The sinker is one of the consumable components of the tackle and often disappears along with the hook when biting large and strong prey. In stores, the cost of sinkers increases in direct proportion to their weight. Therefore, if fishing large fish carried out on several tackles, then purchasing sinkers becomes quite expensive.

At the same time, this element of equipment is quite simple to manufacture and practically does not require careful processing and complex training for use.

The material for the sinker is also quite common and accessible, so even complex sinkers can be made independently using appropriate blanks.

Simple options

The simplest thing is to make lead weights using a plaster or sand mold. This method has a number of undoubted advantages:

The use of lead and gypsum when making sinkers yourself has several significant nuances:

• at a temperature of about 200°C, water begins to actively evaporate from the gypsum, which leads to destruction of its structure and splitting of the product;
• lead is pressed into plaster when it hardens, which makes it almost impossible to remove the sinker without destroying the shape;
• the gypsum blank has a large number of micropores, which leads to the need to polish the finished product.

When using sand instead of gypsum, the process of preparing the mold is greatly simplified, however, the requirements for the material of the box in which the workpiece will be located when pouring lead are increased; it is advisable to use a metal support. The product itself will be somewhat less aesthetically pleasing and will require serious polishing.

Making simple disposable molds

The fragility and destruction of the gypsum structure when water evaporates makes it difficult to use this material for reusable use. However, as a disposable and easy-to-make mold, gypsum is ideal.

To make a shape for a simple sinker you need:

The most in a simple way Making a cone-shaped sinker is to use a paper cone in the sand:

• A paper blank (a piece of paper rolled into a cone) is inserted into any container tightly filled with sand, inserted into the sharp end of the cone metal loop for a sinker;
• Lead is melted and poured into a paper cone;
• Part of the cone burns, but during this time the lead has time to cool a little and begin to harden;
• The cooled workpiece is removed from the sand and processed with a file.

You can use aluminum foil instead of paper.

The material for the sinker is also quite common and accessible, so even complex sinkers can be made independently using appropriate blanks

Forms for regular use

A plaster mold, even a very well made and dried one, will sooner or later collapse and you will have to make a new one or use a product suitable for frequent use.

Of course, for repeated use, molds made of heat-resistant steel or cast iron are best suited, but making these yourself is almost impossible. But cement is good for creating a melting mold, although this will require a little work.

Materials and tools for reusable uniforms:

• formwork material (wooden boards);
• liquid soap;
• cement;
• round file;
• fine sandpaper;
• clamp;
• cylinders for inserting into the filler hole;
• wire for making loops for the sinker.

For repeated use, molds made of heat-resistant steel or cast iron are best suited, but making these yourself is almost impossible

Making a reusable cement mold

Creating a cement mold is quite time-consuming, this is due to the relatively long hardening of the mixture.

The process of creating the form itself looks something like this:

1. Formwork is being made, preferably collapsible;
2. The inner surface of the formwork is covered with liquid soap and installed on flat surface, also treated with soapy water;
3. The formwork is filled with cement mortar;
4. Into cement that has not yet hardened, the desired workpiece is half-immersed;
5. The cement must harden completely, this may take 1-2 days;
6. After completely dry cement, the formwork is disassembled and reassembled for the next filling;
7. The first, frozen half, together with the protruding workpiece, is smeared with soap;
8. The second half of the mold is prepared, cement is poured into it;
9. First half with surface, covered with soapy water, is installed on the second part of the mold;
10. The cement hardens again;
11. After the cement has dried in both halves of the mold, with a round needle file, the central cone-shaped holes are bored out in each half for pouring lead, and two side channels are also made for air removal;
12. Surface of the sinker mold processed with sandpaper;
13. Before pouring the mold halves tightly fastened with a clamp.

Molds for casting several weights

For more fast work You can make molds for several weights at once. For formwork, you can use a grille from neon lamps.

When preparing a mold for several pieces, it may be necessary additional help, since you may not have time to place all the workpieces before the material used hardens.

• The porosity of the plaster mold and the tendency of lead to stick when curing can be significantly reduced using chalk or talc for processing inner surface molds to fill voids and create a layer between the lead and plaster.
• To increase the service life of the gypsum mold, you can impregnate and treat it from the inside with sealant to reduce water evaporation when pouring metal. It won't be durable, but it will probably last a few more uses.
• In the manufacture of small weights to create outlet channels You can use regular matches or nails, just stick them into the mold material before it hardens.
• Instead of soap solution and vegetable oil You can use silicone grease.

