Lead Free Alloys for Jigs

[Kdog]

Was talking to a buddy last night and he wants some lead free jigs and is pushing me to start making them. I do not know if I want to go this route. But truthfully, given the amount of jigs that get lost due to snags I probably should just to be doing my part in protecting the environment.

The closest I have found is a bismuth/tin alloy that is 25% lighter than lead and melts at 281 degrees F. Of course it is expensive but in reality for the jigs I make I do not think it is that much of an issue. It is $16 per pound thus for 1/16 oz jigs 250 jigs per pound or 7 cents per jig vs lead at 1/2 cent per jig. From the standpoint of a hobby and having materials on hand, it is a big investment. I always want as close to full pot of metal as I can have so putting 10-15 pounds of this stuff on my bench would be substantial. My 10# pot will probably need 7-1/2 pounds to fill.

Commercially, Lead free jigs are available at triple the price of lead head jigs. Just not a lot of sources at this time. I also know sale of lead jigs and shipment of lead jigs to some states in now prohibited. Just not sure how it is monitored. And yes, most lead free regulations have grandfathered existing inventories so I doubt the game wardens are gonna check. But one never knows. An accurate scale and graduated beaker and some water and the test is simple.

I do know that the mold making a 1/16 ounce jig will now make a 0.048 ounce jig approx 1/21 ounce. a 1/32 jig will now be 1/44 ounce. Makes for a good palette for color as bigger jig heads will be needed.

On to powder coating most polyester based coatings can be cured at 250 degrees for 30 minutes that is very touchy for my little oven but I think it will work. Just take 45 mins or so per batch. Base metal needs to be at 250 before cure starts. Going to need some close monitoring and probably a better thermometer.

All other factors I think are immaterial. Also, more and more states are messing with lead free regulations so it is most likely gonna happen someday in the not so distant future. I am by no means a bleeding heart but do what I can when I can because it makes sense. But this is one that has me really thinking.

Enough of my rambling. Does anyone have thought to share?

 

[jiggerjohn]

Since using Hawnjigs' leadfree models some years ago, I rarely use any other. I'm convinced the non dulling shine on these jigs, and their relative lightness for better dropping & gliding of small jigs has, at least, tripled my annual catch! Also I know more & more states are banning lead as jig material - seems strange that some of these same NE states are upset about some very minor, inert ,solid lead in the waterways from tiny sinkers and jigs, yet their politicians push HARD to actually stimulate natural gas extraction by fracking which leads to documented widespread poisoning of subsurface water pools.

 

[Bucho]

I fully agree with Jigger John on shiny lighter tin based alloys solving more problems than they cause. My customers here all come from fishing plastics, and without consulting they all choose their first hair jigs two times heavier than appropriate.
It is very economic to spare the base coat. Sprue can be dremeld of without smere. General perception asks for lead items to be very heavy, so a subtitute is suposed to be heavy, too, which asks for bismuth or tungsten - screw them!. Lighter can be better.

When it comes to powder paint, hawnjigs told me with my fiirst order that tin could be painted but bismuth could`nt. Proved true. More than that, tin also will sometimes melt, too, if you don´t shield it from direct heat radiation inside the oven.

I´ve written it before - I´m seriously considering going lead-free on my smaller jig heads all together. Frankly, I care less about the environment than about myself. A few small lumps of lead in nature don´t harm, but dust and fumes are very toxic.

 

[Jig Man]

I have a couple 71/2 bird shot under my skin for about forty years now, and I'm still ok... Well mostly, so I'll fish it long as I can.

 

[Jungleboy]

has anyone tried working with Zinc wheel weights as lead substitute for jigs?

 

[Bucho]

Never have, and most certainly never will!

Just a few days ago I heard a story of a guy who was found by his wife passed out, lying next to his melting pot - twice! - using zinc. ("Zinn" and "Zink" is close in german) Zinc fumes are very toxic and it also messes up your pot and ladle. It sticks to other metals and won´t come off. That effect is used on non-corrosive zinc coatings for gutters etc.

 

[Jungleboy]

good to know thanks for that

 

[plateboater]

interesting topic.....post some jigs if you make the switch

 

[Bucho]

Already done that a couple of times, about half of my smaller jigs are lead free. Here is one of the latter pics. The paint was just tapped onto bare metal, no base coat, no shrink tubes for the eyes etc. it really speeds up production.

Speaking of powderpaint, bismuth can be heated up enough to apply it but it melts during the baking schedule. So if you don´t cure the pp but use some other kind of coat, 2 K or something, that might do the trick.

