Lead casting at home - Machine tools, welding, metalworking
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Fishermen caught 25 kg of fish using the Fish XXL ! Read more
For feeder fishing, you can use various types of feeder feeders, both industrial and self-made.
Poachers who caught 317 kg of fish were not punished
A group of fishermen revealed the name of the secret bait during interrogation.
Category: regional news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZqlmBZzjY
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This method allows you to obtain not very attractive products, but they are quite suitable for fishing. One should take into account the fact that the feeder is a consumable element of fishing, and appearance is not of fundamental importance. They can successfully compete with feeders made from curlers or plastic bottles.
The advantages of this method of making feeders
- simplicity - you need to spend minimal time making a mold for casting the load of the feeder;
- ease of giving the desired shape and weight of the feeder;
- The output is not expensive material.
To make your own feeder for feeder fishing, you need the following materials and tools:
Over 7 years of active fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:
- Bite activator . This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. Discussion of the bite activator “Hungry Fish”.
- Increased gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for your specific type of gear.
- Pheromone -based lures .
- any metal mesh that can be bought at a hardware store or a store for beekeepers (wire diameter 0.6 mm, cells measuring 5x5 mm);
- metal for sinkers (lead, tin, third);
- soft, flexible wire with a diameter of 0.7 mm;
- tin for mold, thickness 0.4-0.5mm;
- pliers or pliers;
- wire cutters;
- metal scissors;
- ruler;
- hammer;
- casting mold.
Mold for casting feeder sinkers
When making such a form, you should take into account the fact that you will have to pour out more than one feeder, and maybe more than a dozen. This is due to the fact that after fishing there is more than one feeder left in the reservoir, especially since you have to fish not in ideal conditions, but in extreme ones.
As a rule, there are more fish where it has the opportunity to hide from a predator. Such places may be places with a lot of snags or places with dense aquatic vegetation. In this case, you cannot do without hooks, which means that the next feeder may remain in the pond.
Based on this, the mold must be reliable and durable, capable of withstanding more than one casting. To make this form, a piece of tin with a thickness of 0.4-0.5 mm is used. As an example, you can use a tin can, the main thing is that this piece has the appropriate dimensions (12x4cm).
In order to accurately determine the shape, you need to pay attention to the drawing and, according to this drawing, cut the desired shape from a piece of tin.
As a result, you will get a blank for making the required shape of the sinker. To make a mold, you need to make bends on the workpiece along the lines indicated on the workpiece. As a result, you should get a groove with a handle.
When making the appropriate bends, you need to ensure that the structure is as tight and neat as possible. To prevent lead from sticking to the tin, aluminum foil is placed at the bottom of the groove. As a rule, it easily takes the desired shape.
Making the desired shape for the feeder feeder
To make a mold, you need to take a metal mesh and cut out the desired blank from it. As an option, a blank with dimensions of 14x4 cells is offered.
Of these 14 cells, two should be left for pouring into the casting mold, and the rest should be formed into a feeder. It is very easy to make round or spherical shapes from the mesh, but to make a square shape, you need to practice.
Having bent a suitable shape from the mesh, you need to take a piece of wire about 15cm long.
This piece of wire is used to stitch together the shape of the feeder at the joints, after which a loop is made on the edge of the wire for fastening. The lower part of the joint, as well as the entire joint, will subsequently be filled with lead or tin. To ensure that the mold is securely held in the ingot, bends are made at the junction of the feeder outward or inward of the mold. If you look at the picture, you can easily understand the whole technology.
Pour out the weight for the feeder
Pouring sinkers at home is not so difficult, especially since every amateur fisherman has done it at least once. Still, it should be recalled that such work requires great caution. Molten metal can burn through the body right down to the bone, and burns, especially deep ones, are very difficult to treat.
You also need to know that during the melting of metal, harmful substances are released that can harm the human respiratory system. There is only one conclusion that suggests itself, indicating that such work must be carried out in protective clothing and in a room with good ventilation. And it’s even better if this operation takes place outdoors.
It will not be superfluous if the work is carried out in protective glasses.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Fishermen caught 25 kg of fish using the Fish XXL ! Read more
The casting mold must be clean and dry. To make the metal melt faster, it needs to be cut into small pieces (5x20mm).
For the melting process, you can use a barbecue or gas stove. In order to know how much weight the feeder will have, the prepared metal is weighed on a scale, after which it is poured into a mold and placed on fire. After the metal has melted, you need to take the prepared form of the feeder and lower it into the molten metal at the joint. After this, the casting mold is removed from the heat and left to cool completely.
As a result, you will get a feeder similar to the one in the photo. After this, the feeder is weighed again and the weight is set on it. Since the metal is soft, it is enough to use a sharp metal object to mark the load.
Poachers who caught 317 kg of fish were not punished
A group of fishermen revealed the name of the secret bait during interrogation.
Category: regional news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZqlmBZzjY
MORE →
To make them more attractive, they can be painted any color using spray paints and enamels. But if the mesh is covered with a protective layer or made of stainless steel, then it is better to make a higher-quality casting mold in order to obtain high-quality castings. Then there is no need for further work on the cultivation of the product.
Source: https://stanki-info.com/lite-svintsa-v-domashnih-usloviyah/
How to make a lead casting mold
The sinker is one of the consumable components of the tackle and often disappears along with the hook when biting large and strong prey. In stores, the cost of sinkers increases in direct proportion to their weight. Therefore, if catching large fish is carried out using several tackles, then purchasing sinkers becomes quite expensive.
