BLT

Well, to answer that question.....those of us that sell tackle know that some/most times it's not what the fish like, but what the person buying it likes. Maybe I should say that fish are not as picky about rigs as the person buying it is. Fancy/pretty sells.

If you don't plan on doing that many jigs, get the smaller one. No need to pay to heat up 20# if you aren't going to be pouring that much at one sitting. I have the RCBS 22# pot, and almost never fill it past half way when I'm using it. Even if I am pouring sinkers, say 1 oz'ers, I do around 500 in a session and still don't go over 1/2 way.

I just can't get the hang of wearing the gloves for mold casting. I use a bottom pour also. Now when rough melting to make the ingots, I wear protection. Have a few small battle scars.

I should have mentioned all the smoke that puts out. Can get pretty bad. I just had a few back xrays done, forgot all about asking them if they had any lead there. Takes a lot of dental xrays to make a pound of lead!

When melting the lead to make the ingots, my Dad laughed when I used a section of plywood and held it between me and the pot on the turkey fryer stand when I was feeding old lead pipes in. Never had an explosion, but when doing the rough led into ingots, that is the most dangerous time to me. I have the pot wired very tight to the fryer also so it 'taint going anywhere. Any one here ever skim off the slag, then toss a very small piece of white candle wax into the pot to burn off even more impurities? Seen several people do it, and it does bring more stuff up. On a side note, got some of that lead sheeting from the dentist the other day, that stuff is thin! Just have to make sure they pulled all the paper "pull tabs" off before melting.

My understanding is if you sell $100 worth of tackle, you owe $10 tax. If you want to buy tackle from a Company that will not knock off 10%, find someone else to deal with. (If you are registered)

Haven't had an issue yet.

I still use a drill press and run a bit through the eye. Can do a lot of them very fast. Then again, I run a bit through my bank sinkers I sell with my rigs also, file/sand my jigs where the spru was cut off before coating.....I guess I'm anal, but the tackle sells.

Try this link Bud. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1412 http://http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1412

I use a q-tip to apply it where needed, the the 000 steelwool, only pressing hard enough to get rid of black stuff. Never had any issues with smell. If you do, I'll bet it's gone after the first pour. If you are worried about that, try any grease remover, like "greased lightning" with the steelwool.

I've used the kerosene and 000 steelwool with no problems.

Thanks for the little blue bender tip. I am just starting to make Mullet rigs, and needed to know how to twist the wire for the eyelets.

Old lead water pipes always worry me. They sat for over a year in the garage, and I still used a big hunk of plywood as a shield lol.

Wow, hope you aren't to bad off. I have one lead battle scar. I have my own mishap but with a hook. I buried a 1/0 mustad wide gap into thetip of my thumb Friday. Went a little over 1/2" in, and that hook has a very nice barb lol. Couldn't push it throught because it was hitting the bone, soooooooooo, pulled it out. (At doctors)

I get a lot of stuff from Sea mar tackle Co. Sea Mar Tackle Co Inc 1424 W Allen Street Allentown PA 18102-2146 U.S.A. 1-877-347-4718 Or try http://www.finstrike.com/ I don't get everything there, but do get some items.

Have the RCBS and love it. I also get the "drips" some times. I had a Lees givin to me, but haven't used it yet. Cheapest price I've seen was just under $300 for the 110 volt rcbs.

Ding ding ding, I think we have a winner lol. I don't know why I was having a brain fart with that one!

I use a drill press for any holes I need to clean out. If you do have that, check out the hand held bit holders, not sure what the tech name is, but they look like a pen. Holds the bits really well, easy to use if your not doing production mode tackle making. I even run my bank sinker eyes through the drill press just to clean them up. Doubt any of my customers notice, but I do lol.

Man....and here I was happy getting 250#'s of plumbers lead for $.25/lb. You scored really well!

I have seen many guys using unpainted jigs, and catching just as many fish as anyone else around them. What you have on the jig, and presentation may be more important.

Link for a good how to article for de-boning/curing your own bucktails. It's from another forum. Hope it helps someone out. http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=452159&highlight=winter

Pretty much what C-man said. I sell tackle also.

I do a lot of pouring, and when I need a lot done, I use...I'm pulling a brain fart here lol, one of those metal cyclinders for a drill press that you glue sand paper to, put it on low and use that to clean up the edge. If only doing a few items, file.

I don't do it, but my Dad had one of those oven/range hoods with the fan/light combo right over where he poured the molds at the work bench. Had a dryer hose running from the range hood to the window. Worked pretty good.

I just flip my toaster oven upside down, use the rack in it to hang jigs. Others are right, the great river rock monsters just seem to grab those jigs!