ckarren Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I had a big hunk of lead that I was using. Now it is gone, I went and got some shotgun shot. Is it just me, or is the shotgun shot not as heavy? Also where do you get your lead? Thanks -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markell Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I get my lead from an indoor gun range. They collect thousands of pounds of lead and practically give it away. There is a lot of trash mixed in with the lead but for the money, it is the best source I have found. I get between 75 - 100 pounds for $10. Wheel weights would be another option but I have not found a shop that is willing to work with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I trade baits (jigs and paint jobs)for mine. To plumbers and a tire guy. And the great score every now and then. Like the 800lbs of pure lead from a guy last year. Buy it at a scrap place, where they buy steel and cans and such. Get the lead pipe, or the sheets they are the best. Larger chunks and wheel weights are hard lead. Shot is the worst, I have ever tryed to use. Got it for free, and stopped taking it. Call me if you can not find any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Beg, borrow, and shop? Just got 300 Lbs of the ?right kind? lead in sheets and 25 Lb blocks from a Baja buddy. Another fishing friend kicked in 5 buckets of wheel weights. Cost ? jigs/paint and the use of my molds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 I like wheel weights, get mine free just by asking...I have tried a few other sources like shot lead, x-ray stuff, etc but still prefer the wheel weights. The trick for me is to have more than one place to ask and don't ask for too much, I just go for a small pail which holds 5 pounds at a time and not a 5 gallon bucket...you can't pick a 5 gal buck of them up anyway, lol. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Amen on the 5 gal bucket. Go to the local car dealership, preferably the one you bought your vehicle from and see the service manager. Tell him what you want and what you are using them for. Before I started making baits we used to put all the old (take off) weights in a 5 gal bucket and when it got full they just threw them away. Be careful when you melt down some of the weights. The ones with the plastic coating (which is hard to see or tell) really stink up the place when melting down. Tally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted October 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Thanks for the help! Tally you are right, last night I was desperate and got tire weights. It took a long time for it to melt down and the fumes it put off. I have another question. If I just put more of the shotgun lead shot in my lures will it work the same? At this point I have the baits at the same over all weight, but the one with the lead shot don?t sink. I don?t care if I have to pay for the lead shot if it works. It is so nice to melt and no fumes. Thanks -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Splash Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Melt down wheel weigts outside, then make ingots to use in the melting pot. You need to ventilate the melting pot anyway, because melting lead gives off dangerous fumes. I always trade tackle for lead. It gets your name out there and other people using you baits. I have a circut of tire shops I travel around to with a big box of lures, after a while you get to know who wants what. I always leave lots of packaged baits with my web site address on it. Most agree to save the lead for me, or give me a call when the buckets are full. Hot tip: Take a 5 gal. bucket to replace the one you will take the lead in, you'll be in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glaucus Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 You got me wondering about the weight of shot, so I poured some sinkers and weighed them. I used a 1? oz (42.524 gram) bank sinker mold for the test. lead pipe (p-trap) - 42.3g (1.492oz) 99.47% phone cable sheathing - 42.0g (1.482oz) 98.77% shotgun shot - 41.9g (1.478oz) 98.53% tire weight lead - 41.5g (1.464oz) 97.59% linotype alloy - 36.8g (1.298oz) 86.54% lead-tin solder 50/50 - 33.7g (1.189oz) 79.25% bismuth - 33.3g (1.175oz) 78.31% The percentages show how close each casting came to the 1? oz target weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebler_custom_baits Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Out here the tire shops cant give us wheel weights anymore. Really a bummer for a lot of guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 CJ, You got to be recycling, that product. They get paid for it. Find a guy who fishes................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markell Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Glaucus, Thanks for the info. I was thinking the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glaucus Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 I edited my post and added solder and bismuth to the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted October 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 Thanks, everyone on all the great input!! I think Art Brush (Shawn) should put Glaucus study in the Knowledge Base. It is something that should not get lost in the old posts. Good job and thanks Glaucus. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Brush Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 Corey, That is good info and should be in the KB. Thanks Glaucus! Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomer Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 You might tell us the source of the shot. If it is new shot, it can be "soft" shot, aka "dropped" or "chilled" shot. This is very soft, nearly pure lead, on the order of 98.00% lead. Curiously soft shot has become harder in the last few years because the plants are using more and more recycled lead, and more and more impurities are getting in the metal. For all practical purposes, this can be considered pure lead. and is very useable in the jig making process. If you have to buy lead, chilled shot can be an economical source, as current retail prices are on the order of $14.00 -16.00 per 25 pounds. If you are having trouble with a bait, it has nothing to do with the characteristics of shot. "Hard" shot or "magnum" shot has anywhere from 3-7% antimony to make it harder. it also is suitable for jig making, although it will not flow as will as the soft shot, and may give some difficulties with smaller jigs. You can improve tremendously by adding some sloder, which introduces tin, which improves the flow characteristics. If you are near a large shotgun facility, they may sell recalimed shot, which will predominately hard shot, but cna be a real valure--- on the order of $6-9 a "milk jug". Of course steel shot is available, but it is very expensive and will not melt, so its unlikely you have obtained this. Likewise bismuth shot is availble, will melt readily, but is incredibly expensive. As Markell notes, indoor gun ranges are generally glad to give away their metal. It does have a lot of waste. I use this a lot. I have a big pot outside (old canner) that I just build a big charcoal fire under, melt a batch skim off all the crud, and make ingots with a dipper. If you try to use in small batches without cleaning first it will drive you crazy oicking out the junk. Be cautious, range lead has a lot of very small pieces and dust. I'm not a nervous nelly but I always use rubber gloves and a face mask when handling range lead until I get it melted down. NOTE, range lead will be very hard, on the ordr of wheel weight, due to a high percentage of antimony, and may be difficult to use in small jigs or weights. Again, introducing some solder will help flow characteristics, but lighten final product. If you know of an outdoor range, they will probably have a berm (back stop) and are more than glad for you to go in and glean lead. A blackpowder or cowboy facility will have bullets with the purest lead. FWIW, in the industry, cable sheathing and x-ray plates are considered to be the purest lead commonly available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 Well your dealings with shot are way better than mine. I got like 300 lbs of shot, free and it was the worst to clean ever. Oily smoking mess. Still have some, some where, 25lb sacks that we use now to site in guns. Got free shot from a range here where they land in to a lake. They vacume the bottom 3 times a year. Got a 55lb barrel of this free. Very hard once it was cleaned, worked great for sinkers though. I would not either of these again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Cory, Did you find any yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 I found out my problem. It is the density of the wood. I got some new wood and tried it and it works fine. It was driving me crazy both baits weigh the same one sinks and one floats. Thanks -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Put another layer of clear on the one that floats, might weight it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Rich, When I was testing I had one that would sink slowly but when I put the E-Tex on it would float. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 wow, did not expect that out come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesehead Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Corey, you must be using E-Tex "light" to make it float. I would guess that the extra coat increased the displacement of the lure causing it to float. Similar to how a wider and heavier boat has a shallower draft than a narrow boat of the same length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted November 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Yea, I was also. I had 3 baits I got ready for paint and tested in my aquarium. They sank slowly, but I thought the same way. Once I put the E-Tex on it would sink faster. That was not the result all 3 would float now I put the E-Tex on the lures. Thanks -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Cory, If you can try 3x hooks on them they weight a little more. Heavier gauge will be more weight. Also you could double the split rings. Well not if you are using the triples. Got other tricks in mind also...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
