cadman

Sorry for the late reply. For some reason I am not getting any replies to my posts via e-mail and I don't know what happened. Anyway, the Ty-vek has worked really well for me. I now have them in all of my cups. Even in the most humid conditions the tyvek works. The problem I do have is trying to keep the powder from absorbing the humidity.

If the spoons you are referring to are lead poured spoons, you can have them chrome plated. This however is not a cheap options, as there are lot charges to do plating.

I bottom pour most of my spinnerbaits with no problem. It takes a little practice but it works well.

Hey Pete, Your post looks like a post I would make word for word. Kind of eerie. Below is the link you wanted to post, as I use tower hobbies as well, as they are one of the cheapest on-line sellers of D2T. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0095p?FVPROFIL=&FVSEARCH=epoxies

Yes Matzuo does make a black nickle hook, as I have them. I don't have any of the 500BP Eagle Claws, but I will tell you this, and that is EC's quality control is far superior to Matzuo's. If you are only making a few then fine, if you are making thousands well then the EC's might be a better choice.

What kind of fish are you after? Also as far as hook size, you should be able to fit one size over and under on any Do-It mold. On jig heads that small, you can probably go two sizes over. If I were to use a hook, first I would get the black nickle(platimnum ) plated hooks, this will alleviate any rust issues if you do not dry your jigs out thoroughly. Next I would probably use the Matzuo sickles, as they are extremely sharp. What size hook are you looking at and what is the mold #, this way you can get more direct answers from guys here.

Way back in the day about 10+ years ago, BPS used to sell the original "SkirtMaster" pliers. At that time I bought three sets. The guy who originally made these has long retired, and BPS no longer carries them. However you can get the newer version of their pliers from their website. Here is the link. http://www.skirtmaster.com/

Coats and Clark upholstery thread.

Yes, most guys use the 30 minute type. It has a longer working time. However, not necessarily 30 minutes.

Well I am actually concerned for your safety, and if I remember correctly you cannot or should not pour molten aluminum into an aluminum mold. First of all you may get aluminum to aluminum fusion. Secondly, the mold has to be a lot thicker than normal to absorb the heat. As you know aluminum expands the hotter it gets. Also pouring molten aluminum into an aluminum mold, will give all your crisp lines a softer edge. As far as I know steel molds are used for pouring molten aluminum. However I am not an expert. I will tell you this, that aluminum melts at about 1200 degrees, please stay safe.

The fan idea is meant only for the Loctite gel super glue. Do not use a fan when you are using D2T epoxy, your application time will be reduced drastically and you will only get frustrated.

Locktite gel super glue on jigs that are not clearcoated, and D2T on jigs that will get clearcoated because of the 2D or 3D eyes.

I don't know what price you are looking for, but try the Worth Company. They sell in bulk and I know they have size #2 with and without rings. They are an excellent ball bearing swivel. Their ball bearing swivel is on page 94 in their on line catalog. You can also e-mail them, to see if they have #1's

Well that's a different animal. If you are looking to tie hair, feathers and other material to make a dressed treble, than you should be using thread. It can be tied tighter to hold all that material in and keep it from shifting or pulling out.

I used to tie with thread and now tie with wire. I find wire is faster. However tying with thread, I personally believe you get stronger wraps. Anyway, I have a tutorial on TU somewhere, showing how I hand tie with wire. If you can't find it, PM me your e-mail address, and I will send it to you. I do know lots of guys use nylon quick ties, I personally don't like them as you can't get them tight enough. I also have some skirts made up with silicone collars, if I want to change a skirt on the water. Makes it fast and easy, but hand tying a skirt on is better than anything else from keeping the skirt from sliding down the hook shank

There are so many variables in pouring, that it is really hard to tell you what to use. You have to be able to pour what works for you and your molds, and that is trial and error. Also temp is a factor on how hot you keep your pot.. If you are a beginner stick with 99.9% pure soft as it is easier to pour. I do the same as smalljaw does. I buy my soft from Roto-Metals along with lead with antimony. I like all my baits at 70 % soft 30% hard. I find that the lead from Roto-metals comes in much cleaner than the stuff you get at the scrap yard. Also lot of wheel weight are a mix of lead and zinc, and I don't want to guess and separate the two, I find it a waste of time to sort. The way I get it from Roto-metals is the way I use it and I have no problems. However that is just my personal opinion.

Hey guys Thanks for the info.

I wouldn't say that it is "The Book" to learn from. It does have a lot of good information in it. The book is somewhat dated, but the technology on most of the stuff everyone still makes today is pretty close to the same. Nothing like asking a lot of questions, and the best teacher of all is "Trial and Error". No-one can teach you more, than you trying and failing yourself. Experimenting is the key and persistence usually is the answer.

Ok guys, I have a guy in MA, that is looking for non-lead jigs with Surflon wire in the head used as a weedguard. So I've been reading up and it looks like to me that Surflon wire and Sevenstrand are the same correct? I currently have coated Sevenstrand. Also some other questions for those of you who use this. #1 Will the coating melt on the wire if the wire is put in a mold and then poured with lead? #2 If the coating melts what do you guys use at the ends of the Sevenstrand (or Surflon) to keep the strands from unraveling? #3 Finally what is the easiest way to put the Sevenstrand (or Surflon) in the weedguard hole and keep it there, so I can pour my heads. I was planning on looping the wire around the hook shank in the mold, and having two tag ends coming out of the jig head, making two wire weedguards. Any help would be appreciated and Thanks in advance. Also non-lead, pours at a much lower temp, so that is a help as well.

The book you have although dated has a lot of good information in it. I think almost everyone I know has bought that book when they started out. I have a copy of it as well. I don't make any musky tackle, but there are some guys here that do. Welcome to Tackle Underground.

Yes, it does. It's like night and day using Drop-Out. It's like frying eggs on a teflon pan, it is that good. Anyone that is starting to learn how to pour, I strongly recommend using Drop-Out. It saves a lot of headaches for new pourers. I have (2) brush jig molds that were and still are a P.I.T.A to pour. Drop-Out has helped tremendously.

Exactly, why older molds are better. Much smoother surface, better smoother pour release. Comet would probably work as well, it probably would cut faster. I would suggest making a paste with it and apply paste as it wears away. BTW never thought of Comet, but it may make faster cutting of my hard to pour molds. Good tip Thanks

Yes, buffing the mold cavities will help, however it is very time consuming. You can use toothpaste, chrome cleaner, rubbing compound or jewelers rouge. They all have an abrasive substance that definitely polishes.I found by polishing certain molds, it makes the lead jig fall out of the cavity much easier. You can also polish jig heads. On jig heads it's not worth it because powder paint will cover up many of the imperfections.

If money is not an issue, the best melter I have ever used is an RCBS Pro-Melt.

I was thinking the same thing, and then it dawned on me, probably didn't melt because they are silicone and probably have a high temp rating. jcool3, BTW those do look nice.