cadman

I can't see why not, guys add tin to lead all the time. I can't give you a definite answer on that though. Sorry about that.

This comment goes out to River Rat316. Ah ha, so someone is paying attention and someone must be following my other information. You will not be sorry, I have been doing a lot of personal testing with this stuff and you can't beat it. I, like you, can not stand having black soot all over my hands, all over my molds and jigs, and then when you touch something it's all over that as well, and don't forget when you oil your mold hinge and mix that with the soot well you get the picture. I too was hesitant at using this. I can kick myself in the butt for not trying it sooner. Let me know how you like it. You can PM me if you like. For all others, this is regarding a mold release spray called "Drop Out" by Frankford Arsenal. It is used to coat lead mold halves to make the jigs come out easier. To me this is by far the best thing to use for lead molds.

See new thread titled "Mold Release Spray", I don't want to hijack this.

I did some research on this late last night and you're right Cadman. Basically what I came up with was that the bismuth/tin alloy was about approx. $16/lbs and if you try and make 3/8 oz jigs (probably 1/4 oz actual), your yield will be about 42 jigs in an ideal world making your cost a little better than $2.60/jig. Now you have to add the cost for the hook, skirt, trailer, paint and Kryptonite for line so you won't break off...LOL I don't even know if this alloy will cast in the mold the same way. Your right about the ban of lead topic as a new thread. I can see sinkers being ban, but this is getting a little over the top. Thanks for your input. I totally agree with you about the lead ban. Bismuth and tin will pour nicely and may solve the led ban issue. However I have about 100 molds, and since I sell jigs, I am wondering how this will affect me cost wise. This will have a big impact on the industry and many little guys like me. Time will tell. Thank God I only rely on my lead making as a hobby and not a job.

I believe tin and bismuth is an option. The only problem is tin is very light in weight comparison to lead. Also both of these are more costly than lead. So in the long run you will be paying more anyway. This whole thing with the lead ban is so ridiculous, but that is a topic for another thread. JMO

I will agree with "the crab". I only pour lead jigs also. I do however sell them, and there is not lot of money to be made. This is a hobby to me and a passion to create things from scratch. I have been doing this for 8 years, and most of the money you make you put back in for supplies and new things you want to try. I have about 100 molds @ $40 each, 3 bottom pour pots (3) hot pots, and thousands of hooks. Naturally this is a long term commitment for me. But if I were to just want a 100 jigs or so a year I would buy them. Much cheaper in the long run without the cost for supplies plus the hours upon hours of labor and to make sure you get it right. JMO

The mold pours very well. I've poured over 500 of these and no problems as far as good clean pours. The only thing I can say negative about it is the 1/4 oz size. To me it is a little top heavy, and has a tendency to fall over, but that is my opinion.

I powder paint every jig I personally use and sell. There is just no better durable paint for jigs in my opinion

Brush guards later. I don't believe you can get a good paint job with the brush guards in place. JMO

I've done it in my boat at the dock or at home and it is not messy at all. Now if you are trying to do this on a boat in 4 foot waves then yes it can be messy.

Loc-Tite gel super glue and a whip finish

Tom, thanks for the compliment. Powder paint really works well. If you are going to us all solid colors, than all I do is lightly sand the finished side with some 400 grit sandpaper, then clean with alcohol and start applying your powder paint. If you buy hammered blades and you want to have that show through, wipe your blades with alcohol and apply translucent colored powder paints on the face of the blade. it takes some practice but it all comes out beautiful. Finally to get good paint depth and protection, clearcoat with Devcon 2 Ton or Envirotex light. That's it and good Luck

Sam, you can also use powder paint. here are some pics of some I've done that match the spinnerbait. Powder paint is easy to use and very durable whether you put them on blades or spoons.

If you already have the baits, try Spike-It Dip-n-Glo worm dye. They have it in red also.

This is such a broad question as everyone has a go to jig that only works for them. Since I have been doing this going on 7 years. I'll give you my input for what it's worth. Like IDbasser said. Football jigs for rocky areas along with Arky Jigs. If you are going to swim or hop it around grass, my choices would be a Poison Tail, Snootie jig, Bullet bass jig and a Grass jig. These are tapered in profile for moving through weeds. Then you will have hook selection but that is another long story and based on what you like. If you are first starting out and need more help PM me and I can give you some good info.

Yes, I had custom made pins made so you can stick them in the weedguard hole, heat the jig with the pin in place, swish the jig through the powder paint with the pin in place, and then pull the pin out right away after you put it in the powder paint. Rack your jig, when your done with all of your jigs bake them in the oven. You will never have to clean a weedguard hole again. This works for heat gun painting. I do not know if this will work for torch heating. Also these pins are reusable over and over again. If you want more info PM me.

Sometimes if the jig isn't hot all over or you get too much powder paint on one side , the paint will do that. Take your jig and reheat it, and it should solve your problem. If not PM me and I will help you get perfect looking jigs.

Good answer, I totally agree with you.

I saw your thread when you first posted it and wanted to see what some of the responses were before I posted. Just to give you some insight on which hooks sell, I sell several thousand jigs a year. Your middle of the road, very good hook is Mustad Ultra-Points or Needle points. Now from a sellers point of view, there are not many guys that buy Gami's from me. Depends on who you talk to Gami's are sharp right out of the box, but they don't keep that sharpness very long and if you fish around rocks and trees, well you'll be resharpening quite frequently. However Gami's are an excellent hook, but are more expensive. Now I will tell you that I rarely have people ask for Eagle Claw. First of all you need to keep an open mind. Eagle Claw was once what everybody used. Also if you go back 40 years or so, all of there hooks are bronze finish, so they had a tendency to rust if not air dried when you got home. With the advent of new finishes I believe Eagle Claw did not keep up with the times and Mustad and others took the spotlight. There is nothing wrong with Eagle Claw hooks, it's just that they have an old design. With that said if the Eagle Claw hook on the right is their Laser series, those are strong and sharp hooks. I like their Laser series hooks and I have fished them. In my opinion they are very comparable to many Mustad hooks. Naturally this is a personal choice, and many will disagree, but nothing wrong with an Eagle Claw Laser hook. Just my two cents worth.

KC I have the molds, however I don't have those hooks, if you have the hooks and want to send me a couple, I will try them out and send you pics of what needs to be done o the mold. PM me if you're interested.

Good choice of colors. Browns and green pumpkin or watermelon. Throw in some black and black/blu and you will be haulin' them in.

Jig, Thanks for the compliment. I like the poison tail jig. Lot of guys complain that they miss a lot of hooksets, because the hook is bent down or they have to wait a little while longer for the fish to take the bait and swim with it. I don't seem to have this problem, I always wait a little while anyway, until I see the fish swim with the bait and then set the hook. I guess to each his own. I like them. That pumkinseed color in my area just slays them in Spring time. Shad, blk/blue, black and crawdad colors work really well in summer.

Thank You very much for the compliment Nas.

PM me and I will try to explain it with some pics.

Camman pretty much covered the basics on where to buy stuff. I hand tie with thread, however that is a personal choice. If you want PM me and I can give you some info on making knots on your finished thread wraps.