micro jigs

I casted a few micro jigs today that i had molded in silicone about 3 years ago and never poured. The ball type jig is 1/90 of an ounce with the hook (#12 vmc).
The smaller jig is one i molded using 3 glass beads from the craft store to make the mold.
Its 1/220 oz on a daiichi #20 hook, small is an understatement and it was a pain to pour. It took some tricky pouring to get these to flow through the tiny gate to fill the mold. I just wish i knew how to powder paint the smallest jig as is line will ony go through the eye once so any paint would be a problem, and then the jig is so small when heated its going to want to cover the hook also.
http://onfinite.com/libraries/1660350/4d8.jpg

nice work! could you use a brush to apply the pp, vs. dipping, or fluid bed?

Like the 1/90 oz. looks good with a size 12 I have a mold that is 1/100 with a 10 and have never been 100% happy with it. I may after seeing you jig go to a size 12 and see if I like it better. Thanks for the idea.

Could you please tell us what type of silicone molding material that you used to create your mold. It might be a intresting project. Use to have to make molds all the time when I worked in the Jewelry business.

Redman

Yes i dont like the #10s either (to big), and i wish i could find some smaller than #12 even. VMC made som #14 jig hooks but i never could get ahold of any. Il like really tiny jigs for trout fishing or really small or heavily pressured fish.

Well this will be really easy for you to understand then if you were in the jewelry business. Basically i have a jewelry mold frame i made. It has thicker sides and holes drilled all around the edge for studs and then i have a top and bottom plate. I use contenti white high temp silicon for spincasting molds and then cut it to fit. I load up 2 1/4" thick layers of silicone (like clay) then put in what ever i want to copy and add some silicone as hook keepers if your hooks are big enough. then i coat in mica powder and put the last 2 layers of silicone in and bolt the whole thing togather and then put it in the oven to vulcanize it for about 45min at 350. You can or not use jewelry sprue formers and what not to form gates or just cut them.when the mold is done you remove it from the frame and slowly peel the 2 halves apart, because of the mica you dont have to cut them apart like a jewelry mold. its alot of work and learing and trial and error, im still learing.

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Originally Posted by Redman

Like the 1/90 oz. looks good with a size 12 I have a mold that is 1/100 with a 10 and have never been 100% happy with it. I may after seeing you jig go to a size 12 and see if I like it better. Thanks for the idea.

Could you please tell us what type of silicone molding material that you used to create your mold. It might be a intresting project. Use to have to make molds all the time when I worked in the Jewelry business.

Redman

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How much did it cost to do that? I would like to make a couple molds for things I will never find a mold for.
I really like the first one, would be really nice for making roe sacks and other multi color jigs.

As for powder painting them and keeping the eyes clean, find a piece of wire that fits tight in the eye and leave it in when you dip it. You can then remove the wire and scrape off the paint for a clean eye that should not have gotten any smaller.

I dont want to even think about the cost, lol. I made the mold frames in the garage on the drill press with an x/y table form maybe $20 worth of alum rems after i cut out the bulk of the mold cavity with a sabre saw. The knowledge was slow to get a hold of but some of the guys here probably have spincasting mold experience and a pic is worth a thousand words sometimes. As far as the silicone was like $40 for a 12" x 1" disk and that makes like maybe 6+ molds depending on how big your mold frame is.
One of my favorite buzzbaits was discontinued years ago so ill be making some more of those soon. I already have plaster and silicone molds i have made of it. But plaster wont last for casting lead and the parts come out poor at best. I made all this stuff about 4 years ago, ive just been getting started now in actually starting to make any tackle.

Robbor :I know what you are using now. The mica powder trick I would never have thought to do. Guess my hair is turning blond not gray. That trick would have saved me hours of work and more than a few mold redoes. Old dogs learning new tricks OH Joy. After I posted I thought that you must have been using the high temp material not the See-Thur or other liquid silicone. If I remember right that white stuff is for the white metal casting and is made by Castillo.

Know how I am going to do mine I have a plan. Sounds like you made your own frame. I have a small frame that I build for See-Thur and will use that with the small metal plates that I can still use the side clips. The Jewelers spure will be used with a taper to the cavity to make the pour easier. May have to modify the side of the frame for the hook to fit in. Thanks for the info this is very helpfull.

