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Do you guys pour your own or just buy pre poured. I need to get a mold and have been looking but adding it up I'm wondering it buying pre poured would be the way to go?? I'm binning that 1/32 would be pretty finicky to pour.
Any ideas on a mold would be great to.
Thanks
1/32 is a easy pour. Pour a couple 1000 every mth...The 4 molds you would really need if your pouring for your own use would be a 1/64- 1/32- 1/16- and a 1/8. I would buy a ballhead and a barb collar of these. 1/64 Ive only seen in a ballhead.
Is there any certain mold brand that you recommend, I looked at your site. Yopu do some awesome work. I will be placing and order soon.
I use do-it molds... Some molds I have are custom molds made by flatfish46. Thats robert at Crazy Angler Your here look no more for Slab Bandits the best
Do it MOLDS!! keep em oiled they will last forever
They sure will.....I oil before i use them and after Im done with them..
If you think you would enjoy making your own then do it. If you are doing it to save money... chances are you WONT! You will just keep buying and buying and buying.... Doh
Rondon aint that the truth. I have like 8 Do-Its and 6 custom made 4 assorted molds. Don't tell my wife but I want a new Do-It found one I feel that I can't live without. Yes and then there are the hooks and swivels and Split rings and blades. Don't forget the lead and melting pot. Got to get the flux and hood and vent pipe. Lets see Have I left any thing out?????
Redman
To do it right, and especially if you're going to pour 1/32 oz. or smaller, it will be easier with a lead pot that pours underneath. A good pot will cost $200-$300 or more. Making jigs leads to making jigs with different hooks and weights.
Other things to consider would be, do you have a safe place to pour, understand the do's and don't of pouring lead. Good hobby but can be very dangerous if not handled properly.
If you're not going to need more than 500-600 jigs, you might be better off buying them. There are numerous guys on here who do great work.
I started making my own because I got tired of depending on somebody else to get them to me when I needed. The guy I had making them for me wouldn't honor the deal we had made. When I first started making jigs I tried to do what most do and buy the cheapest thing I thought I could get by with. I found that to be a waste of money. When I bought a good pot and tools and a variety of Do It Molds, I really got into it. Now I have a box full of powder paints, boxes of hooks of different sizes and name brands.
If you do decide to try it, you'll love catching a fish off a bait that you made yourself. If you are just going to dabble in it, either get with someone who is already doing it and see if you can help them or just buy your jigs. I haven't save a dime and it has actually costed me thousands for all the stuff I've accumulated. Making the jigs has become like a second hobby. I have not regrets. Just a few things to think about.
I guess I'm the fortunate one here, I've picked up most of my equipment for little or nothing. Kinda along the lines that Bronson spoke of, I helped some guys when I was younger and they just dumped their equipment off on me when they gave it up. Sure I've bought some production jig molds but that's about it, I've cut some spoon molds cause you just can't buy what you want. Lead all of my lead has been free, I buy my paint by the pound and hooks, there's the kicker. Finding hooks cheaper than the next guy (if your selling) can be the difference, as well as your painting method. I started because it became impossible to find quality hooks in my jigheads around my hometown. Then it was so theraputic, molten lead is mesmerizing, I would try to see how fast I could pour a 1000 box of hooks. I was just about to make an upgrade and really go all out and buy a spincaster (centrifuge casting) when the EPA crap last summer hit. It flat killed my ambition, now I pour specialty heads, lead spoons for money. There isn't much profit for roundheads anymore between the casters and the Chinese they've driven the price down. When I started a 100 1/8 jigheads were $10 unpainted, now it's about $7 with bronze hooks. Then there's painting them, that's were you can spend some $$$, powder isn't the most profitable and the investment for liquid can be expensive, or not depending on what your times worth. Basically, if you can get your stuff free and some "gas" money by selling your friends, then you've done pretty good IMHO which I have plenty of. BUT, there is a sense of satisfaction and it's priceless!!!!
" BUT, there is a sense of satisfaction and it's priceless!!!! " Thanks Crappiedoc that's is where I am coming from. The amount of jigs I cast are small compared to some but I did them myself. They were there when I needed them.
I guess to put it another way its self reliance. Doing what you need to do. Yes I have spent some money. But having that fish on a jig that I poured and tied is worth every penny I have spent.
Redman
When I started tying I thought about it and just decided I didn't want to buy all the molds I would use and take the extra time to not only pour/clean etc., nut chase the lead and all the added time to make them and I didn't see me enjoying that part. So I buy my heads and still glad I didn't as I have had enough trouble keeping up with tying for the last 3 1/2 years. I enjoy tying and don't think I would enjoy the jig head making part so I don't. I also enjoy tying flies and can use a bead on a jig head if I want to make my own and do that some using a slotted tungsten bead on a Sickle hook. I can even get them in several colors including Brass, Silver, Chart, Orange, etc. Only think about the tungsten beads they are not cheap.
So I am the different one here as lots of guys here pour their own.
Skip
I grew up a carpenter, went to college to be a Chemical Eng, and went back to being a carpenter. It's that satisfaction thing, you know seeing a house that you built everyday when you drive by. After all I'm not Breaking Bad and what kind of satisfaction is that knowing half of what you do is poisoning something or covering up another mess. Sure there's some good comes out of it, but not really. Most of it is figuring out what to do with petroleum by-products, imagine that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Redman
For those of you that buy the jig head but then do your own tying, where do you get your heads from??
