Lead Substitue

Questions about Making Your Own Lures

Lead Substitue

Postby Acetylcholin99 » Mon May 28, 2018 1:47 am

Hi!

I just want to know if there is sth what I can use instead of lead for the lure. Only Tungsten powder?

Thx

Michael
Acetylcholin99
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 1:34 am

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby dahlberg » Mon May 28, 2018 5:44 am

Any soft metal that can be melted will work. Pewter, babbit, etc. I've even used Gallium, which melts in your hand! The advantages of lead and tungsten is that they are extremely heavy for their volume.
best
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
User avatar
dahlberg
Site Admin
 
Posts: 5279
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:49 pm
Location: Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby Acetylcholin99 » Mon May 28, 2018 9:07 am

Hi Larry,

I agree with you about the weight and volume ratio of lead and tungsten. My problem is I don't have much space in my workshop and I have a 4 yr old. So I don't want deal with melting lead and I'm still not convinced if tungsten as a heavy metal is so safe at least as powder. Is there a putty which I could use?

thx

Michael
Acetylcholin99
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 1:34 am

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby Acetylcholin99 » Mon May 28, 2018 10:41 pm

Hi Larry,

Thank you for your replay. Is there something like a putty or a Polymer which is easy to mold and to use as a lead substitute. I'm not so convinced according to my research of tungsten powder as heavy metal is really so "healthy".

Thx

Michael
Acetylcholin99
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 1:34 am

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby RhettWheeler » Wed May 30, 2018 5:41 am

Tin is easy to use and melts at a lower temp than lead. It’s roughly half the weight of lead tho-so some people will do a 50/50 mix of lead and tin to get a desired weight.
"Fear not the man who knows 10,000 kicks but has practiced them one time. Fear the man who knows one kick and has practiced it 10,000 times."
RhettWheeler
 
Posts: 514
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:42 pm

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby dahlberg » Fri Jun 01, 2018 8:32 am

What kind of lure(s) are you trying to make? Lead putty is available and is used as a moldable lead by fly anglers but i don't think it would work very well in soft plastic. I use a large vice grip or small 4 ton brake press to reshape lead without melting it when I need a "plug" to re-weight or balance a hard lure. There are always many ways to skin a cat.
best
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
User avatar
dahlberg
Site Admin
 
Posts: 5279
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:49 pm
Location: Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Re: Lead Substitue

Postby Acetylcholin99 » Sat Jun 02, 2018 9:37 am

Hi L,

I don't have the space for big tools at the moment and I have a little child who is very curious and wants to see touch everything what daddy is doing. So I have to find sth instead of lead. I thought about Tungstenputty. I just want to eleminate the lead. My goal is to make hard and softplastic lures and I can imagine that soft-plastic lures might be an issue. But Tin and Gallium are in my eyes to soft and too light.

Thx

M
Acetylcholin99
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 1:34 am


Return to Lure Making

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 39 guests

cron