One more question how long does one of these molds last??? Would think that you could get sereval thousand out of it before having to make a new one.

All the best

Redman

Robber

You can powder paint the bead style ones on the fly hook and cure them. I looked for the thread on the rack the guys on here built using threaded rods and washers so that the eye sticks up not down while curing, but as the old saying goes you know it's there but can't find it. Another choice you have is rack made by CS coatings CS Coatings - Aluminum Clamping Rack

Fatman

Nice job

I think i found the thread your talking about ,
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...-jigheads.html
I dont think that will work for my little jigs, id have det 4-40 or 2-56 rod and washers would be to big, but a good idea in general.

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Originally Posted by Fatman

Robber

You can powder paint the bead style ones on the fly hook and cure them. I looked for the thread on the rack the guys on here built using threaded rods and washers so that the eye sticks up not down while curing, but as the old saying goes you know it's there but can't find it. Another choice you have is rack made by CS coatings CS Coatings - Aluminum Clamping Rack

Fatman

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Get aligator clips to hold them. I think I found them for $5 per 20.

Small toaster oven I just baked 250 the other nite. I would hate to think about all those clips and I'm sure the racks won't hold that many. the search continues. I need a bigger shop and a full size oven.
That smaller bead casting is interseting, I bet it works great. Keep us posted. Nice work.

Robbor

Try the hooks used to hang Xmas tree ornaments to cure your ULs.

You might want to use a 1 or 2 X hook with your small pour. You have reduced the hook gap (distance between the hook tip and the shank of the hook) with the last part of your pour. You could have problems with hook sets. Also you might have to score the shank of the hook so the pour doesn’t roll. Looks like you are catching part of the eye of the hook with the lead – is that why you don’t have any room at the eye?

Great looking stuff – I really like the UL jigs also. Excellent pours.

Try using the brush method with the powder paint.

VMC has the 9147 #12 but they also have a #12 that seems to be smaller – believe it’s a 6147. Shorty’s had a clearance on them – can’t talk about prices but it is/was really cheap. PM if you want to try some. CAT has a custom #12 Matzuo that I have been using also.

These Chubs are 1/64th – Top has the VMC 6147(?), left is the Matzuo custom #12, and the bottom (I think) is a Matzuo #10 BC.

Attachment 55765

Yes the lead does reduce the hook gap but its pretty minimal and only at the point which is tapered. I think they will still work fine. The eyes on these hooks are really small and the lead is all the way up to reduce it getting into the hook gap to much. I need to get some size 18 and 16 hooks. I already have a few packs of #24 but theres no way i can put anything on those, :p. This was the first mold i made and the lead flows in right from the top past the eye of the hook, its supposed to be seperated but mold of the jig come out with lead in the eye but its easy to remove. I mainly use these small of hooks fun fishing for really small fish in parks that have heavy pressure where you need the smallest bait possible.

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Originally Posted by LedHed

Robbor

Try the hooks used to hang Xmas tree ornaments to cure your ULs.

You might want to use a 1 or 2 X hook with your small pour. You have reduced the hook gap (distance between the hook tip and the shank of the hook) with the last part of your pour. You could have problems with hook sets. Also you might have to score the shank of the hook so the pour doesn’t roll. Looks like you are catching part of the eye of the hook with the lead – is that why you don’t have any room at the eye?

Great looking stuff – I really like the UL jigs also. Excellent pours.

Try using the brush method with the powder paint.

VMC has the 9147 #12 but they also have a #12 that seems to be smaller – believe it’s a 6147. Shorty’s had a clearance on them – can’t talk about prices but it is/was really cheap. PM if you want to try some. CAT has a custom #12 Matzuo that I have been using also.

These Chubs are 1/64th – Top has the VMC 6147(?), left is the Matzuo custom #12, and the bottom (I think) is a Matzuo #10 BC.

Attachment 55765

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Hang em by wires through the eyes of the jigs.

i like those small sizes!i have a book about making all kinds of fishing tackle and it shows and talks about making molds for lead jigheads with rtv silicone.

robbor

So how did the VMC hooks work out?

I cure my small stuff in the pan on the left side.

Attachment 56472