mold questions for redman

[AtticaFish]

redman - Good to see you are still watching over us. Just so you know, no plans for this information to go anywhere. Trying to preserve this OPEN information and SHARE it with others was part of the reason why we started the site. :icon14:

redear - If i had the equipment and tools, think i would have a few of those single cavity molds made up, even if they were just simple pill heads. But then i would have to get into pouring lead too. haha. One other design i think would be versatile (and maybe possible with the press??) is to do an egg shape head, but set on a 45° angle. The angle might allow for the head to 'plane' around just a bit on the lift and fall. No clue if it is possible tho..... or if it would have any different action than a traditional round head. My engineering theories and real world mechanics do not always jive. Here is what i am thinking.......

View attachment 4

 

[redear]

Attica, that should work, it's just an oval pinky head with the hook pressed in at a different angle. Good to hear from Redman too! I have been thinking about you.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Would be ideal to have a jig masters anthology book available honoring them and their contributions. That not being available yet, maybe a list of their individual publications? Thanks to Redman and JiggerJohn I just ordered the Gee-Sias book "How to Fish With Jigs" on Amazon. Just found this copy still available.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/235577...id=235577632&gclid=CLWo-7z_m8cCFQMbaQodl48IYA

Few more.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOW-TO-FISH...049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aeda311e9

 

[Hawnjigs]

AF, here's an excellent intro to jig head design. My computer & browser show it translated into English.
http://www.uli-beyer.com/en/monster...epfe-jighaken-und-jigkoepfe-die-qual-der-wahl

 

[redear]

today I started shaping a new jighead blank, not sure if the 1st try will be good enough yet because this one is different from any I had tried before. It is about a 3/32 oval shaped pinkie style head with a collar for tying hair. I already have a mold for these heads but it was made rather crudely, and I really like the head but this original mold is just too rough for me, so I am wanting to reproduce the head in one of these one cavity molds. I have a friend that likes these jigs for spider rigging for crappies in shallow water, in other words he might only have these jigs 1 foot down in 3-4 foot of water, he adds a small minnow to the back of the jigs, and he only uses hair jigs. I could press the head and the collar separately but I thought I would try and make a jighead blank all one piece to start with and see how it comes out. I want the collar a little narrow from side to side, so I'll have to shape that by hand, we'll see.

 

[Fatman]

Can't wait to see how it comes out!!

 

[redear]

I want to make the sides of the head a little flattened to match the head I want to emulate so thats gonna be a challenge too, to get both sides the same, I may have gone too far slimming down the collar so might have to start over. I'm using 1/4" alloy steel pin to shape the blank out of, and these pins are only 1" long so they are kinda hard to work with, being so short.

 

[redear]

I think I'll remake this jighead blank, because it was fine until I flattened the sides a little bit, the result was not good enough for my taste. I think I will make the blank larger than needed and then when I press it I won't press it all the way, which will give the head a narrower profile from side to side while being a little taller from top to bottom, at least that's how I think it will work, still not sure if making the collar part of the blank is a good idea, never done that before.

 

[redear]

just ordered a piece of aluminum from online metals, it is 6063 t52 and it is 4"x3/4"x12 inches long, I used this stuff last time I bought some and it worked great being as it was softer and more formable than 6061. the aluminum was 23 bucks and the shipping was 21 bucks. I'm stocking up on stuff now for when I retire, there won't be any play money then, lol.

 

[AtticaFish]

...........still not sure if making the collar part of the blank is a good idea, never done that before.

I have tied on many many styles of heads over the years..............

There are only a very few times that I would prefer tying right on to the lead collar of a head. Thread necks for sure. What jumps to my mind right off is when working with bucktail, squirrel or kiptail fibers. To get a sparse tie all the way around the head, it helps to have the solid base to work on top of. You can tie things down and push them around where you want them. Then go back and really bear down and pull the thread tight.

