Casting Jigs Video

[JayWirth 0]

A short video casting jig heads

 

Enjoy!

 

[mikechell 0]

Okay ... now I have to go buy an electric smelter ... an million hooks (every conceivable size) ... a thousand molds (to fit all the hooks) ... and lead.

I'm tired of doing them already, just saved myself a bunch of money and time.  Good thing too, I don't ever fish with jigs.

But, I did like the video!

[tidewaterfly 0]

Mike, I know that you're a technical type guy, so what is being shown in that video is not "smelting", it's just melting. Smelting involves extracting from an ore, a different process. 

I only point this out because too many folks, don't know the difference, and a lot of misinformation is passed around as a result. The use of lead gets an unwarranted bad rap as it is. 

I've poured lead for a long time, and have been involved in too many discussions about lead and it's use, and sometimes the term smelting and it's potential environmental hazards is brought up, as a reason not to be using lead. I've never had to smelt lead. 

However, you are certainly correct in saving money by not getting involved! For many folks it's like fly tying, an addiction that always has something else to buy. 

[feathers5 0]

5 hours ago, JayWirth said:

A short video casting jig heads

 

Enjoy!

 

Are you able to mold dumbbell eyes in different sizes, too? Do you sell them?

[mikechell 0]

45 minutes ago, feathers5 said:

Are you able to mold dumbbell eyes in different sizes, too?

😄 Didn't you see that wall of molds?

Actually, tide ... I do know there's a difference between smelting and melting.  I thought about editing that word even as I posted it.  But then, I figured, on this site it won't matter much.

When I did play with lead, I rendered old tire weights I found along the road.  Since I was extracting the lead from the metal brackets ... smelting?  Just kidding.

[JayWirth 0]

2 hours ago, feathers5 said:

Are you able to mold dumbbell eyes in different sizes, too? Do you sell them?

I dont have molds for that but I am sure there must be or they can easily be made.  Casting dumbell eyes would be simple.

[Poopdeck 0]

6 hours ago, tidewaterfly said:

Mike, I know that you're a technical type guy, so what is being shown in that video is not "smelting", it's just melting. Smelting involves extracting from an ore, a different process. 

However, you are certainly correct in saving money by not getting involved! For many folks it's like fly tying, an addiction that always has something else to buy. 

Full confession, I also call it smelting, sort of. I "smelt" with a plumbers crucible where I clean the lead and skim off the impurities.  I ladle the clean lead into an old cast iron cornbread pan to make ingots that look like little ears of corn. I have about 3 bucks invested in my crucible and ingot pan. I will also pour ingots in the grove that runs along every pipe wrench ever produced. Can't vouch for this but I was told long ago that this grove is in every pipe wrench so a plumber could pour his own sweating lead. I got my crucible from an old school plumber since I don't think new school plumbers work with lead like they use to. I use the clean "smelted" ingots in my bottom pour pot like the one in the video. I think I paid around 40 bucks for the pot.

i have maybe 8 or so molds that cost between 20 and 40 bucks each. I do it to save money and my non addictive personality allows me to do just that. I know Mike's personality is similar so im guessing you could easily save as well. Tube jig heads and drop shot weights cost almost a buck a piece. A stupid ball jig is about .50 each. In a single outing me and my partner can lose 30 or more tube jigs/drop shot weights. I make them for a price of a hook (about 5 cents each) or an eyelet (about 8 cents each) since my lead is free. Currently we are easily saving 20 to 25 bucks every day we go fishing. Double the savings when it comes to 1/2 oz to 2 oz bucktails.  I also fear no snags and will fish in the junkiest places I can find with no worries about losing tackle. I've been pouring for more than 40 years. My Smelting/pouring gear has long since paid for themselves and frankly an electric bottom pour pot is not even needed as I use to simply ladle from my "smelting" pot right into my molds.  Not a difficult or an expensive process any way one chooses to do it. 

