making own lead weights
Submitted by laza g on Sat, 2008-12-27 20:58
lost a few paternoster rigs this week and the lead weights are a couple of bucks a throw. Does anybody make their own as I see you can buy the moulds to DIY, is it worth it and where do you buy the scap lead
larry
mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
sinkers
when i used to make mine, i used to go to tyre places and get the scrap lead weights and use them, some places used to be pretty cheap others were expensive, so shop around, sinker moulds are available from most tackle stores, depending what your after, it may needed to be ordered, i know at out shop we have none left and would have to order any atm
HTH
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huge range of stock to suit any fisherperson.
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Faulkner Family
Posts: 18027
Date Joined: 11/03/08
yeah i make my own , you can
yeah i make my own , you can save shitloads if you fish reefy ground and light gear
i get my lead from a tyre shop , as matt said some can be expencive,costs a bit to set up and a bit of trial and error but when you have it worked out its easy
in the long run it can save big$
RUSS & SANDY
"A family that fishes together stays together"
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
lead weights
Hey Russ, what did you use to melt the lead ?
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mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
a good solid cooking pot i
a good solid cooking pot i got from a trash and treasure market, then used a coleman 2 burner outdoor portable stove, keep it out of the wind as the lead can cool quick and works better the hotter and more molten it is, so much easier to poor, oh and make sure the area is well ventilated too
The Tackle shack, for all your fishing needs
huge range of stock to suit any fisherperson.
PH:9248 3800 unit 3/11 Alexander drive Malaga
mt-ed
Posts: 39
Date Joined: 05/08/08
I used to make my own leads
I used to make my own leads too,
What with me being a Scouser, I just used to get it off the roofs
.
But if you don't want to go down that route, make friends with a plumber/roofer and get the scraps off them or get down to the scrap yard and buy a chunk of it.
Keith
The
West
Australian
Turtle
Society
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
Me Too!
Not a scouser just a common northerner
! but we once stripped a factory roof of about 100 mmtrs of lead and replaced it with bin bags....they didnt notice for weeks haha!
To all the virgins..............Thanks for nothing!
kaneo
Posts: 340
Date Joined: 09/01/08
j&ps $1.10 a killo worth it
j&ps $1.10 a killo worth it if u got somthing to melt it down.lunch time at work haha
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Heat the mould and the
Heat the mould and the molten lead won't splatter.
18 Outrage, Johnson 140hp 4stroke and 190 Outrage, 150 Mercury Verado
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
good advise Alfred - Bob
makes all his own sinkers from the smallest to the biggest 4lb, his mate has a tyre shop so he's lucky gets lead weights for free, stinks but as Mako said well ventilated, have everything ready and whamo they are down.
SPEWIE LEWIE
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wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
Thanks
Thanks for the tip alfred!
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Kev
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 08/12/08
I make my own weights too.
I make my own weights too. The first batch I made (indoors!) left me with a bad headache and feeling unwell. I did a bit of research about the effects of lead poisoning which goes on to say that lead should only be melted outdoors or in a well ventilated area. The use of a mask would also help and should stop any ill feeling. Once you get it right it well worth it. Doesn't feel so bad losing your own homemade sinkers!
Go for it!
wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
lead is one of the MOST
lead is one of the MOST toxic elements you can handle. I'm as keen to save a buck as the next guy, but not at the expense of my health. Look at what happened in Esperence...whilst on a major scale it goes to show how persistently toxic this stuff is.
Good luck, and maybe download some OSH info online to ensure you use proper precautions and avoid "headaches" and the like - could be symptoms of acute exposure
wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
Lead
Lead is good for you! I worked at Magellan, the mine that shipped its lead down out of esspee. If you ever want a tonne of lead concentrate..im sure we can work out a deal !
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Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Just use a
Just use a respirator.
Managed to pick up 150kgs lead from one of our sites...
Got enough sinkers now to sink a ship..... no wonder the boat goes so slow!!!
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I sometimes use large nuts n
I sometimes use large nuts n bolts for weight. Work just as good a a lead sinker.
Cheers
Dale
I'm not scared of banana's
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Kev
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 08/12/08
I use to know a guy who use
I use to know a guy who use to fill bank bags or similar with beach sand and tie them up to use as weights. He never complained when losing gear! He also didnt get snagged up half as much as the rest of us as the bag just ripped open when caught up. I clever idea I thought.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Only thing is Kev, fish
Only thing is Kev, fish could eat those money bags...and more than likely die.
fishyink
Posts: 388
Date Joined: 29/11/06
yeah they use the sand bags
yeah they use the sand bags in bali to get the bait down in he current then yank on the line to relese the sand so the baits down the bottom and they can feel the bites better with no sinker
Kev
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 08/12/08
Bodie, from what I remember,
Bodie, from what I remember, the bags rarely came off the line (as long as they were tied on correctly), merely ripped when snagged and then replaced with a new one. Bank bags are fairly tough and good to use for this. I thought and said the same when I saw them being used but was surprised when they kept coming up. Im sure nowadays, degradable plastic will be good to use as it will break down a lot quicker than a lump of lead.
waterman
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 24/05/08
Lead
Melt my own in a lLee Melting Pot - generally used for bullets, but works fine. When using roofing lead put in some flux as it pours better. Tyre leads are harder lead with antimony added and is good if you can get it, but now harder to source as is worth $$$. A safety tip whenever handling lead (or sinkers) is only wash hands with cold water and soap (not hot) as the hot water allows lead traces to enter via skin pores. You really need to be careful with it,
I also use the DO-It sinker molds - much safer than the basic split molds.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Lead
In my line of work lead poisoning is relatively rare nowadays but it certainly has it hazards. I would not recommend making your own if you have young kids around the place. Otherwise dont breathe the vapors and ventilate. That way you will have plenty of healthy blood cells to allow you to continue to fish without being doggone tired.
Cheers
Neels
Flat seas!!!
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laza g
Posts: 19
Date Joined: 21/02/07
thanks forthe info
Got a 20 litre bucket from my nearest tyre shop for $20 cash and pull the arm out of my socket when i tried to pick it up. Must be 50 kilos at least.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8669
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Pouring sinkers
We use a large pot on a portable bbq with the pot onto the frame round the burner or on a big ring burner.Leather welders gloves,a set of multigrips locked onto a metal baked bean can for a ladle and sliding clamps to hold the 2 x sides of the moulds together plus safety glasses.
Using the ladle to fill the mould allows you to keep a lot of heat in the pot so you can keep adding fresh lead or reject sinkers to the pot without being too cold to pour
Only wait approx 2 minutes after a pour before you break the mould open otherwise it cools down and you cannot get a complete sinker in without the hole clogging up.Trim any daggy bits off as you go along so the offcuts can be put back in the pot.
MOST IMPORTANTLY MAKE SURE NO WATER GETS ANYWHERE NEAR THE MOLTEN LEAD IN THE POT!!!!otherwise you will have an explosion of molten lead everywhere