Making your own Sinkers

[kirchoff]

Hey guys,

Making your sinkers really that much cheap in the long run. I feel lead is going up in price. I know you need melting put a molder. But my question is it that much cheaper. My buddy makes his then sells them to bait am tackle shops that's why I was wondering if its just cheaper to make them your selfs.

[dfish28]

If or after you have the molds and equipment it's a duh! , wouldn't do it any way else now!!!

[MrAC1980]

Some of the molds out there are highly expensive, and unless you have a good supplier for the lead, might not be worth it. Check out Sam on here, can't beat his prices and availability. Just picked up another order of large sizes for Seabassing. If you can find the molds to the sinkers you want for the cheap and have access to lead then maybe its worth it.
Dicks sells sinkers for like 30cents an ounce, where as Sam is sells for .12 and ships them to you.

[kirchoff]

Some of the molds out there are highly expensive, and unless you have a good supplier for the lead, might not be worth it. Check out Sam on here, can't beat his prices and availability. Just picked up another order of large sizes for Seabassing. If you can find the molds to the sinkers you want for the cheap and have access to lead then maybe its worth it.
Dicks sells sinkers for like 30cents an ounce, where as Sam is sells for .12 and ships them to you.

That's why I wanted to ask I don't know much about the lead. I know my buddy is good friends with a plumber and he gets it from him. Thanks ill have to do business with Sam.

[PeteyHD]

I melt all of my weight. When I was in college melted thousands and thousands of pounds for non sponsor boats in NJ and MA so was fortunate enough to pay for all the molds in less than a few hundred pounds. I get all my lead for free from tire shops and build good relationships with them. Most of the guys would really hook it up for a nice oily bluefish (which I do not eat but catch a ton of in the summer) in exchange for a bucket full of lead. The largest expense will be your initial investment of molds and burner and pot. I have a large propane burner and 150# capacity pot. But you should be ok with something much smaller.

[kirchoff]

I'll have to go around and ask cause if you get it for free you could make a great profit selling it to boats.

[PeteyHD]

I'll have to go around and ask cause if you get it for free you could make a great profit selling it to boats.

When I was in college was much easier to get lead. Now most tire shops have agreements with recycling and battery companies who come and take the lead weights from them so i lost about 50% of suppliers. But you can still get some by building a good repor and sometimes asking if they eat fish helps out that's where the bluefish and mackerel come in handy!

[frugalfisherman]

Hey guys,

Making your sinkers really that much cheap in the long run. I feel lead is going up in price. I know you need melting put a molder. But my question is it that much cheaper. My buddy makes his then sells them to bait am tackle shops that's why I was wondering if its just cheaper to make them your selfs.
All depends on how much $ you can get lead for.

[Fishin Dude]

I personally prefer to get them from Sam or a few of the other guys that do the flea market circuit for .12 oz. rather then deal with the hassle of supplies, lead, and the toxic fumes.

[Ol Pedro]

I personally prefer to get them from Sam or a few of the other guys that do the flea market circuit for .12 oz. rather then deal with the hassle of supplies, lead, and the toxic fumes.
My Son and I have supplied for one of the Sponsor Boats and for a large Outdoor store . If you don't have the lead supply or the time/money to invest then just go with Sam . My Son sold his business when the lead started to dry up but the orders didn't . Running larger sized sinkers takes a lot of time . Skimming/ingoting dirty lead is nasty dangerous work . We ran 2 Lee pots and a one burner and a 25lb caldron. If you didn't ingot your lead before you fed it into the Lee's they would clog/keep running if you didn't scrape the slag/ash off the sides . Leave it to the experts . Your life is worth more than saving a few cents on your sinkers . Sam has the cleanist lead on the market and is great with deadlines .

[tropics]

Hey guys,

Making your sinkers really that much cheap in the long run. I feel lead is going up in price. I know you need melting put a molder. But my question is it that much cheaper. My buddy makes his then sells them to bait am tackle shops that's why I was wondering if its just cheaper to make them your selfs.

yes it is cheaper after you buy the molds, burner, ladle, heat proof gloves, a good respirator, cast iron pot, and lead. Then most molds make 1 of each size at a time, ah more molds production type they make 3 or 4 at a time.
You have 15 to 20% waste from the scrap lead.
Buy lead get in touch with Sam he will give you back about half the weight, and you don't have to worry about the other dangers of melting lead.
Hope this helps you.

[MrAC1980]

Yupp +1 on what Tropics said. I've done that many times with Sam. Give him like 50lbs and he gives you back 25lbs of whatever sinkers you want.

[kirchoff]

My Son and I have supplied for one of the Sponsor Boats and for a large Outdoor store . If you don't have the lead supply or the time/money to invest then just go with Sam . My Son sold his business when the lead started to dry up but the orders didn't . Running larger sized sinkers takes a lot of time . Skimming/ingoting dirty lead is nasty dangerous work . We ran 2 Lee pots and a one burner and a 25lb caldron. If you didn't ingot your lead before you fed it into the Lee's they would clog/keep running if you didn't scrape the slag/ash off the sides . Leave it to the experts . Your life is worth more than saving a few cents on your sinkers . Sam has the cleanist lead on the market and is great with deadlines .

Definately going with Sam. I mean he sounds awesome !

[kirchoff]

Yupp +1 on what Tropics said. I've done that many times with Sam. Give him like 50lbs and he gives you back 25lbs of whatever sinkers you want.

Really? Didnt even have a clue. That's a good deal ill have to pm him.

[NJ Dave]

Easiest way for me to make weights it to call Sam.
Leave message and he will call you back in a few hours and says they are ready to be picked up.
Never a sharp edge and all the holes are always open.

[TDaly25]

It depends on how often you fish, what you fish for and whether or not you have a good source for lead.

I pour bank sinkers through 18 ounces and bucktails through 8 ounces and it makes a tremendous amount of sense for me.

I get all my lead for free, though I do have to go through the smelting and cleaning process.

18 ounce singers currently cost you between $4 and $5 buck each if purchased while on a boat. Half that if you buy from Sam. Purchasing an 18 oz bank mold from Mac's in Belmar will cost you about $34 after tax. Clearly, at these econoics it doesnt take long to recoup your investment.

On the other hand, if you're only fishing the back bays sporadically and using largely 2 and 3 ouncers you may be better off just buying the sinkers.

[kirchoff]

It depends on how often you fish, what you fish for and whether or not you have a good source for lead.

I pour bank sinkers through 18 ounces and bucktails through 8 ounces and it makes a tremendous amount of sense for me.

I get all my lead for free, though I do have to go through the smelting and cleaning process.

18 ounce singers currently cost you between $4 and $5 buck each if purchased while on a boat. Half that if you buy from Sam. Purchasing an 18 oz bank mold from Mac's in Belmar will cost you about $34 after tax. Clearly, at these econoics it doesnt take long to recoup your investment.

On the other hand, if you're only fishing the back bays sporadically and using largely 2 and 3 ouncers you may be better off just buying the sinkers.

I think I might just have to go Sam all I hear is good stuff about him.