25whaler Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 I am new to the board and excited about it. Its exactly what I was looking for. I was hoping I could call on some expertise with making lead lure inserts. I mostly make lures for offshore saltwater fishing. I need to make a lead mold that is square and can accept 3/16 brass tubing. See picture. I then put this tubing into a resin mold. After it cures I turn it on a lathe If anyone can assist in what type of material to make my mold out of for the lead I would greatly appreciate it. Also where to find the material. My experiment with high temp rtv was a disaster. The insert I was able to make ws made with angle iran and very difficult to pour. Thanks in advance for some advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nerdy Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 im not sure if this is what youre looking for, but try this. http://www.tackleunderground.com/tutorials/index.php?c=crankweights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 "Closing Notes: Please keep in mind the dangers associated with casting lead. You can be exposed to harmful amounts of lead or be severely burned unless certain precautions are taken. Only cast lead in a well ventilated area, avoid water & other liquids around molten lead, protect your skin, eyes & respiratory system at all times. " - how to article Be Careful ... lead is very tricky stuff. Any moisture at all can make it splatter violently all over. If you have kids in the house..... even if not, dont do it in your house. Exposure can be very dangerous. It seems like a fairly easy project, maybe you can have a full time lead tackle caster pour them for your cheap. I am not trying to sway you away...just point out the difficulty and exposure hazards. I am a Safety and Chemical Hygiene professional... thats why I am being cautious... Please be careful. Love to see your lures though... Glad your here! Have Fun! Chip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendary Lures Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 Here's some ideas for lead molds: Aluminum works best. If the insert you want to make is small enough, you can't beat the price/quality of Do-It's blank mold. You can make the cavity with a Dremel tool or have it milled by someone with a CNC mill. Check Del-Mart.com Del has a machine shop and specializes in fishing lure molds. He's reasonably priced and makes a qualaity product. Dunham's Water Putty ( available in the paint dept. of well stocked hardware stores) is a quick, easy and very inexpensive way to make a mold. Beware these molds deteriorate quickly. If you're planning on pouring a bunch of inserts, I would recommend using aluminum. Anyway, you could make your mold-master from wood. Make a mold container with Lego blocks. Be sure to grease up the master. Embed half of the master in modelling clay and fill the container up with Water Putty. Let it dry. Demold. Make the other half. Be absolutely sure the mold is DRY before pouring molten lead into it. Like Chip said, water and lead can product explosive results. Well, not exactly an explosion, but you certainly don't want molten lead splattering on you. I usually set the mold on top of the furnance for a few days. You can bake them in your oven on very low heat for a couple hours, too. Good luck. Be sure to show your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted April 12, 2004 Report Share Posted April 12, 2004 For the accuracy and balance you need for the trollers - you are better off getting a machined mold. They say Del is the man. Would be interested in what you find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
