pour your own lead heads

alantani · Sep-06-2005, 11:01 AM

warning! screw up fast and get burned really bad, screw up slow and get poisoned. do this right and you save a ton of money.

i make 2.5 pound lead balls, bannana weights, regular sinkers and torpedo weights. and i make lots of stuff for friends. i still didn't have a good 4 ounce swim bait head. i meet this guy named doug mooney. he's the guy that owns a machine shop called "intool" and he made the rsk loading tool. he also makes swim bait heads. i bought one and now my arsenal is complete.

ever think about trying this? here's how. first, set up some way to melt lead. i spent $15 at the goodwill store and bought a small electric hotplate, a cheap aluminum pot and a stainless steel ladle. i wrapped tin foil around the base of the pot to hold the heat in. works better this way....

open up one of doug's molds and place a hook inside....

clamp it together with something, anything....

pour the lead into the mold....

open up the mold....

pop out the head and snip off the excess....

and toss them in a small pile to cool. this was a half hour to set up, an hour's worth of work and a half hour to clean up..

don't breath the fumes, don't get burned and don't leave a mess. here's a link to the hilt's site and safety information....

http://www.hiltsmolds.com/MoldInstructions.htm

most of the hilts molds are $40. i bought a mold from doug for $30. his work # is 408-727-7575. he says he will make more if you ask, and he is also going to make me a 6 ounce mold next.

Special Ed · Sep-06-2005, 11:17 AM

The only hard part is finding the lead in bulk cheap.

Filthywhore · Sep-06-2005, 11:29 AM

Yeah.. Where do you get cheap bulk lead? its been a loooong time since I have demo'd an x-ray room

Robert Loughran · Sep-06-2005, 11:38 AM

When I was a kid (15) my boss, an old salty guy, used to make his own weights, I remember he used to rip apart old batteries to get the lead out, I am not sure how safe it is, but the lead is free, just thought I would throw that out there. Good luck!

captamb1 · Sep-06-2005, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filthywhore

Yeah.. Where do you get cheap bulk lead? its been a loooong time since I have demo'd an x-ray room

I get tire weights for free from the tire shops.

Jim
AMBUSHER

BornFisher · Sep-06-2005, 11:50 AM

Got about 50 lbs. of lead if anyone wants it!

**Ali** · Sep-06-2005, 11:51 AM

Tire shops.

They throw away old tire weights all the time.

Cool post.

http404 · Sep-06-2005, 12:17 PM

What type of hooks do you use? Are they made for jig heads or are you modifying standard hooks?

TeamStriper · Sep-06-2005, 12:56 PM

Does anyone here custom paint their heads to match the color schemes of the bodies?
I am interested how people do that?

Thanks
Josh

Paul F · Sep-06-2005, 01:20 PM

I dip the heads that I buy. Cheaper than buying the painted ones.

Its a thermo plastic that melts when it comes in contract with the hot lead head. I put an old cake sheet in the oven with the leadheads on it at 250 degrees. I take the leadheads out, reheat over flame and dip in powder.
I then take the heads and hang them by the hook back in the oven over the old pan to cure the thermo plastic. I like using Red and Orange. I know serveral people who prefer the black heads. Hardest part is cleaning the eye. Stuff gets really hard. Photos are of red and orange leadheads I dipped last fall
The reheating is needed because once out of the oven the leadheads loose temp fairly fast.

As to hooks, You can buy them in bulk from most of the mail order catalogs.
I normally buy my heads with owner hooks. good hooks is a must.

My job often takes me along center medians of major roads. Its amazing how many tire weights you find.

Got the Thermoplastic powder from Cabalas.

KC Kevin · Sep-06-2005, 02:42 PM

Great thread; pos rep for you.

alantani · Sep-07-2005, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by http404

What type of hooks do you use? Are they made for jig heads or are you modifying standard hooks?

mustad 7/0 jig hook. cheap and easy. just touch them up with a hook file and you're all set.

reefs in this area can start at 50 feet and shoot up to 30 feet in seconds. fishing rockcod, lings and halibut out of half moon bay, you can loose a dozen of these in one day. at $1.50-2.00 each, plus the swim bait, it really adds up. even if you bought 2.5 pound lead fishing weights at a buck a pound and melted them down, you'd still be money ahead.