Makin Jigs

[mundz]

hi guys have been lookin at jig molds online am havin trouble findin one that i m happy wit i want a profile mold similar to either the squidgy finneses heads or the nitro bream bullets i have found one s that resemble these but the problems im havin is that the wieghts are either to heavy or the hook sizes to big one that i did like the look of is a new one called the minnow head and it looks almost identical to the enviro jigs if anyone could let me no if they no where i could get my hands on a mold that makes heads simialr to the squidgy finneses or nitro breamm bullets that would be great or do u think that the minnow head mold would be just as good

[NIZ]

Welcome to the club mate:) I too looked at all sorts of moulds on the net and came to the conclusion that I would be better off getting a blank mould and having it machined to my specs.

In my case I am very picky about the design of the collars and prefer the collar design of the nitro and TT jigs.

If you have any luck and find a suitable mould let me know mate.

hey niz, did u actually get one machined for u or have u just thought about it? did u get a quote to get it made? cause i have waned to make my own for ages but don;t like those big pointy collars on most jig head moulds.
cheers greg

[Mark M]

Seen quite a few on e-bay lately.

[mundz]

yeh i no wat u mean bout the collars niz it s a pain in the ass i saw that u could do ur own custom ones but dont no the price i think it would cost a fair bit but u should have a look at this site www.staminainc.com there is a new mold and its shape is exactly the same as the envirojigs they have wieghts ranging from 1/48 to 1/8 they look pretty good the collar isnt the best but it doesnt look to big u could always look at the round heads as they have collars the same as the nitro and gamas unless u are after profile head like me u could always pm matt fraser and ask him where he got his molds from

[mundz]

just another question guys how is the action on the enviro jigs is it similar to a darter style head and has anyone used them for gulp grubs and bass minnows as these are the softies i would be using them wit most cos if the action on the enviro jigs is similar to the darter style head i will buy that mold striahgt away thanks guys

[mundz]

im goin to bite the bullet and get the mold thats produces the jigs that are the same as the enviro jigs evne if the barb is to big which it doesnt look like i will just trim it wit some cutters and then bind some bent staples on to the shank similar to the old squidgy keepers

[bubba]

Hi there Mundz,
Just thought I would answer a few of your questions :). The Envirojigs Monnow heads perfectly suit the Bass Minnows and Gulp style grubs. Alot of the guys on the site use them so I wont say how good they are just because I make them. I will let people like Herds, Ira, Dror, Bear etc who use them tell you about them.

As for making your own, getting the mold is just the start. You can buy molds locally or overseas and it will typically cost you around 100.00 AUS regardless of where you get it. The next part is what are you going to use to melt the metal you are using and then also pour it.
Alsot of the guys here have tried doing it and for the time and initial investment it costs, it does actually work out cheaper to buy them.
Just to let you know I usually pour up 2000 jigs at a time. that takes me about 6 or 7 hours for that. Then you need to clean them up. Another few hours there. I also have bagging etc so there is a few more hours. Bear in mind I have alot of proffesional gear for melting and pouring so I can do it 4 to 5 times faster than some one without that equipment.
The other problem you have is the lead fumes. I am assuming you are using lead as you will need different equipment to melt other metals to create the correct blend.
Another very important area people dont look at is that lead is very toxic, even more so in molten form. Creating the right ventalation is a pain in the ass. You can do it out side but even then, that is far from ideal.
Seem worth it? If so go for it. I know people like DaveW tried it for a while and realised its cheaper, easier and safe to buy them and to let idiots like me make them!

As for getting your own molds made that is very expensive. Firstly YOU need to create the jig you are using and take it to an ally fabricator/molder. Then you need to get the mold cast and tested.
Getting 1 mold made can cost you well over $500.00 ( I know I have some being made now that are worth over 1000 :))

Im just being honest with this. I dont want you to forget about the idea but I have been through all of that and know how bad it really is. I still do it because of my love for fishing and to have the chance to create a product that is environmentally friendly. Good luck in your endevours :)

[mundz]

thanks very much for the detialed reply bubba very useful and much appreciated correct me if im wrong but when i was lookin at the molds today i saw them for $27.85 cents in US dollars and i worked it out it appears to be $36.35 austalian dollars now maybe i got it wrong but i used a currency converter but maybe the site isnt american i dont no but it just seemed like a good price the site was www.staminainc.com and it looked very american so yeh but i already have a cast iron pot a ladle and a little gas burner so i would be pretty much set all i really need is the hooks and mold and some lead i also have a article by david seaman in saltwater fishing which explains the process im pretty keen on goin through wit the idea but cos im so sick of losin jigs and its get s expensive after a while

[Mark M]

http://www.breammaster.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=9372