At the same time, this element of equipment is quite simple to manufacture and practically does not require careful processing and complex preparation for use.
The material for the sinker is also quite common and accessible, so even complex sinkers can be made independently using appropriate blanks.
Simple options
The simplest thing is to make lead weights using a plaster or sand mold. This method has a number of undoubted advantages:
- accessibility and prevalence of material;
- lead melts at a relatively low temperature - 320°C;
- ease of manufacture.
The use of lead and gypsum when making sinkers yourself has several significant nuances:
- at a temperature of about 200°C, water begins to actively evaporate from gypsum , which leads to destruction of its structure and splitting of the product;
- Lead, when hardened, is pressed into plaster , which makes it almost impossible to remove the sinker without destroying the mold;
- a gypsum workpiece has a large number of micropores , which leads to the need to polish the finished product.
When using sand instead of gypsum, the process of preparing the mold is greatly simplified, however, the requirements for the material of the box in which the workpiece will be located when pouring lead are increased; it is advisable to use a metal support. The product itself will be somewhat less aesthetically pleasing and will require serious polishing.
Making simple disposable molds
The fragility and destruction of the gypsum structure when water evaporates makes it difficult to use this material for reusable use. However, as a disposable and easy-to-make mold, gypsum is ideal.
To make a shape for a simple sinker you need:
- Prepare a box for filling the mold; it should consist of two parts , tightly mounted on top of each other; you can use small boards fastened with screws;
- Dilute the gypsum to a creamy state , while trying to ensure that there are no air bubbles in the resulting mixture, since voids then appear in their place;
- The first layer of gypsum is poured into the lower part of the box , which should harden a little;
- The required sinker is immersed halfway into the plaster and, using a drill , on the side of the workpiece, a hole is made in the plaster for pouring lead (it is better to insert cylinders of suitable size into these holes);
- The surface of the frozen layer is greased with vegetable oil so that the halves of the mold can then be easily separated;
- The second part of the box is installed on top , into which gypsum is poured;
- After the entire structure has hardened, the box is disassembled , both parts of the mold are separated and the sinker and cylinders of the filling channels are removed;
- The mold is cleaned and covered from the inside with a layer of soot using soot from a burning candle;
- The ears and loops for the sinker are attached , the mold is assembled and secured with wire;
- The finished form should dry well ; to do this, you need to place it in a dry place for 1-2 days or use the oven.
The easiest way to make a cone-shaped sinker is to use a paper cone in the sand:
- A paper blank (a piece of paper rolled into a cone) is inserted into any container tightly filled with sand; a metal loop for a sinker is inserted into the sharp end of the cone;
- Lead is melted and poured into a paper cone;
- Part of the cone burns, but during this time the lead has time to cool a little and begin to harden;
- The cooled workpiece is removed from the sand and processed with a file.
Source: https://moreremonta.info/strojka/kak-sdelat-formu-dlja-otlivki-iz-svinca/
How to make a mold for casting lead - Metalworker's Guide
Lead and its alloys are widely used to make typefaces, plain bearings, and many small parts. In addition, lead is the main component of rechargeable batteries of different capacities.
Lead
In everyday life, lead is used to make fishing gear, weights for balancing wheels, etc.
Most machine parts and components manufactured using lead are produced using foundry technologies.
Lead casting process
Lead alloys are multicomponent compositions that can contain up to 10% copper. Its presence significantly increases the melting point. The second most important component is antimony.
The main advantage of lead alloys is that molds of almost any configuration can be used to work with them, at fairly low pressures.
The melting point of lead is quite low - 325-350 degrees, and this allows you to cast lead parts at home.
For casting lead, injection molding technology is used. Melting furnaces use equipment that runs on various types of fuel - gas, fuel oil, coke and electrical energy. This equipment must meet the following requirements:1. Minimum time spent on melting.2. Minimal material loss.3. Minimum fuel consumption.4. Safe and comfortable work.
To obtain molten lead and its alloy, the temperature provided in the furnaces is sufficient to melt the lead.
Lead is processed in crucible furnaces. The main difference between this class of equipment is that the melt does not come into contact with fuel combustion products. Lead and its alloys are melted in furnaces with metal or graphite crucibles, which can operate on several types of fuel.
Crucible furnaces are produced in two versions: • stationary; • rotary.
Furnaces with graphite crucibles for casting make it possible to melt various metals - lead, tin, and aluminum. Moreover, the transition from one metal to another occurs with minimal costs. But crucibles made of graphite have low durability and therefore crucibles made of cast iron are more often used.
The procedure for obtaining lead parts is as follows.
Lead pigs or scrap are immersed, where the transition of lead from solid to liquid occurs. After this, the liquid material is poured into prepared models. The principle of castings in industry and households is the same, the key differences are only in scale.
Lead smelting molds
As noted earlier, lead is cast into molds to produce parts.
Casting molds are made from different materials - steel, cast iron, graphite, and aluminum alloys are used in industry. At home, sand, gypsum, silicone and other materials are used. The lead casting mold can be made by hand, but mechanized equipment is most often used. Moreover, in many home workshops you can find hobby mechanical equipment.
Structurally, the mold for casting lead products consists of several parts: 1. The actual form, as a rule, includes two parts.2. Fusible or non-fusible rods, guides and locks.
To make a plaster mold, you need to prepare two boxes made of wood. Then, gypsum, diluted to a creamy state, is poured into a wooden box.
