Going To Start Making Bucktails.....need help

[rocky]

I never poured lead before and I am going to start making my own bucktail jigs this year. I fish the sticky stuff where the fish are and I lose a ton of rigs on each trip. When I start adding up the dollars I lost it takes some of the fun out of each trip. I know there will be a initial investment and that is what I am asking for help with. 

I purchased 2 Do-It ultra minnow molds already 1 oz-8 oz. 

A ladle and a melting pot. Should I also buy a Lee melting pot?

Muffin pans for ingots. I am planning on using wheel weights since I have a unlimited supply and I have done some research on that topic.

The best place to buy supplies and what hooks do you recommend?

Anything else you want to add that may help a novice lead pourer will appreciated. Thank you.

 

 

 

[hunterbob1]

10 minutes ago, rocky said:

The best place to buy supplies and what hooks do you recommend?

https://www.terminaltackleco.com

[SPEARFISH]

DO a couple of mock pours first before putting the hooks in to heat up the mold.  You can take the lead out and melt it again.  If the mold is not hot enough, the lead will harden before the entire cavity is filled.

[OMC]

Rocky 

Great topic I am also very interested in pouring my own this year. I have nothing yet so I hope to get some info. 

[Ringtail]

Yes buy a Lee melting pot. I’ve tried other ladle type pots and I think you get a better pour with the Lee. I put the mold right up to the spout so there’s virtually no time for the lead to cool from the pot to the mold. 

Like spearfish said before you have to heat up the mold first it takes a little while to do. I do a dozen or so mock pours so it’s really nice and hot. I also think it helps to take a heat gun and warm up the hook before pouring. 

I use gamakatsu hooks just based on my personal preference. I order mine from Barlow’s Tackle 

Edited February 22, 2019 by Ringtail

[Ringtail]

Are you planning on painting them?

[MGHunter66]

Awesome, I would add that if you fish the sticky stuff add a ball jig mold to your arsenal, they hang up a lot less then spro type heads and are great for fluke. Also look up my topic below on powder coating, it does a better job then swishing them around in powder paint and uses a alot less material

Powder coating big jigs=fluid bed.  It’s in fishing forum

[hunterbob1]

17 minutes ago, Ringtail said:

Are you planning on painting them?

I recommend,Oven bake.

[rocky]

Yes powder coating and baking. I might even do a clear epoxy coating after.

I just ordered a Lee pro 4  20lb furnace.

 

Edited February 22, 2019 by rocky

[hammer4reel]

Wish I had seen this earlier ,

for big buck tails you want to use a ladle.

if using wheel weights you need to make sure you don’t have any zinc ones in the bucket as they mess everything up .

only hooks to use are black nickel DONT use duratin.

IMO. With a turkey fryer and a cast iron pan it’s way faster to use a few molds and just pour them instead of cleaning up lead and making ingots , then remelting in the lee pot.

 

[rocky]

53 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

IMO. With a turkey fryer and a cast iron pan it’s way faster to use a few molds and just pour them instead of cleaning up lead and making ingots , then remelting in the lee pot.

 

Can you elaborate? And I won't even ask you to smile while doing so. 

[hammer4reel]

You need to smelt down the wheel weights . Clean dirt and remove clips etc .

Then also remove some of the tin. And flux the rest  in

It's easier to do that .then just use a ladle and pour directly into the molds..

Since fryer burns hotter than the lead pot does it's easy to cast right then .

.

[rocky]

5 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

You need to smelt down the wheel weights . Clean dirt and remove clips etc .

Then also remove some of the tin. And flux the rest  in

It's easier to do that .then just use a ladle and pour directly into the molds..

Since fryer burns hotter than the lead pot does it's easy to cast right then .

.

So what you are saying is to pour the fluxed cleaned lead directly from the pot with a ladle to the mold instead of making ingots?

Edited February 22, 2019 by rocky

[hammer4reel]

25 minutes ago, rocky said:

So what you are saying is to pour the fluxed cleaned lead directly from the pot with a ladle to the mold instead of making ingots?

Yes

[rocky]

The 20 lb Lee melting pot wasn't a bad price ($69.99 with free shipping Midway) and I am sure it will be useful to make jigs and sinkers.

I understand it will be a learning process making jigs the right way. The same as it is for the few Democratic voters here who keep getting it wrong, the good news is I will finally learn right from wrong unlike them.