The reason I started pouring leadhead jigs was that I was tired of paying about $10.00 for hooks everytime I went fishing. Fishing around trash piles, I was losing lots of hooks. I even reverted to heating the hook and bending the hook one time so mabee I would not lose so many. One I started pouring litewirehooks, I very seldom lose hooks. Make enough to pay for fishing and the satisfaction of catching fish with hooks I poured.
lightwirehooker
I bought the bulk of my molds back in the 80's when they were $20-$25. I sold to a few tackle shops and I finally got to the point where I had recouped the cost of my equipment. One thing that I've been VERY lucky with is that I've NEVER had to buy lead, I've always gotten it for free.
Brons I hope that was a misprint on the cost of bottom pour melting pots, Lee pots are $50-$80 dollars depending on where you get them and I pour lots of
1/32oz jigs in many styles.
Gee whiz, you guys make me feel like I'm preaching to the choir. I mainly use 570's for hooks, tried some VMC's- All I can say is those blue chrome hooks won't rust, wasn't real happy with them. I've had awls that were sharper, couldn't draw blood pushing on the points. I do use some Gammy's, esp with the bucktails, those are sweet hooks, just have to get a mortgage to load the mold.
Fatman, I wish it was a misprint but I'm afraid it's not. I started off with the cheapest one they had and didn't have much luck. I finally bought the RCBS Pro-Melt Lead Melter - 120V which Do It has priced right now at $384.00. When I first started pouring, I'm sure I was making some mistakes because I hadn't found this site and didn't know who to ask when I had questions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fatman
I was determined to make my own jigs and went ahead and bought the best they had. Again, no regrets because its been a good one for me. These days I try to make more than enough to last me the rest of my life and I'm hoping to make enough that my sons and grandsons will have them long after I'm gone. I hope that's one way they can still feel connected when they tie on a jig (be it crappie or bass) that I made for them years ago. I'm hoping it would tug on their heart strings a little, I know it would have mine.
Curious, I've been able to get some lead from dentists but what are other good sources to find plumbing grade lead?
Crappiedoc, I still fish primarily with the 570 for tightlining and casting. The sickle hooks have been coming on strong in my tacklebox the last couple of years. I use #2 Gamakatzu hooks on some of my favorite jigs but usually don't dig them out unless I start losing some fish. You're right, they are expensive and once you hang them up, you don't get many back.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiedoc
I use a #6 (570 Eagle Claw) on an 1/8 oz. jig the majority of the time when tightlining but believe it or not, I will sometimes use a #6 (570 Eagle Claw) on a 1/4oz. jig and open the hook when it's real windy.
Bronson : Check with the scrap metal dealers in your area. I have been able to do a couple of trades with plumbers in my area jigs for lead. It might be the only way to go with the cost of every thing now days. Barter for what you need. You have a good skill in jig tying.
As to what to use for hooks I vote for the Matzuo's Sickles. I used Mustad hooks for years and years. Then I went to the VMC's and now I am sold on the Matzuo's. Buy them by the 1,000's and that's a lot of jig heads. Right now I have about 400 poured and painted ready to tie. I will have them done in about two weeks that way they will be done for Fall fishing season. Not to say that I will not tie during the fall just that I will have my fall favorites out of the way.
Redman
Crazy Angler Your here look no more for Slab Bandits the bestQuote:
Originally Posted by mbhutton
Lead Heads : Grandpa Bobs Custom Jigs
JIGHEADS AND WEIGHTS
Bronson,
Roofers use a good quality lead to, roof jacks are very soft lead. Another good one is X-ray rooms, when they remodel that's a gold mine for soft lead. Redman nailed it, the barter system is what us everyday guys use. A lot of times they'll even give it to you. I had tons of lead out of houses and X-ray rooms, I've even got some contractors who melt the lead into bread pans which I remelt as needed into ingots. I think I like making ingots more than jigheads, molten lead is mesmerizing, I just have to figure out that aqua regia to turn it into gold.
x2 redman on havinga bunch tied up, getting your favorites out of the way. Local recycling centers here actually have lead lying around and so do contractors. Remolding xray rooms is awesome for soft lead. I got 400lbs in my basement right now, thanks to a buddy giving me a heads up and kings-daughter hospital for redoing theres...
You guys ahve givin me a ton of use full infomation. I look forward to tying a few and posting them and getting some feed back.
Thanks, I'll give them a try. I've heard it's a good idea to warm it in an oven/toaster in case there is any moisture trapped. Do you think this is necessary?Quote:
Originally Posted by Redman
Have to admit, I've never tied a jig. I've poured thousands of jigs and spend a lot of time powder coating and putting eyes and epoxy on them. So far, I haven't had the time but that may be changing.
I've seen a lot of the work done here and hope to one day be able to tie something that will catch em. Tiers seem to think they catch more with tied jigs than with plastics. From the looks of their jigs, I'm betting they're right.
[QUOTE=crappiedoc;1605150]Bronson,I had tons of lead out of houses and X-ray roomsQUOTE]
A few months ago, I was in my buddy's garage and passed on a tip about getting lead from a dentist office. Told him you could get a pound or two every few months. He pointed over in a corner where he had a good 100 pounds he had gotten from an X-ray room. I'm sure he was amused, I know I was. Rofl At least my intentions were good.