dlaery

Here is a pic of the bottom half of a gray silicone mold with a 2-1/2 oz shad head. I make my own molds with a vulcanizer. I'm looking for a way to make a mold of a single jig so I can make 20 to 30 jigs to use to make a production mold. I don't like to use the vulcanized molds for my models, because they shrink and then when I make another mold for production, they shrink again. I called miniaturemolds in Art Bush's message about the Quick-Sil. The guy I talked to said it wouldn't shrink. : It had a clamping frame to press the silicone around the part. That sounded interesting. I'm still trying to get the Durhans water putty to work.

I've had the same problem, I was pouring 1-1/2 oz shad heads with soft lead, with a RCBS melting pot, and it would have a crater in the side of the shad head. I lowered my melting pot temp and I think it helps, but I'm not sure. I don't think I tried a ladel. I pour lots of 10 through 16 oz Bank Sinkers with a ladel, with soft lead and don't have any trouble with those except I do have a little trouble with the 6 oz, it craters a hole down through the spru, so when you cut off the spru there is a hole down through the bank sinker.

I called a couple of places and they understood when I said MIBK. Thanks Richoc. They said "Oh, thats for vinyl paint" but when I had asked before for thinner for vinyl paint they didn't know what I was talking about MSDS sounds like Spannish MSDS Material Saftey Data Sheet.

It is polyamide epoxy. The brand is Coronado. I get it a Dugan paints. Around $50 for a 2 gal kit.

Does anyone use a different thinner for Components vinyl paint than what they sell? I have tried a local paint store and automotive paint place and they didn't know anything about vinyl. Thanks,

Hey Richoc, what is Etex? How do you apply it? I use an epoxy from a local paint store that is suppose to be the same as Componets , I mix 1 to 1, and its sprays great thru a small top cup paint gun. It seems to be as durable as powder paint. I havn't noticed any yellowing. How soon before you notice the yellowing? I have some Pearl colored lures that have been painted for about 2 months and they still look good.

Hi Jig Man, I have several Lee pots that have rusted. We switched to the RCBS melting pot with a stainless liner and they have rusted or something. They get this crusty stuff in the pots and you have to scrap to get it out. I had another pot that is 1/4" thick cast iron, and sets on a propane burner, it rusted also. I made one out of 1/4" hot rolled carbon steel and it has not rusted. I have had it about 2 years. I don't know why.

Hey, thanks for the info. I found some pics on the blue bender. It looks good for the price. I found another bender that someone has that I can go look at. I'll be getting one soon. Thanks!

I need to make some out of .051 wire. Where would I get the wire and what kind of wire? Stainless Steel? I have looked at the wire formers; Worth, Boggs. I have never used one. I have searched this forum and still wondering which one I should buy or is there a better one. I may only do 2 or 3 hundered or mabe 2 or 3 thousand. I might make a wire bender. Has anyone made one that works good? Thanks,

I use a drill bit. I'm using the Mustad 32786BLN (Black Nickel) I don't think a drill bit or even a carbide bit will scratch the surface of those hooks, they are very hard. I have trouble with the eyes when I leave it in the powder too long. And then I have trouble with pin holes if I don't leave in long enough. I use 350 degree pre heat temp.

You need the 720 only. Also get the instructions. You have to file (pay) quarterly. You only have to fill out Part 2, Sport fishing equipment, then Part 3. Sign, date, mail check and form by end of following month. 1st qtr - Jan-Mar, file and pay by April 30th. etc, etc,.... Once you get started, they will send you Form and instructions every quarter with you name already pre-printed on the form. Just keep records of Sales for the quarter. They come to see me every other year. I think just to see if my facility. They have never audited me, but they look at my reports and ask lots of questions. Never have had any problem.

