Making Decoy Anchors

C

Capt. Frank Miller

Active member
Off season project makin some decoy anchors. I want to try to make some out of cement anyone tried this?

I also have some lead and wanted to melt it and use a cupcake tin for a mould? Will the weights come out? What can I use for a pot and ladle for the lead? What type of wire for the loops on the anchors?

Thanks,
Frank
 
I've used a cement anchor on a boat, works ok for that especially if it might get snagged. Cement might make a little larger decoy then you want. For long lines it might work since those anchors are larger to begin with.

Old cast iron pots and enamelware are nice if you can find some dinged up ones at a rummage sale. You will still need a lead ladle. Years ago my dad used a small aluminum pot with a spout to clean up lead. It worked if you were very careful about the fire below. You can reach the melting point of aluminum on a camp stove, I've seen that happen. I've never made anchors but have used a cupcake pan for ingots. They slip right out after they get solid.

Make sure and only melt lead outside in a nice breeze and wash your hand well afterwards.

Tim
 
Get a lead ladle and a pot to melt your lead, a real cast iron one is best. Now get a shallow box of slightly damp compressed fine sand, just damp enough to hold a shape.
use your ladle to make an impression into the sand of the ladle bottom, as many "molds" as your box will hold but don't over crowd it. A ladle about 2 1/2" across will make a mold for a finished anchor of 6 to 8 oz.
Now take some copper ground wire and cut to size, this will depend on if you want to fit the ensuing "hoop" to fit over the decoys head. when you have your "hoop" set, bend about 1/2" of the ends to make little "feet", (make sure the hoop will still fit over the head). These will be covered by the lead and hold the hoop in place permanently, shape your hoops on the bottom to fit your molds or ladle.

Now, melt your lead, take a ladle full and pour into your sand mold while holding the hoop in place, use a pliers. Hold for a few moments until the lead hardens around the hoop. When all your molds are full, and the lead is cool, remove from your mold box, if you want to make another batch, you need to re-compress the sand and make new molds.

Alternatively, use a muffin tin, just be careful to not make your anchors too heavy by filling the holes too much, or.... make one anchor at a time by filling your ladle with melted lead and hold the hoop right into the ladle, let cool a few seconds and dump out.

Don't make your sand too damp, and don't breath the fumes of the melting lead. Use gloves and eye protection, wear long sleeved clothes, nothing fleece or synthetic, don't do this barefoot, lol Be careful, make sure you have nothing to trip over around your work site, and your molds, pot, etc are stable.

You may want to check the weight of the first one made so you know how much lead to pour, try and keep them consistent

This style works very well in tidal areas, if you just need a weight, it's pretty hard to beat a cheap Banks sinker.
 
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I use plastic beer cups 12 oz. filled with gravel cement and insert an eye bolt with a large washer and nut on he end. I loop a piece of string thru the eye bolt and tie if off. I attach a trot line clip to my stringer from the decoy . Works well for me.
 
I have made them out of cement for long lines. Two sizes quart milk bottles and 64 oz juice bottles. Keep the plastic on the bottles. The plastic protects the boat from the cement scratching the boat. I have never liked smaller ones for single decoys. They tend to scratch the decoys. I use lead straps.

If you pour lead as mentioned before stay out of the fumes.... I might have been a genius if I hadn't poured lead in my bedroom when I was a youngster... hee hee If you noticed duck hunters are a little strange. Getting up in the early morning before most normal people. Spending all that time off season dwelling on decoys, guns, boats. strange indeed must have something to do with the lead.......
 
We have made anchors using the cup cake pans and it works great, Using a camp stove and a pot just pour and let it cool.
we also have used normal braided wire (green coated) just strip the ends and make the loop large enough to go over the head
and you got a nice easy anchor.
We have also made anchor molds using wood for a mold by taking a router and making a grove and pouring the lead onto the grooved slot
and then you just drill a hole in the one end, The anchors can then bend around the decoys head.
 
If you use the muffin tin, all you have to do is take a candle, hold it sideways under the inverted muffin tin and get a good black layer of soot in the cavities. The weights when done will come right out. I used to work at a mechanical contractor that did pipe welding and got my hands on a 5" or 6" pipe endcap. Probably cheaper than a cast iron lead pot, if you have a pipe supplier near you.
 
I just use a camp stove and old frying pan, works great. I make molds from hardwood scraps with a router, and I make them in an "H" shape with two horizontal bars instead of one, so maybe a Roman "II" on its side is a better description than an "H". Line stores on the anchor, and then just a half hitch to hold it in place. I don't have a pic handy will take one and put it up if desired.
 
I like to use the Baby muffin tins fill them full & stick bent wire in. It's also easier to work with under lead furnace. I haven't been able to find steel just alum. so some care needs to be taken when popping out. As the alum gets alittle fragile from heat and weight. Use copper wire not steel, steel rusts and is not as resilient to bending.

Gene R.
 
I've done a bunch of concrete anchors in yogurt containers. Loop of insulated copper wire scrap inserted. Concrete is less dense, and therefore will require greater overall weight to have the same holding power as lead. I hunt mostly protected waters anyway, drop it in the muck and weeds and it ain't going anywhere anyway.

Chuck
 
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