Fatman

Way to go GY!!!! lineinwater, if you pay'd by Pay Pal you might have some recourse but you'd have to file a claim to find out. If by money order the only thing you could do is give the Post Office or Western Union or whoever the money order was through the number and have them track it. When it was cashed in someone had to sign to get the funds from it. Fatman

Barlows is probably charging alot for them as they're the only ones who have them right now. You'd think mustad would kick up production with as many as their are looking for them. Fatman

Great baits out of a spray can!!!!!!!! Wish I had the patientence. Fatman

The small bottle I have I got years ago at a pharmacy. Fatman

MstormC Welcome aboard, you are now officially in trouble You have been hooked and can't get away!!! Great bunch of folks here and all are willing to help. Fatman

Keith Happy Belated Birthday!!!!!!!!! Fatman

Man when I first read the title of this thread I was thinking WHAT!!!!!!! but now I see your talking about how you modify them for yourself. I've been using the old Pro Comp II rods for years and love them!!!!!! Fatman

Northern rib Yeah the Indistructable is a really nice rod!!!! Make sure you keep the sales receipt and card that come on the rod, cause if it ever breaks you just send it back and get a new one shipping is $5.99 but that's cheap for postage. Here's the site for the Flying Lure, I'm still trying to make a mold for the jig heads but I'll get it right sooner or later. Fatman

I can see both sides of the coin but I'm gonna have to be one of the ones who'll lose out too. Between Bankruptcy, a car that blew an engine and cannot be fixed and many many medical bills the $4.99 a month even the discount put it out of my reach. Thanks to everyone who's given their knowledge and tips, it is much appreciated. For the folks I've purchased from don't worry I still have your regular emails and when I need more and can afford it I'll be back. I'll be logging in as long as I can, but the site will be greatly missed. Fatman (Doug Palone)

Turkeylegs, If you're using a bottom pouring pot I'd recommend emptying it after your done, but that's ME. There have been threads here on TU about bottom pouring pots that continually dripped, and if you've never gotten tinged with one consider yourself lucky. If your leaving the lead in the pot the pour hole is completly solidifying and it takes a while for it to clear and you'll most likely end up with the spout dripping. The amount of time it takes me to clean the pot is well worth it, and most of it is done AFTER the pot is already cold again. Now I had one of the old hot pots with the handle that you tipped and poured your lead with and I personnally believe that I did alot of damage to the heating coils by leaving the lead in it. But, it's your pot and it's your decision whether to leave the lead in or not, I have two of the Production Pot IV's and one is for smelting, although with my cleaning method I can use if for pouring if I want. I've had them for over 20 years now and not a problem with either one. Fatman

Bass, Thanks for that Hedron link, I saw it last week and just got the catalouge, pretty good prices and all sizes. Thanks, Fatman

If it's from car batteries if I'm reading it right, most lead from car batteries is about 85-87 percent lead, with a mixture of anti-mony and some tin. It is usable for bigger sinkers and jigs and if you mix a little tire weight or a small amount of pure there is no reason you can't use it. Make sure you melt it outdoors to smelt it all down and clean it up, it will most likely smell while you're doing it but the resultant lead will be fine. Once you have it all cleaned you can try it in whatever molds you have and have a list of what types work best in those molds. Check out the sticky on fluxing and do that also it will clean up the lead even more. With prices the way they are every bit helps. Fatman

I have an old steel cup that I pour any leftover lead into and it makes small round plates that will fit back into my melter. When all the lead is out of the pot I WEARING GLOVES tilt it forward to get any remaining lead to flow out the hole, I turn the pot down to about 200 degrees and then I shove the jig wire up into the hole from the bottom and remove any clogs/buildup, then I use my spinner wire and do the same from the top. I then turn the pot off and let it cool totally, I usually trim sprues from the jigs and a quick swipe with a piece of sandpaper for any that don't come off clean. I then pack up my jigs in zip bags for temp storage till I get to painting. I put all the sprue heads in my clean lead bucket and then to the pot. I pull the pouring bar out of the pot and use a piece of steel wool to get any crap off it and then use an old flat head screwdriver to scrape the sides of the pot down. I tip the pot over and knock all the scrapings out then use a big piece of steel wool to wipe the inside of the pot till totally clean. I've done this with any pot I've ever had and it works really well for me, plus when you go to pour again everything is clean and ready to go. Fatman

