DDSBYDAY

When I want a longer hook I use a separate eye hanger and a carlyle straight shank hook. This adds a lot of lenth especially if you have a collar. I put the eye of the carlyle at the base of the head. Depending on the size of the mold you are using you often don't have to alter the mold at all to use the small figure 8 hook hangers. I also dab a tiny tiny little bit of modeling clay in the hook slot to hold the hook in place. Just a dab will do ya. Otherwise the hook falls down when you go to pour. I hope this makes sence.

Next time tip the jar upside down. Drizzle some thinner around the lid. Let it sit a couple of minutes and it will spin right off.

I will take one!!

The pic was another one off of ebay. I received no insert. Now I see why these go so fast. I think the insert has more of a value than the mold. If any of you guys that purchase the mold from the previous poster would be willing to send me a sinker for each cavity I could retro fit an insert ( I THINK ).

I have the assorted mold that I got on ebay with several other molds. I did not realize I needed an insert for this mold. No insert was included so I now have to figure out a way to make one. If I had cast sinkers already I could easily retro-pour a new insert.. If anyone has this mold with the insert I would greatly appreciate 1 of each of the 4 sinkers made with it. 1/8 ,1/4 3/8? 1/2?(these molds are not labeled worth a darn.

With CSI you should get a gloss finish with all the colors except the glow colors. Those will be flat or non gloss. I like to go over those with a clear gloss. If the jig dented and did not chip your paint was cured. If you are not using glow white you should get a glossy finish provided you have enough paint on the jig.

It has to be your paint. It sounds like a flat white paint. The other possibility is you don't have enough coverage so the lead is showing through. Take a jig and lay it on a lead ingot. Give it a tap with a hammer and see what happens. If the paint shatters it is not cured. You could also run a couple through the regular oven and see if you get the same result. If it turns out that it is in fact a flat white paint you can get some clear gloss powder paint and just repeat the process.

That is what I am looking for. I also want to add stinger hook and swivel attachments to some of my molds. I have tried to do this free hand and usually have to line my cut out eye with JB weld to keep it clean. My goal is to make these minor adjustments without going through a machine shop or just ending up with a divot and having a lot of flash around each hook eye. I will take some pics and report on my findings.

A trephine (pronounced /trɨˈfiːn/) is a surgical instrument with a cylindrical blade. It can be of one of several dimensions and designs depending on what it is going to be used for. They may be specially designed for obtaining a cylindrically shaped core of bone that can be used for tests, cutting holes in bones (i.e. the skull) or for cutting out a round piece of the cornea for eye surgery. I just want to cut a small clean circle with a raised core. Thanks for your suggestion on the spelling. I will check that out. I'm sure we are talking about the same thing just a different hole to be drilled.

I have looked and researched for the longest time to find a miniature trephine bit. We use them in Dentistry to remove implants from bone(huge $). It is simply a hole sawblade. I wanted them to alter the hook eye slot in the aluminum mold and to add hook eye slots in other areas of pre existing molds. I have had to do it free hand and it works but not as clean as I would like. I purchased this set on ebay today for 10$ and at this moment am excited. I have a bunch of molds in a box to have minor machining done but if these work I will be a happy camper. Anyone ever try anything like this on aluminum? They are coming from china so I won't get them for a couple weeks. If anyone else is interested in the results let me know and I will keep you posted. The outside diameter is listed on the bit. They run from 3-12mm.

Don't forget about the good old auction site. I have purchase many of my molds and most of all of my lead there. I have gotten absolute steals on molds here. The best way I have found is looking for group listings. Popular individual molds can go pretty high. Listings for 8-20 molds at a time usually go cheep. I usually just sell any duplicates back on the site. Hooks too. If you know what you want you can get some good deals. If I can't get what I need there I go to Barlows and Hagens. I won't use ww ever. I like to twist my sprue off and get a clean casting . Thats just my preference.

You have come to the right place. It's a journey with no end. Once a solution or technique is mastered you just move on to the next level. I find it interesting that I look back at some of the stuff I did three years ago that looked so good to me then. I wouln't even admit that I made them now. The bar just keeps getting raised. To think this all started because I could not find a 1/4oz.purple marabou jig with purple thread at any store back in the early 1970's. (I saw it on the rod of the only guy that could catch walleyes on our lake). I take that back. I was 10 or 11. I found one at a bait shop and talked my dad into buying one for me. I was so convinced that I was going to catch walleyes now. It was a 1/2 hr drive from the place we bought the jig to the cabin. I was so excited. We got there I grabbed my rod ran to the dock and tied on the walleye jig. Launched it on it's fist mission and watched it release from my poorly tied fishing knot never to be seen again. That is, until I could make my own. Many years later. You are not alone and that was my catharsis. I feel better now!! -------- They worked!!!

