Who Has Modified Mold to Make Weedless?

I am wanting to make a Doit Roundhead 1/16 1/32 With A Barb jig mold into a weedless jig mold . I plan on cutting a groove in the mold to accept .010" wire that I have . The wire is pretty light gauge if heavier is needed I will simply cut a deeper groove for heavier wire. Ok my question here is has anyone else here done this with success? If so can you offer any tips or insights into the process? Any help would be appreciated this is my first attempt at this kind of thing . So tools used ,wire used , that kind of thing would be helpful. Thank you for reading this .

Steve

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I know DrNip has modified several molds. Hopefully he will reply to thread.

I hope so as well . I think what i am doing is simple but I like to look before I leap .

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It is very easy to make a groove for thin wire.

The way I do this is I take a section of wire and carefully position it where I want it. Then I drink beer and stare at it for a while to make sure it wouldn’t be better placed somewhere else. Then once I am certain of the position, I carefully close the mold and squeeze it shut and hold a very firm grip on the handles less the wire shift inside. Then using a large C clamp I squeeze the clamp until the gap is gone. Several times might be needed.

Using a slightly larger diameter wire for this purpose is helpful, but too large and you get a mess when pouring.

Others do the above process but instead of a C clamp they whoop it with a rubber mallet. I guess that works.

Using a Dremel tool would be for enlarging a cavity or something. For adding a wire it is easy to get by without one. I don’t own one, but if I did my molds would have these strange gouges and streaks.

Aluminum is softer than steel, just take your time and make a $50 effort, and you should end up with a first class mod.

Thank you Micanopy any suggestions on wire diameter ? Looks like I am going to have to add beer to my tool list ,I would have overlooked that step lol.

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I think I have a thread here somewhere where I made a mold weedless wire. Didn’t require any cutting. Let me find it. Hopefully I posted it.

Guess I never posted it. Here is a thread like minacopy was referring to where I modded a mold. Using the same concept as in thread find you a solid piece of wire, nail or I’ve even used the wire hanger thing from a do it mold cut to your liking and place in mold where you want the wire weed guard. Carefully close and then beat with a rubber mallet or you some type of vise, c clamp or whatever. Will put a perfect imprint. Then take a dremel tool with bit and attacment (Attachment not really needed) and open up the imprint more if needed.

https://www.crappie.com/crappie/pour...15-latest-mod/

Thanks Drnip I think i have a plan . All I need is a short groove which i think I will make a little bigger towards the back to facilitate laying the short piece of wire in to keep it from rolling away. To do this I will make a larger impression with a larger wire . Then right next to the mold jig cavity i will make an impression using a wire that is just a few thousands larger. This way if I end up needing a larger diameter wire it should be simple to enlarge the groove next to tye jig cavity . Oh yeah i forgot is there any specific brand of beer I need for the pondering process lol ? Thanks guys your help is invaluable to me.

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I am easily influenced by others and so have been trying different brands. The one I like now is Pacifico. Comes from Mexico and isn’t pretending to be Mexican while coming from St Louis.

Sounds like you took your time thinking about it, and beer or not, that is the idea. I would think a springy wire would work best as a deflector.

Mexican eh I like some of those as well. And yes i am trying to think this through to the point if I make a mistake I have a plan for that too lol. I just hope the weedless saves me some jigs . I like to cast and retrieve I do ok in rocks but not so good in wood. I hate watching a float so gotta figure something out !

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