jih-head molds

[Full Waders]

I recently received a couple of jig molds from 'luremaking' the site from my homeland in Canada. The initial cost of the molds may seem a little scary but it is a lifetime investment. Top quality gear. Be good to get a few mates to invest in some different molds as well to keep the costs down and add some variaty.It'd be nice to have a lead melter and laddle but with the coleman stove, a tin can, and a pair of vice grips it's pretty easy.
As for lead, I just have a roll of lead flashing (used around pipes and vents in tile roofs) I picked up off a job site. Note- tyre weights do not make good lead for this, you need 'soft' lead. Much easier to melt and flow into the molds.
Regards,
Kev

[Full Waders]

For those that are interested, here's a pic of a mold and less than a half hours work this afternoon (I know I should be out fishing but it's blowing it's ring out down here in Augusta) :D

[eddystone]

Ha,

They look pretty good. Mind me asking how much for the mold???

And also the hooks??

Thanks
eddystone

[Full Waders]

Eddystone,
the molds are 42.95 Canadian (the Canadian dollar is a little stronger than the Aussie dollar currently- but nowhere near the strength of the Yankie dollar).

The hooks (eagle claw 570 jig hooks) are 6.29 per hundred again in Canadian dollars. Not the greatest hooks compared to the likes of gama's but more than adequate. I think you'd find that most of the maufactured jig heads are made with these hooks.

Check out www.luremaking.com (no association) You'll be blown away at the selection of 'Do-It' jig molds.

Kev

[eddystone]

Hi again,

Sounds pretty good to me. Is there anywhere in Aus that you could get them. (maybe breammaster should stock them.....hint hint)

eddystone

wheel weights be OK if you just heated em a little hotter until they melted good?

I mean - they might be a little easier for breamin rug rats to 'aquire' - what with multi story car parks n all!:o :p
All day parkin near the narrows - collect a few pockets of wheel weights as wet a line at the same time!
:D ;)

Of course knowin someone whose a wheel balancer might also open up a potential supply route.. ;)

Just supposin - wheel weights was the only lead you had access to (except for old car batterys?)...

Lead flashings no good to me (i'm afraid a heights!) :rolleyes:

So - which "other moulds" do you need?

Cheers...

[Evan]

Some of the first jigs i ever bought were made on those eagle claw 570's and in my opinion they are absolutely crap (no offence Kev) i lost sooo many fish to hooks straightening it wasnt funny so i ended up throwing them all in the bin..

compared to the gamma's and owner jigs they are weak and extremely blunt, but hey thats the price you pay for using the best. i make my own jigs too, but now i only use owner or gama hooks some of which cost up to 50c ea so paying $1 per jig is not that unreasonable considering ill probably die of lead poisoning LOL ;):p

just a bit of advice, anyone considering making their own should do so in a well ventilated and dry area. lead loves to spit when water is added... :p

[Full Waders]

Trouty (Shann),
Didn't your roof on the machine shed recently blow off? Should be some flashing scattered around the paddock:D
Wheel weights are an alloy- pure lead melts around 620 F. Alloys much higher. The higher the temp you melt at, the more carcinogens are released into the air. May not be a problem for you if you don't want any more kids (happy with three?).
Also the alloy's cool faster- hence when you pour into the mold the lead you can have problems with the holes clogging up as it rapidly cools.
Get the wheel weights (from your Bro'n'law) and make star and spoon sinkers with them. I'd use pure lead for the little moulds.

Evan, no offence taken. We all have our own experience with things. I agree that they are not the best hooks on the market; gammas and owners are definitley superior (and should be seeing they cost 40 or 50 cents per hook compared to 7 cents). I just spent the last few minutes sticking a hundred or so in my thumb nail and very few of them were blunt. I can't recall having many straighten on many fish. Where I normally fish (the Blackwood) it's pretty snaggy country and when I straighten one out on a snag I don't mind replacing it due to the cost.
All said and done- if I was fishing the Breams Series I'd be picking the Gamma's and Owners.
Ditto with the lead saftey issue. Lead is potentially nasty stuff- builds up in your system over the long term. Lots of soap and water after you've finished and keep the temperature down and avoid the fumes:

