[Mo qwack]

I want to light'n up my ultra minnow mold so I can use the bigger size head for crappie without the extra wieght. What if any metals can I use? Cheap and easy to pour would be great. Thanks for the help

[diemai]

@ Mo quack

Guess , that you don't have much of a choice on that ,....... I can only think of tin , which is a little lighter than lead , but has a comparable melting point .

But it is much more costly to obtain .

There may be other metals , but these would be rather uncommon and might be too hard to get , don't know , ..............other ones would have a higher melting point exceeding the possibilities of hobby melting pots and aluminium molds by far .

Don't know much about casting lures from resin , ....but could this be an option for you ?

good luck , diemai

[Peterjay]

Like Diemai said, tin is probably your best option if you want to stick to metal. The price has been up lately (U.S. $12/pound) but if you're just making crappie jigs for personal use, a pound will go a very long way. I can make a fully rigged 2 ounce striper jig for a little over $2 worth of materials; a crappie jig would be a small fraction of that. It weighs about 2/3 what lead weighs and has a lower melting point. It's eco-friendly, and unlike lead, there are few or no health risks associated with the casting process. (unless you try to drink it LOL) Another benefit is that it doesn't require painting - tin has a beautiful luster that pretty much stays put over time. It's nice stuff to work with.

[genekickinit]

Mo qwack, on 10 March 2010 - 01:16 AM, said:

I want to light'n up my ultra minnow mold so I can use the bigger size head for crappie without the extra wieght. What if any metals can I use? Cheap and easy to pour would be great. Thanks for the help

What about electrical solders? Melts quickly---but look for low fume type,if available. Different diameters result in differ melting point......just a thought,not an expert.

[toadfrog]

genekickinit, on 10 March 2010 - 08:49 AM, said:

What about electrical solders? Melts quickly---but look for low fume type,if available. Different diameters result in differ melting point......just a thought,not an expert.

If you try using plastics or resins the start up costs are tremendous and you will still have to use lead or pewter inside . That is to say inject the shape over the hook and metal. I have some jigs like that. A 1/4 oz. or 7 gram jig measures a little over 1/2 inch wide by 1/2 inch tall.

[hawnjigs]

Holy crappie, how big are your slabs? My jigs are 1/16 balls with #4 or #6 hooks.

Cheapest lighter than lead metal would be garage sale solder, the mostly tin (usually 97%) variety. That supply being hit or miss, metals suppliers like Rotometals or Hallmark Metals usually stock pure tin:

Tin (Sn) - melting point 450*F - 64% lead weight

Tin is usually EZ to pour, but some molds are more difficult than others. Like "Peterjay" said, tin has a shiny corrosion resistant finish.

[Mo qwack]

Hmmmm tin and I reckon that will come out of a do- it mold ok? I fish Truman lake and it has a Monster Shad population. In the summer we fish 3 and four inch baits. It cool to put those big baits on and catch some slabs. Our crappie rarely hit the 2 pound mark but they love big baits. Thanks for all the help!

[psilvers]

Mo qwack, on 10 March 2010 - 08:08 PM, said:

Hmmmm tin and I reckon that will come out of a do- it mold ok? I fish Truman lake and it has a Monster Shad population. In the summer we fish 3 and four inch baits. It cool to put those big baits on and catch some slabs. Our crappie rarely hit the 2 pound mark but they love big baits. Thanks for all the help!

Tin is easy to pour and will come out of a Do-It mold just fine.

Pete

[Peterjay]

When I was digging around for tin sources, I found some lead-free solder that was 95/5 tin/antimony at a plumbing supply place. A friend of mine used it to cast some jigs for an article he was writing and it worked fine, but the price was brutal. (I think you can find some online that's more reasonable) Now, I buy pure tin ingots from Rotometals in 10-pound batches to get the free shipping. I use a Do-It mold to cast flutter jigs, and like Pete says, it works great with tin.

[hawnjigs]

To address the topic "But Melt At Low Temps" , a bismuth-tin alloy Bi58-Sn42 has a melting point of 281*F and weighs about 3/4 as much as lead. Very EZ to pour.