Make your own ice jigs???

[robbor]

Anybody make your own ice jigs???

Im going to try to make a mold or two of some ice jigs

just wondering if anyone else has tried.

[jphersh22]

I've found unpainted jigs are cheap enough that I've just bought those and painted them myself. I used the powder coat style paint and added a glow coat and they work pretty good. I found fat boy style, a vertical tick style and a horizontal banana style that all work well. I think it would be fun to design your own molds though. What will you be making the molds out of?

[Guest]

Yes, I have made my own.. poured them, soldered them, painted and tied.. done it all..

Much easier just buying the premade body from Stamina or Hagens and painting them yourself, and tieing them if needed(ants, tail, whatever).

There used to be a place in Racine called DIY rod and tackle that carried the shields(blades) for soldering them to a hook for shield type lures. If you look around hard enough, you will find the spinner blades to accomidate your needs.

Good luck.

[MNMAV93]

have you guys found a company that makes the molds. we do a lot of walleye jigs for the summer time but have trouble finding ice fishing molds. any suggestions

[robbor]

I am in the process of making my own molds. A few of my favorite lures are no longer avail. And paying $1-3 each for little lures is a bit steep. I have yet to do an pouring though. You can make your own molds a few ways, buy high temp mold making rtv silicone or make a mold frame that will with stand 300-400 degrees in the oven and then use unvulcanized mold making silicone that comes in sheets(this stuff is a higher temp). I just got the mold ready and Im gathering lures to make my ice mold. Ive alread made spinerbait, buzzbait, and crappie jig molds.

I dont have a name any more but there was a guy back east that would make you molds for about $35 each. For mine it cost about $7-8. I also had a mold made for foxee jig rubber boddies form a machineist, it makes 14 at a time.

[MNMAV93]

Quote:

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I am in the process of making my own molds. A few of my favorite lures are no longer avail. And paying $1-3 each for little lures is a bit steep. I have yet to do an pouring though. You can make your own molds a few ways, buy high temp mold making rtv silicone or make a mold frame that will with stand 300-400 degrees in the oven and then use unvulcanized mold making silicone that comes in sheets(this stuff is a higher temp).

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i guess i really dont understand how to make my own mold, could you explain this to me, how to make one, i think this would be very fun to do since i am borrowing a friends mold that has 1/4 1/8 1/64 and 1/80. it only has one spot for 1/64 so it takes a while. your advice would be very helpful.

[robbor]

RTV silicone- room temp. vulcanizing-its a liquid 2 part.

For rtv you take a container that will be the outside shape of the mold(square wood box, pxrex dish, box out of legos, something small) fill it 1/2 way with modeling clay. then place a few acorn nuts 1/2 way in the clay, thes act at allihnment pins. Then you place the item(wipe is with mica powder) you want to mold along with a spru(where you pour the lead later, a v shaped rod, wood dowel beveled. Then you pour your rtv on top. Next day you pop it out remove the clay, put your 1/2 mold back in the box with the lures still in it and wipe the whole face with mica powder or vasoline. Then you pour the second half(where the clay was) with silicone. Next day you remove your lures and use and xacto knife to make sure the lead will be able to get to the lure cavity. The silicone vulcanized itself while it dried. YOu want the highes temp silicone for white metal.

An un vulcanized silicone mold(what I have) Is a metal mold frame and a top and bottem plate with holes to bolt togather and clamp everything in place while you bake it in your oven for 1.5 hours. The silicone(white or orangeish red) comes in a sheet 1/4" thick and you normally use 4 pieces, 2 make 1/2 and 2 make the other.YOU put 2 pieces of silicone in and the your sprues and lures, then mica powder the whole side, add your other 2 pieces and bolt the whole thing togather and cook in the oven till vulcanized. Pop it apart and its done.

Mold fram similar to the one i made :http://www.contenti.com/products/casting/160-852.html

then you need a top and bottem plate.

Sprue former: the little cone and 1/8" rod http://www.contenti.com/products/casting/160-825.html

There are not to many googd tutorials on how to. I would recomend seeing if someone in your area makes molds or spincasting molds and they can show you first hand.

RTV: 2 part mold down the page.

http://www.wmi.org/sql_messages_html/onfly_file/doc.asp?num=28316&ini=d:%5Casp_ini%5Cfishing_tactics_3way.ini&no_nav=

Another vulcanizine mold: http://www.hiltsmolds.com/PerfectReplicaMold.htm

http://www.miniaturemolds.com/vulcmold.htm.

Iyou can come up with a frame you can get enough unvulcanized silicone for 6-8 molds for about $25-30 from a spincasting mold outfit.

[MNMAV93]

great info robbor, i guess that i am a visual learner and that site really helped out. thanks again, i think i may have to give it a try.

[robbor]

Pictures always help!!! I have a few similar but different molds im makeing. I will try to remember to take pics when I do them.

[MNMAV93]

well, i just got in from the garage making my jigs. i ended up making 300 this weekend but 100 were for the guy that i am borrowing the mold from. so i ended up painting them purple, orange, glow orange, black, green, fire red, chartreuse, glow-normal, glow chartreuse, pearl, white and now i have 39 left and am going to let 10 stay regular lead heads. then with the other 29 i am going to buy a paint brush kit with different paints for 5 bucks at sportsmans and make them 2 tone. the jig that i have looks just like the ratso and shrimpo except has a little power tail spike type thing coming off the back. i made them all 1/64 oz. i think that if i get a mold made i am going to sell some locally or on this site next fall once again thanks for the info. it really helped

nip