicone. I want to say its 14" with a replacable tail and the tail was drawn around a spoon so its good size, may reduce strike from the tiny fish a tad. I used to have a bunch of berkley 12" worms, I did not like them at all. Also Basspro sells their own 12" worms, they are good. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_15663_100007001_100000000_100007000_100-7-1

Although the poison tail looks good that is the one style of hook I heard a jig fisherman say that he stays away from. If you read enough you will hear about people bending hooks out for better hookups, the poison tail has a hook pointed far inward. Im sure they work but not need with 2 other jigs. I worked with a die hard jig fisherman, really good, supposedly won about 11 or 12 club tournaments in a row, I only saw him throw footballs. have fun.

practice will help with getting em out. I always had luck with dropping the jig back down and then jiggling when I feel resistance. My fishing buddy can ruin lures fast as lightening, he feels resistance and has no idea whether its a fish or not and he pulls harder until he hangs and then bends lures. I was always told jerks are free:lolhuh:, until I thought I felt a fish and set the hook into the bottom of a log 10' down, live and learn. Id probably get both a flat eye and football. You can always sell the one you dont like.

Time to but some powder paint. What is the best place to buy protec in 4oz jars. Any experienced in ebay powder paints that sell 1# at a time? Lastly are their any outstanding glow paints avail?

Im sure thats highly subjective depending on who you deal with. The guy I had make one did it in probably 2 weeks or less and did a practice pour and sent it to me to make sure I was happy before he sent the mold. I was really please with his professionalism. To many people out their give incorrect/unrealistic lead times and then never deliver on time. One my mold, I contacted a person here on the board. He did not ask for money up front, but rather on completion. He contacted me promptly upon receipt of my samples. We discussed the easiest was the mold could be to make, and he asked about the changes to make sure they were ok. He price was very good and the mold was 16 cavity as I recall vs all the other manufactures wanted to make a 2 cavity for more money.

I figured as much, thanks for comfirmation Bill.

Does lead shrink when it hardens??? Im thinking about a square sided shallow mold and wondering if the lead will pull away enough to come out fairly easily.

I built 2 but have not used them yet. I got a large compression fitting(2"), cut it in 2 and epoxied it to a piece of plexi. The fittings were from the plumbing section of home depot, easy to find right next to the tubing. I did have to spin the nut part on the lathe to make a groove for the 2" coupler mounted on top to keep the diameter the same throughout and then epoxied to the nut also. I wanted to try end make it easy to change membrane materials if needed and eliminate leaks.