[Evan]

yeh cool Kev... i fished the Blackwood and donated a fair few owner jigs to the snags... however owner make jig hooks that are designed to straighten on snags but not on fish... go figure...

whilst this didnt really work down there, when fishing perth i have found on pilons and the like in the swan the jigs would straighten on the snag, but when they were bent back, i caught fish with the same jig and never had the problem of one straightening... so i guess their design does work.

im actually heading down south tomorrow and am planning on fishing the blackwood probably tuesday sometime... this time im armed with some weedless jigs and some worm hooks that will be rigged weedless :D cant wait :D

[Simon]

just started playing with a few moulds that I cast out of pottery plaster. Still sorting out the best way to keep the mould hot while pouring to fill the moulds completely while the hot air bubbles out the top I think due to the rapid temp change. So far so good. I've made two rough moulds at a cost of $1.75 each. have made about 15 jigs so far with 7 going back into the pot. They're all very rough so far but I'll refine it make better moulds and all should be good.

[the_hide]

You can import Owner, VMC, Gamatsu 90 degree hooks from Stamina Lure parts for those molds aswelll. Im trying to find the local version that mustad have out with no luck.

[leamos]

The mustard aberdeen 90 deg hooks are not too bad although not as good as gammas. Maybe we could setup a co-op in which costs and jigs produced are shared, might make it a bit cheap for everyone. Just an idea. or Bream Master could make there own jigs and sell them to us ;)

[leamos]

"Do It Jig Molds are distributed by Jeff Frogley Agencies and you can contact them for further details and the location of retailers by phoning (02) 66813988." - www.hotspot.com.au/product_awareness/jig_molds.htm
HTH

[leamos]

Another one to try http://www.fujitackle.com.au/newprod.htm

[fishcatcher]

if u make ur owne jigs and wouldnt mind selling 25 to me please pm me

[BoofHed]

Ive got a coupla mold and if ya want u can import the hooks and make as manny as u want at my place
Bruce

[BoofHed]

It doesn't take verry long about 4 beers to make a couple a hundred lol

[leamos]

Would love to take you up on that offer bruce but perth is alittle too far to go for a few jig heads, but if someone wants to sell a bunch of jig heads I'll grab some off them. Cheers

[yellow door 1]

I havent made jig heads before but I've made all sorts of different sinkers.

For the budget lead worker

2nd hand roofing lead is very cheap. I think the last time I picked up a batch from a scrap metal yard it was 80c a kilo. Can probably get it cheaper if you hunt around. Can make a fair few jig heads with a kilo. The only problem with the 2nd hand stuff is its usually covered in crap. Give it a scub with a wire brush and once you melt it, the crap you missed will seperate and you get lovely silver molten lead.

I just used dog food cans to melt the bulk of the lead on the bbq. You just bend a little kink in the rim so you can grip on with pliers with your wrist in a natural pouring position. Also pinch a spout so the lead doesnt spill everywhere when pouring. I then transfer the molten lead into a much smaller can (also on the flame) for easy pouring.

Have your mold perfectly setup before you take the lead off the flame. I also preheat the mold over the flames before pouring. SO you either have to be very nimble with multi grips or buy a mold with handles.

Mine dont have handles so I use use a damp folded piece of towel in conjuction with multigrips for manouvering the piping hot mold. Wear thick garden gloves to cover yourself from the splatter or be very careful with the amount of water that comes into contact with the mold.

I wrap a damp sock around my mouth and nose and cover that with a painters mask. Also spend as little time as possible with my head anywhere near the fumes.

Because I'm not using the thick professional melting pots I have to work quickly. The lead quickly cools when you take it off the flame.
A steady even pour is required.

The only place where you shouldnt save pennies is on the mold. Some of the cheaper molds dont fit together all that well. This means little bits of lead dribble through the cracks and leave your sinkers with a mohawk (flashing) that needs to be trimmed off later. The cheaper the mold the more flashing you get around the side of your sinker. So if you spend an extra 20 bucks on the mold, it will save you so much grief trimming flashing once you get them out.

If you buy the cheaper one, thinking I'll just try it out, you'll be back at the tackle store next week wanting to up grade.

[fishcatcher]

i am to young to make any but i will buy them off u