Lead for jigs
 

I am making up some jigs for the new season. My question is where to get the lead? flashing from the lumber yard? old sinkers? tier weights. I have been told that tire weights are not pure enough for jig heads thanks chuck

You can use all of that to make jigs. Tire weights have antimony in them as well so they are not quite the same as pure lead (but it really does not matter all that much). If you get them for free...then use it, that is my motto.

If you don't mind paying for "clean lead" you can often find ingots on ebay. Shipping is handled via the flat rate box which allows them to ship a box regardless of its weight for something like 8 or 12 bucks. I get a couple 75# boxes of lead in the mail each year. If you keep your eyes pealed and are not in a rush you can usually pick it up for something just north of a buck a #.
I got a good deal on old net weights from CA a few years back , pure lead, great deal...but the girl dropped the box and the it busted open in the post office and round lead weights went everyplace. (The PO was P.O'ed but I got all my weights), now I buy ingots.

Know any roofers?

If you know a plumber we get lead scrap from time to time

Check your local plumbers supply place. They should have 5# lead ingots (also called lead chalking). Its the soft stuff, best for jig making.

Jigman

Oh yeah I should have said that

Tire weights are where its at.. I refined about 50 lbs of them last winter with my glass furnace- it takes more heat to melt it, but it will provide a very durable jig that will hold its paint or powder coating much longer than soft lead.. If you bring a bucket to a tire shop, they will save them for you for a 6 pack. ;)

McMaster carr also sells lead ingots and lead sheets... the sheets come in differant thickneses and are great for makeing strip weights when you need something special...

Why not go to a B&T or one of the big box sporting goods places and buy sinkers and melt them down?

That one bad thing about tire weights is the dirt and other crud that is going to get burned off. Not to mention the moisture that the "crud" holds. Could spit, spatter, or blow up if your melting in bulk.

Price of lead is heading north pretty quickly with the new regulations. With prices where they are, it doesn't make sense to buy other than in bulk.

I saw some pretty decent prices on ebay last week. $13 shipped for 5.5lbs

I have some if yr interested... Shoot me a pm..

I was able to get a quantity of lead from a dive shop. They had a bunch of beat up divers belt weights and I scoffed them cheap. I also use tire weights - I mix some pure material and get a real tough jig.

Be sure to take all precautions when cutting and melting any and all lead based materials. If you do a search you will find a couple of good threads on the subject. :cputin: