Dumbbell Eye Mold

[bear-kodiak]

Hello: Can anyone direct me to a maker of a mold to make lead dumbbell
eyes. My search so far has turned up nothing....thank you...Jim

[Rick Z]

Check Hagensfish.com or Netcraft.
Can't remember where I saw it but I thin one of these two places.

Rick

[bear-kodiak]

Checked both places .....no luck...thanks tho....

[RHenn]

I think you can buy blank molds from Barlows. Maybe have a local Machine shop cut them however you want.

[51BC]

Depending on how much you want to get into DIY, a friend of mine used to melt aluminum cans and pour them into sardine tins to make the blocks and then grind out the cavities to cast jigs!

[whatfly]

I think you can buy blank molds from Barlows. Maybe have a local Machine shop cut them however you want.

Question comes up every now and again and RHenn offers the best solution I've seen to date. The blank molds on Barlowe's are made by Do-It Molds who make every imaginable type of lure mold -- except dumbbell eyes.

Considering that a mold is going to cost $40-50, if jig molds are any indication, even before you add in labor and what not, and that brass or lead eyes are .11 to .20 a piece in bulk, not sure it is worth the time nor money. YMMV.

[Uncle Jesse]

Machine out the eyes you want from steel; lay between two aluminum bars on a high pressure press; repeat from multiple eyes. Drill of machine ports and ways for the lead to flow; Line up some alignment pins. Or use large stopper chains.

[sagefisher]

Jim,

I found two You-Tube videos by a Daniel Pielet. The first one shows how to make plaster mold and the next one shows how to make the dumbbells.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0CAnBRsEVo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Y-kFllzPI

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Kaboom1]

I have been making plaster molds and casting obsolete jig heads since the 80's. Casting bullets and round balls before that. PLEASE, PLEASE let the mold dry for at least a month before you try to use it! Water and hot lead to not mix! The molds are not very durable...you may get 20 cycles before it breaks or wears out. For the time you will invest and the dangers involved, It will be cheaper to buy them than pay the doctor bills. Trust me...been there, done that!

Brad