mold questions for redman

[CrappieHappy]

been using the mold I made a while back, it puts out a flattened redman head in the 1/32 range, and this mold was one I almost tossed when making it because the jighead blank couldn't stand the pressure of pressing and flattened somewhat, lol, just goes to show us that you never know what has the ability to perform. just makes me laugh every time I use that mold, the head looks like a corn kernel with the fat end forward. I have been leaving the head bare and when I get ready to use one I'll scrape the sides of the jighead a little with a knife giving it a fresh silvery flash. low tech I tell ya! lol

Kip, seems that that would be a nice shape too me....

 

[redear]

yeah, it was the two cavity mold, I didn't care for it at first and wouldn't use it, but I had some tied up with kiptail in electric chicken with red thread and plain head, and while fishing with a buddy in a small lake we weren't doing much so we were trying different colors and weights of jigs, I gave him one and he started catching fish! this was last spring, and now thats all he wants to use. we use them under a small styrofoam float and tip with a crappie nibble, the crappie take it down slow just like they would with a minnow, and the fliers, bream and bass go after them too. a roundhead works too but I think the flattened sides reflect any sunlight better. we used to tip with minnows or redworms but more and more nibbles are the ticket and you can change colors easily. I let the float sit usually but he jiggles it in place quite a bit and usually out fishes me.

 

[redear]

post 170 on page 17 shows that mold and jig, I'm thinking a pillhead design would give the same flat sided flash effect, hmmm, got me thinking. heck these little molds don't need handles either, I like them without them, faster to load hooks and extract jigs. ya know the crappie ought to be biting now, haven't been for a while either.

 

[redear]

I was just looking at the mcmaster carr online catalogue and it seems they have the softer 6063 aluminum I had used on the last few molds. they had it in 3/4" thick which is what I use and had widths in the 1 1/2"- 2" range which is perfect for the little one banger molds. I ordered this aluminum from online metals last time but they only had it in 4" width and I had to band saw it down the middle which worked ok but it was alot more work and wasn't as pretty and square when done, the aluminum clogged the saw teeth too, lol. have to go back in my posts and make sure this was the same type alum. but pretty sure it was. I only have one more pair of blocks of this stuff to use and the rest is that 6061 t6 which was too hard to press anything other than something tiny like a 1/64 or 1/32oz.

 

[redear]

A few months ago I found my press frame outside and all rusted up, seems my teenage son needed to lay it on the burn barrel to hold the screen down! It's still ok but not nearly as purty as it once was, lol.

 

[toadfrog]

Oh that's a hiny kick'in just waiting to happen there.

 

[redear]

I know Toady, but he is such a great kid and has never given us a minutes problem, he is book smart as heck but sometimes the common sense is a little lacking, he's in his first year of college getting real good grades too, might have to let him slide on this one but still let him know to use something else instead, lol.

 

[LedHed]

WD40!!! Yeah give the kid a pass - stuff happens.

 

[Kdog]

No Pass, some sandpaper, steel wool and plenty of elbow grease and a touch of paint. Just think of his sense of accomplishment when it looks a pretty and new again.

 

[TexCoosa]

Hi, guys...
I am pretty new to Jig Craft and I have to say "What a great place it is."
I want to sincerely thank all you guys who have posted to this mold making thread. Armed with information from the thread I have made two molds. I am not much of a poster on forums. I read and research alot, looking for information that will help educate me when I start a project. Finding the Jig Craft forum a few months ago led me to this thread. I had a need for a round head mold without a collar so I decided to have a go at it. I could have bought a commercial mold but I wanted to make my own. That mold worked well and we have been catching crappie on the jigs made with this head. The other day I decided I wanted a pill head jig, so off to the shop I went. It turned out pretty good also. The round head cast a jig that is around 1/16 ounce and the pill head weighs in at around 1/20 ounce with a number 2 hook. I was out of number 4's but I think they will be a better match to that mold. Redman and Redear, you guy have given out so much information that it made it pretty easy to make my molds. Again, thanks alot.

 

[plateboater]

Really nice!

 

[Fatman]

redear

I flattened some of the redman heads and they definately look like corn kernals, and the finished jig.

 

[redear]

Doug, thats a killer looking jig! I like the flattened look too.

 

[redear]

Texcoosa, I just saw your thread, wow is all I can say, you have really done a good job! this gives me satisfaction seeing someone else doing this too. Redman deserves most of the credit because he shared information with us that I think would be considered a trade secret by some, I am forever gratefull for this. texcoosa, how did you make your pillhead blank? anyway congradulations on the great job!

 

[redman]

You guys are doing a good job. All of you. Yup it is in good hands. Pasted it on, guess part of my work is now done. Now it's up to you to pass it along to the next generation. Fatman glad that you like the look. I was never one hundred percent happy with the way mine turned out. Like the way yours turned out. Flatten out Redman's head was a Sight/Feel type thing for me. Your right, looks to much like a corn kernel. In Iowa I saw too many of them. Lols

Redman

 

[TexCoosa]

Redear,

I made my blank from a 1/4 inch grade 8 bolt. I cut the head and threads off which left me several inches of smooth shaft. I had been looking at the 1/24 oz pill head at Jacobs bait and saw the description indicated the head was 1/4" x 9/64" thick. Since I was shooting for something in that area for weight, I chucked the bolt in my lathe chuck and cut it a little long of 9/64. I then was able to chuck the blank in a hand drill clamped in my bench vice and take a file and sand paper to it to roll the edges over. I will post up a photo of the blank and some painted heads later. Have to walk out to the shop to get the blank.

 

[redear]

thanks texcoosa, thats good stuff there! how did you make your press frame?

 

[TexCoosa]

Redear

Here are photos of my blank for the pill head and two painted heads. The pink one has a #2 hook and the yellow is a #4 (new sickles from Capt'n Hooks) My press is a 4 ton table top press made from channel iron and angle iron. I am a pretty fair welder for being self taught so the press was no biggie.

 

[CrappieHappy]

Very nice!

 

[Fatman]

Good Stuff