Making sinkers

3217 Views 25 Replies 17 Participants Last post by JERMSQUIRM, Oct 21, 2005

centralcalcat

Discussion Starter · Sep 2, 2005

I am not sure how many people on here make their own sinkers, but I have seen several posts from people that still buy them. I have been making my own sliding sinkers for years and have made a standing offer to any brothers in my area to give me a call or an email if they need any. The lead is cheap to free most of the time and it is fairly inexpensive to get into. It is also really easy to learn to do.

I am just curious if there are other groups of brothers who do this or are interested in learning how?

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

BigB

· #2 · Sep 2, 2005

as matter of fact i just poured 100...4ounce bank sinkers this morning. a whole lot cheaper than buying them

Desperado

· #3 · Sep 2, 2005

I make my own sinkers. I have several molds including the no roll sinkers. If someone wants to get together and bring some lead we could melt it down and split what we make. Let me know.

Abu

· #4 · Sep 2, 2005

Clarence, I have been wanting to make the no-roll sinkers for quite awhile. Just wish I could find time to do everything I want to do.

I will give you a call and it looks like I found a way to get out Wednesday night.

Gotta do some work on my old fishing van but I will make it. John

MUDHOLE KID

· #5 · Sep 2, 2005

I found 150lbs of pure lead at a pawn shop last year.I poured all of it into 5,4,3,2,1 oz sinkers.I have enough to do me for years.I never counted them and added it up to see what the vavle of it is,but I know I came out to the good.It's alot of fun to ,but you have to get the system figured out ot pour good sinkers.

stickthrower

· #6 · Sep 3, 2005

They ae easy to make. Just go to the Goodwill, etc and get some cheap spoons of different sizes. From baby spoon to ladle, & many sizes in between. You can use a nail to punch a hole in the finished sinker, or even better use some cheap wire, bend a loop and place in shallow end of spoon as you pour. There are lots of cheap melting pots out there or you can just use an old pot to melt and a ladle to pour out of.

Personally I'm a handloader so I have a melting pot, etc. You can buy one at just about any discount store that carries reloading equip. A good one can be had for about $50.00 and they are alot easier, neater, safer to pour from that a kitchen pot.

Lead can be had at most tire shops for next to nothing or free. Even the new tire weights can be used to melt down. They are not pure lead, but for sinkers they work just fine.

The price is right even if you buy an electric casting pot as in a short while it will pay for itself if you loose sinkers very often.

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MUDHOLE KID

· #7 · Sep 3, 2005

Men I know we're all grown up and all ,but I want to add a safety tip to this post.Keep any type of "Water Away"!! from the molting lead.I don't know if anybody has ever had hot lead explode on them,I have.It was years ago and I was geen with melting lead.I was in the house pouring sinkers and moving right along with it.Well my laddle got really hot,so hot the handle started burning,well I put it in the sink and poured water on it to cool it.After iI got it cooled off I when back to the pot and put the laddle in the lead pot and it blew hot lead all over the place including me.Luckly I had on a long sleeve shirt .It covered the wall,me,the floor everything.Everyone may be aware of this hazzard,but I thought it would be good as a reminder.It can be mean and hot, so treat it with a littl respect or it will lay a tatoo on you man. :thumbsup:

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Individualist

· #8 · Sep 3, 2005

Here's the lead pot I made some time ago, it holds 10 lbs at a time. It operates on 110vac house current and can heat anything up to 900 degrees. I get my lead from a tire shop for free. I've saved alot of money doing it the "individualist" way.

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jtrew

· #9 · Sep 3, 2005

All you need for melting lead is a good heavy pot or saucepan that's a little beat up or has the nonstick coating badly scratched, and you can get it for little or no money. IMO, spending $5 or $6 for a ladle that is designed to skim off anything floating on top as you pour is one of the best investments you can make. I simply used a very large spoon as a ladle for the first 15-20 years I made sinkers, then ran across one of those ladles; I've used it ever since, and really like it. For a heat source, you can use an electric hotplate, a camp stove, or best of all, a fish/turkey cooker that hooks up to a large propane tank and puts out the most heat.

Desperado

· #10 · Sep 5, 2005

Abu, looking forward to hearing from you. I'm going to see if I can find some lead and let me know if you do. We could make some no rolls. My mold makes 1,1 1/2, 2, 3 ozs.

rodpod

· #11 · Sep 5, 2005

When I moved into my house i discovered a box full of old tire weights in the shed. It has to be more than 50 pounds. I think that they might be lead. Does anyone know if I can melt these down and make some sinkers?

BigB

· #12 · Sep 5, 2005

yes...tire weights are made of lead. the clip that holds it to the wheel is steel. when you melt them the clips will float to the top.

Phil Washburn

· #13 · Sep 5, 2005

i made a bunch of my own sinkers several years ago. i too, have enough to last for years. i have maybe a couple of hundred lbs of lead. i would gladly part with some of it, but, desperado, i ain't bringing it to Ohio.

Desperado

· #14 · Sep 5, 2005

Can you see the post office if you were going to send that regular mail?...LOL

cuttingout69

· #15 · Sep 5, 2005

I work for the local phone company, and I got to rake out a lot of old lead cable a few years ago. I mold all my own lead sinkers for every thing. I have even made my own molds for my throw line sinkers. I use my fish cooker and a lead pot I made a number of years ago. I set and pour what I need in just a little while.

omots2

· #16 · Sep 6, 2005

Making sinkers is the only way to go over at wally world they want 3 2oz for a buck i make from 1/8 oll the way up 16 oz so i know it saves me a good bit of money TO SPEND ON OTHER TACKEL.

crazychuy

· #17 · Sep 13, 2005

Hey CentralCat,

I've always wanted to learn how to cast my own sinkers. Where can I get the lead from, though. I'm in the Southern California area. Is there somewhere I can go on the Net that I can learn how to pour my own?

Chuy

centralcalcat said:
I am not sure how many people on here make their own sinkers, but I have seen several posts from people that still buy them. I have been making my own sliding sinkers for years and have made a standing offer to any brothers in my area to give me a call or an email if they need any. The lead is cheap to free most of the time and it is fairly inexpensive to get into. It is also really easy to learn to do.

I am just curious if there are other groups of brothers who do this or are interested in learning how?

centralcalcat

Discussion Starter · #18 · Sep 18, 2005

pescatore_pazzesco,
As far as the lead in concerned go to any tire shop and bring a five gallon bucket. They are always willing to give the used tire weights away for free. Melt them down and skim the top for the metal brakets and any oter impuritites in the lead, I use a fork for this.

The melting pot and molds that I use I got through cabelas, I think al together with shipping it came out to be something like $50.00 to get started, but if you really think about it, when you fish a lot you will make that up in savings in less then a year.

As far as the website goes, I will check around and see what I can find for you.

-Brian

centralcalcat

Discussion Starter · #19 · Sep 18, 2005

pescatore_pazzesco,

http://www.luremaking.com/howto/jigs.htm

That one is about making jig heads, but it is an identical process to pouring wieghts.

Hope that helps

-Brian

CatfishWEIRDO

· #20 · Sep 18, 2005

Making your own sounds like the way to go i am going to give it a shot thanks to everyone for the knowledge shared it will help greatly since i am new making sinkers.

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

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