Kasilofchrisn

When I realize I need help or guidance I am not afraid to ask for help sometimes. It often saves hours and hours of time. This a Library that's for sure.And the knowledge is good not guesses but sound advice on what works and what doesn't. I am also amazed at how many people want to make their own jigs or do make their own stuff but don't ask for help. Or sometimes they settle for a second rate finished product because they haven't figured out the tricks to make a mold fill out completly or how to paint a jig properly with powder paints. I try to help when I can with what I know and have learned. People often ask me How do you get such a nice paint job on your jigs. Once they see my setup they are often amazed on how simple a fluid bed really is to build and use. Where did you learn to build that they ask. I'll answer I'ts easy there are web forums where people share their knowledge and help others learn to make tackle. Even my friends are surpeised at what kind of stuff I can make and often wonder where I learned to do it. Yet they just don't use the internet forums like they should. There is a forum for everything nowdays and a guy can learn a lot just by reading them. They can learn a lot more and pass it on by joining and sharing with others. I never have felt comfortable being a lurker on web forums. I feel if I don't participate I am not doing my share to make these places work. If any of you guys ever visit Alaska you should feel free to stop by my workshop and talk jigs and take some of mine home with you. I would feel honored to have that privelage.

While I may not share the GPS coordinates to my favorite halibut or trout fishing spot I will certainly share the info on what I used to catch the fish and how it was made. My first jigs looked good until I painted them. Thanks to members on this site I learned the joys of powder paint and now thats the only way I paint them. I remember when I once got a new mold and me and a buddy just couldn't get full pours. Then I remembered something Cadman said on TU about tilting a mold. Next thing you know we had a pile of perfect castings. Another time I was trying to improve my use of my powder paint airbrush. I read a bit on Smalljaws use of his and by dialing my airpressure down it made a world of a difference. Now I have 2 powder paint airbrushes and just ordered a third one. I was just appaled when someone badmouthed a mold maker because he couldn't make a mold work for him. If he had only come here first he would have a great mold that shoots well and a jig that probably catches a lot of fish. Now he's just frustrated and blames the guy who made the mold. The members here would certainly have given him the solutions he needed to make his mold fill out and he would be much happier.

So the other day I was looking at lead molds on EBAY. I was in particular looking at some CNC machined molds I liked from CNC works. Now I will admit I own over a dozen of Shawns molds and Ireally really like them. Anyway as I often do when shopping EBAY I decided to check his feedback profile. Lo and behold he had one negative feedback. An EBAY buyer could not get his mold to fill out completly and was upset. Then I got to thinking and what I realized was the Negative poster must not be a member of this forum! I Have seen a lot of posts on these forums in the time I have been here where a poster cannot get a mold to work for them. Each and every time a lot of solutions were brought up and each and every time the original poster was able to use one of the suggested solutions to make their mold work properly. I couldn't imagime making jigs without the help of forum members on this website. This has to be the best tackle making website out there bar none! Just though I would post that as I thought about the poor guy who was not a member here and could not get his mold to work properly for him.

Yeah your right on that one. Those box store employees don't usually know much about anything. I though maybe on the off chance that the store you bought it from may have ordered some without rattles for some reason and could clarify that. There are still a few mom and pops around who do know their stuff. I know you wanted what you had before but maybe you could salvage them by adding rattles yourself?

have you tried calling the manufacturer or the place that sold them to you to discuss this? Probably a good first start. Did you accidently buy a different model jig?

While I don't fish bass and dont see myself using these Biffle style heads I can see the merit in using the fastach clips on swing hook jigs. I do have a few molds with the free swinging hook option for my saltwater jigs. I wonder if the fastach will fit in the Do-it mold? Just another option I guess especially for those of us who make our own tackle.

Sorry but I can buy it locally for $1 a pound and no shipping from a local scrap yard. I just bought 750# for $.90 a pound locally from a small business that had salvaged it. It is 100% soft lead stripped off of some lead coated copper wire. I have a friend who might be interested in your lyman #2. How much do you have of just that?

Some of my Shawn Collins molds have magnets inset in them. I wish do it would do that for molds like this one. That would solve the problem.

So what ever became of this app for TU members? I really like the app and it makes it easy to check the forums from time to time. Especially when you are away from the computer but would like to check in on whats going on here. For me it is usefull to check in at lunchtime at work or while my wife is shopping and I am waiting in the truck for her to finish her shopping. Just curious if it might be possible to get this back?

