tsic Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Does anyone use pewter for pouring jig heads From what I can find out it melts a little less temp than lead and costs about 1/2 of bismuth This is the last year for lead in New Hampshire so probably only a matter of time before it happens here in Vermont Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooki Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I usually use a mix of pewter, tin and lead (roughly 50% pewter). Got a donation of approx 10lb each of pure roofers lead and some kind of industrial tin - along with scrounged up pewter it makes a decent enough liquid silver. Works fine for most molds, had to modify a few (wobble jig amongst those modded) to get the jig keepers to fill out - on the other hand, those molds are more or less known to be a bit finicky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsic Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I found a lead free pewter alloy with 92% tin-7% antmony- 0.3 % copper but can't find much on comparison weight for this and lead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 1 US Liquid Ounce of Tin weighs 7.58 ounces. 1 US Liquid Ounce of Lead weighs 11.83 ounces. From there, just do the math. 7.58/11.83 = .6407 apx Close enough to just say 2/3 for quick guesstimations. Obviously your various alloys will affect weight, but that should be close enough calculating jigs and spinner baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 (edited) Pewter is mostly Tin. usually 92%-95% I just have a hard time swallowing the price tag for the lead alternatives. I buy lead at $1 per pound locally. Tin I have to order at almost $20 a pound. Edited April 5, 2015 by Kasilofchrisn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsic Posted April 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 It is a little expensive I just received 1 lb of bismuth/tin for 27 bucks including shipping wanted to try a small amount first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Getting lead for $0.70 a pound. Thankfully Texas hasn't gone stupid and we can still use lead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsic Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 As of now we here in Vermont can use lead in jig heads and weights of over 1/2 oz. That is why I was looking for the lead free stuff to pour my drop shot weights Next year New Hampshire will have a total ban on all lead and since I fish tournaments over there it affects me Hope this law doesn't spread any further Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 How can a state supersede a federal law allowing lead? The alternatives are ridiculously priced- but that is the American way today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 The lead bans that states are putting together is the very reason I'll never buy a tungsten product. The companies that are promoting tungsten all put a percentage of profit in to a political action committee that give money to politicians that will agree to push their agenda. The agenda is anti-lead so guys that don't do home tackle, which is a majority of anglers, turn to a ready available alternative, tungsten. Remember, every dollar you spend on tungsten means a portion of it is going to be applied to write anti-lead laws that could easily come to a state near you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 The problem with a lead ban is weight versus size ratio. People that don't pour lead or know anything about lead want let's say a heavy jig with a small profile. Well how are you going to make a 2 oz bait small profile if you have to use bismuth? The weight ratio is so different between the two metals,that now you need a jig the size of a softball to get it down to the depths they want. So the fisherman say well can't have a jig that big. So we as lead pourers say what are the alternatives. Well guess what guys, the people who didn't stand up for a lead ban are now going to bitch. Every time they tried to ban lead in Illinois, I always signed petitions. Unfortunately one of these days we too in Illinois will probably be out numbered and lose. All I can say is, guys will have to pony up and pay dearly when this time comes, because bismuth is not cheap, and we will all be fishing with bigger profile jigs if we want them to get down deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Many (too many) years ago I bought some dissolvable soft clay sinkers that were soft clay tubes you threaded your line through. I haven't seen them in a long time, but maybe something like that would help non-lead sinkers get down deep quickly, even with their smaller weight to size ratio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsic Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 I had to call New Hampshire fish and game to get the skinny on the lead ban for my club. The first thing out of the woman's mouth after I asked if we could use Lead jig heads this year was Well you know we have to protect our Loons, so you fishermen should not be using lead and next year you won't be Now I was not being confrontational at all, just wanted to no the law even though I don't know if there has ever been a case of a loon that died from eating a lead weight proven. I may be straying from tackle making so better stop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 What I hate is when people compare our lead jigs and sinkers to the ban on lead for waterfowl hunting. Two completely different scenarios. Shooting lead pellets over the same ponds and sloughs out of the same duck blinds for generations in areas where ducks rest and feed is vastly different than using lead jigs and sinkers for fishing. I just wish more people would understand that. Also people who only fish occasionally may not use enough tackle to realize the price difference and how much different it really is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 What I hate is when people compare our lead jigs and sinkers to the ban on lead for waterfowl hunting. Two completely different scenarios. Shooting lead pellets over the same ponds and sloughs out of the same duck blinds for generations in areas where ducks rest and feed is vastly different than using lead jigs and sinkers for fishing. I just wish more people would understand that. Also people who only fish occasionally may not use enough tackle to realize the price difference and how much different it really is. I agree with you a lot of drama for two different scenarios. