Considering making my own jigs. Anyone have any suggestions? What to do or not to do.
February 9, 2006 at 2:24 am
#1248843
Anyone making their own jigs? Could use some tips.
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February 9, 2006 at 2:37 am #419151
This is about sinkers…but much of it applies to jigs.
February 9, 2006 at 2:54 am #419154pm a guy on here with the handle deafboy – he makes quanities of jigs
February 9, 2006 at 3:05 am #419159You really need to be more specific on jigs.
Are you talking about pouring/painting jigheads, or hand tied jigs?
I made tackle for many years. The best advice I can give for jigs.. check around and buy them in bulk. Its messy, heard on your health (lead and vinyl paints), time consuming, and expensive to get into… and can be dangerous.
Do a web search on Hagens and they will have quantities of jigs very reasonable.
If you plan on tying jigs, thats a whole new adventure, but at least the health issues dissapear other than getting a hook in your finger.
February 9, 2006 at 3:19 am #419161Quote:
You really need to be more specific on jigs.
Are you talking about pouring/painting jigheads, or hand tied jigs?
I’d like more information on lead jigs.
February 9, 2006 at 3:30 am #419163PM me i can help you out
February 9, 2006 at 3:31 am #419164Ask away
What do you want to know, I have been doing it for years.
Ron
February 9, 2006 at 6:32 am #419185Impala,
look up Stamina tackle and get their catalog. pretty sure the catalog has tips to follow and pay attention to, and they have all the molds and everything you would need to get started. it is time comsuming but fun to do, and fun to catch different fish on a jig you made yourself.
good luck.
Jack….
http://www.StaminaInc.comFebruary 9, 2006 at 12:01 pm #419191Just poured about 1500 jigs for ealleye fishing and am the process of painting them, I have been using the powder paint and it seems to be the quickest way of painting…
I made stand -ups and round heads dow to 1-32. Well good luck and its pretty easy to do really just takes time to do.. 
February 9, 2006 at 12:53 pm #419201I make a ton of jigs (and about everything else) -it’s my favorite thing to do other than use them. Check out the forum section (f.a.q.) on http://www.tackleunderground.com , you will get ALL the info you need. Stamina, Lurecraft and Jann’s are good suppliers when you are ready to go! See you on the water! Cory
February 9, 2006 at 1:51 pm #419222I pour my jigs not to save a penny, rather to pass time during these winter months. It is very satisfying setting the hook on a fish that bit on a jig you made.
Powder paint is the ticket, bake it on to really help prevent chipping. Enjoy!!!February 9, 2006 at 1:58 pm #419225Wow! I thought I was the only person out there that pours lead because they enjoy it!
I pour strictly sinkers that aren’t really that expensive anyway…although when I put pencil to paper, I paid for my furnuce and molds in the first year.
I do it for relaxation and it’s “kinda” fun.I’ve held a couple sinker makeing parties with fellow sinker people. The first time was a trial, I found out I needed to have more melting capacity than 20 lbs at one time with we had 6 people helping. Now I can melt 80 lbs and keep the melted lead flowing until everyone wants to stop!
our first party was on the hottest day last summer…not a good move! 
February 9, 2006 at 2:45 pm #419235Just got done taking some jigs out of the oven. We like the powder paint also. My husband pours them and we both paint.
What I like to do the best is tying bucktail. Sure passes the time during those long winter days. I like to try differen’t color combinations. Has anyone tried using the silver flash along with the bucktail? Seems to work.February 9, 2006 at 2:54 pm #419239Your deffinately not alone when it comes to enjoying pouring jigs. I’ve been pouring my own for years. Just somthing about catching fish on stuff you’ve made yourself. What I REALLY like is that and you can make stuff you can’t buy comercialy.
Anyhow , I agree , Tackle Underground is an excelent resource on jig and lure making. From jigs , plastics , cranks, fly tying it’s all there. Just ask.
Buy your lead from a scrap metal dealer. You want the soft stuff not wheel weights. By soft stuff you’ll want lead that when you stick your thumbnail into it it leaves a mark. You can’t do that with wheel weights because it’s a hard lead = lots of alloys in it.
Be careful working with lead especialy when it’s hot. It will burn you in heartbeat if your not careful. You also have careful with handling it. Wash your hands thouroughly after handling it. Pour in a well ventilated area too. I wear a respirator type mask when I pour indoors.
I have read that lead fumes are not that much of a concern until the lead reaches a high temprature. Higher than the temps you need to achieve to pour jigs with the comercial lead pots. I have a LEE production pot. ( About $45 )It holds about #10 of lead. Unless your planning on pouring thousands of jigs at a time that will be plenty big for the average Joes like us. It’s easier to regulate the heat too with those pots. You can use a hot plate or Coleman stove but you loose heat control going that route.Go with powder paint. No mess ( if your careful ) and no fumes !!!!! I bought myself a cheapo toaster oven to cure the powder painted jigs. Different colors have different curing times but 350 degrees for about 10 minutes is a good rule of thumb for curing times. With experience you can powder paint your jigs in 2 or 3 tone colors. That’s hard to do with the Vynil paints unless you get into airbrushing = MAJOR pain in the butt !
Well I’ve sprayed on long enough.
You have some good recources for information both here and on TU.com.Go for it ! It is a rewarding hoby and in time a REAL money saver.
February 9, 2006 at 3:04 pm #419249Sal , Try a little Flashabou Accent on those Bucktails.
A good scource for Flashabou ( Mylar strips ) is X-mas tree tinsel. You can get it CHEAP around X-mas time compared to ordering it through a Tackle Supply catalog.
February 9, 2006 at 3:11 pm #419252I agree with everyone here so far. Most people think is that they will save money. In the long run yes, but it is costly to start. It is a great thing to do in the cold months.
If you are planning on pouring a few jigs for just your self than I would have to say that you can find poured not painted jigs on the net for pennies and then paint them your self. Not trying to talk you out of pouring but trying to tell you that it will take some time and a lot of jigs before you are saving money.
I really like making light jigs with bigger hooks that are not made commercially so if you looking out side the box than pouring can really help with those ideas.Ron
February 11, 2006 at 5:22 pm #419817Yikes! I didn’t expect to find so much information on pouring jigs. Thank you for the responses. I did pick up 50 pounds of lead today at 50 cents a pound. I think there should be enough lead there for a while. Just need to clean off some surface dirt and start getting ready to pour.
February 13, 2006 at 9:07 am #420086I just started buying unpainted jigs and painting them myself. I do pour my own bullets, but prefer to buy the unpainted jigs for now. Powder coat paint seems to be the way to go in my opinion. Cures very hard.
B Fish N tackle here at IDA is a good source for unpainted jigheads.
GoodLuck,
Don JFebruary 13, 2006 at 11:09 am #420093Hey Kevin…thought I would mention that I had some lead that was “dirty” and figured I would hose it down, then dry it off…last summer… I left it sit in the sun for 3 days…
I didn’t stand very close as it melted…’cause it had kind of a “snap, crackel, pop to it!
Ps I checked locally here last week, lead is being bought for around .30 and being sold for about .50 in Mpls. You did good on the price!
February 14, 2006 at 1:37 am #420293Quote:
thought I would mention that I had some lead that was “dirty” and figured I would hose it down, then dry it off…last summer… I left it sit in the sun for 3 days…
I didn’t stand very close as it melted…’cause it had kind of a “snap, crackel, pop to it!
I guess the dirty lead will have to do. Its just surface dirt, so insead I will take a wire brush to it.
February 14, 2006 at 2:26 am #420302Where is a good place to buy the eyelets and such? Dodge Boy has the equipment to make the pencil weights, but we need either the swivels or eyelets to tie the line onto.
February 14, 2006 at 3:18 am #420314Wats,
Here is where I get most of my stuff:Ron
February 14, 2006 at 9:10 pm #420599Quote:
Wow! I thought I was the only person out there that pours lead because they enjoy it
You enjoy it because yor hooked on it, that comes from your paint eating child hood BrianK
February 14, 2006 at 11:04 pm #420639Didn’t everyone have Paint Chip Sandwich’s when they were growing up?
Most impurities float and can be skimmed off easily…What I don’t like is the stuff that burns or smokes off…proper ventilation is key…you never know what lead from a scrap yard has been around!
February 15, 2006 at 12:40 am #420659[quoteMost impurities float and can be skimmed off easily…What I don’t like is the stuff that burns or smokes off…proper ventilation is key…you never know what lead from a scrap yard has been around!
If you grew up in the lead paint chip eating era, some fumes can’t hurt.
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