Good idea I hadn't thought of that. I bet it would work well.

The system in action.

I tried a google search and came up with: www.fishermansshack.com They seem to have them in 3/32 anyway. I suppose if you search some more maybe somebody has them in different sizes? I checked Hagens and worth and neither one of them carry them.

Ok so if you use two wires like the Chinesium jig you describe even if the second did not fit the hook eye why cut the second wire off at the bend? I mean the J part could still lay beside the other one and the J would still help hold it in the leadhead right? I believe that is what Diaery was getting at. Just because it didn't fit in the hook eye there was no reason to cut the J part off. My guess is their second wire never had a j bend in it. I make and use slab jigs all the time in my saltwater fishing. I haven't caught anything big lately but fish up to 50# are quite common for us. My slab jigs have a ss eye on each side but no hook molded in them. The ss eyes hold just fine on the fish I catch. I am guessing they would easily hold up to fish of 200#+. Granted these eyes have some bend to them and are not straight. My guess is that as long as the end of your buzzbait wires have some bend in them they should hold up fine wether in the hook eye or not. Granted in the hook eye is most likely the best method.

I use TJ's tackle for the protec glow powders and UV blast. Columbia is OK but watch out for extra shipping charges. I don't know about Canada but to AK several of their powders were and extra $12 to ship them to me so I cancelled those paints. Also check out Cadmans jigs website as he sells powders by the piound for reasonable prices.http://cadmansjigs.weebly.com/ He is limited in colors but he might have what you need for very reasonable pricing.

The new do-it site is now online. All do-it products from lead molds to soft plastics and accessories are all on one website now. As I understand it you must create a new password when logging in for making purchases.

Their new website is about to come online.It will have all the do-it products listed both lead molds and softplastics and supplies. They have talked about it on their forum. This link should explain things. http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=5669.0

This may not be the best picture but both of these jigs have D2T coated eyes. I have yet to hear a customer complaint. These are bigger jigs (4 or 6 oz if i remember correctly)so I only brush it on over and around the eyes but they still hold up very well.

I too prefer WTP eyes. I also use D2T over the entire eye. I have had customers beat them into the rocks for days and the eyes stay on. I avoid the cheaper eyes as they are a pain to glue each one first. I still have some to use up so I will use them until they are gone them buy some more WTP eyes. I wouldn't trust the adhesive backing on the eyes to hold them for too long.

If the plan i have doesnt work I might just order a Panther Press hobby heat press. Does items up to 1.5" thick and has a 9" x 12" pad that goes up to 400*. I found it online for ~$280 plus shipping. Kind of sucks one place had free shipping but AK was not included. I make a lot of slab jigs that should work with this process and as of now the longest one is only about 10.5 inches long and 1.15 inches thick so the pad should be plenty big enough.

I don't have a heated press. There are other ways to apply this stuff like using the heat set powder. So my plan is to apply spray glue (or maybe some embossing ink that my mom has) then apply the heat set powder. After removing excess powder you heat it up with a heat gun then apply the foil. I am looking at several different ways of applying the foil and when I find one that works I'll post a report about it.

I started a thread on the foil it is titled "How to foil a jig like this" here is a link to it. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/topic/27948-how-to-foil-a-jig-like-this/ If you watch the video i posted you will see the foil. I bought my foil off of EBAY but it is available from several places on the net.

Most guys use Worth swivels. They are a good quality american made product.

I have thought about trying that. The problem i have is if it works and i get some cool looking jigs out of it I will have customers beating down my door to buy them. It would be cool to have a few for my personal use but for me it would be nice to find a way to make it feasible to make enough to sell. Thats why i am trying the heat set holographic foil. I think it will be am awsome look that I should be able to replicate fairly easily if it works.

I understand the issues with Chrome powder VS a True Chrome plating. I too would love a cheap way to do true chrome. But since there currently isn't one I will do the best i can with the paints I have available. I do plan on trying some Heat Seal Holographic Foil on some jigs and that will probably be a lot shinier than the Chrome Powder paint.

Thanks that means a lot coming from a master jig maker such as yourself. I truly am having fun with the powder paint airbrushes. I have 2 hooked up right now but can see the need for a third for certain applications. The chrome over the base coats sure does look good though and I plan on selling a lot of those.