Pouring lead into plugs

[Mr. Krinkle]

Who pours directly into plugs?
What are the drawbacks/advantages?
What techniques are there to stop lead from clogging the thru-drill hole?
How do you fill in the holes and smooth it out?

I pour directly.
I use an old drill bit, spray it with WD40, run it into the thru-wire hole and pour the lead. I keep twisting the drill bit until the lead is hard and pull it out.

A drawback is that sometimes I under/over fill the holes. I used to use Durhams puddy to fill in the holes. I found that if I'm fishing near rocks and the plug hits a rock where the puddy is, it can crack the paint. A friend of mine uses Qwikwood puddy that you have to kneed together.

I find that if I over pour the lead its a real pain the ass because I have to file it down.

Another drawback is its not a 100 percent precise in regards to the weight.

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions?

[ProfessorM]

I would not pour direct. Just my opinion. I have so many molds to do what ever I want I don't see the need. Must be a PIA to do that. I still have to file belly wgts and still have to cover the wgt with some kind of stuff but I seem to not care a lot about how the hole looks anymore because I'm fishin them and fish don't care. Now if I'm doing something fancy for someone then I spend more time on them. You are right in the fact it must be hard to keep the quantity of wgt. specific and repetitive and keeping the wgt from gravitating to the thru holes must be a pain too. I think shoving something in there like you are doing is your best bet but I'll bet if you get any of your WD 40 on the plug it would cause you some problems with paint and epoxy adhesion.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Personally, I don't think its a PIA because that's the way I've always done it. I should really start making some molds. I really don't have problems with getting WD40 on the plug. I spray it away from the plug and then insert the bit. Very rarely do I have issues with lead traveling into the thru wire hole. I'm just thinking of a way to be more efficient when making lures.

Thanks for your input!

[numbskull]

Habs did this. I've done it on occasion. I use a piece of .094" piano wire as a pull wire. Hardware stores have this, it is very tough and rigid.
I lube it with PAM cooking spray, run it through the plug, pour, then pull it out about a minute later. The stuff is long enough that you can bend it into a L or C shaped handle and grip one end well

Usually, like Paul, I pour weights to the size I want (but if doing it again I would use a drill to make the mold very fractionally smaller than the drill I use for the weight hole itself.

I also have a drop shot mold that lets me pour 3" lengths of 3/8" lead.
I find it easy to cut these to desired length. If I want a 1/2" by 3/8" lead slug I drill a 1/2" deep hole in a block of wood, then drill all the way through the block with a 5/32 drill so I can push the cut slug out from the back. I insert the 3/8" drop shot blank into the hole, cut it flush with a hacksaw, then push it out with a 1/8" rod. This works really well since you can use one mold to make slugs of any length/weight very quickly.

For filling weight holes I now use white marine epoxy that comes in dual syringe dispensers. I just squeeze out a tiny amount, mix it, apply it, and level it with a razor blade used as a scraper. It takes over night to dry, but sands well, has no fumes, and does not degrade like water based fillers.

[ProfessorM]

In case it was hard to tell I didn't mean it was a bad way to do it just that I don't do it that way so for me it doesn't seem the best way. For you if that is how you have done it, must seem easy. That being said I would think it would be easier to make your own wgts. and put them where you want at what specific size you want. Just grab what you need out of a bin, trim it to size and install it. I also use a 2 part marine epoxy, same stuff Mac used to use and showed me a bunch of years ago, to install and over cover the belly wgts. It takes a good day to dry completely, but after a few hours it is still pliable I tend to smush it down flatter into the area if it happened to sink in too much if I under filled the wgt. hole or if the wgt settled. File the next day and it hardens like iron. To me the most expensive part of plugbuilding is buying lead wgts.. Can't believe what they get,$$, for lead wgts. Make your own wgts and pour a crap load all in one nice summer day and you are all set for years. You can make one mold for 2 things. Makes tail wgts., one 5/16 dia and one 3/8 dia.. Make sure you make the wgts undersize so they fit in the holes if drilled at 3/8 and 5/16 and also to allow for some sealer build up, like George didn't, with pull pins for thru wire and then you can pour the same mold without pull pins, thru holes, and you then have long lengths of 3/8 and 5/16 dia. of belly wgts. You then just need to cut them to whatever belly wgt. lengths you want. I got pics if you need them in the future. Good luck in what ever way you choose. Many ways to get the job done.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Prof...No doubt it is an easier way to do it. That's why I asked the question. I knew you guys had much better ways to do it and I appreciate your input! Pre-pouring is really want I want to do for a number of reasons. Convenience, yes, but also I really don't want to expose myself to melting lead over and over again. Like I mentioned earlier, I want to be more precise and not gamble on the weight on the plug every time I pour. Thanks again!