In today's difficult economic conditions, it is worth thinking about making your own gear and its accessories at home. Moreover, some of the necessary fishing equipment is very easy to make. Let's look at the process of making fishing sinkers.

To prepare for the manufacture of lead weights, we will need:

First we have to make a mold for casting lead sinker.

Making a mold for casting lead weights

Nothing complicated to make forms There are no weights for casting and even a child can do it. Now in detail and one by one about how to make a mold for filling sinkers.
1. Take the first one a plastic cup and cut it as shown in the photo.

2. Cut off the second cup.


3. Cut out the bottom with a heated knife or scalpel.


4. The cut part of the second cup with the bottom cut out should fit into the first cup as in the photo.


5. This is how the sinker for front-loaded spinners will be placed.


6. To lay the sinker, we will have to make a slot in the wall of the cup with a gap for the thickness of the wire lead of the sinker.


7. This is what it should look like.


8. Take gypsum powder and dilute it with water. Fill the first glass halfway with gypsum solution. All operations with plaster should be done quickly. Unlike cement, it sets quickly.


9. To add rigidity to the structure, we lay a mesh to seal the seams between the plasterboard slabs.


10. Fill the mesh with plaster up to the edge of the cup.


11. We wait until the solution begins to set and then place a sinker in the center so that it is immersed in the gypsum solution to half its thickness.


12. Wait for it to dry completely, this takes about 30 minutes.


13. Using a knife or scalpel, we make holes around the perimeter for proper alignment of the finished halves of the mold (you can use a drill and a drill bit).


14. Take liquid soap and apply it to the first part of the mold. This must be done to prevent the parts of the form from sticking together. Liquid soap can be replaced with any lubricant.


15. Insert the cut cup with a slot for the leash in the same way as in the photo.


16. Secure it with tape or tape.


17. Fill it up to half the height with gypsum solution.


18. Don’t forget to lay the mesh for rigidity.


19. Fill to the end.


20. Wait for the second half of the mold to dry completely for 30 minutes and separate both parts.


21. It will look like this.


22. Cut and remove the cups from the plaster parts of the mold for casting the sinkers.


23. Using a scalpel or knife, carefully pry up the sinker and pull it out.




24. The exact shape of the first half of the sinker should be like this.


25. This is what both parts of the form look like for sinkers. But it’s too early to consider them ready. Our form still lacks a channel for pouring lead and a channel for air outlet (for communication with the atmosphere); it is needed to prevent the formation of pores and cavities. The last channel must be of very small diameter, otherwise it will be filled with a large amount of lead. There is no need to rush to make these two channels. It is better to do them in a day, the plaster will be even stronger after this time.


26. On another form you can see these channels.


27. This is what the filler hole should look like from the outside when both parts of the mold are aligned.


28. Channels can be easily made with a scalpel or drilled with a drill.


29. We are finalizing the first part of the form for laying the leash with an eye.


30. Check the fit of the parts.


31. We make notches at the ends to secure the parts with an elastic band. This will make the process of casting the sinker easier.


32. Now ours form ready and you can proceed to casting the sinkers.

Casting a lead sinker into a homemade plaster mold

Casting sinkers into a plaster mold is very simple and quick.
1. Take a mold that contains a wire leash with an eye and pour in molten lead. In the photo, the form is in the hands, this should not be done.


2. Lead is poured until it fills the entire cavity.


3. After cooling, disassemble the mold.


4. We take out the sinker.


5. We process the sinker with side cutters and a needle file (file). The process of making the sinker is complete.


In one hour you can make a large number of sinkers various forms and different weights. It all depends on how many molds you have made and how much lead you have. This will save your fishing expenses. You can take lead for making sinkers from old ones. batteries or from the sheath of old electrical cables.

These articles may interest you

• Fishing in the region:
• Fishing during the seasons:
• Fishing:

I’ll say right away: this method is only suitable for small batches and simple shapes of sinkers. For example, I would recommend making collapsible Cheburashkas using aluminum molds, which I use myself)

Before the start of the season, I decided to add “bullet” weights to my collection for the increasingly popular jig-rig.

Materials

So where do we start? First, we need to prepare a set of materials for making molds for our future sinkers. I make the forms from ordinary building plaster.

I use wire from of stainless steel, cross section 0.8mm. Also, we will need ordinary disposable containers, any fatty cream, such as “baby”, water and an old spoon.