After some time, the plaster begins to harden, at which time the future product can be installed in it. In this case, it should be half immersed in plaster. This will form the first half of the mold. A similar operation must be performed to obtain the second form. After the plaster has dried, the form is ready.
In order to be able to pour molten lead during the manufacture of the mold, it is necessary to form a casting hole.
Molds for casting zinc products
Before pouring into the mold, its working surface must be greased with oil.
This will make it easier to disassemble the mold later. After the workpiece is ready, it is taken out of the mold and subjected to mechanical processing. Parts can be produced using different types of materials to make molds.
For example, casting into metal molds is the most common type used in production. Cast iron, steel and aluminum are used to make molds. On an industrial scale, the production of metal casting molds is not particularly difficult.
All documentation necessary for the manufacture of molds is developed in the design bureau and transferred to production, where it is manufactured.
Silicone Lead Casting Mold
One way to make lead castings is to cast lead into a silicone mold. Making an injection mold from silicone is perhaps the longest time. The fact is that almost all operations to create a mold are done manually, applying silicone to the model in layers and carefully leveling it with your hands. In addition, it must be taken into account that the applied layer must dry, which takes 10–15 minutes. But in this case, the result lives up to expectations and the output will be a multi-turn form.
Lead Die Casting
Injection molding technology is used when the task is to produce small castings with thin walls.
This technology has certain advantages: 1. High precision castings.2. High surface quality.3. There is no need for further mechanical processing of cast products.4. Possibility of manufacturing workpieces with complex configurations.5. High productivity of the injection molding complex.6. Low number of substandard products.
7. Saving money and resources when producing large batches of castings.
Application area of lead casting
Lead is one of the top five non-ferrous metals used in everyday life and industry. It is second only to aluminum, copper and zinc. The properties of lead determine the scope of its application. The main consumer of this metal is the enterprise for the production of rechargeable batteries. This is because lead is highly resistant to alkalis.
For installation in batteries, grids made of an alloy of lead and antimony are used.
Certain volumes of lead are used for the needs of electrical engineering; it is used in the cable and wire industry. Fuel production also cannot be done without lead.
It is used to produce tetraethyl lead, which is used to improve the performance characteristics of fuel.
Application area of lead casting
Lead casting at home
Casting lead at home is quite feasible. To obtain molten lead, it is enough to heat it to a temperature of 327 degrees. To do this, you can use a gas stove or burner.
Some craftsmen manage to use industrial hair dryers that can heat the air up to 500 degrees.
Scope of lead in the home
How to make a jaw crusher with your own hands
As a rule, casting at home is carried out for the purpose of obtaining fishing equipment - sinkers, spinners. In addition, figurines of soldiers, parts of jewelry, etc. are cast from lead.
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Source: https://ssk2121.com/kak-izgotovit-formu-dlya-litya-svintsa/
Making molds for casting lead weights
Most anglers, when equipping their fishing rods, are faced with the need to load the bait. Both bottom fishers and spinners have to weigh down their rigs or artificial fish so that they quickly reach the bottom or fly far. Sometimes during a fishing trip you can leave your entire arsenal of fishing weights in a catchable but snagged area of the reservoir.
Some amateurs do not have the financial means to constantly replenish lead supplies, while other fishermen find it difficult to get to specialized stores. In such cases, molds for casting sinkers will come to the rescue. Due to the low melting point of lead and its availability, the necessary cargo can be cast directly on the shore of the reservoir.
What types of weights are there?
- Molds for casting from different materials
- Sinker casting process
Molds for casting from different materials
Fishermen make lead sinkers with equal success with their own hands, using factory-made or homemade molds. Basically, most designs differ in the material of manufacture. The most commonly used materials are plaster, wood, aluminum or steel.• Disposable molds can even be made from thick paper.
Many novice anglers know how to make a lead sinker for bottom fishing using a tablespoon. It is enough to pour molten lead into the concave part of a tablespoon to get a neat workpiece. All that remains is to make a hole, and the weight can be installed on the bottom. • The simplest form for casting sinkers can be made from a piece of wooden slats 5-10 mm thick.
Using a hacksaw and a knife, you need to make two halves of the future shape in the form of an oval or diamond. Now all that remains is to place both halves on a flat wooden or metal surface and secure them with clamps or simple stands. In the case of a sliding load, it is necessary to place a steel wire with a thickness of 0.8-1.0 mm inside. You can pour lead.
• Often fishermen are faced with the problem of how to make a mold for lead sinkers according to an existing sample. For example, every spinner should have a popular type of jig head called “Cheburashka”. And it’s not difficult to make an eared sinker based on a store sample if you make a plaster mold. To pour the creamy solution, you can use 2 ordinary matchboxes.
First, one box is filled with the dough-like mass, after which up to half of the “Cheburashka” is immersed in plaster. Recommendation! The wire ears of the sinker should be located on the surface of the plaster.• As soon as the material dries, a similar operation should be done with the second part of the mold.
When the plaster dries in it, all that remains is to combine the two halves, make a hole for pouring and a side hole for air to escape. In opposite corners of the matchboxes, through holes are made for wire pins or a nail. After such fixation, the halves will not move, maintaining an even spherical figure.
• The most durable sinker molds are made from aluminum or steel. But you won’t be able to make it well on your own. The help of experienced millers and mechanics will be required. Let's look at the technology for making a steel mold for your favorite Cheburashka.1. First of all, you will need 2 metal bars with a thickness of 20-25 mm.
The width and length depend on the size of the future load and the number of simultaneously cast products. The joining surfaces must be made even and smooth.2. Hemispheres can be made using special spherical burrs. After this, it is important to accurately align both halves, for which you can use ball bearings.
3. Next, holes are made on a drilling machine for the pins, “bleeders” and filler necks. Inside one of the halves it is necessary to make recesses for the wire ears.
Sinker casting process
When a mold for casting sinkers finally appeared, questions related to pouring lead appeared. The ease of making a weight depends to some extent on the quality of the mold. But if you know some of the nuances of working with lead, then everything will work out with both a homemade and a Chinese form, as well as with a product from the Spinmag company.
Before you begin heating lead, there are a few preparatory steps you need to take. If there are wire elements, it is necessary to cut the required section, bend it and carefully place it in the mold. The internal surfaces of the mold into which the molten lead will fall must be lubricated. Then it will be easier to remove the cooled sinker.
Tested in practice! The best lubricant is lard. It is enough to rub a piece of sandpaper over all the depressions to facilitate the release of the finished product from the mold. All that remains is to assemble the structure and secure it with special clamps, bolts or pins. • You can melt lead in any tin can.
Using pliers, you can make a narrowed part (beak) to obtain a thin stream of melt. To make it convenient to place a kind of ladle on the fire and remove it from it, it is better to make a bend in the side at the top of the jar.• Many fishermen use battery lead. Melting it at home is dangerous and harmful.
Therefore, it is first necessary to make the first melt on the street, pouring a clean fraction, for example, into a spoon. And you can work with pure lead in the kitchen by first turning on the hood. You can also immediately use weights removed from fishing nets.
• If the angler has few forms, but wants to make many weights with different weights, then you can experiment a little by adding tin to the lead. These two metals melt well and mix with each other. And the resulting sinkers will be lighter than those made from pure lead.• When the metal melts in the ladle, you need to wait a little longer for the temperature of the melt to increase.
Then the metal will not harden during the casting process.• It is important to pour hot lead evenly, without stopping. Otherwise, air gaps and unevenness may form inside. Attention! You can disassemble the mold only after it has completely cooled. This primarily applies to metal structures.• Lead is a soft material. Therefore, flash and burrs can be cut off with a regular knife.
Excess metal, which inevitably forms in the filler holes, is removed with wire cutters. A small file will give the surface a smooth look. Many anglers note that brand new sinkers work worse than tarnished similar models. Therefore, home-made products can first be treated in vinegar (24 hours). Then lower the sinkers into a saturated solution of potassium permanganate for a day.
Today, fishermen can purchase ready-made forms in specialized stores or make them with their own hands. Using these devices correctly, you can get a rich arsenal of fishing sinkers and heads.
Source: https://steelfactoryrus.com/izgotovlenie-form-dlya-litya-gruzil-iz-svintsa/
Do-it-yourself fishing weights - manufacturing options
Like different types of baits, sinkers of a certain weight and shape can also be made at home. Of course, not all fishermen are mechanics or millers, and not everyone has the opportunity to make metal forms, so plaster or sealant can be used as the mold material. Or contact a familiar craftsman at a local factory for a metal mold.
If the transaction is successful, within a day or two you will receive the necessary molds for casting. But first you need to take care of determining the exact diameter of the future spherical weights and inform the master about it in order to ultimately get weights of the required weight.
If you are not good at mathematical calculations, you can find tables online showing the correspondence between the diameter and weight of a lead ball. It is also worth remembering that balls made of lead and, for example, Wood's alloy with the same dimensions will have different weights, since lead has a higher density.
Form for sealant weights
You can make a mold for making sinkers or spinning baits yourself without much difficulty, using plaster or silicone sealant, as well as a ready-made sample. For example, it is easy and also very unusual to make a mold from a sealant like “Hermesil” and the like. The main factor when choosing a sealant is its ability not to change physical properties when exposed to high temperatures.
The upper permissible temperature limits for most common sealants range from 150 to 180°C.
In this regard, the use of pure lead for casting sinkers is not very appropriate, since its melting point reaches 350°C. But you can take some alloys, namely printing alloy, Wood or Rose alloys. Their melting point ranges from 60-110°, and therefore, when using such alloys, the silicone mold will serve you for a long time and the sinker castings will be of high quality.
If lead is used as the material for the sinkers, the manufactured casting mold will withstand approximately 8-10 castings. It is also worth noting that each time the lead sinker will move further and further away from the original ideal due to the gradual burnout of the mold and sealant.
Silicone sealant can be purchased at specialized stores selling building materials or at auto stores.
Although such a mold for casting at first glance may seem completely unreliable, in fact it can withstand quite high temperatures, and thanks to its properties it will allow you to make a sinker or bait of almost any shape.
Making a mold for casting weights
Making a mold is not that difficult. First, we take a small box and completely fill it with high-quality sealant. When filling, be careful not to form bubbles.
Next, the original weight needs to be lubricated with a solution of wax or paraffin in gasoline. After drying, the sinker on a thin wire is completely lowered into the sealant, but it should not touch the walls of the box itself.
The weight sample should remain in this position until the sealant hardens. Due to the characteristics of the sealant, this process can last a couple of days or drag on for 5-6 days. Do not remove the weight until complete polymerization.
After the substance has hardened, we cut a small hole through which we extract a sample of the sinker. The elastic form is ready, which means you can try to make your own weight from lead or its alloy.
The metal is poured through the same hole that you made earlier to remove the original sample weight. Thanks to its unique physical properties, the silicone mold allows you to easily remove homemade sinkers or baits, after which it returns to its original form and is ready for use again.
Aluminum mold for casting weights (video)
Source: http://fisher-book.ru/291-gruziki-dlya-ribalki-svoimi-rukami
How to make a lead sinker mold
Do-it-yourself fishing sinkers are created from lead using casting; for this you do not need to have blacksmithing skills or spend a lot of money. All you need for the job are materials for casting molds and lead. The main thing is to follow safety precautions when casting; you need to protect your respiratory tract, because lead is not excreted from the body and has a detrimental effect on humans.
Disposable weight form
To make a primitive disposable form, we will need thick paper, cardboard, any utensils and sand will do.
Step-by-step production:
- roll the prepared paper into a cone and cut off the sharp end, thread wire or rings into the hole for fastening;
- Place a paper bag in the center of the dish and fill it with sand around it.
Molten lead is poured into the resulting mold. When casting fishing weights, the paper will burn, but by this time the lead will have already hardened. The resulting result remains to be cleaned, after which the sinker can be used immediately.
Reusable form for sinkers
Making sinkers at home does not require much effort, but not everyone can afford a metal mold for casting, so we will use sealant.
This option is good because the sealant mold is made quite easily and quickly and allows you to cast many different sinkers for fishing:
- We fill the box with sealant, while trying to prevent the formation of bubbles.
- Before immersing in the box, the sinker must be treated with wax.
- Using a wire, lower the sinker into the solution without touching the walls. You need to wait for the sealant to completely harden without removing the weight.
- After the solution has completely hardened, you need to cut a hole and remove the weight. The form is ready, you can start making new weights.
- Pour molten lead into the resulting mold. When using pure lead, a sealant mold can withstand about 10 castings; using a printing alloy will increase the service life of the mold several times.
Plaster molds for weights
There are no difficulties in making such forms and castings of sinkers. Everyone has the materials needed for this in their home, and if they are not available, they can be purchased at any time at affordable prices and made into fishing weights.
Let's start making molds and casting weights:
- Diluted gypsum powder is poured into the square formwork.
- The sinker blank, attached to a wire, is installed in the center of the container in the not yet hardened plaster. We make holes in different parts of the workpiece.
- Before pouring the top layer, be sure to coat the bottom layer with the sinker with liquid soap - this will prevent the workpieces from sticking together.
- After applying the top layer, lightly tap the workpiece to distribute the solution evenly.
- The gypsum has frozen, you can disassemble the formwork and open the workpiece.
- Make holes in the upper part: one for sinker castings, the other for oxygen supply. The workpiece is ready for use.
- Next, we proceed similarly to the options described above: insert the wire into the workpiece and pour molten lead into the hole made.
Source: https://MyTooling.ru/instrumenty/kak-sdelat-formu-dlja-gruzil-iz-svinca
Molds for casting sinkers - making your own from plaster and lead
The sinker is one of the consumable components of the tackle and often disappears along with the hook when biting large and strong prey. In stores, the cost of sinkers increases in direct proportion to their weight. Therefore, if catching large fish is carried out using several tackles, then purchasing sinkers becomes quite expensive.
At the same time, this element of equipment is quite simple to manufacture and practically does not require careful processing and complex preparation for use.
The material for the sinker is also quite common and accessible, so even complex sinkers can be made independently using appropriate blanks.
Forms for regular use
A plaster mold, even a very well made and dried one, will sooner or later collapse and you will have to make a new one or use a product suitable for frequent use.
Of course, for repeated use, molds made of heat-resistant steel or cast iron are best suited, but making these yourself is almost impossible. But cement is good for creating a melting mold, although this will require a little work.
Materials and tools for reusable uniforms:
- formwork material (wooden boards);
- liquid soap;
- cement;
- round file;
- fine sandpaper;
- clamp;
- cylinders for inserting into the filler hole;
- wire for making loops for the sinker.
For repeated use, molds made of heat-resistant steel or cast iron are best suited, but making these yourself is almost impossible
Making a reusable cement mold
Creating a cement mold is quite time-consuming, this is due to the relatively long hardening of the mixture.
The process of creating the form itself looks something like this:
- Formwork is made , preferably collapsible;
- The inner surface of the formwork is covered with liquid soap and installed on a flat surface, also treated with a soap solution;
- The formwork is filled with cement mortar;
- in the not yet hardened cement ;
- The cement must harden completely , this may take 1-2 days;
- After the cement has completely dried , the formwork is disassembled and reassembled for the next filling;
- The first, frozen half , together with the protruding workpiece, is smeared with soap;
- The second half of the mold is prepared , cement is poured into it;
- The first half , with its surface covered with soapy water, is placed on the second part of the mold;
- The cement hardens again;
- After the cement has dried in both halves of the mold , the central cone-shaped holes in each half are bored with a round needle file for pouring lead, and two side channels are also made for air removal;
- The surface of the sinker mold is sanded;
- Before pouring, the mold halves are tightly held together with a clamp.
Molds for casting several weights
For faster work, you can make molds for several weights at once. For formwork, you can use a grille from neon lamps.
When preparing a mold for multiple pieces, additional assistance may be required as you may not have time to place all the pieces before the material used has cured.
Blitz tips
- The porosity of a plaster mold and the tendency of lead to stick when curing can be greatly reduced by using chalk or talc on the inside of the mold to fill voids and create a layer between the lead and the plaster.
