While sorting stuff out for maggot drowning on a promise to my little one I found a box of old lead shot and as its now banned for FW I thought about melting it down to make lead tape that I could wrap around hooks on softies.
Any ideas on how I could go about this?
Would an oven tray be heat resistant enough for molten lead and would it release do you think? That way I could just pour a thin layer and then cut it into strips or am I being daft even thinking about doing it that way?
This seems quite labour intensive and a bit dangerous if using 'real' lead. Is fly tyers lead to soft for this job? Had been thinking about trying it out on a few weedless hooks. Either that or a thin strip roofers lead?
hi ian i have used lead in that way when i make my own lures
i melt it down in an old tin can on the cooker then just pour it onto a baking tray
or foil trays in thin layers ,then just cut it to lengnth i want ,weigh it etc into different sizes .
i have lead tape also ,but have loads of old leads from my bait fishing days ,so i
make good use of them.
another thing i do for soft lures is use rolls of soldering iron cut into short lengths .
then just push them into the lures to make them sink how you want them to
hi ian i have used lead in that way when i make my own lures
i melt it down in an old tin can on the cooker then just pour it onto a baking tray
or foil trays in thin layers ,then just cut it to lengnth i want ,weigh it etc into different sizes .
i have lead tape also ,but have loads of old leads from my bait fishing days ,so i
make good use of them.
another thing i do for soft lures is use rolls of soldering iron cut into short lengths .
then just push them into the lures to make them sink how you want them to
mate for christ sake make sure you take the tin and warm it in the oven first reason for that is gets rid of any and all moisture even a droplet of water and molten lead will go off like a gun i know it happened to me it burnt through my wall clock missed me thanks god but keep well away from water.
PS fly tying lead in medium works great mate also take plastercine and form torpedo indents in it small though and pour insert weights for soft plastics for fine tuning sink rates and angle ...
Thanks James. I'm aware of those options but this is about changing illegal lead shot into something useful rather than finding what I need. I appreciate the suggestion though
Plaster of Paris mould is an option but you must be certain it is dry and no water in it. Bake it in the over on a low heat to get all the moisture out. Should be OK for the small castings you seem to mean.
You could also use wood (again dry!!) chisel the indent you want and pour into that. It will burn the wood and maybe not all that pretty on the wood side? Depends how clean you need it.
Best mould options for lead are expensive unless you have a scrap block of aluminium lying around and a tool to machine an indent into it? Dremel?
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