Hey Mick, In my opinion, all you need is the porous board for the bottom of the box and an air chamber under the porous board. Mine has a vibratory motor but I almost never use the vibratory motor, just air. David

http://www.tekcast.com/casting4.htm Here is some stuff I have seen used in rubber silicone molds. It is in a liquid form, about like thin syrup, mix the Part A and Part B, pour in mold, and it sets in a few minutes. The parts we did were just a hard plastic parts. You could bend the parts a little, and were very hard to break, almost impossible. You could call this company to see how it would react to alum. molds. This was used in a spin casting machine but they said it would work in a gravity mold.

I have poured straight Tin. It pours about the same as lead in a lee melting pot. Melting temp is about 525. Actually it pours a lot easier but it's harder to break off the spru. It's brittle. The price of Tin has doubled in the past year. Last year to date, the price of tin on the LME (London Metal Exchange) was $2.11 a pound. Todays cash price is $4.17. I pour a lot of Bismuth Tin alloy. It melts at 241 degrees. But takes 5 times longer to set up or freeze. Bismuth by itself pours OK but it breaks of like glass. It is not smooth where you break off the spru. I don't know what the price of bismuth has done. I'm afraid to ask.

Shorty"s Hook Sales 202 S. County Line Road Windsor, MO 65360

Yes, I've dealt with Shorty's for about 10 years. Just talk to Harry. He just deals with hooks only. they don't have a website. They sell to dealers and lure builders. They only sell in 1000's. I make some lures with the Mustad 32786 BLN (Black Nickel) jig hook with a 60 degree bend, in 1/0 thru 6/0 for salt water. I am very impressed with this hook. Very sharp and strong.

You could try Shorty's Hook Sales 800-723-8508

Did you try Rome Specialty Co. (ROSCO) I bought some from them. http://www.roscoinc.com/prod_weedguard.cfm

Hey, I like what you said when you leave your gone.

I'll sell you some if you want a small amount. Send me an email. dlaery@iland.net

What method is the best way to paint 2 color eyes on leadheads? Anyone have an eyedotting machine from Component? Do you like it?

I noticed you made a comment about silicone molds. I have a batch of silicone (blue) that powder paints fine. I have a newer batch of silicone from same company that looks different. It doesn't absorb heat as much as the old batch, so my parts don't freeze as fast, takes a little longer spin time, and that batch of silicone does not powder paint very well, it "fish eyes" real bad, no pun intended. I called the company about the new batch of silicone, well its a new formulation and its better! It is softer in the unvulcanized form and I like it for the most part, BUT it fish eyes. I have taken parts from aluminum molds and from the old batch of silicone and have no problems with fish eye, except the pin holes. I commented on another post that I powder painted some black, and had trouble with pin holes, and I was able to do some good parts, and no fish eye. Those parts were made with a gray mold and the old batch of blue. These molds came from TekCast. I have looked at Contenti and Romanoff, but I don't know if they will be any different. Do you or anyone else have an opinion of these companies?

On mine, the volcanos is what the powder paint looks like in the fluid bed. I have little bubbles in the paint finish of mine which are not bubbles but pin holes. I also have a single dip powder paint cup, and I used black yesterday and was running the air where the fluid was moving very fast. I dipped some and they had the pin holes, I raised my temp to 425 and tried some more, they were almost perfect. When I dipped, I just dipped and pulled out in one motion, no side to side swishing. Before on my fluid bed I was running my air as low as possible and not getting good results. I thought before the air was cooling my parts too quickly, taking away some of the heat, thus not getting good coverage. So now I am going to try my fluid bed again with higher temp and more air pressure. I use a regular cook stove oven. I have 2 oven thermoters, one in the top of the oven and 1 in the bottom of the oven. It is usually 25 degrees hotter in the top.

What are you spraying lead, wood, plastic? Do you think it is the gun?

Yes, but I was trying to remember, I think it had a shaft coming out of each end with just a flat bar on one end for the counter weight, and another flat bar on the other end but not lined up the same as the other side, maybe 22 degrees, to throw it off balance. I'm not sure if that is right though. It is a Lesson motor. I went to their web site but couldn't find any that looked like the one in my fluid bed.