joelhains

Not really sure yet! I want to try some soft plastic colors and see if the silicone I'm using holds the color. Right now I'm just going to try different brand of silicone to find one that has the right feel for skirt material. I open to suggestions for dye, coloring or other silicone sources.

Well, the Liquid Nails have had nearly a full 24 hours to cure. I opened it up and drilled my spacers and closed it all up again with some silicone inside. I used just regular vegetable oil to lube the sheet metal. I'll give it another 24 hours before I try to open it up again. Hopefully it works! Here are a few pics. [

The sheet metal was free, the lumber used was free. The only thing I've had to pay for so far were the bolts. So I've only got a few bucks into this so far. I looked at rotary blades and while they can be pricey if you don't look around a bit, I'm finding I could get all I need for $20 (maybe less). But I'm not necessarily doing this to just save money. However if I can come up with a cheap material that gives me the action I want out of my skirts I think I will definitely be able to save myself some money. If somebody is able to sell skirt material for less than $.20 a piece than they must be able to make it for substantially less than that in order to turn a profit themselves.

Fabric cutters are a good idea. I'd planned on using utility knife blades clamped together with washers between them but I like the fabric cutter idea better. I'll have to see what I can find. Thanks

Here is a silicone skirt press I have been working on today. I built it out of 2x10's and some scrap sheet metal from A/C ducts. the idea is to use silicone caulking and then use the bolts to squeeze it together which should give me uniform flat sheets of silicone that I can cut into Skirt tabs. I used liquid nails to bond the Sheet metal to the wood. It will take a full day to cure so I won't be able to try it out until tomorrow night. I will post pics of it opened up and the results when I have some. I made two of them. One is 14.5 inches long by 9.5 inches wide. the other one I had to make a bit smaller to fit the scrap piece of sheet metal. It is 14.5 inches by 7.5 inches between the two of them I will be able to produce 30-35 standard skirt tabs at a time.

I can't speak to the quality of the spinner baits themselves... but I just placed an order for some skirt tabs on the site. They look the same as the tabs I've been buying from Barlow's but they are a lot cheaper. Hopefully he is quick with the shipping. I'll post back here when I get them.

I have been making spinnerbaits and selling some to a local tackle shop. The owner asked If I could make him a bait HE COULD SELL for $1.00 or $ 1.50. That would mean I would have to sell it to him for no more than $.75. I told him I didn't think I could but I would price out some cheaper material to see how close I could get. I think I priced material where I could make them for about $1.25 but that was with the cheapest stuff I could find. I never sold him any cheap spinnerbaits. When my stuff is on his shelves so is my name. I don't want my name to be associated with cheap junk.

I use a heat gun for my jig powder painting. I do jigs as small as 1/32 and as large as 1 1/2 ounces. For the smallest jigs, I hold them over the heat for a 3-5 second count and on the largest jigs I'll hold over heat for up to 12-15 seconds. This is with my heat gun set to high. I also rotate the jigs as they are being heated to ensure even heating. When doing bass sized jigs I use the wire hanger that comes on the end of Do-it molds to clean out the hook eyes. for smaller jig heads I use smaller diameter wire to run through the eyes. I rarely have issues with the eyes filling back in as the jigs cure in the oven with this method and it gives a very professional looking finish.

I have a few reasons for wanting to do this. For one, if a person can sell them for $0.11 per tab they must be making them cheaper than that and therefore must also be able to turn a profit on them. Second it is awesome to be able to say "I caught that bass (or whatever) on a lure I made". When you are making your own skirts too that is even more true. Third it is the ultimate in custom. When you look at tabs for sale, everyone seems to be selling the same ones. If I am making them myself they will truly be "one of a kind". Lastly, I just want to say I did it!

I will need to experiment with different materials for sure. I was thinking 100% silicone caulking as just a starting point and going from there. I have had some other ideas pop into my head for making some sort of a press and I think I have the design figured out. Something much better than two cookie sheets pushed together. I'll try to remember to post results and pics when I get a chance to do it.

I have been making jig heads, bass jigs and spinnerbaits for a while. I am just getting started into soft plastics. A new small tackle shop opened up here in town about a year ago. So I took him some of my stuff to see if he would be willing to keep a few on his selves. He liked how they looked and asked how much I wanted for them. I really wasn't sure what to charge so we went to through the book from one of his suppliers and compared prices. I priced my stuff just below what he was paying from the big companies. I don't really make much money and it certainly doesn't pay for my time. But it does help pay for the cost of materials, more molds and other supplies.