I'm about to plunge on the Midwest finesse mold we talked about earlier. It's a rather expensive mold at around 52 bucks but Ned jig heads are going for over a buck a piece. the cost of the mold will be paid for in about 5 outing and  it's all gravy after that.  That's just me though and I recognize that I am different from most anglers in that I strive to keep things light and simple, like Mike. 

Nice video Jay. I liked how it clearly showed the simplicity and the production even when pouring one at a time.

 

[JayWirth 0]

6 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Nice video Jay. I liked how it clearly showed the simplicity and the production even when pouring one at a time.

Thanks Poopdeck: A word on 'production' casting - I worked many years in the Game / Toy Soldier industry doing some publishing and sculpting / casting the game pieces.  First the figures used with the games were cast in lead and then in the early 90s the industry made a self imposed switch to pewter.  At that time I made a test to see how spincasting jigs in a 12" mold compares to the single cavity molds you see in the video.  Costs to make the molds either 12" vulcanized rubber or aluminium were very similar. Having a spin casting machine, larger melting pot etc took up much more space and did have a higher cost up front for the equipment (but was an external expense and not factored into the test).  We made two 12" rubber molds, one with a small 1/16 ball jig (If memory serves) of two rings in the disc to cast 100 at a time; the second was also a 12" rubber mold that had 50 1/2 walleye jigs.  I used single cavity aluminum molds, not multi cavity like DoIt, to cast the same hook/heads.

Conclusion: All things are equal. The amount of time it took to place 50/100 hooks into the rubber mold, apply second half, put in spincaster, start the cycle (clamps & lid closes and spinning starts), ladle in the lead, spin cycle stops, peal apart mold, remove the rings of jigs, continue till molds are too hot, clip sprues and put heads into a can - was the same amount of time I could flip open the metal mold, place hook, close, pour, open, repeat till aluminum mold is too hot, clip off the extra lead and put in a can.  So really the only way that spincasting jigs would be worth pursuing would be if I needed a full time helper to cast jigs.  In that case for each worker needed I would vulcanize 3-4 identical 12" molds and switch out the molds  as they get hot.

 

[feathers5 0]

12 hours ago, JayWirth said:

I dont have molds for that but I am sure there must be or they can easily be made.  Casting dumbell eyes would be simple.

Hey Jay,  I have at least one buddy that would buy enough to make it worth your while. Of course I'd buy them, too, and I'm sure there are others. We like to buy plain lead and paint our own. The eyes are much cheaper and we have a little fun painting them

[feathers5 0]

14 hours ago, mikechell said:

😄 Didn't you see that wall of molds?

Actually, tide ... I do know there's a difference between smelting and melting.  I thought about editing that word even as I posted it.  But then, I figured, on this site it won't matter much.

When I did play with lead, I rendered old tire weights I found along the road.  Since I was extracting the lead from the metal brackets ... smelting?  Just kidding.

Ha, right, but I didn't see what I needed.

[feathers5 0]

21 hours ago, JayWirth said:

A short video casting jig heads

 

Enjoy!

 

I hope this isn't too stupid of a question, but aren't you worried about lead poisoning? Is that a possibility after handling and being around all of that lead? Just wondering.

[skeet3t 0]

feather5, my father always said the only stupid question was the one not asked. Valid question, IMO.

For years, I have cast bullets and sinkers from old tire weights. You have to handle (very slim chance of lead poisoning) or ingest a lot of lead to get lead poisoning. My son and grandson collected about 2-3 pounds of led at the local gun club. The cowboy events shoot pure lead bullets at heavy metal targets. Bullets flatten into a disk and fall to the ground. I wash my hands thoroughly after handling lead. BTW, I'm at the age where the iron in my blood has turned to lead in my pants.

[tidewaterfly 0]

10 hours ago, feathers5 said:

I hope this isn't too stupid of a question, but aren't you worried about lead poisoning? Is that a possibility after handling and being around all of that lead? Just wondering.

