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Making your own bucktail jigs

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biggstriper

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Recommended hook and size should be right on the mold. You can cross reference for other hook makers. 10# lee lead melting pot should do you fine if that's all you are going to pour.

Oh yeah, be careful.

 

The old Coleman Stove with a cast iron bucket and spool is old school and will work. But what Gotcow said. :th: The Lee lead melting pot is the way to go.

The Sultan of Sluggo

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if you want to start cheaper you could always use a lee hotpot II which is what I use. It takes a little while longer to melt the lead but it works just as well. I think the ladle approach takes a little more skill too.

Gone Fishing- Be back for Hunting Season
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I started out just to make a few bucktails to save money. About a dozen molds later I realize I have an addiction. On the plus side; I don't whine as much when I snap one off.

 

5 oz. eats up some lead.

Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.
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5 oz does eat lead i agree. Several years ago i refused to buy another BT as such i make my own and it allows me to customize them in terms of hair color etc. It is a lot cheaper to make them but initially a big investment in molds equipment etc. to melt the lead i use an old camping stove fueled by propane and a cast iron pot. not sure on the durability of an electric melter but i would question it do to the heating elements going bad. easiest way for me is to use the pot and a ladle. one piece of advise is to flux the lead before pouring it in as the lead with separated elements tends to freeze in the gate of the mold causing incomplete casts. what i do is take a small chunk of paraffin wax and put it into the pot. it will ignite and when the flames extinguish, I stir the lead bottom up and begin to pour. needless to say i make every piece of tackle that i use including sinkers jigs etc. i will also concur it gets very addicting:)

"If I could have my wasted days back would I use them to get back on track? Stop to warm at karmas burning or look ahead, but keep on turning. Do I have the strength to know how I'll go? Can I find it inside to deal with what I should'nt know?"
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I made do with a hot plate and a bent coffee can for years. Now I have an aluminum pot that I worked a spout into. Warming the molds will help, you can also pour without hooks to warm things up. Good Luck, work safe.

 

Peace

Frank II --- If anyone needs me, I'll be in my MAN CAVE, rotating the laundry. - C.C.A. - American Littoral Society Tagger w/ 61 returns - Vietnam Veteran U. S. Army,  Grand Pa of 6

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  • 1 month later...


Can't beat do-it and hilts molds.  I have the small palmer electric, only use for small batches.  An old dutch over on a turkey fryer will really put out the lead. It is hard to keep the mold hot with the small electric melter.  I have a lot of the molds, but have a hard time finding molds for the bigger (16 oz) lures.  They really eat up the lead! 

I am trying to locate some good tutorials on making some molds for larger lures!



Tedg


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I bought a "Do-it" jig thing this weekend that has the forms for 4 oz. and 5 oz. jigs.

Now I need to get the heater to melt the lead into and jig hooks for 4 and 5 oz. bucktail jigs. What type of heater and hooks are best?

 

Bigg Bunny - did you search the lure building forum on this subject? A lot of discussion there about this very issue.

Last year I began pouring lead into jig molds, and learned the hard way that it's nothing like pouring round ball or minie bullets for black powder.

The big Do-It molds are a PITA to deal with, and if you search my comments, you can see what finally worked for me, after receiving a lot of excellent advice from the guys here.

In the end I had custom AVA molds made just because I wanted my own that tapered exactly the way I thought they should flow, etc.

And you'll need a Dremel, too, no matter what.

Several of my other Do-It molds have been routed out with the Dremel into perfect sizes, shapes and weights.

Use the search function, especially in Lure Building.

Have fun!

Josh

Love America, or ... why live here?
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It doesn't take much to melt lead - we always used little backpacking stoves and either a coffee can and smithing tongs for one-offs or a small cast iron pot with a good long wooden handle if it was going to be reused - just make sure whatever container it is has a good spout and you have some way of holding and pouring it without holding your face over it.

 

other than that, make sure you fill the mold completely - you might have to wait then top it off as the lead will suck any excess in as it cools and if there's no extra you'll end up with voids. and ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.

I've done stuff I ain't proud of, and the stuff I am proud of is disgusting.

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Make sure you have a couple coffee cans siting around when you start because you will need to scrape off all of the impurities that float to the top. I use an old spoon. A pair of good gloves are needed if your going to use a cheaper method with a stove. Don't get me wrong it all works I used to use coleman propane stove now I have a production pot thanks to a friend. Just never take focus off what your doing it can hurt you bad.

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  • 3 years later...

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