[Rockfish9]

Like Paul and George, I also have poured a few, and gave it up in favor of making my own molds... I fill my belly holes with 2 part wood filler epoxy... it also needs to dry overnight and sands/shapes well..

[a4scoot]

I have been using .375 and .500 caliper round bullet molds to make belly weights. A 3/8 or 1/2 inch hole and the weight fits tight with some epoxy so it dosen't come out. Bullet molds are cheap at the big online gun sight.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Like Paul and George, .

half the beatles

[ProfessorM]

ok Mr. Krinkle some pics to maybe help you out if you intend to make a few molds yourself.

These are 3/8 and 5/16 dia. tail wgts.. They are actually a 1/64 undersize of the actual 3/8 and 5/16. They need to be that small because of the buildup of sealer in the holes. I drill them right to size , 3/8 and 5/16. If you don't you will split the plug banging them in. I epoxy before I assembly and sometimes I need to take an exact -o knife and cut away the little bit of epoxy that will gravitate inside the tail hole on the edge.. easy fix though. If you want to make belly wgts. than you just pour them without the thru hole wire and cut to length you desire.

[ProfessorM]

Here you can see how small you can go. These are 3/16 dia. with a .048 thru wire. I use these little ones for my albie metals I make. More difficult to make but I needed that size.
You can also see how the wire, or nail if you want to use a nail, sit in the mold. You just pour down the hole with wire in there. Get them all poured and open mold a few seconds later and then just pull the wire or nail out. I use PAM spray every few pours. I leave all the wires, nails, in a puddle of PAM. I don't spray the mold just the wires. I have enough wires so I can do about 3 pours before I need to take wires out and it allows for them to cool a bit so I don't burn the hell out of my hand.
Important also is you can see that when I drill the thru wire hole in the mold I didn't drill all the way through the mold. This allows the pin not to fall out of the mold, it stays in place. If you drill thru with the small dia. thru wire hole you will be constantly picking the wires off the floor. A real PIA I found out the hard way. Also make sure the wire is a good 1/2 to more longer than your wgt. It gives you something to grab when extracting it from the lead. If you need a longer tail wgt. you just stack them to desired length.

[ProfessorM]

Here is a little belly wgt. mold I made for some of my larger Dannies. I wanted a larger dia. wgt. to sit low on the Danny. It is kind of a 2 piece mold, actually 3 piece as I use the bottom and top of the mold to get the most out of it. You can see the actual wgt. is trapped inside the mold, small part on top, so I get an actual accurate length to these belly wgts. These are up to 7/8 dia. Not something I use real often.

[ProfessorM]

Ok finally to show you if you have a need you can make something. Here is a mold I made last year for some of my canal heavy arse poppers and pencils. The wgt . hangs out the rear end of the plug to add in a truer flying, longer casting, plug.. A canal specialty plug really.. More wgt in the rear. This type of wgt was done by a friend ,Stan Kuzia, although I did make it a little different as I did not want to copy Stans design exact, although he would not of cared.. Again this is a 2 part mold so it probably isn't something the home person will make.with a drill press. This could be done out of a blank do it mold but you would need to use a CNC machine with 3 axis. I get around that doing it by hand making the mold in 2 pieces. Don't think the boss would allow me to use a $300,000 machine to do this work so I do it old school, cause I'm old.
The molds above can be made from a blank Do IT Mold in a drill press with the correct dia. drills and pins. I have done a few with the do it molds. I made my own molds cause it doesn't cost me anything for the stock, just labor. So I'd say give it a try not too hard and you will save a bunch on wgts.

[numbskull]

Just for interest, I was going through some xrays last pm and I noticed that Gibbs poured lead into his early polaris poppers for the belly weight ahead of the hook hole.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Ok finally to show you if you have a need you can make something. Here is a mold I made last year for some of my canal heavy arse poppers and pencils..

Show off

[ProfessorM]

interesting. I do put a belly wgt. in front of the hook in my polaris type poppers, but use lead balls and epoxy.



You know me I luv to pat myself on the back

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

You know me I luv to pat myself on the back

Oh is that what that is? I thought you just liked to sniff your own arm pit.

[Mr. Krinkle]

damn! Those molds are great! Thanks for the pics! That would make life much easier!