Samples

These are ready-made sinkers, purchased or previously manufactured. Any thing can serve as a model. I made one sample from a real bullet)

The shape can be slightly adjusted with plasticine, but only a little, because... When the gypsum sets, it releases heat and a large volume of plasticine will simply melt. In this case, I took the bullets I had previously made and equipped them with wire loops, fixing it all with green plasticine.

Mold making

You need to prepare the gypsum mixture according to the “powder to water” rule, in a ratio of approximately 1:1, you need to focus on the consistency, it should be creamy.

Pre-lubricate our mold and samples with the prepared fatty cream.

Pour the mixed plaster into the container to fill exactly ½ of the container and tap it on the surface, expelling air bubbles. As soon as the gypsum begins to set, it is necessary to immerse our samples halfway in the hardening plaster. The setting time of the gypsum depends on the brand of the powder itself, the minimum time is 2 minutes, i.e. after 2 minutes we begin to carefully look at the surface of the plaster. As soon as it becomes matte, it’s time!

We insert guides along the edges of our form. It can be anything, I use pieces of wire, toothpicks, lollipop tubes.

Now we wait for complete hardening, 20-30 minutes is enough.

Then we lubricate the surface of the mold and the samples recessed in it with our rich cream.

We dilute the plaster again and fill the container to the top. We also remove air bubbles by tapping and leave to harden for the same 20-30 minutes.

After hardening, carefully remove the mold from the container and carefully separate it into two halves, removing the samples.

That's it, the form is ready! We leave it to dry for a couple of days near the battery - the water should completely evaporate.

So I made 3 molds with different weights. Before the molds become unusable, the weights cast in them will last me for 2 or 3 seasons). The main disadvantage of such forms is their fragility. Gypsum is a fairly fragile material, so molds quickly crack, caverns and chips appear in them, especially for split molds. Bullet molds last much longer. For example, the uniform shown in the photo in the article is already in use for the second or even third season.

After the mold has completely dried, it is necessary to make sprues. To do this, mark the line of the sprue, connect the mold and drill out the sprue in the shape of a funnel using drills different diameters. For top point I use a 10.1mm drill for the funnels, and a 3.5mm drill for the bottom.

Casting sinkers

Now we can start casting the lead weights! To do this we need wire for the ears, lead, a torch or crucible and a clamp.

We bend the ears from the wire using pliers and put them into the mold.

We connect the two halves of the form and fix them with a clamp.

Melt the lead. I have old cheburakhs, tire weights and other lead scrap. Warming up the lead gas burner, it literally takes a few minutes, very convenient! Next, pour the lead into the sprues and let it cool, that is, when you pour it into the last mold, the first one has already cooled down, everything is very fast!

Now we separate the mold and remove our weights.

Weights are cast very quickly, sometimes before fishing I remember that I have run out of a load of a certain weight, and then, in literally 20 minutes, I cast the dozen or one and a half weights I need. It takes less time than going to the store for the same goods)

In this way, you can experiment with the shapes and weights of sinkers, and invent some special shape of sinkers that are not available in stores. For example, last season I experimented with stick weights, making several versions of non-snagging weights with different lengths and diameters. The weight of such “stick” sinkers can be reduced directly while fishing, thanks to the small diameter of 6 and 8 mm (if you need to reduce the weight, you can simply bite off part of the sinker with pliers). Also, thanks to such diameters, the load passes 95% of hooks!

Another the simplest option molds for casting weights - “bullet” for Carolina. To make such a mold, you need to pour plaster into any sufficiently high mold, I took a lid from aerosol can, and simply place the bullet samples coated with the same cream on top with the sharp side into the hardening plaster - that’s it, the form is ready.

To cast such bullets, it is necessary to insert a “mortgage” made of steel wire, lubricated with ordinary toilet soap, into a mold, and pour lead on top. That's all.

The insert is removed from the bullet, leaving a hole for the fishing line.

Pros and cons of making your own sinkers

The most important advantage is the low cost of the resulting weights. It is also important that you can always cast the missing weights within 10-15 minutes if you have ready-made molds. I practice this quite often; before fishing, I quickly cast a dozen weights, if necessary.

Another plus for these homemade products is that you can choose a special shape and weight of the sinker for your fishing conditions, equip it with any accessories, “play” with the diameter and size of the loops, etc. Also, this is a quite exciting and educational lesson in physics and chemistry for your children! Children are happy to get involved in the process, even for this alone it’s worth trying to make a mold and cast weights yourself!

