I’m trying to recycle castnet sinkers into egg sinkers.After I pour lead into mold I cannot get the wire which makes the hole for line back out. I’ve tried stainless,copper,and mild steel wire (rod).Don’t mind buying lead sinkers but would like to use some of the casnet sinkers from the numerous nets that have fallen to oyster beds and old age. Is there some type of paste or flux that supposed to be used?
How long are you waiting before you try to pull the wire? I have not had any issues with the wire that came with the mold or ones made from coathangers. A little motor oil or soot from a lit candle won’t hurt to keep them pulling out cleanly. Another issue is that castnet lead is not pure lead to begin with (too soft)and gets really dirty after it has been used. Once the lead has been melted you will want to skim all of the impurities off the top. I have found that this takes a awhile for mist of the impurities to float to the top. Regardless, pouring small molds (less than an ounce) is going to be difficult with this lead.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Native Manta Ray 14
I pick up cast nets for making weights pretty regular. Hairballs right on about the oil. I usually have an oil rag handy and oil the wire on every cast. Hes also correct about the impurities but i dont let them bother me. Most of the time when im pouring into the mold the layer of impure gunk just sits there at the top and the liquid lead flows just underneath it.
best thing I’ve foung is to twist the wire back and forth right after you pour the lead to keep it from sticking to it. I do 6 and 8 oz sizes and it works pretty good.
26’ Twinvee
Suzuki 175’s
www.creeksidemetalworks.com
Oil it every pour, pull out immediately.
dito the oil it works!
J Ford
Hey men thanks for the help!I knew everyone wasn’t fighting this as hard as I was.Nephew coming from Columbia in am to fish topwater early for trout and bass on incoming tide around logs and submerged trees where hangups & pop rigs are a sure thing,molded 20 sinkers in about 30 minutes where it used to take an hour to get 6 or 8.Thanks again!
You can’t catch fish on a dry line
i’m with hairball, no issues with wire that came with molds.how about some pam ?i bet it will work