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in several years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 One of the things wrong with our country these days is that there are entirely too many people willing to jump on the bandwagon without doing any research into the topic of the day. And then there are those that hide behind lies and half-truths for the simple reason that they don't like something and since they don't like it they don't want anyone to be allowed to do something they disagree with. They just want to raise cane and force their will on others and to heck with the facts. Like my grandpa used to say, "They'd gripe if you hung them with a new rope". just my Ben 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Since people have moved to cities, and become so far removed from nature, they seem to think they can reverse the effects of mankind on nature, just because "it's right". The only way to reverse our impact is for us to be gone, and that's not going to happen any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Another major Issue is the managers of our DNR and fish and wildlife agencies support these lead bans, Years ago those people who became forest rangers and wildlife people where those outdoors people who loved to camp,hunt and fish. Nowadays the people working for and running these agencies are the "tree hugger" or "Bunny hugger" types of people who then want to support more of an anti-hunting/fishing agenda. It's a shame that we are at this juncture where they want to take away our lead jigs and sinkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Another major Issue is the managers of our DNR and fish and wildlife agencies support these lead bans, Years ago those people who became forest rangers and wildlife people where those outdoors people who loved to camp,hunt and fish. Nowadays the people working for and running these agencies are the "tree hugger" or "Bunny hugger" types of people who then want to support more of an anti-hunting/fishing agenda. It's a shame that we are at this juncture where they want to take away our lead jigs and sinkers. You are so right. Once upon a time the people who were appointed to these positions had a background in their respective fields. These days appointments are much too often done as political payback for favors done during elections and it matters very little if they have a working knowledge of the departments they are heading. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Years ago I had a federal Biologist give me a good inside lesson. The Biologist gets out busts his butt doing research and etc. gets all the nitty gritty .... then the politicians get a hold of it and change it so that it suits there political plans ... A lot of logic on these various subjects and the politicians twist it to suit them selves... I could really get on my "Soap Box" about this but will bite my tongue .. I think most of you guys understand this subject. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsic Posted April 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 You guys are so right, A lot of today's Biologists are anti's All of these bans are probably back door attempts at stopping our sports My state legislature looked at a bill last week to ban lead in hunting bullets The bills sponsor stated people were getting sick from eating game shot with lead bullets. " Unbelievable " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Have been fighting this since it originally started - wrote letters to Congressmen and Senators, Fish and Wildlife and also loon groups. The original report says that using alternative materials would only cost $40 more a year!!! NOT!! The Environmental groups here in Vermont complain about the water quality and run-off - but DIDN"T want to see or hear the fisherman's complaints and photo evidence of the farmers cow's standing in the rivers crapping and pissing in the water!! Run-off is more dangerous than the few jigs we lose per year and even showing them jigs that are powder painted and won't leach if lost doesn't change their minds. Just have to keep fighting it!!!!!!!!! Maybe New Hampshire will learn when it starts losing tourist dollars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Facts are irrelevant when you are a "true believer." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) Years ago I had a federal Biologist give me a good inside lesson. The Biologist gets out busts his butt doing research and etc. gets all the nitty gritty .... then the politicians get a hold of it and change it so that it suits there political plans ... A lot of logic on these various subjects and the politicians twist it to suit them selves... I could really get on my "Soap Box" about this but will bite my tongue .. I think most of you guys understand this subject. JSC, That has been my experience here in CA, too. I've interacted with our DFG/DFW now for almost ten years, and everyone of those folks I've met care about our fisheries. They are all wildlife biologists. In fact, most have been fishermen and hunters. The politicians, who pander to special interest groups for money, are the ones who talk out of their a$$'s, and propose all this idiot regulation. We have the worst deer management plan in the country. To protect Bambi's mom, management has not allowed doe hunting, and so they have created a huge imbalance in the buck/doe population, and our deer herds are dying of starvation. If our DFW were allowed to do their jobs without political interference, we fishermen and hunters would be a lot better off, and so would the wildlife in CA. Edited April 10, 2015 by mark poulson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 Mark Said "If our DFW were allowed to do their jobs without political interference, we fishermen and hunters would be a lot better off" AMEN to that !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