- To increase the service life of a plaster mold, you can impregnate and treat it from the inside with a sealant to reduce water evaporation when pouring metal. It won't be durable, but it will probably last a few more uses.
- When making small sinkers, regular matches or nails can be used to create outlet channels by simply sticking them into the mold material before it hardens.
- Instead of soap solution and vegetable oil, you can use silicone grease.
Source: https://lakeking.ru/snasti/spinning/formy-gruzil.html
Making lead fishing weights with your own hands
Hi all! Today I want to share my ideas, best practices and experience in making lead weights for spinning fishing.
I’ll say right away: this method is only suitable for small batches and simple shapes of sinkers. For example, I would recommend making collapsible Cheburashkas using aluminum molds, which I use myself)
Before the start of the season, I decided to add weights to my collection - “bullets”, for the increasingly popular jig-rig.
Materials
So where do we start? First, we need to prepare a set of materials for making molds for our future sinkers. I make the forms from ordinary building plaster.
I use stainless steel wire with a cross section of 0.8 mm. Also, we will need ordinary disposable containers, any fatty cream, such as “baby”, water and an old spoon.
Samples
These are ready-made sinkers, purchased or previously manufactured. Any thing can serve as a model. I made one sample from a real bullet)
The shape can be slightly adjusted with plasticine, but only a little, because... When the gypsum sets, it releases heat and a large volume of plasticine will simply melt. In this case, I took the bullets I had previously made and equipped them with wire loops, fixing it all with green plasticine.
Mold making
You need to prepare the gypsum mixture according to the “powder to water” rule, in a ratio of approximately 1:1, you need to focus on the consistency, it should be creamy.
Pre-lubricate our mold and samples with the prepared fatty cream.
Pour the mixed plaster into the container to fill exactly ½ of the container and tap it on the surface, expelling air bubbles. As soon as the gypsum begins to set, it is necessary to immerse our samples halfway in the hardening plaster. The setting time of the gypsum depends on the brand of the powder itself, the minimum time is 2 minutes, i.e. after 2 minutes we begin to carefully look at the surface of the plaster. As soon as it becomes matte, it’s time!
We insert guides along the edges of our form. It can be anything, I use pieces of wire, toothpicks, lollipop tubes.
Now we wait for complete hardening, 20-30 minutes is enough.
Then we lubricate the surface of the mold and the samples recessed in it with our rich cream.
We dilute the plaster again and fill the container to the top. We also remove air bubbles by tapping and leave to harden for the same 20-30 minutes.
After hardening, carefully remove the mold from the container and carefully separate it into two halves, removing the samples.
That's it, the form is ready! We leave it to dry for a couple of days near the battery - the water should completely evaporate.
So I made 3 molds with different weights. Before the molds become unusable, the weights cast in them will last me for 2 or 3 seasons). The main disadvantage of such forms is their fragility. Gypsum is a fairly fragile material, so molds quickly crack, caverns and chips appear in them, especially for split molds. Bullet molds last much longer. For example, the uniform shown in the photo in the article is already in use for the second or even third season.
After the mold has completely dried, it is necessary to make sprues. To do this, mark the line of the sprue, connect the mold and drill out the sprue in the shape of a funnel using drills of different diameters. For the top point of the funnel I use a 10.1mm drill, for the bottom I use a 3.5mm drill.
Casting sinkers
Now we can start casting the lead weights! To do this we need wire for the ears, lead, a torch or crucible and a clamp.
We bend the ears from the wire using pliers and put them into the mold.
We connect the two halves of the form and fix them with a clamp.
Melt the lead. I have old cheburakhs, tire weights and other lead scrap. I heat up the lead with a gas torch, it literally takes a few minutes, it’s very convenient! Next, pour the lead into the sprues and let it cool, that is, when you pour it into the last mold, the first one has already cooled down, everything is very fast!
Now we separate the mold and remove our weights.
Next we repeat in the same sequence.
Weights are cast very quickly, sometimes before fishing I remember that I have run out of a load of a certain weight, and then, in literally 20 minutes, I cast the dozen or one and a half weights I need. It takes less time than going to the store for the same goods)
In this way, you can experiment with the shapes and weights of sinkers, and invent some special shape of sinkers that are not available in stores.
For example, last season I experimented with stick weights, making several versions of non-snagging weights with different lengths and diameters.
The weight of such “stick” sinkers can be reduced directly while fishing, thanks to the small diameter of 6 and 8 mm (if you need to reduce the weight, you can simply bite off part of the sinker with pliers). Also, thanks to such diameters, the load passes 95% of hooks!
Another simplest form for casting weights is the “bullet” for Carolina. To make such a mold, you need to pour plaster into any sufficiently high mold, I took the cap from an aerosol can, and simply place the bullet samples coated with the same cream on top with the sharp side into the hardening plaster - that’s it, the mold is ready.
To cast such bullets, it is necessary to insert a “mortgage” made of steel wire, lubricated with ordinary toilet soap, into a mold, and pour lead on top. That's all.
The insert is removed from the bullet, leaving a hole for the fishing line.
Pros and cons of making your own sinkers
The most important advantage is the low cost of the resulting weights. It is also important that you can always cast the missing weights within 10-15 minutes if you have ready-made molds. I practice this quite often; before fishing, I quickly cast a dozen weights, if necessary.
Another plus for these homemade products is that you can choose a special shape and weight of the sinker for your fishing conditions, equip it with any accessories, “play” with the diameter and size of the loops, etc. Also, this is a quite exciting and educational lesson in physics and chemistry for your children! Children are happy to get involved in the process, even for this alone it’s worth trying to make a mold and cast weights yourself!
Now about the disadvantages: the most important one, as I already mentioned, is the fragility of the form. You can add reinforcing additives to gypsum, such as lime and others, but this will not fundamentally change the situation.
Also, one of the disadvantages of this method is a certain amount of flash on the finished weights, this applies to collapsible forms. A mold for a “bullet” with a hole is the most successful option both in terms of durability and ease of making the mold, and in terms of casting the sinkers themselves.
I 105% recommend making a mold for bullets! I would also consider the difficulties of marking such cargo as a disadvantage. The grams have to be marked manually.
In general, making such sinkers does not require any special equipment or any special knowledge or skills, everything is extremely simple!
That’s probably all, if you have any questions, write in the comments, I’ll be happy to answer;)
Source: https://www.fishingsib.ru/articles/view/129451/
Lead sinker - how to properly make a casting of the desired shape using available materials?
Every self-respecting fisherman usually has in his arsenal, in addition to hooks, floats and baits, several options for sinkers - lead castings that ensure accurate casting and immersion of the bait in the water. And no matter how sad it is, if the cast is unsuccessful or the fish leaves the hook, in addition to the bait and hook, the sinker is also lost, a thing that is not very expensive, but very necessary. So we have to open a foundry for lead weights in the kitchen several times a season.
Characteristics of the material and use in the manufacture of sinkers
For those who are just starting their career, experienced fishermen advise not to hesitate to stock up on a whole set of sinkers at once. Both very tiny and quite substantial ones are suitable here.
But, this is for the first time, and then, when the fisherman gains experience and thoroughly studies all the nearby bodies of water, it becomes necessary not only to replenish the supply of weights, but also to make them as convenient as possible for fishing.
This is where a soft, fusible and fairly heavy metal that does not react with water or air comes to the rescue - lead.
One of the reasons why lead and its alloys have become so popular for casting weights is the availability of the metal.
First as the main metal for casting shot, and later as a metal widely used in the automotive industry, in railway transport, and in communication lines, lead, in fact, has never been a big problem.
On the other hand, it was possible to melt the metal with a melting point of only 327.5 degrees using kerosene gas or a fire, and it could also be melted in an ordinary large tablespoon or tin can.
Pros and cons of lead sinkers
Like any other tackle, a lead sinker has its pros and cons. Here, to understand, you need to take into account both the consumer qualities necessary for fishing, and those issues that relate to manufacturing issues, for example, the availability of materials or the complexity of the work.
According to experienced fishermen, the main parameters that a sinker must meet should include:
- Sinker weight – it must be heavy to ensure accuracy of casting the tackle;
- Have a streamlined shape - in the air, the irregular shape of the sinker, rectangular shape or roughness greatly influences the casting distance and accuracy, and in the aquatic environment this creates turbulence that scares away fish, prevents the bait from being guided correctly, and contributes to entanglement in aquatic vegetation;
- The casting should not only have smooth shapes, but also provide reliable fastening to the fishing line;
- Be inconspicuous, not stand out against the background of bottom vegetation, have, if possible, a matte color that is natural for the aquatic environment;
- Made from available materials;
- If possible, be manufactured in the simplest conditions using a minimum of auxiliary tools;
Among the advantages of lead sinkers is the availability of the material
As you can see, the basic requirements for sinkers are quite simple and quite applicable to a material such as lead. Therefore, the positive aspects of lead sinkers are:
- Availability of material;
- Ease of working with lead castings;
- The ability to independently smelt the required amount of sinkers;
- Cheap production, even if one or two are lost, it will not be a big tragedy;
- The ability to independently choose the weight and shape;
- The material has a natural color, ideal for the environment of most bodies of water.
However, it is worth mentioning the problems associated with the manufacture of lead weights:
- The work carries some risk of injury;
- It is not always possible to achieve results the first time;
- To work, you need a tool.
Technology for making lead weights at home
Casting lead sinkers, despite the ease of technology and availability of materials, is still a mini metallurgical production, so before starting work it is necessary to at least superficially study the basics of metal melting. And although there is nothing special here, it is very important to listen to advice and instructions - both the result of the work and the safety of the work depend on it.
Final processing
After the casting has cooled, they begin to separate the molds and remove the castings. First, remove one part, and then carefully remove the casting from the second part of the mold.
The resulting lumps of lead are bitten off with pliers or cut off with a knife. The next step is making holes in the weights. This is usually done with an awl or a thick needle. And giving the final shape is done using sandpaper and a file.
What finished lead weights look like
Just like that, with the help of basic tools and available materials, you can pour out the required amount of sinkers of various shapes. Today, with the availability of technologies and materials, casting sinkers is becoming even easier, because on fishing forums you can order not only ready-made sinkers, but also entire sets with ready-made molds for casting and all the necessary tools.
Source: https://1nerudnyi.ru/gruzilo-iz-svintsa-01/
Forms for casting sinkers, design differences and materials used
Most anglers, when equipping their fishing rods, are faced with the need to load the bait. Both bottom fishers and spinners have to weigh down their rigs or artificial fish so that they quickly reach the bottom or fly far. Sometimes during a fishing trip you can leave your entire arsenal of fishing weights in a catchable but snagged area of the reservoir.
Some amateurs do not have the financial means to constantly replenish lead supplies, while other fishermen find it difficult to get to specialized stores. In such cases, molds for casting sinkers will come to the rescue. Due to the low melting point of lead and its availability, the necessary cargo can be cast directly on the shore of the reservoir.
