Custom Baits - Forum
Jigs, Spinnerbaits and Sinkers => Bass Jigs => Topic started by: Michael Atkinson on 01/25/15 19:33 UTC
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I’m new to lead pouring and having some issues.
First issue
I’m having to clean the nozzle of my Lee pot every pour with a paperclip. I can understand having to do this for the pour of the day / initial heat up. I ran all my lead through furnace one time using candle wax to clean it, poured it into a muffin pan to make small ingots. Now I’m using these ingots to pour jig heads.
Second issue
I’m getting incomplete pours in the 3/8 oz. Poison Tail cavity? The shirt / bait keeper barbs are not complete? My 1/4 oz. jigs are look good?
Thanks for any advice!
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It could be that your lead isn't hot enough or it could be that some foreign material has gotten into the nozzle. Try turning the screw on top of the pot several times and see if that helps. I'm not much of an expert on muffin pans (or anything else for that matter), but maybe some of it's metal made it into your lead pot.
Hold your open mold over a lit candle until the cavities have developed a layer of soot. That should fix the incomplete filling problem.
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Sounds like a temp issue. Is your lead fluxed?
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Heat your paperclip then rub your paperclip in wax.
Then use it to clean the spout. It will help flux and clean around the spout.
Then put a small pea or sugarcube size chunk of wax into your pot.
If it doesn't ignight then light it and let it burn whilst you stir the pot being sure to scrape the bottom and sides.
Then skim the dross off.
You will get more dross out that way.
Rather than smoking your mold try a light spray of drop out mold release.
It will last many pours and definetly helps the mold fill out.
All my molds get a light coat of drop out in them.
Don't forget to pre warm your hooks. This always helps fill in the small nooks and crannies around the hook shank.
If that doesn't work then come back and let us know.
I bet these ideas fix your issues.
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To me it sounds like your using hard lead. Where did you get your lead from ? The poison tail jig has some small details and needs to be poured with soft lead.
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It could be any of the problems mentioned above but if you're having to clean your nozzle with every pour then a weak stream of lead may be the main problem. What do you have the heat set at? What do your jigs look like = wrinkled , smooth and shiny ? Like Lamar said, soft lead is the way to go.
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Another question. Is your pot full?
It helps to keep a full pot of lead. The weight helps it shoot better.
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To answer a few questions
Lead is defiantly soft. I purchased the material at a local scrap yard, it was 1/8" lead shielding from an x ray room. I cut it with a pair of scissors.
The amount of lead in the pot could be the problem, I only have about half of the pot full. I will try to add more material.
I heat the material to the level 7 setting.
I will defiantly try your suggestions.
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(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k586/michaelstewartatkinson/complete_zpsacc88c4c.jpg) (http://s1117.photobucket.com/user/michaelstewartatkinson/media/complete_zpsacc88c4c.jpg.html)
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(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k586/michaelstewartatkinson/incomplete_zps2ac57e6c.jpg) (http://s1117.photobucket.com/user/michaelstewartatkinson/media/incomplete_zps2ac57e6c.jpg.html)
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(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k586/michaelstewartatkinson/leadonly_zpsbc07bac9.jpg) (http://s1117.photobucket.com/user/michaelstewartatkinson/media/leadonly_zpsbc07bac9.jpg.html)
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Not sure about the pouring but love that jig.
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Carl
Used to have a similar issue "turns out the mold was not hot enough", until I placed it on top of the POT to really get it hot, which seemed to stabilize the needed temp for the correct flow, if it started to show poor shoots I'd repeat the POT Heating Procedure. ;)
(worked for me) ;)
billygee ::)
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Smoke the cav with a candle
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I place my mold/molds on top of my pot while it's warming up. After the lead is hot, I always run 3 or 4 heads without the hook to see what they look like/make sure the mold is nice and warm. You could try holding your mold closer to the spout too. If that doesn't work then you probably have some crud in your spout you'll need to clean out.
Your lead is good, I use the same thing. Your heat is plenty good too. I used to run my old pot between 6 and 7 but with my new pot I have the temp set between 5 and 6.
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Based on your pics a little drop out spray would help.
Warming your mold a little hotter and prewarming your hooks should also help solve your issues.
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If your pouring soft lead then you have to have something blocking the flow. Try emptying all your lead and clean out the spout. I pour about 100 of them a season and have very few issues with this mold. I just poured some with less then a 1/4 pot and only shoot one empty to warm the mold up a bit. Make sure when pouring you lift up fast and drop fast. And put your mold all the way up to the spout. If your using soft lead and the flow is fast then you should have no problem making these jigs.
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Maybe try changing the angle that you hold the mold while filling. Maybe try tipping the mold slightly forward so the lead enters a little off-side. I have a mold that the cavities are slightly angled and will fill weird unless I intentionally soft-set the filling angle. What your pictures are showing is usually a quick fix once the problem is discovered.
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Warming your mold a little hotter and prewarming your hooks should also help solve your issues.
In my history of lead pouring, these two were probably the most significant in consistently getting good casts. (FYI:I don't soot or spray my molds.)
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Best move I ever made was getting rid of my newer Lee pots and stepping up to a RCBS Pro-Melt.
Much better lead flow, doesn't leak, stainless steel pot lining doesn't rust, actual temperature control. I could go on but the RCBS has been a life saver. Even my molds that suggest ladle pouring are working great with the RCBS due to the high flow rate you can get with the pot.
I even managed to cast the **** Bat jigs with it. Never could get them to pour consistently with the Lee pot. Yesterday I did a batch of 3 ounce round ball jigs that came out perfect.
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I'm starting to get fed up with my lee pots and thought about an rcbs. When you pour those big 3 ounce jigs is it a smooth casting or is it rippled?
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With a hot mold and hot lead they come out smooth as a babies butt.
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The maximum flow rate on the RCBS furnace is CONSIDERABLY higher than a couple of Lee pots put together. ;)
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The maximum flow rate on the RCBS furnace is CONSIDERABLY higher than a couple of Lee pots put together. ;)
Have always wanted one. Price steered me away though. I pour a lot of big sinkers, 3 to 6 ounces, and my pro 4 leaves ripples most of the time. They don't bother me but a clean cast looks better on the store rack. May have to give this another thought. Already have orders for almost 100 pounds of them.
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Do they have any leak issues out any other issues a guy should know about?
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I've had the RCBS for a few years and I swear by it. It's a quality machine that you're not going to have issues with. Like the Timex, it just keeps on tickin', pour after pour after pour. If you plan on pouring a lot over the next fifty years or so the RCBS is for you.
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Have always wanted one. Price steered me away though. I pour a lot of big sinkers, 3 to 6 ounces, and my pro 4 leaves ripples most of the time. They don't bother me but a clean cast looks better on the store rack. May have to give this another thought. Already have orders for almost 100 pounds of them.
For jigs and sinkers over 3 ounces ladle pouring is the way to go.
I make sinkers up to 5# and jigs to 48 ounces. As well as downrigger weights.
Ladle pouring from a pot is the way to go.