Bismuth

[No bait]

Has anyone used Bismuth instead of lead with Do-it molds?

[Bucho]

Jep. It stays shiny like tin and is almost as heavy as lead so it has its place in very small jigs where the price doesn`t matter and pp is not necessary. It can not be powder painted because of its very low melting point.

It is one of very few metals that expand when they harden, and it gets very hard. That means you will never get it out of a wobble jig mold, for instance. A little tin in the alloy makes it less brittle. 

[No bait]

Thanks for the info. Are there any other soft metals besides Lead that work with Do-it molds?

[Do-It Corp.]

Gold works great.  Very dense, low melting point and malleable.

Probably the most successful alloy is a 50/50 alloy of tin and bismuth.  Bismuth is the most dense and cost effective product, but has a hard edge and can fracture.  Mixing it with tin will help with both of those issues.

[superharmonix]

Jep. It stays shiny like tin and is almost as heavy as lead so it has its place in very small jigs where the price doesn`t matter and pp is not necessary. It can not be powder painted because of its very low melting point.

You actually CAN powder paint bismuth.  Melting point is just over 520 degrees which is only about 100 degrees less than lead.  Tin melts at slightly less than bismuth, so you just have to be somewhat careful like with most of what we do..  Most powderpaints, including Pro-Tec which is what Do-It sells, adheres around 325.

As a side note, I see quite a few folks say they pour "tungsten" jig heads.  Highly doubtful, as tungsten melts at a balmy 6100+ degrees.

...agreed on mixing tin with the bismuth. 

Good alternative for those in states with lead bans. 

[Bucho]

You actually CAN powder paint bismuth.  Melting point is just over 520 degrees which is only about 100 degrees less than lead.  Tin melts at slightly less than bismuth, so you just have to be somewhat careful like with most of what we do..  Most powderpaints, including Pro-Tec which is what Do-It sells, adheres around 325.

As a side note, I see quite a few folks say they pour "tungsten" jig heads.  Highly doubtful, as tungsten melts at a balmy 6100+ degrees.

...agreed on mixing tin with the bismuth. 

Good alternative for those in states with lead bans.

Maybe "one" can pp bismuth  - I certainly don`t.... Which is funny because I just looked it up again and it is actially said to have a melting point higher than tin - which I frequently bake with no problems. An unfortunate mix-up with bismuth happened to melt on me though. 

The tungsten we use for fishing is powder which is either tempered into shape or blended into other metals s.a. copper. I know a tungsten guy who uses the latter technique and said it would be impossible to pour onto a jig hook for one reason or another. He can only do beads, run-through weights etc. The tempering seems to work with hooks, but not in a small shop way.   

[ctom]

There are sources for powdered tungsten that aren't too terribly steep in price. When I get this shop project wrapped up I plan to make a couple of silicone molds and try some of this powder mixed in an epoxy to make small jigs, then painted with liquid paints. I have some proto-types done already to use as maters in the silicone. These will be smaller jigs heads, generally used in ice fishing, but cast on somewhat larger hooks and used to target crappies and panfish.

[Kasilofchrisn]

I've cast in tin before.
It works fine but is 1/3 lighter than lead.
If you can find some scrap pewter it is mostly tin and works fine for casting in aluminum molds and powder painting.

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[smalljaw]

Tungsten jigs are made by a process called "sintering" in which the tungsten powder is compressed under extreme pressure. You never see 100% tungsten because it usually has 3% to 7" nickel, or copper, or a blend of both metals mixed in, when the tungsten is compressed under pressure it produces a lot of heat the causes the nickel and copper to melt and that is what binds it together. Tungsten powder can be mixed with epoxy and poured into a mold but the properties that make it desirable for anglers isn't there like the hardness that helps transmit vibration or the greater density that makes it heavier than lead and it isn't close to cost effective since it takes along time to produce jigs and weights using the epoxy method. Rotometals online has a lead free alloy that is 88% Bismuth and 12% tin producing a jig that is close to lead in weight and has a melting temp of 395 degrees allowing for powder painting, it works well but is $15 - $16 per pound.