OT - Sinker Mould

[snowman]

Please don't yell at me, but I have to use some of my lead for sinkers. Dont worry though, it will be junky lead that came from...mmm...there is no junky lead.

Anyway...

I need sinkers that are 4" long, 1/8" in diameter....basically, a piece of solder. They do not make these sinkers, so I have to make them myself.

Do you think that I will have trouble casting a shape that is as long and slender as I described? I am worried about filling the mould before it freezes up on me.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[dannyabear]

Check out Do IT molds; they have all kind of sinker molds.

[Johnch]

You might have a few problems
But I cast 1/32 and 1/64 oz jigs , just have to keep the mould hot and crank up the temp on the pot

Are these drift sinkers ?
I have been making my drift sinkers out of Parachute cord and lead shot
Cut a section of cord to length
Remove the inner string
Melt 1 end shut
Fill it with shot or lead strips
Insert a swivel in the open end , use mono to sew the cord to the swivel eye

Almost snag free and cheap
I found the flex of shot alows the sinker to work it's way around snags

For the shot
I used a leaky Lee pot to drop lead onto a ramp into water
The lead "shot " looks like crud , but is cheap and easy to make

John

[Sundogg1911]

What kind of a gun are you gonna shoot'em out of?

[dakotashooter2]

A good use for them Zink WW's. Should mold OK if you keep everything HOT.

[snowman]

What kind of a gun are you gonna shoot'em out of?

Ever see the T-Shirt gun at baseball games? Gonna use the T-Shirt as my sabot. Saw a lady last week with a little rat dog that I plan on getting mounted.

Thanks guys.

Yes, they are for drift sinkers....and Do-It doesn't sell the mould.

[44man]

You can also use plastic tubing. Run mono through it for the swivel and fill with shot, the swivel will block the top end and stuff a larger shot in the other end to hold the mono. Tie a knot in the mono hanging out.

[snowman]

Why not just buy boolits instead of casting your own?

man, you guys aren't any fun!

[klausg]

snowman-
I know that I've seen a mold for those, I just can't remember where/who made it. I would have guessed Do-It, but maybe not. IIRC, the mold was casting something much larger than what you are looking for; like around 1/4" diameter.
I'll keep it in mind and if I can figure out where I saw it I'll let you know.

-Klaus

[snowman]

I wasn't asking how to do it, I was just asking if you think it'll freeze up beforehand. How I plan to do it is with two pieces of aluminum. I will gap them apart slightly, then run the drill down it, it should find center and make a groove. Then once I have a groove for the drill to follow, I will allow them to go plate to plate, and again run the drill down them. Should divide it pretty close...or at least close enough to make a lead sinker

I'll post pictures of the finished.

Yes, Do-It sells 1/4" diameter, but the 1/4" diaemter snags a lot, so I'd rather use something a little thinner and longer.

[montana_charlie]

I think those are called 'pencil sinkers', and usually used in drift fishing.
From what I've read, placing a line of split shot on a stout length of monofilament gets the same effect, but if it snags you only lose a shot or two instead of the whole 'sinker'.

You know...they also sell lead wire for the guys who swage bullets...but I can see why you want to do it the way you have in mind.
If the 'mould' is hot enough, the metal won't 'freeze' before the cavity is full.

Of course, if that mould is too hot, it might produce frosty sinkers.
Frosty sinkers may cause the water to freeze while you're fishing.
If you happen to be drifting, you could freeze up the entire river.
That would drive the Global Warming crowd into a panic...and bring the Ice Age crowd out of hibernation.

The possibilities boggle the mind...
CM

[357maximum]

I made a sinker mold for drift fishing river run salmon and steelhead... I used two pieces of 3/4 inch thick aluminum 5 inches tall and 8 inches long. I simply drilled hole in it between the clamped pieces to a length of 4 inches or so. I made 5 holes each of 1/8 3/16 and 1/4 inch. I bolted handles on to the sides and screwed a large set of heavy door hinges to the other end....it worked well and i made a ton of em when i made em...good thing as i believe I loaned the mold out and have never seen it again...it looked like a really crude hilts type mold, but it worked once it was hot....It had no sprucutter I just used my special lead fishing pliars to cut/squish/ and poke the affixing hole in the pencil lead strip.


the pliars ( basically modified needlenose) I have had the same pair for 15 years or so now....I highly recommend them:

http://www.schmidtoutfitters.com/ind...TOKEN=20689218

Not where I bought mine, but they share the same name as mine, which were bought in a bait and tackle shop in upper lower michigan.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I recently smelted a batch of ww's. I left the smelt for too long and the temps went over 800 degrees and some zinc contaminated the alloy. I seperated the ingots and marked them. they would be excellent for such use as sinkers. If interested I would be happy to get them outta here (Las Vegas) if you want to pay the freight costs.