What I learned DIY hard weights

[emoreira]

Yes, that mold is wood. It's a piece of maple I had sitting around. I've made about 10 weights with it, some 2 and some 3 pounders for a DUI harness with velcro pockets.

Once the wood is really dry the weights come out very nice - no bubbles, etc. I should have baked it a while to dry it before I used it. The first few weights would have been nicer. It still reproduces the marks in the mold pretty well. In the first pic you can see a line around the near corner, just below the top surface (that was actually the bottom surface in the mold). That's from an uneven cut in the mold. In the second pic the weight is turned over so you can see the top surface of the weight. It's actually the roughest of all the surfaces!
D

I've tried with wood molds and also with cement molds. Though possible, cement molds are usable only two or three times, then it breaks. Woods molds depend on the wood used. I was not lucky with the wood I've used.
Metal molds are the best I could achieve, you can install inserts for the belt and fortunately I have the tools to do them.

 

[jhupka]

another place to get lead is the wrecks in the ocean and the sinkers on them, I have a decent collection of those weights, but only use 4 pounds for ocean diving and nothing for fresh water.

 

[JamesBon92007]

No doubt I messed up this quote...

Nice molds. I didn't visit your sites yet but I will to see how you made them.

I have been making my own weight for many years using a weight-belt mold that no doubt was made/distributed by Aqua Craft. What a loss. Just about every miscellaneous diving item I have says Aqua Craft on it.

To begin, I collect fishing weights while diving. Some locations are better than others. Finally found a use for my dive knife which is to cut off the fishing line. I often have found five pounds or more on a single dive. They add up after a while.

I melt them in a small (7" or 8") cast iron frying pan. I use an old teaspoon to remove the crap and throw it in a tin can. I do all this inside, on the stove with the exhaust fan on. I never had any problems with fumes or smoke etc.

Using a thick potholder I simply pour the melted lead into the mold. It is a five pound mold (approximately) so 3/5 will get you a three pound weight etc.

Personally I think it's very easy to do and would never consider buying dive weights.

The one I have looks a lot like this but I couldn't find the exact same one:
1-5 lb. Weight Mold with Handle

And I sure as hell didn't pay any $40 for it!!! More like a couple of bucks at a garage sale.

 

[JamesBon92007]

This one is closer and the price is more reasonable:
Trident Weight Mold 4.5Lbs @ Divers-Supply.com

 

[Sik_Z33]

I made my own weights using a mini cupcake pan. I poured the lead about 3-4 mm thick at the bottom of the pans and then popped them out from behind. Then I made small bags out of nylon fabric and filled each bag with 1lb of lead coins and stitched the bad closed. Oh also I able to get the lead for free by recycling wheel weights, I was able to make 15 lbs of soft weights for about $4.