Now about the disadvantages: the most important one, as I already mentioned, is the fragility of the form. You can add reinforcing additives to gypsum, such as lime and others, but this will not fundamentally change the situation. Also one of the disadvantages this method There is a certain amount of flash on the finished weights, this applies to collapsible forms. A “bullet” mold with a hole is the most good option both in terms of durability and ease of manufacturing the mold, and in terms of casting the sinkers themselves. I 105% recommend making a mold for bullets! I would also consider the difficulties of marking such cargo as a disadvantage. The grams have to be marked manually.

In general, making such sinkers does not require any special equipment or any special knowledge or skills, everything is extremely simple!

That’s probably all, if you have any questions, write in the comments, I’ll be happy to answer;)

Like different types of baits, sinkers of a certain weight and shape can also be made at home. Of course, not all fishermen are mechanics or milling operators, and not everyone has the opportunity to make metal molds , therefore, gypsum or sealant can be used as a mold material. Or contact a familiar craftsman at a local factory for a metal mold.

If the transaction is successful, within a day or two you will receive the necessary molds for casting. But first you need to take care of determining the exact diameter of the future spherical weights and inform the master about it in order to ultimately get weights of the required weight.

If you are not good at mathematical calculations, you can find tables online showing the correspondence between the diameter and weight of a lead ball. It is also worth remembering that balls made of lead and, for example, Wood's alloy with the same dimensions will have different weights, since lead has a higher density.

How to make a mold for casting sinkers from plaster (video)

Form for sealant weights

You can make a mold for making sinkers or spinning baits yourself without much difficulty, using plaster or silicone sealant, as well as a finished sample. For example, it is easy and also very unusual to make a mold from a sealant like “Hermesil” and the like. The main factor when choosing a sealant is its ability not to change physical properties when exposed to high temperatures.

Maximum upper indicators permissible temperature for most common sealants range from 150 to 180°C.

In this regard, the use of pure lead for casting sinkers is not very appropriate, since its melting point reaches 350°C. But you can take some alloys, namely printing alloy, Wood or Rose alloys. Their melting point ranges from 60-110°, and therefore, when using such alloys, the silicone mold will serve you for a long time and the sinker castings will be of high quality.

If lead is used as the material for the sinkers, the manufactured casting mold will withstand approximately 8-10 castings. It is also worth noting that each time the lead sinker will move further and further away from the original ideal due to the gradual burnout of the mold and sealant.

Silicone sealant can be purchased in specialized stores with building materials or in auto stores.

Although such a mold for casting at first glance may seem completely unreliable, in fact it can withstand quite high temperatures, and thanks to its properties it will allow you to make a sinker or bait of almost any shape.

Making a mold for casting weights

Making a mold is not that difficult. First, we take a small box and completely fill it with high-quality sealant. When filling, be careful not to form bubbles.

Next is the original the weight needs to be lubricated with a wax solution or paraffin in gasoline. After drying, the sinker on a thin wire is completely lowered into the sealant, but it should not touch the walls of the box itself.

The weight sample should remain in this position until the sealant hardens. Due to the characteristics of the sealant, this process can last a couple of days or drag on for 5-6 days. Do not remove the weight until complete polymerization.

After the substance has hardened, cut it out small hole, through which we extract a sample of the sinker. The elastic form is ready, which means you can try to make your own weight from lead or its alloy.

The metal is poured through the same hole that you made earlier to remove the original sample weight. Thanks to its unique physical properties Silicone mold makes it easy to take out homemade sinkers or bait, after which it returns to its original form and is ready for use again.

How to paint lead

Aluminum mold for casting weights (video)

Related articles:

	DIY fishing crafts
	Review of the best balancers for ice fishing
	Fishing with jigs: varieties, gear, fishing techniques
	Types of fish finder echo sounders for fishing
	Review of aluminum fishing boats
	How to choose a spinning reel?
	Electric motors for inflatable boats (review)
	Aluminum fishing boats
	Which coil to choose for a feeder - overview of characteristics
	Characteristics and capabilities of feeder rods

Today I will tell you how to make fishing weights with your own hands from lead, and not waste money. Any jig spinner should ideally have a gentleman's set in order to feel confident on any body of water, even in the most unexpected fishing conditions. Such a set of weights requires the presence of a large number of weights, ranging from 1.5 g to 35 g, and sometimes more, with an interval of 2-4 g. For example, when we go on a trip, we always take with us a set of ordinary eared weights, respectively, 1. 5 g, 4 g, 6 g, 9 g, 12 g, 15 g, 18 g, 20 g, 22 g, 25 g, 28 g, 32 g, 35 g.