What types of weights are there?
Making molds for casting lead weights - Metals, equipment, instructions
Today I will tell you how to make fishing weights with your own hands from lead, and not waste money. Any jig spinner should ideally have a gentleman's set in order to feel confident on any body of water, even in the most unexpected fishing conditions.
This set of weights requires the presence of a large number of weights, ranging from 1.5 g to 35 g, and sometimes more, with an interval of 2-4 g.
For example, when we go jig fishing , we always take with us a set of ordinary eared fish weighing, respectively, 1.5 g, 4 g, 6 g, 9 g, 12 g, 15 g, 18 g, 20 g, 22 g, 25 g, 28 g, 32 g, 35 g.
Of course, such a large amount of shot and buckshot is quite burdensome to carry around all day, especially since the load of each weight must be backed up in case of snags. But this, in a sense, store assortment allows us to select bait for absolutely any fishing conditions.
Unfortunately, the fishing industry lags far behind the potential needs of the market, and you will not find such a selection, especially eared fish, anywhere.
The way out of this current situation is quite simple - you need to cast and make weights for fishing yourself.
This kills two birds with one stone - on the one hand, you save time by not running around stores looking for the weight you need, and on the other hand, you stop being afraid of losing them on cliffs.
How to make a lead weight
How to make weights for fishing with your own hands from lead, because according to statistics, out of 100 fishermen, only 1 is a jack of all trades or a high-class mechanic who is able to make molds for casting on his own.
We should not forget that in our country the hardest currency, oddly enough, is liquid, and if you are able to explain to a mechanic, who is easy to meet at the entrance of any factory, what you need and what he needs, then this problem is completely solved in just a few days.
The only thing is that in order to obtain forms for each weight, it is necessary to inform the mechanic of the exact diameters of the future ears. For convenience, we provide below a table of correspondence between diameters and weights in the shape of a ball.
This table is compiled specifically for lead, taking into account its density, so if you want to cast, for example, a Wood or Rose alloy with a lower density, obtained in the same form it will be similar in diameter, but lighter in weight. And if you put tungsten fragments of electrodes into the mold before casting, you can get a very heavy and compact one.
How to make molds for casting a weight
Molds for casting sinkers with your own hands are also quite easy to make from plaster or silicone sealant. A very original and at the same time simple solution is to make a mold for casting from silicone sealant such as “Germesil” or any similar one.
The criterion for choosing a sealant is the ability to withstand high temperatures without changing the properties of the material. Most household sealants have an upper temperature limit of about 150-180°C.
This forces us to use not lead (melting point about 350°C) for casting sinkers, but special alloys with a lower melting point. First of all, we are talking about Wood, Rose and typographic alloys (melting point from 60 to 110 ° C).
When using these particular alloys, the silicone mold will serve for a very long time without deteriorating the quality of the castings.
In the case of lead, a mold made from household sealant can withstand up to 10 castings, and the quality of each subsequent load becomes worse due to the gradual burnout of the sealant over the entire area of contact of the molten lead with the mold.
Currently, silicone sealant is easy to buy in auto stores or stores selling building materials. This silicone mold, despite its amazing elasticity and seeming unreliability, can easily withstand high temperatures and a large number of castings.
In addition, silicone sealant gives the angler an amazing opportunity to almost perfectly replicate any, even the most complex, shape of a sinker or spinning bait.
Form for weights
The shape of the weights itself is very simple to make. A small box is taken, which is then filled to the brim with silicone sealant. During filling, you need to ensure that there are no bubbles in the sealant.
Next, the weight or bait that you are going to repeat is lubricated with a solution of wax or paraffin in gasoline, dried and lowered on a wire into a box with sealant so that it is completely immersed in the sealant, but does not touch the walls of the box.
Therefore, you should not remove the sample from the mold until complete polymerization occurs.
This moment can be easily controlled by periodically carefully feeling the shape. When fully cured, the sealant should resemble the consistency of a well-inflated soccer ball. Next, a small sprue hole is carefully cut from the top, through which the sample is removed due to the elasticity of the sealant.
After this, the silicone mold is separated from the box and becomes completely ready for multiple castings. Pouring lead into this form and removing a finished hand-made weight or bait occurs through the same sprue hole.
At the moment of removing the finished sample, the mold stretches each time and, as it were, “spits out” it, after which it instantly takes on its original form and is again ready for more and more castings. The advantages of a mold made from silicone sealant are obvious: it is very cheap, extremely simple and at the same time quite reliable.
In addition to the ball-shaped ear molds, we highly recommend that you make several lentil-type molds for casting. Outwardly, it somewhat resembles a plum pit flattened on the sides. The lentil is lighter than the spherical eared fish, but due to its shape it slips much more easily through the closed mouth of the fish, significantly improving hooking.
The most important use of lentils is when catching pike perch with its bulldog grip. Here are some simple tips on how you can make weights for fishing with your own hands and at no financial cost to you.
Source: https://spb-metalloobrabotka.com/izgotovlenie-form-dlya-litya-gruzil-iz-svintsa/
Lead casting
Lead and its alloys are widely used to make typefaces, plain bearings, and many small parts. In addition, lead is the main component of rechargeable batteries of different capacities.
Lead
In everyday life, lead is used to make fishing gear, weights for balancing wheels, etc.
Most machine parts and components manufactured using lead are produced using foundry technologies.