Author Topic: Complete pour issues...  (Read 3392 times)

Offline Rex

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Complete pour issues...
« on: 04/20/20 12:27 UTC »
I have a relatively rare-ish mold that a guy made for me. It’s pouring 3/4 and 1 oz minnows. For the life of me I can not get them to pour completely with any consistency. I’ve set the mold on top of the pot to warm, I would have thought after 10 bad pours the mold would have been hot enough. No consistency of which cavity is filling correctly. I think my lead is pretty clean but I’m debating about emptying my pot and trying new x ray lead I got.

I must be doing something wrong and if I’m not the only thing I can think of is the ports to pour into might be too small but I’d like to try and exhaust all options before going back to the guy to see if he can widen the holes.

Online Apdriver

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #1 on: 04/20/20 15:09 UTC »
Try using some Frankfort Arsenal drop out release. Are you ladle pouring or using a pot with a pour spout? Sometimes the pour spout gets a restriction and won’t dump enough lead to fill cavity before it freezes up. Try ladle pour this may help. Possibly a venting issue. You can try increasing the temps you’re pouring at and increasing lead content. Can you show us a pic of mold?

Offline Rex

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #2 on: 04/20/20 15:50 UTC »
Here’s the mold:

Offline 21xdc

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #3 on: 04/20/20 16:15 UTC »
99% sure it's not getting hot enough. That is a thick mold and takes a lot to heat up. I would blaze it with a heat gun on high for a while even after you heat it on top of the pot. That also takes a lot of lead and needs to be poured fast. Your pot may not be dropping enough quickly. Ladle pouring may be a better option or pour from the "Hot Pot" even though it don't hold as much. heat the hooks and parts under a 500w halogen lamp or on an electric skillet about as hot as you can take to still hold in your fingers for a short time.

Online Apdriver

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #4 on: 04/20/20 17:57 UTC »
Ladle pour will probably solve the issue. Like 21xdc said, it sure won’t hurt to get the mold hot too. As big as the cavities are, you shouldn’t have to heat your components. I use drop out release on all my molds. Helps with the pour....and release. Be sure to get it in your sprue cavity, also. Using the ladle, it’s a dump when you pour. Not a trickle.

Offline bigjim5589

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #5 on: 04/20/20 21:01 UTC »
I agree with what's been said here already that the most likely reasons you're not getting complete pours are first, the mold may not be hot enough, second there could be a venting problem, and third, your bottom pour is not providing enough flow to fill the cavities quickly enough. It's possible you have more than one issue.

Many folks with such problems presume their mold is plenty hot, but if you consider that the mold may be for example, 400 degrees (F), and the melting point of lead is slightly over 621, that's more than a 50% differential (221 degrees). Lead can't stay molten at 400 degrees, or even at 500, so it's cooling before the cavity is filled. As was mentioned a thick mold will cool quickly as heat is dissipated and will be slow to heat up enough.  The mold temp needs to be closer to that 621+ temperature. I use an electric hot plate to heat up molds and keep them hot between pours. That fixed most problems that I had with incomplete pours, provided I give enough time to get the mold as hot as it needs to be.

Some may tell you the lead needs to be hotter, and although that would help, is not the real problem. If the lead is molten, then it's hot enough. Pouring a molten metal into a mold is about heat transfer and balancing the heat energy. The heat will transfer from the molten metal to the mold, but the metal still needs to stay in the molten form long enough to flow & fill the entire cavity. If not, then you get incomplete pours. 

Even if the mold is hot enough, it doesn't appear that your mold is vented. CNC molds with tight tolerances won't allow the air to escape the cavity fast enough. Vents do not have to be large, just enough to allow the air to escape. If you clamp the mold, that makes the problem worse.

For pours that are an ounce or less a bottom pour should have enough flow capacity, but if all of these issue exist, then a flow issue would be compounded. I have both a bottom pour and a Hot Pot, and prefer the Hot Pot for any larger pours over 1 ounce. The only time I have incomplete pour problems is when I let the mold cool too much. All molds that I have that did not arrive with vents, and closed well, I added vents.

Those of us with some of the older molds that were cast instead on machined, and did not close very well, likely never gave venting much thought because there was enough gaps to let the air out. Most of the Do It molds now are made with vents, but some of their older molds may not have had them.

Much of the pouring I do, is with recycled wheel weight lead, so on the hard side, and I still rarely have any problems. For your issue, I would first start with making sure the mold is hot enough, then go for there.

Offline Kasilofchrisn

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #6 on: 04/20/20 23:10 UTC »
I have one of Kent's earlier molds.
Same basic design but mine is 1oz only in a 2 cavity mold.
Mine pours just fine.
I had issues with mine UNTIL I sprayed it with drop out and all the issues went away.
I seriously doubt it's an issue of the mold not being hot enough.
Just spray it with drop out and you'll get complete pours.
At least that worked for my mold.

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Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #7 on: 04/20/20 23:14 UTC »
Are the voids between the cavities allow for treble hooks to be attached when pouring the bait? And what are the horizontal line at the tail of the bait. Hopefully your not trying to fill that too. And how incomplete is the pour? Some heavy bait pour better when you ladle pour.
May your days be filled with sun shine and you always have a tight line. AMEN

Offline Kasilofchrisn

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #8 on: 04/22/20 16:15 UTC »


Are the voids between the cavities allow for treble hooks to be attached when pouring the bait? And what are the horizontal line at the tail of the bait. Hopefully your not trying to fill that too. And how incomplete is the pour? Some heavy bait pour better when you ladle pour.

Yes those voids allow for a treble hook to be attached to the wireform before casting.
The back is designed to have a popper style hook cast in separate of the treble hook.
Like I said I have an earlier version of the same mold and drop out fixed all my issues.
I do have this mold on order right now and I'm sure drop out will work in it as well.

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Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #9 on: 04/22/20 17:40 UTC »
Glad that it will work out for you.
May your days be filled with sun shine and you always have a tight line. AMEN

Offline Rex

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #10 on: 04/23/20 18:53 UTC »
Haven’t been able to play around with it. My wife and I bought a new house and have had our hands full moving. Hoping end of of next week I’ll be able to set up my new shop! Pretty excited for a dedicated shop for pouring, painting, tying etc.

Offline Kasilofchrisn

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #11 on: 12/27/20 19:52 UTC »
Finally got to using this mold today.
All of my cavities cast just fine. All had complete pours.
I cast in tin using a Palmer hot pot and in lead using a lee 420 bottom pour pot. I didn't cast very many but all cast filled out perfectly from the first to the last.
I did use drop out spray and preheated the mold as I do any other mold just setting it on top of the pot.
No excess heat required or any modifying of anything.
I'm guessing if you haven't got this mold to work for you drop out should fix your issues.

Offline Lamar

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #12 on: 12/28/20 05:55 UTC »
 What kind of lead are you using ? The X-ray lead is soft lead and will work better for you.

Offline Kasilofchrisn

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #13 on: 12/28/20 13:08 UTC »
I forgot to add I was using random scrap lead.
I didnt check the BHN but it certainly wasn't pure.
But all cavities 3/4 and 1 oz filled nicely with the Dropout sprayed in them using this scrap lead.
« Last Edit: 12/28/20 13:10 UTC by Kasilofchrisn »

Offline rmturner54

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Re: Complete pour issues...
« Reply #14 on: 07/27/21 10:55 UTC »
FYI-typical lead melts at around 620F, the DO IT tech said once it melts keep the pouring temp between 750-800 F. One thing to keep in mind when pouring is the spru opening. Too fast a pour on a small spru will cause it to clog resulting in an incomplete pour.