 

[plateboater]

NICE!

 

[Kdog]

I know all about the hazards of zinc and more importantly, even if you can contain the fumes via proper ventilation and dust collection, any flash will be razor sharp. I made zinc die castings for several years until the company decided there was no longer a market and everything switched over to aluminum.

Given my knowledge and experience with Zinc. it is not on my list. I have looked at tin, tin bismuth alloys and several pewter alloys. I can see advantages and disadvantages to each. There is a Tin Bismuth alloy that is more tin than bismuth and melting temp is a bit higher ~350 but lighter than the recommended lead free substitute.

I am still out to lunch on this one but am looking hard. First part of the equation is will larger heads still be effective or will they scare fish away. Second part of the equation is finishing. Sure, they can be air brushed and epoxy coated but that is a step I do not look at as fun. It is also a time consuming step but one I feel will be necessary as the lead free alternatives are much harder than lead so will be easily chipped.

Please keep the ideas coming and if you have used any of the lead free alternatives, please post what you have used.

 

[Jungleboy]

Another option is Nickle babbitt . I managed to get hold of some of this in the form of scrap dross from a sawmill planer blade shop. they use it to secure the blades somehow in the machine .I meltedthe dross down and managed to salvage about 20lb of it. I had used it once to mix with wheel weight lead for casting bullets. It is supposed to be lead free . but it pours beautifully due to the high tin content.Not all babbitts are lead free but the 4x nickle babbitt is supposed to be . It melts in the 470 range and pours at 765 so should be fine for powder paint. The down side is ,it's expensive if you have to buy from supplier at around $19 lb from what I can see from a quick google search.

 

[Pup]

Babbitt is also used for bushings/bearings on propeller shafts of ships. You might check with a shipyard about supplies/scraps.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Kdog, the RotoMetals sale price for 281* Bi58Sn42 is the lowest I've seen in years at $15.29 per lb. This durable shine alloy is very EZ to pour & sets up harder than lead. As JiggerJohn says, no need to paint if your primary goal is just to catch fish. While powder painting is possible, I would advise there are better lead free options available for jig artists, cuz at 281* you get immediate off the hook liquid meltdown.

Luckily, pure Bismuth metal melting point is 520* and pure Tin 450*, and either can be used as a jig casting metal. Tin is REALLY shiny and weighs 64% as much as lead. Bismuth is a darker finish metal and 85% lead weight so this heaviest lead free casting metal is preferred by some.

Personally, I add 5% tin to pure Bi as a hardener and to increase shine. This alloy is easily powder painted at up to 350*.

The main adjustment switching from lead to lead free is the annoying property of bismuth to expand when cooling, unlike lead and tin which contract. So, high bismuth castings may lock up in molds, with larger size and shape complexity being exacerbating factors. Do it small head molds MIGHT be OK out of the box, but most Do-it cavities need to be smoothed for EZer release. I would GUESS that machined Jacobs ball head molds might be fine.

K-dog, I can trade some of my lead free for your lead if you like.

 

[Kdog]

Kdog, the RotoMetals sale price for 281* Bi58Sn42 is the lowest I've seen in years at $15.29 per lb. This durable shine alloy is very EZ to pour & sets up harder than lead. As JiggerJohn says, no need to paint if your primary goal is just to catch fish. While powder painting is possible, I would advise there are better lead free options available for jig artists, cuz at 281* you get immediate off the hook liquid meltdown.

Luckily, pure Bismuth metal melting point is 520* and pure Tin 450*, and either can be used as a jig casting metal. Tin is REALLY shiny and weighs 64% as much as lead. Bismuth is a darker finish metal and 85% lead weight so this heaviest lead free casting metal is preferred by some.

Personally, I add 5% tin to pure Bi as a hardener and to increase shine. This alloy is easily powder painted at up to 350*.

The main adjustment switching from lead to lead free is the annoying property of bismuth to expand when cooling, unlike lead and tin which contract. So, high bismuth castings may lock up in molds, with larger size and shape complexity being exacerbating factors. Do it small head molds MIGHT be OK out of the box, but most Do-it cavities need to be smoothed for EZer release. I would GUESS that machined Jacobs ball head molds might be fine.

K-dog, I can trade some of my lead free for your lead if you like.

Hawnjigs, I will keep that in mind. Thanks for the offer. I am still not sure what I want to do, but as I said before someday in the near future we may not have an option.