Markell Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 Is there anything I can add to my lead that will soften it up? I like the hard lead for my jigs, spinnerbaits and bullet weights but I want to pour some pinch on sinkers and my lead is way too hard to use for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 Split shots and such are not made with what you think of as lead. The best thing I can tell you is to use the most butter soft lead you have and then anneal it. There is not really an add to it thing. A different alloy is what is needed. Add it costs to much for home use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomer Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Here's the bad news ---"annealing" lead will only make it harder. This is a technique used by bullet casters to make their lead bullets harder. Been there done that with the pinch on sinkers. There is no way to soften your allow so that it will work acceptably in your sinkers. You have to find some nearly pure lead. This could be plumbers lead from old cast iron pipes, cable sheathing, roof flashing. A wholesaler that caters to commercial plumbers MAY have some lead, although many of them have gotten away from it. If you can't find it anywhere else you can order pure lead from any company that caters to bullet castersl, although it will be pricey. Also if you have a big sporting goods store around that sells reloading supplies, (or a gun range) see if they have "soft shot" or "dropped shot". This is virtually alloy free. Right now the price is not too bad, $12.00-14.00 per 25 lbs. Any amount of antimony, which is present in all wheelweights, other common lead alloys, will make it too hard for split shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Boomer annealing dose work. Annealing is to take the temper out of the metal and it is a very slow long process, that we discovered by accident. A real accident, good luck for my buddy who stumbed on to it though. And the sinkers will be dark gray when they are ready. You are right about starting with the softest lead you can get to begin with. You do not quench when annealing. And you do not heat more that about 100 degrees. If you do it wrong you will case harden it. You want no antimony in the lead you are using for this . Plumbers lead is not the softest stuff you can get, there is softer out there. You want no antimony in the lead you are using for this . Think soder mixtures..............but beyond. You can get tours some times at water gremlin and check it out...... will suprise you how they do it. But they don't aneal it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Richoc, Sounds like someone needs some X-Ray lead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