I have been thinking of trying some 100% silicone caulking with soft plastic dye and maybe some glitter pressed between two of my wifes cookie sheets. Then cut with a razor blade. I might try a little sample and see if I can get a skirt of it.

I have always got my skirts tabs from Barlow's Tackle. What do these places ( fishingskirts.com, LPO, livingrubber.com) offer that make them better? Quality? Price? Selection?service? Thanks

I have been buying skirt tabs to make skirts for a while. I recently had someone ask me if I die my own skirts? I told them no I buy the tabs and then assemble the skirts. But it got me thinking. How would one go about making their own skirt tabs? Anybody do this or know where I could find a video or tutorial on how to do it? Thanks

I clean dirty scrap lead outside on a propane stove and pour it into ingots. After that I pour...wait for it... in the living room. I am with some of the other guys who have posted here. As long as I'm not eating the lead and I wash my hand after pouring and before I eat I am not worried about it. after I clean and pour into ingots outside the lead is quite clean so the impurities are kept to a minimum and I don't really have to worry about breathing in the impurities. I too have found it ironic that many of the people who are overly cautious about breathing in lead fumes are in fact often the same people who take smoke breaks between pours. Here I thought I was the only one!

I am all about experimenting with stuff too. Just because some people can't imagine what the dross could be used for doesn't mean there is no use for it. If the guy wants dross and is willing to pay for it or at least cover the shipping charge, who cares what he is going to do with it.

I also think a cold mold works best. The first time I tried to shoot in some glue it all balled up at the opening and I though it must have been because it was a cold mold. It turned out it was just because I didn't apply enough pressure to the glue to force it into the mold. I tied heating the mold too. I used a blow torch and heated it just like I would for when I pour lead. That didn't make any difference accept that it took longer for the glue to cool. The ones you see in the picture were shot into a cold mold and removed after turning back to the milky color.

Not at all confidential! I just shoot it with my wifes glue gun and it completely fills the cavities as long as you give enough pressure. I used a rubber band around the handle of my Do-it mold just keep pressure until it had set up. I didn't use a mold release, but i want to try vegitable oil next time. The jig heads are a little hard to get out of the mold without any release agent. The first one I tried came out in pieces. The two in the picture I had to gently work them out of the mold. I didnt keep track of how long I waited before removing them from the mold. When the glue is hot it goes clear, as it cools it turns milky again. I just wait for it to change the open the mold. I will also mention that I only triedpouring two of the mold cavities at a time. The mold was difficult enough to open with just two. I think it would be nearly impossible to open with all eight cavities poured at the same time without damaging the mold. This shouldn't be a problem if I can come up with a good release agent though.

I tried the great stuff today... It didn't work! LOL! I don't know but maybe I should have shaken the can longer or something but for some reason it didn't fill the cavities in the mold. I got it out fairly easily. I figured it would be difficult to remove so I put a light coating of vegetable oil on the mold first. I left some of the hot glue in a cup of water overnight and it was still floating 24 hours later. I would guess that the glue I am using is water proof. It might not adhere well to plastic though which could be the reason your weed guards didn't stay in place?? I don't have a mold that does round head jig any larger than 1/4 ounce right yet. I think a 1/2or 3/4 ounce glue jig would float nicely.

I was thinking about trying "Great Stuff" foam that comes in an aerosol spray can.

I have been messing around with the idea of making floating jig heads. This has probably been discussed, but tonight I tried using hot glue in my jig head mold I have only tried 1/8 and 1/4 ounce molds so far. I think it would float with a 1/2 or larger sized head.. They still sink but at a much slower rate. With the right plastic body this could make for a suspending bait. It could also be good for Carolina rigging tubes... who knows how it works out. Just though I would share .

I think a larger opening in the bottom of the pot would be more effective than all the moving parts required for a pressurized system. I was thinking about this today as well. I was pouring some spinnerbaits and the 1/2 ounce heads wouldn't fill completely. I kept thinking "if only my pot had a larger opening so the lead would flow quicker".

How does bondo hold up to lead? I have never tried it myself but thought it might work for a lead mold.

Thanks very much Slammingjack! That's exactly what I need to know. I will give this a try!!

I have yet to start pouring plastics and really want to very soon. but I have been making and pouring lead baits and I have been able to sell enough "product to cover the cost of materials and equipment for the most part. I might be slightly ahead but not by much.