Thread: Who makes their own sinkers?

@Tommy I would imagine that its high purity/soft. Good for making buckshot but not rifle bullets. Oh sorry that's right this is about sinkers...

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

@Tommy I would imagine that its high purity/soft. Good for making buckshot but not rifle bullets. Oh sorry that's right this is about sinkers...

Be good for subsonics tho.

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Id like to cast my own Knife jigs
these things cost the earth for 400g piece of long skinny lead
mainly to get a 500g 600g 700g and 800g jigs in my tackle box for targeting puka

Originally Posted by Bill999

Id like to cast my own Knife jigs
these things cost the earth for 400g piece of long skinny lead
mainly to get a 500g 600g 700g and 800g jigs in my tackle box for targeting puka

Uncle made some out of stainless curtain rail. Crimped one end shut, filled with lead, crimped other end and drilled hole. Stuck the reflective tape down each side. Fished as good or better on Kings at White Island than the bought jigs.

jeez hes a smart cookie I like the sound of that Idea

whats the cheepest way to melt lead?

Originally Posted by Bill999

jeez hes a smart cookie I like the sound of that Idea

whats the cheepest way to melt lead?

An old pot, over gas or in the coals of a fire works. We melt down the bulk of it and transfer to a smaller vessel (tin can) with a spout bent in for the pouring part.

Vice grips and big poly grips are your friend

cheers @Gibo

Don't use an alloy pot, cast iron or stainless is best. We lost a lot into the drum fire due to a alloy pot getting a hole from the heat.

Originally Posted by Bill999

jeez hes a smart cookie I like the sound of that Idea

whats the cheepest way to melt lead?

Or make a crucible furnace.

Melting metal in a home foundry, backyard metalcasting, metal casting

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Be good for subsonics tho.

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True if you can hollow point them enough to get them to expand. Never tried it and hear mixed reports of people who have. Pure lead is however VERY soft and can be damaged easily. It can be included in a number of mixtures to harden it up.

Originally Posted by southernman

Yea I have in the past, just bought another mold, and looking at getting one for jig heads, before the next cook up,
only do it once every few years, I have plenty of lead, but its harder to get hold of now,

@southernman I have been looking into doing my own softbait jig heads, found a mold but struggling to get hooks with the right shank on them. You haven't found a source in your travels?

Originally Posted by matai

@southernman I have been looking into doing my own softbait jig heads, found a mold but struggling to get hooks with the right shank on them. You haven't found a source in your travels?

I ordered them in, with the mold, Mustard hooks, don't remember number, did have sum success with heating and bending a few with gas torch at work, but always a bit leary, hate to loose a big fish cause the hook broke were I heated it.
depends on type of mold, on type of hook, and you have to watch that hook is strong enough, many from states aren't, as they use jigs for bass and pickerel, that don't fight as hard or have jaws like snapper or king's,
find the hook model for your jigs and order in sum, may have to go over seas, but jig molds out now that take a far more common hook.

try do-it jig molds for hook models,