How would you go about reinventing the wheel?

I've got an idea in my head for a jig body. I've never seen one that looks anywhere like what I want to try. If you were going to take a bait from prototype to finished product, how would you go about doing so? I've never made a jig body..... I have no tools to use to make a jig body....

However, I'm pretty handy when it comes to making things.

I'm sure I'd have to have a mold, of some sort. You think a plaster mold would be the best way to start, or whatever the molds that some of you guys have made at home and posted pictures of?

I'd also need a shopping list of necessary items. Like plastic or whatever you call the stuff jigs are made from, etc....

Thanks for any help you guys would be willing to offer.

Have anyone with 3D printer capability or cad software? Sure would make things easier I think otherwise have to make it the old fashioned way. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Not that I know of off hand. I'll do some checking.

There is a process. Mainly getting the “master” made then making copies. Then make a production mold with the copies out of plaster of Paris or resin. This is probably the less expensive way.

If you want an aluminum mold then there are custom shops out there like print-a-lure that can help. They basically charge you for the mold if they eat the cost of test runs, computer work and such. If you keep the design then you eat that cost as well.

YouTube should have plenty of videos on making molds and the process.

Good luck [emoji106]

MakeLure on YouTube has videos that can take you from making your own prototype jig body to a production mold of your jig if you are inclined to try your hand at it. Might be cheaper to start that way to see if your jig performs the way that you want it to. Any tweaking or modifying could be done on the cheap before you send it to a 3D printer or aluminum mold cutter. If the molds are just for your own use you might stick with the molds you made yourself

Do it, it's over my head!

I'm certainly not a jig maker nor am I a production engineer... but it seems to me like the process should begin with sketches and then detailed drawings of your perceived vision... and once you were satisfied with the detailed drawings... and after you've made all of the changes and tweaking that you want to make... then you would move on to the actual mold making and then production phases of the process. Just my two cents.

Just get on Facebook and like Print-A-Lure. Then send him a message with drawings with measurements. Great guy, great molds and at a reasonable price for us hobby pourers. Pricing depends on how detailed the mold is. Most I paid for one mold was $180 and that was a 2.5” beaver tail that had a lot of ribs on the body.

Print-a-lure Number one in my book .

Thanks for the info guys.