Saltheart
 

Saltheart would you be so kind as to direct me to a proprieter of jig making components? I helped a guy I work with make some smiling Bill's a couple of years ago, but he has since moved to a different work location. I am having no luck getting in touch with him. Thanks.

You can get the molds and hooks (Mustad 34184) from Mike T at www.capecodtackle.com . You can get virgin lead ingots from a plumbing supply store. I got a Lee bottom pour melter , 20 lb capacity. I got it from Jann's Netcraft. Gloves , saftey glasses gloves , and some snips to cut the sprews. That's it.

Oh yeah. I paint mine with Rustoleum and I use nail polish for the mouth and a laundry marker for the eyes.

Thank you very much. Does the lead have to be virgin? I can get lead at work, some may be virgin, but most isn't.

I like virgin lead. You never know what might be fuming out of the pot unless you use pure lead. For example , if there is cadmium or tin in it , the melting point goes very low and therefore the vapor generated at a normal pure lead pouring temp will be very high in the not pure stuff. Lots of people don't use pure stuff and just melt any scap they can get but I like the virgin lead ingots.