I made my own split ring pliers. With it I can get a 1/0 seaguard heavy hook on a size 1 standard guage split ring. It's about the limit for that ring. I don't know if I could do it with a standard pliers. Other than the one I use there is one you can get at fleet farm for less than 6$ that works ok. If the ring doesn't close up completely it is sprung and should not be used.

The question I have is what is the master made out of. Clay, Wax, or something else ? If it is wax or plastic you can warm the mold and wipe it out. If it's clay I'm sure there is a solvent you can use to melt the turds.

My guess is not only will the powder get ruined but you will see a ring of uncovered jig head around the swivel. Quentching the swivel will cool the head too. I hope it works but I just can't see it being predictable. Just grabbing my jig off the griddle with a hemostat cools the hook. That is why I make the passes through the heat gun focusing the heat on the jig where it meet the hook. Just after I posted how much I am starting to dislike these things I received a request for 100. UNPAINTED yea!!!

I like to stay with as soft as possible. The only reasons are I like easy pours and twist off sprues. What are the powder painting advantages. I have a lot of harder lead available but avoid using it. I have read many posts that mention a lead mix. I am very interested to know why.

I might be the only one that uses the hook eye as a clue to if the jig was too hot. If the temp is right I get full coverage with a painted but open eye. I don't use a fluid bed. I use an old cast iron griddle heated to about 350. Pile the jigs on and let them warm up. I grab one and slide it over the heat gun. Dip it and check the eye of the hook. If it's painted and open I just move along with the rest. If the eye has paint in it I skip the heat gun wave. When I pass it over the heat gun I try to hit the spot where I grabbed it with the hemostat. If I can get full coverage with a painted open eye I can hang them with little fear of a nipple. Black and white are the tough ones. For these I prefer to cure at a lower temp for longer. If in doubt-cure them hook down so you can break off the extra paint at the collar.

Welcome to TU. Sounds like a good plan. I hope it works out for you and you partner.

These are tough. I agree with cadman on the tinfoil if you are going to dip them in powder. Painting by hand with vinyl paints is easier. What I have found after many failures is electrostatic will paint the swivel but it still spins. If you are going to dip cover the swivel in tinfoil. I have access to small little silicone tip covers. They fit over the swivel and withstand head up to a point. They don't fit tight enough by themselves without the tf. The two of them together give you a paint free swivel most of the time. If I am doing a bunch I would go electrostatic every time. It's a pain but so is painting these lures. I also would always hang them from the swivel when curing. I am really getting to dislike doing these.

If you are attaching your line tie to the split ring you will need a standard guage split ring. The fine guage is for blades only.

You simply have crud (dross) in there. With melted lead in the pot and the plunger down just take any metal object that will fit in the hole. Bend it at 90degrees and stick it up the hole. I use a small file. Scrape the sides and you are good to go. Be careful. The reason for the 90 degree bend is that you do not want your hand under that hole.

If the split ring is open you have exceeded it's memory. In other words it is sprung or broken. There are many different kinds of split rings. Fine guage, standard guage and heavy gauge. As far as I know the heavy gauge only goes down to size 4. Then you have the type of metal. Nickel-Plated Brass, Polished brass, Stainless steel, nickle plated steel, or Zinc plated steel. Each with it's own +s and -s. If it just for a blade you should be just fine with a fine guage #2s. They open easy and have good memory. With all split rings you need to use finese. When they are sprung take them off and try it again.

I like colored hooks. I have used red, chartreuse and purple regularly. I like to paint sinkers too. Here in Minnesota we use a yellow walking sinker and a purple hook. we call it a Viking rig. (our NFL team) It is very effective for walleye. The chrome hooks are the easist to paint. All of the candy colors look very nice on them.

The process of electrostatic painting is simple in concept and operation. Dry powder comprised of resins and pigments is pneumatically fed from a supply reservoir to a spray gun where a low amperage, high voltage charge is imparted to the powder. The part to be finished is electrically grounded. When sprayed, the charged powder articles are firmly attracted to the grounded part's surface and held there until melted and fused into a smooth coating in the curing ovens. It's much more durable than liquid paint and it's an environmentally friendly process because there are no solvents to evaporate into the air or go down the drain. Different formulations (epoxy, urethane, polyester or a hybrid) are determined by the intended use of the item. For example, urethane and polyester offer the best exterior durability while epoxy is best for corrosion protection and chemical and solvent resistance. The electrostatic gun uses the concept of static electricity. You only get one layer of powder paint. It is very uniform and durable. I'm pretty sure that you would have to find the right color of red to go over the particular hook you are using. I will be switching to non offset tournement approved circle hooks for my Gulf coast friends. If I come up with the right hook and color combo I will let you know.