Actually, you stand a bigger chance of an illness from Ammonia or Chlorine Bleach in your home than you do from lead used for pouring fishing tackle. The two primarily potential hazards with pouring lead are burns, and lead oxide dust. Some folks claim there's a high risk from vapor, but that's false. Lead melts at just over 621 degrees F, and the boiling point is 3180 degree's F. With most melting equipment used for pouring, temperatures high enough to produce vapor are not reached. It's possible if some heating sources are used, but that would be rare and frankly unnecessary to use such sources for pouring. I know of guys who use propane and large melting pots for melting down scrap lead into ingots, but they're not pouring lures with it and they all do this outdoors in open areas. They use a different melting pot for pouring lures, mostly electric, and they don't get as hot since they do have controls to maintain the heat. 

Elemental lead is also not soluble, so it cannot be absorbed thru the skin. The lead oxide is soluble, but exposure is limited, the potential for harm from it is also limited. The dust would have to get onto soft tissue that would allow absorption and for a long enough time to be absorbed. Most folks hands, the skin is tough enough so there's little chance of that happening.  

There certainly are common sense and safety/health practices that can very much limit the potential for health problems when working with lead. As long as they're practiced, there should not be any health problems. 

I've been pouring lead a long time. I do it as part of my tackle business and have had testing of my blood done for exposure when I've had routine physicals. I've never tested positive. 

What is often said about lead, is misleading. Compounds of lead can be harmful, such as was used in fuels and paints at one time, but that is a different situation than working with elemental lead. What they also usually fail to say about lead, even the compounds, is that exposures need to be over a relatively long time frame and internally. You could ingest some lead with no ill affects, as your body will pass it as waste. It's the repeated internal exposure that causes harm. It has to be ingested, breathed in the case of dust, or absorbed and that can only be done from extended exposures. 

So, I do get some lead oxide dust on my hands. I'm primarily working with lead that does not have much lead oxide on it, but lead like any metal starts to oxidize as soon as it's exposed to oxygen. I wash my hands a lot, every time I need to take a break, and I do often wear gloves, although that's mostly due to the heat, and not because of a concern about the dust. I also work in a very well ventilated area. I have a respirator too, with a filter rated for blocking lead oxide dust and lead vapor. But, as I mentioned, vapor with what I'm doing is nonexistent. I wear the respirator mostly when melting down scrap lead, such as wheel weights, that may also have paint, oils, grease or other contaminants which when heated to the temperatures to melt the lead usually burn, and those are other potential hazards. Breathing in fumes from paints burning can be very harmful. 

As I stated when I started my reply to your question, if you have ammonia or chlorine bleach in your home, there's a higher risk of having a health problem with them than there is from lead that is used for making fishing tackle. 

[tidewaterfly 0]

Quote

I'm about to plunge on the Midwest finesse mold we talked about earlier. 

Yes sir, that was a good thread. Look around for sources for that mold and you can get it well below what the retail price that is listed on the Do IT website. 

The three best sources that I've found has been Barlow's Tackle in TX,  Rock Island Sports in NY, and Ziener's Bass Shop in KS. All of them have been great to deal with. 

Lurecraft in IN has that mold on their website for $38.95 plus the shipping. The others have been around $34 to $36 for the mold. 

I also check Jann's Netcraft in OH when I'm looking for Do It Molds, but have bought many that I have from those first 3 above because they've often had the best prices. 

I hope this helps you! 

[Poopdeck 0]

Perfectly safe pouring lead if you avoid licking your fingers. I clean the lead over a single propane  burner that screws into a 1lb camping bottle. It is impossible to get the lead to vaporize. But I do all of my lead stuff outside, cleaning in the back yard and pouring in my driveway just outside the garage. I do this for no other reason than this is the way I've always done it. My biggest concern is burns just like when I boil water which is far more dangerous then melting lead.I don't wear any safety gear, I just make sure the vessel holding the hot lead is secured to the work are so it's impossible to tip over. 

I will definately shop for the best price when it's time. Thanks for the list. I will probably wait till summer is over since it's way to hot out to pour lead. Sweat is also something I avoid doing when melting lead.