On the other hand....... tying wool or craft fur thread necks i would absolutely prefer to NOT have a collar to deal with. In fact, i snip off almost all of my collars now when tying (dollfly) craft fur walleye heads. If you have a collar to deal with, you really have to watch that you don't build up your thread too much or the thread neck ends up being as wide as the head. The way that the craft fur and wool flows, seems you don't have to worry as much about being precisely spread all the way around the shank to get a good shape in the water. Add a quick coat of hard as nails and you are good to go.

Guess it depends on what the main purpose of the head will be and how you tie that style of jig?

 

[redman]

Attica tip from a old tier. Forgot the collars altogether use a A Thread tie a small base and tie what ever you want on that. The A Thread is the secret it is large enough to be wrapped back on and hold the hair in place. I use two wraps around the thread then with my thumbnail run the hair around the hook make it even. Then you can put some power to it and wrap it tight. Works with all types of hair. Bucktail is the easiest to work with but getting the flare right sometimes takes three wraps and bringing the hair up before rolling it around the base. Squirrel tail is the hardest to get the right flare. Once you catch on it's very easy and fast.

Redman

 

[Fatman]

Great info redman!!!

 

[redear]

thanks Redman! what would we do without these old timers? I always liked the no collar approach too.

 

[redman]

Hey guys I am getting old enough that I don't want to lose this knowledge to the grave. Best to let you all know to make your life easier.

Redman

 

[redear]

the piece of aluminum finally came yesterday, now I can rest easy. Both times I have ordered the 6063 from online metals it took a couple weeks by truck comming from seattle to virginia. I could only get the 3/4" thick stuff in a 4" width like last time and will have to cut it with the bandsaw. I think it cost about 50 bucks for a 1 foot piece 4" wide and 3/4" thick. the 6063 to me is the best I have tried because it has just the right properties for pressing a blank.

 

[redear]

Kdog was nice enough to tell me about a place that sells 6063 t52 for cheaper, this is the same aluminum I have been using, but the width only goes to 1 1/2" which is enough for a lot of small jigs, it doesn't hurt to have the bend of the hook hanging out the bottom of the mold if that was to be the case anyway. I'm thinking a 1/16 head with a size 4 hook would probably fit good. the company was buymetals.com I think it was, thanks kdog! good lookin out! It looks like they have it in 3\4" thick with a 1 1\2" width and then the length is up to you, the shipping has to be cheaper than what I paid which was 23 bucks. redear

 

[Kdog]

Redear, my supplier gets a lot of oddball aluminum from a place chatham steel http://www.chathamsteel.com/products/aluminum/
they have quite an assortment 3/4 x 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 4 so it is available. Just gotta look harder.

http://www.onealsteel.com/aluminum-bar-6063.html

 

[redear]

thanks kdog!

 

[Pup]

If you have a collar to deal with, you really have to watch that you don't build up your thread too much or the thread neck ends up being as wide as the head.

With craft fur being tied onto a collar, I consider these three things:

• The thickness of my individual craft fur fibers.
• The diameter of my jig's collar.
• The thickness, size, or weight of my tying thread.

I use 70 denier thread quite frequently when tying on relatively wide collars in relation to the jig head. This works pretty well on most craft fur fibers I've used.

I can get away with thicker, round threads on narrower collars with thinner fur fibers. It's all a matter of thinking about my options each time I pick up a particular jig head and craft fur swatch. At that point, I begin to make my thread choice.

I like no collar whenever I plan to tie appendages onto a jig like fins or legs. Collars will sometimes make hiding thicker threads behind the head, beneath chenille fibers, more of a chore to me. Again, this is remedied by choosing a smaller thread size.

There are a 1001 ways to skin a dead fish... or multiple ways to tie behind the head at the point of a jig's collar.

 

[redear]

great info Pup! the only head I like to tie on with a collar weighs about 3/32 and the collar is narrow from side to side, it is the perfect match for this particular head.