belly weights

[Striperhound]

I turned off some small needles this morning and dont want to use the belly weights I picked up from NJ tackle-they are too big. Is there anyone out there that sell 1/4" x 1/4" belly weight slugs or anything close?


Thanks

[Charleston]

go to a gun shop and buy some lead shot. 00, #1, #2 etc. Flatten with a hammer if necessary to fit hole....

[fishaholic18]

I have a lead pot if you want to pour them in.
You're welcome to come over and do it.

Dave

[thefishingfreak]

hold a piece of lead with plyers then torch it so it drips in the hole you drilled.
thats what i do.
then pop it back out and glue it back in, then file off the extra.

saftey first blah,,,blah,,,,,

[Pete F.]

And if before you pour it you use a 1/4 inch dovetail bit to make the bottom of the hole bigger it'll nevah come out.

[NJTackle]

Originally posted by Striperhound
I turned off some small needles this morning and dont want to use the belly weights I picked up from NJ tackle-they are too big. Is there anyone out there that sell 1/4" x 1/4" belly weight slugs or anything close?

Tinman includes these 1/4" OD with the new kits. I'll ask if he can supply them separately and get them up on the site.

[BigFish]

What a great sponsor...ask and ye shall recieve! You guys are the best!

[Striperhound]

Tinman,

Thanks for the response. If you guys will sell them I will take a bag of 100. Let me know?

Thanks again

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by bluefishercat

And if before you pour it you use a 1/4 inch dovetail bit to make the bottom of the hole bigger it'll nevah come out.

.
How does that work?????????

[spence]

I just finished a batch of small needles and used the .25 ounce NJTackle tail weight cut into thirds with a pair of snips. Next time I'll pour them, but this worked...

-spence

[nightfighter]

Spence, can use a ladle from plumbing supply house, (Home Cheapo maybe?)
Used for setting toilet flange with lead, heat with torch and pour

As for dovetail idea, I don't get how you can plunge the bit without opening surface to max diameter??? Is it me?

[TheSpecialist]

Originally Posted by bluefishercat And if before you pour it you use a 1/4 inch dovetail bit to make the bottom of the hole bigger it'll nevah come out.

I was wondering the same thing, that's a pretty neat trick.

[Pete F.]

Drill a hole first. Just put the bit in your drill press on high speed, keep your fingers away it likes those just as well as wood. if it is a small plug use a handscrew as a holder. A handscrew is a wooden jorgenson clamp works great for a lot of things.

[Slipknot]

I think what you are trying to say, is once you drill the hole big enough for the dovetail bit, then plunge the dovetail bit in and then rotate it around a little the get the results that will keep the lead in place.

[Pete F.]

Once again, a picture would be worth a thousand words.

[Charleston]

Originally Posted by bluefishercat

And if before you pour it you use a 1/4 inch dovetail bit to make the bottom of the hole bigger it'll nevah come out.

Please explain this method!! ????????????

[Pete F.]

I'll try a step by step
1. Drill hole in plug to depth you want with Forstner bit.
2. Put drill press on high speed
3. Put 1/4" dovetail bit in drill press
4. With drill press on put the dovetail bit in the hole for belly weight and move around to make the bottom of the hole larger than the top.

I use 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 forstners depending on how large a belly weight I need and only drill as far as the head of the bit. This keeps the belly hole out of the thru wire hole if they are connected the lead will fill the plug.

[fishing bum wannabe]

Pouring directly into the plug body works, I did it for years. You will ruin the occasional body, and the results are often inconsistant weighting. If you are doing one or 2 plugs, it may be the way to go. If you are doing a batch and are trying for a consistant result, it's not the best method.

Untill recently, body weights were not readily available. And if you are like me and don't like to shop mail order and are cheap, you make your own. You can also make sizes that you can't buy. I am making a lot of smaller plugs this year and the smaller size weights aren't available. Lead shot would work, but in Massachusetts you need a gun permit to get it. Go figure.

Belly weights are easy to mold. To make a mold, screw two small blocks wood together. 3/4" lumber yard pine works fine. The last ones I did were made out of scrap 1X5 pine, cut to 3" long, held together with 2 sheetrock screws in the middle and trimmed so both ends were flush. Scraps lying around your shop are best (I'm cheap).

Bore several 1/4" holes 1/4" deep along the center line where the blocks are joined. Using the depth stop on your drill press will keep all the holes the same depth and your weights all the same weight. Drilling into the end grain gives a better result. Using a brad pint or forstner bit helps keep the drill bit following the joint where the 2 blocks are screwed together. You can drill a second set of holes in the other end, doubling the yeild of the mold.

Pouring: Do this in a well ventilated space or better yet, go outside on a dry day! Don't melt lead in a closed space! Heavy metals are not good for your body! That said, clamp the block so that the holes are level and upright. Fill them with lead, overfilling the holes. Using an old or cheap chisel, scrape off the excess lead while it is still molten. This will give you a set of same sized belly weights without trying to pour into a round plug body.

I recently made a mold like this for belly weights. I used a 4' section of 4-1/2" pine. I cutoff and screwed a 4" block to the end, keeping the screws in the middle. Then using my cut off saw I trimmed the 1/2" off the end and cut the block off so that it was 3" long. I then bored 5 evenly spaced holes top and bottom along the center line. I wanted 2 different sized weights so I drilled different depth holes top and bottom. I did four pourings in 15 minutes yeilding 35 or so belly weights (they don't always come out perfect). Between each pour loosen the screws and knock the weights out. Wear Gloves! They solidify quickly but will burn you if you are not careful. Gloves will also limit your exposure to heavy metals. When they are cool, insert them in your plug with a some epoxy or other glue to keep them in place.

Hope this helps

[Karl F]

Thanks FBW.