Of course, such a large amount of shot and buckshot is quite burdensome to carry around all day, especially since the load of each weight must be backed up in case of snags. But this, in a sense, store assortment allows us to select bait for absolutely any fishing conditions.

Unfortunately, the fishing industry lags far behind the potential needs of the market, and you will not find such a selection, especially eared fish, anywhere. The way out of this current situation is quite simple - you need to cast and make weights for fishing yourself. This kills two birds with one stone - on the one hand, you save time by not running around the shops looking for the weight you need, and on the other hand, you stop being afraid of losing them on cliffs.

How to make a weight from lead

How to make weights for fishing with your own hands from lead, because according to statistics, out of 100 fishermen, only 1 is a jack of all trades or a high-class mechanic who is able to make molds for casting on his own. We should not forget that in our country the hardest currency, oddly enough, is liquid, and if you are able to explain to a mechanic, who is easy to meet at the entrance of any factory, what you need and what he needs, then this problem is completely solved in just a few days. The only thing is that in order to obtain forms for each weight, it is necessary to inform the mechanic of the exact diameters of the future ears. For convenience, we provide below a table of correspondence between diameters and weights in the shape of a ball. This table is compiled specifically for lead, taking into account its density, so if you want to cast, for example, a Wood or Rose alloy with a lower density, obtained in the same form it will be similar in diameter, but lighter in weight. And if you put tungsten fragments of electrodes into the mold before casting, you can get a very heavy and compact one.

How to make molds for casting a weight

Molds for casting sinkers with your own hands are also quite easy to make from plaster or silicone sealant. Very original and at the same time simple solution is the manufacture of a mold for casting from silicone sealant such as “Germesil” or any similar one. The criterion for choosing a sealant is the ability to withstand high temperatures without changing the properties of the material. Most household sealants have a top temperature limit about 150-180°C. This forces us to use not lead (melting point about 350°C) for casting sinkers, but special alloys that have more low temperature melting. First of all we're talking about about Wood's, Rose's and typographic alloys (melting point from 60 to 110°C). When using these particular alloys, the silicone mold will serve for a very long time without deteriorating the quality of the castings.

In the case of lead, a mold made from household sealant can withstand up to 10 castings, and the quality of each subsequent load becomes worse due to the gradual burnout of the sealant over the entire area of ​​​​contact of the molten lead with the mold. Currently, silicone sealant is easy to buy in auto stores or stores selling building materials. This silicone mold, despite its amazing elasticity and seeming unreliability, can easily withstand high temperatures and a large number of castings. In addition, silicone sealant gives the angler an amazing opportunity to almost perfectly replicate any, even the most complex, shape of a sinker or spinning bait.

Form for weights

The shape of the weights itself is very simple to make. A small box is taken, which is then filled to the brim with silicone sealant. During filling, you need to ensure that there are no bubbles in the sealant. Next, the weight or bait that you are going to repeat is lubricated with a solution of wax or paraffin in gasoline, dried and lowered on a wire into a box with sealant so that it is completely immersed in the sealant, but does not touch the walls of the box. In such a suspended state, a sample of the future fishing weight or bait should be kept until the sealant has completely hardened. The polymerization process of silicone sealant throughout the entire volume of the mold is not uniform, and complete hardening of the silicone mold can take five to six days. Therefore, you should not remove the sample from the mold until complete polymerization occurs.

This moment can be easily controlled by periodically carefully feeling the shape. When fully cured, the sealant should resemble the consistency of a well-inflated soccer ball. Next, a small sprue hole is carefully cut from the top, through which the sample is removed due to the elasticity of the sealant. After this, the silicone mold is separated from the box and becomes completely ready for multiple castings. Pouring lead into this form and removing a finished hand-made weight or bait occurs through the same sprue hole. At the time of extraction finished sample each time the form stretches and, as it were, “spits” it out, after which it instantly accepts original appearance and again ready for new and new castings. The advantages of a mold made from silicone sealant are obvious: it is very cheap, extremely simple and at the same time quite reliable. In addition to the ball-shaped ear molds, we highly recommend that you make several lentil-type molds for casting. Outwardly, it somewhat resembles a plum pit flattened on the sides. The lentil is lighter than the spherical eared fish, but due to its shape it slips much more easily through the closed mouth of the fish, significantly improving hooking. The most important use of lentils is when catching pike perch with its bulldog grip. Like these ones simple tips how you can make weights for fishing with your own hands and without financial costs for you.