| Parts Needed:
For making sinkers you need a melting pot (here I am using a Lee Pro 4-20
pot) to melt the lead, some molds (I use Do-It molds only), safety
glasses, particle mask and leather gloves. REMEMBER: Melting lead and
casting lead objects can expose you and others in the area to lead, which
is known to cause birth defects, other reproductive harm and cancer!!!! Protect
yourself by using all available safety equipment. Never attempt this in a
location without strong ventilation. The fumes coming off the melting lead
are where all the damage is, so make sure you have good ventilation and
moving air. Use a portable electric fan, if needed, to create proper
ventilation. I do this outside and I still use the mask and glasses to
ensure proper protection. |
** Click on the image
to take a closer look **
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** Click on the image
to take a closer look **
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Lets begin:
Choose a location that has a level solid surface that will not be damaged
by any lead that may splatter or spill on it. Always have a good supply of
pure lead on hand. Tire weights and other forms of lead can be filled with
impurities that will keep you from creating a quality product. Make sure
you use pure lead with no other additions to it. This is a great way to
recycle all those old weights that you no longer use. I am using old decoy
weights that I no longer use. Keep everything at close reaching distance
and ensure that the power cord is easily accessible and out of the way in
case an emergency arises. I always have multiple molds so I can pour many
different styles and sizes of the sinkers I will be using. This a big
endeavor for me so I maximize my time by pouring all sizes and types at
the same time. |
| Adjust the temperature:
For the Lee production pot I am using, the temperature adjustment is easy.
When melting lead for making sinkers you are attempting to accomplish two
task: melt the lead and keep it at a temperature that will allow you work
with it easily. I usually turn the heat to a high setting to get the lead
melted then I reduce the temperature once the entire pot is heated. The
temperature should be hot enough to keep the lead in free flowing state
but not hot enough to produce bubbles. Lead melts at 612 degrees so you
need a strong heat source to keep lead in a good fluid state. You could
use a thermometer to keep the temperature around 650 degrees but I have
found them to be a luxury item that I break. I usually start at medium
heat on my unit and adjust as needed. The air temperature will affect how
the lead heats or cools so take that into consideration when heating your
lead. |
** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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Remove the impurities:
Lead, even pure lead, will have impurities once it is melted. These will
rise to the top as they are lighter than lead so you will need to scoop
these out. I use a cooking spoon to collect and remove this material. You
can see, in the photo, the impurities are a darker color than the lead and
are easily collected. Cleaning these impurities will also extend the life
of your melting pot as they will corrode the metal. Use caution when
removing impurities! The lead is at least 600 degrees and it can cause
serious damage. Use gloves and a long handled serving spoon to remove
this. I also have a large metal can close to dump all the impurities into
for disposal. Clean as much of this off the top as possible. You will also
need to repeat this process each time you add lead or as you stir up the
lead in the pot. |
| Adjust the mold guide height:
My Lee production pot has an adjustable mold guide to quickly and
accurately position any mold for pouring. If you choose to use it adjust
it before you begin pouring sinkers. This is a neat feature but it does
not work well with multiple molds of different sizes, so I rarely use it.
The purpose of the guide is to reduce the time that the lead is exposed to
the air. As lead is cooled it can dry in layers by reducing the time that
lead is exposed to air the lead will remain at a constant temperature and
produce a better sinker. If you are using a pot and ladle system position
your mold so it as close as safely possible to the heat source. Also allow
the ladle to heat up in the lead before you use it. As you add more lead
to your pot allow ample time for the lead to heat to the correct
temperature before use. |
** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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Pour some ingots:
I always begin my sinker making section by pouring some ingot blocks. This
serves the purpose of creating blocks of lead that are pure and
ready for use but it also allows me to gauge my lead temperature and
flow rate settings. Ingot pouring is usually done while I am waiting for
the molds to cool. So I am constantly checking my lead pour rates to get
the most consistent pour. For me the lead ingots do not have to be pretty
as they are a functional item not a fashion item. Here I am using a Lee
ingot mold that creates one-half and one pound ingots. You can also use a
cast iron corn bread muffin pan, if you can find one. These ingots can be
cast out of anything as long as it will hold up to the heat and allow the
lead to be removed easily. Tin cans are not a good choice as they will
melt and contaminate your lead. |
| Adjust the pour rate:
Pour rates that are not correct will produce sinkers that are not smooth
or have cracks in them. Always our a few sample sinkers to warm up the
mold and use these to evaluate the flow rate. On this unit the flow rate
is adjusted by the screw at the top of the unit. If the sinkers are drying
with rolls or cracks increase the flow. If the cavity opening is filling
before the cavity decrease the flow rate. I can not provide any real data
here all I can do is say try it and find out what works best. If you are
using a pot and ladle use this opportunity to adjust the heat of the pot
to achieve the quality of sinker that you desire. The smoother and
prettier the finish the better the pour rate is. I also adjust the
temperature setting to match the flow rate setting. By this I mean that I
adjust the temperature to create a solid flow yet not clog the tip at the
same time. |
** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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Fill the mold cavity:
Fill the cavity until the lead is flowing out the top. This is also one of
the things you will develop a feel for. As you see some of the cavities
are fuller than others but this does not matter. All you need to be
concerned with is the fact that the cavity is full and the sinker is
complete. Do not let the lead fill to the point that it covers up the
cavity next to the one you are pouring in as this will keep you from
filling the adjoining cavity. |
| Open the mold:
After pouring the sinkers, I place the mold on it side so it cannot come
open and allow the mold to cold before I open it. Usually a few minutes is
all that is needed to accomplish this. Once open the sinkers should look
like these. Notice how the filling of the cavities forms a fill cavity
bulb that is called a sprue. The sinkers could be either side of the mold so open it close to the
table with the fill cavity down, this way if a sinker does come out it
will fall on the table and not on the ground. |
** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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Remove the sprue:
Using gloves I remove the sinkers from the mold. The sprue (the extra
bulbous shape at the end of the sinker) on the end can
be removed using side cutting pliers or end nippers. On larger sized
sinkers you can break the sprue off easier than cutting it. Cut the sprue as
close to the body of the sinker as possible without damaging the sinker.
Be careful when you cut the sprue off as it will fly away from the cutting
surface. I try holding my hand around the sinker and the sprue to control
both the sinker and the sprue from flying away. |
| The completed product:
Once the sprue has been removed from the sinker they are now complete.
Congratulations you have now created your own sinkers! With good equipment
and proper technique you can easily and safely produce sinkers for
yourself. If you have ever had to buy sinkers you know the cost associated
with it and the cost of the equipment will easily pay for itself. Here are
some bank sinkers that are cleaned and ready for use. Notice how you can
easily read the size and the sinkers are rather smooth in texture, you too
can achieve these results. |
** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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** Click on the image to take a
closer look **
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A few hours work:
In just a couple of hours I produced all these sinkers and ingots. Once
you get started it really takes not time to produce quality products. once
created these can be sold or used as needed. With a couple of these
sessions you can produce enough sinkers to last for a year long season.
Just imagine the money you have saved just by pouring your own sinkers.
From amberjacks to zebra fish sinkers can be used to catch it and by
pouring your own you now have more money to spend on other items. |
 No
Snag sinker: Here is a completed no snag sinker. Do-It molds
now makes a mold for these and I love them. The flat shape lays flat on
the bottom and really reduces snagging. This is but one of the
sinkers you can create by pouring your own. Notice the texture of
the sinker. The tiny lines mean that the flow should have been faster or
the heat needed to be higher to correct this. |
 Bank
sinker: Bank sinkers are the most versatile sinkers to me. I
use them all year long and in all sizes. This a really well poured sinker.
Notice there are very few lines and the number is clear and easy to read.
There are also no cracks or crevices the reduce the aerodynamics of the
sinker. Do-It molds offers these in many sizes to fit your needs, this is
one sinker that should be in everyone's arsenal. |
 Lead
to cool: Here is an example of a sinker that was poured and the
lead was cooling to fast. Notice the large crack in the top of the sinker
all the crevices in the finish. Not only is this an ugly sinker but it is
also one that would break on the cast. To correct this I raised the temperature
of the lead and the error went away. I also made sure the flow was correct
as to lessen the cooling time and produce a better result. |
 Mold
to cold: Here is sinker that was poured into a mold that was
cold. Notice how the cavity only filled half way and the cavity opening
filled. When molds are cold, the heat from the lead is absorbed by the
aluminum and causes the lead harden before the cavity can be filled.
This can be eliminated by pouring a few "warm up rounds" with
the mold, it would have heated up the mold that it would have probably
functioned properly. The walking sinker and a few of the other
smaller sinkers are particularly susceptible to this problem. Always
pour a couple trial sinkers to warm the mold before you begin your sinker
production. |
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Products mentioned on this web page
Do-It Molds (Click
here to visit their website): molds for lure and sinker
creation with all the supporting products
Lee Production pot (Click
here to visit their website): lead melting pots, ladles and
ingot molds
** Thanks to Do-It
molds for all their support and help with this project, without it this would
not be possible **
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