Hell man I'm not even brave enough to try building rods yet, maybe never but you guys who do it make some really nice sticks!!!! Fatman

Welcome aboard!!!!!!! Fatman

gat0r Like I told Hawn earlier in this thread, I've been pouring (almost 35 years now) since I was a kid and had never fluxed my lead, kept the different hardness leads seperate and used what worked in my molds but never fluxed. Now that I've tried it I LIKE IT!! You can learn new things to make things easier. On the Lee bottom pouring pot (production Pot 4) I wear heavy gloves and heat the pour spout with a propane torch and have an old jighead with a L bent in it that I clear the pour spout with, when you're pouring and need to clear it out I have a small tin cup that I sit under the spout and use a piece of spinner wire really long and slide it down and run it back and forth out the pour hole. Really makes the lead flow well. Always clean the pot after use, it really works better if you do. Fatman

Look out ordering Lure Crafts Poly Sil paint, "Shipping Information Due to the high flammability of Poly-Sil paint, it is considered a hazardous material by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Due to this fact, Poly-Sil paint and thinner cannot be shipped by air. A per package hazardous shipping fee of $20.00 is charged by the shipping companies. This fee must be included with your order. Please bear with us as shipping regulations may change without notice. ADD HAZMAT LINE ITEM TO YOUR ORDER FOR HAZARDOUS SHIPPING COST. Catalyst only does NOT require the fee. " If you want to spend the extra $20 bucks that's up to you. I use testors model paint then clear epoxy coat with the stuff from Janns Netcraft. Fatman

The Matereli is fine on jigs but man you best learn to do it by hand for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits!!!

I'm sorry I missed the poll, but I've had to cut-off Internet at home and only get it at work when I have free time. Being in the middle of bankruptcy there would be no way for me to pay a subscription fee, and I would truly miss this site. I've posted advice where I could and learned a lot that saved me some time. Fatman

Nice bench!!!!! Might have to go back to wood working for a while although Mine wouldn't look that good LOL

Hey Bass thanks for that link. I sent a request for their catalouge, hey you can NEVER have to many catalouges LOL Fatman

Look at Fishing Skirts.com FishingSkirts.com, Better Product Better Price lots of the guys recommend it here. Fatman

Spike, I know when I first logged onto the site I spent about 3 weeks just reading through threads up to a year ago. Then I did searchs of things that interested me or that I wanted help on. Then I did looked some more and searched some more. When I was pretty confident that I had what I wanted I asked questions in a way that used everything I had found with what I couldn't find. C'mon folks the reading here is excellent!!!!!!!!!!!! Their is so much you can learn from just reading threads way back. Where I can give advice I do, I've received help from many members on MANY different sites whether it be hardware, lead, wire forming, painting. and being able to help someone else is pay back for all that I've learned and believe me nobody knows everything theirs always a neat little trick that can make a big time saver. But I want every NEWCOMER to this site to notice that SAFETY!!!!!! is ALWAYS preached everyone. Yeah this is a fun hobby but we don't want anyone getting hurt either. Just my two cents!! Fatman

Hawn, You know to tell the truth I've been melting lead since I was a kid and I have NEVER fluxed my lead!!! Truthfully I'd have thought WD40 would cause a fire. I've seen all the posts about it but never tried it. Fatman

Right now you're looking at 25 cents a skirt but it depends on how much he's going to charge you for shipping and handling. That little bit of plastic shouldn't cost more than $2 to mail, but I'd wager he's charging more. Just take your cost + ship/handling added together then divide by 25 and that's how much your skirts each will be. Nice color selection if that's what your looking for. Fatman